Birds

Mandi

Birdsitting Information

FOOD & WATER

Lindy

FOOD – Lindy has two types of food; seeds and “mush”. She needs special fresh mush and water in the mornings, and then one mush replacement sometime in the late afternoon or early evening. The ratio is around 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of water. Add a tiny pinch of the vitamin powder in the morning. (We have stopped including the hemp seed sprinkle from the video.) The mush needs to be a bit more wet than you think it does so that it’s like a soup; it dries quickly.The seeds only need to be replaced every 5-7 days.

WATER – Please give her fresh water in the morning. If it looks dirty, you might replace it again in the afternoon or evening.

Please check on the food throughout the day, especially when you’re putting her back home. The mush dries out quickly. Add another few drops of water if it looks too dry and mix it up again. Replace it some time in the late afternoon or by 6pm.

She will often be very hungry right before she goes to sleep. Because she doesn’t see well, you might need to tap near the food to remind her to eat. She likes it to be mixed up before she eats.

In the morning, Lindy is going to want to cuddle with you or go in her box but she’ll also be starving. She probably wants to spend about 10 minutes out first but then put her home with the fresh food and water and encourage her to eat. Then she can come out again.

Gaudi

 

WATER – Gaudi has two locations for water; one inside and one outside. Please give Gaudi fresh water in both bowls every morning.

FOOD – Gaudi needs food both inside and outside.

Inside Food

Inside Gaudi has seeds on the left and fruit crunches on the right. These usually only need to be replaced every 4-7 days but if he is locked in a lot, that is his only food he will have so you will need to check on it and add more inside seeds and crunches as needed. Make sure they are not running out.

When you are going out and Gaudi is locked in the cage for more than 2 hours, always add a fresh cracker with peanut butter placed directly in the inside dish of seeds on the left interior of the cage. Give him a fresh cracker with peanut butter every day. You can throw the used one out to the squirrels.

Outside/On Top Food

Gaudi also needs fresh food on top every morning and something freshened up in the later afternoon, early evening. Please always have 3-4 things on top for variety.

Most common go-to foods:

  • Peas
  • Corn
  • Slice of tomato
  • Slice of apple with the skin removed (he knows the word “apple”)
  • Salad greens or spinach (especially with dressing)
  • Oats
  • One lid with seed mix

Treats

  • Nut (about half a nut at a time)
  • A small piece of bread
  • A piece of not-too-sugary cereal (like a shreddie or a cheerio)
  • Berries, especially ones with seeds, would be a big treat. They can be messy but that’s ok.
  • A piece of carrot if you feed it to him (he has trouble getting a good grip to take a bite out of something so hard)

Remember that Gaudi can’t see so he needs them to be in the same spot every time. It’s best to put each thing in its own lid since Gaudi can’t see if there is more than one thing together.

Gaudi can eat pretty much any fruit and vegetable except NOT AVOCADO. He doesn’t really like potato. He can eat a lot of things raw and particularly likes texture like things with seeds.

Things with peel are best to either remove the peel or slice it in half. So for apple I’ll usually take a bigger piece and cut off the peel. For a grape or blueberries, I cut them in half and Gaudi eats the inside out.

For something like a strawberry, you can cut it in half with the seeds (outside) facing up since Gaudi likes the seeds the best.

Some things move around a lot in the lid so it might be better to fill it up more or slice the bottom off so it lies flat and doesn’t slide around in the lid without the ability to get a grip on it.

PLAYTIME/CUDDLES/COMPANY

Lindy will really want to cuddle and be with you in the morning. After about 15-20 minutes try to make her go home to eat.

Lindy loves to shred paper! If you’re at the computer you can put scrap paper on the desk and she’ll gladly chew up paper for 20 minutes or more.

Lindy will want to be on your shoulder, or have cuddles in your hand.

She might spend all day with you but try to make her go home and eat and have a nap.

CAUTION – if you’re cooking on the stove (especially boiling water) please put the birds home. Not a big deal if you’re using the toaster.

***If Lindy is on your shoulder and you go to the washroom, always close the toilet seat before flushing.

Gaudi will be grumpy in the morning but will also want some attention. You might be more successful with him if you put Lindy down (in her little box that I show you) when you go to uncover him.

Gaudi will probably be the most talkative and playful in the later afternoon. He likes to sing and have company. I’ll show you some of the little things he likes to do, like sing:

  • Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
  • Whistling
  • Sound effects in general
  • Sing other songs where you change the lyrics to include Saudi’s name
  • Hello!
  • The long mmmmmm kiss game (even if you aren’t actually able to kiss him)
  • Do a turn
  • Dance to a beat

It’s great if you can just be around Gaudi when possible.

  • BEDTIME

We made a change to Gaudi’s cage so he will probably want you to put him inside rather than him going in on his own. He likes to be scooped up and put inside at bedtime but you can also do it if you’re going out. It should be ok to do when you’re wearing the gloves.

Lindy sometimes stays up late with us when we’re watching TV until 9-9:30pm. But she’ll show if she’s getting restless and wants to go home. When she’s restless she won’t relax in your hand and keeps on flapping her wings and frittering around. If she does that, it’s good to put him home.

It’s best to cover both their cages at bedtime if possible.

CONTACTS

  • Bird Questions – Zoey (my sister)
  • House Issues – Kelly & Vito (neighbours that are behind our house with their garage next to ours)

Phone numbers are on the paper

SUMMARY

  • Water for both every morning
  • Lindy gets new must every morning and again late afternoon
  • Mix up Lindy’s mush throughout the day
  • Gaudy gets fresh food in the morning and something new in the evening
  • Lots of cuddles and time in the box for Lindy
  • Lots of singing for Gaudi