# Giggles



## Shrub (Jul 25, 2018)

She isn't a chicken but we got her 2 days ago for my birthday (today) 
Her name is Giggles
She is a Red crowned parakeet (kākāriki)
She is about 14 weeks old. Only half tamed so she use to people being near but not handled. We are getting her use to us trying to build bond and trust so hopefully she will sit with us and not try to run away when we are to close.
She hates being in her cage (we do let her out for exercise and to fly)
She will never get her wings clipped.
Giggles is name chosen because when she talks it sounds like she is giggling.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

How sweet. It probably won't take long for her to accept her new home and humans. Just like chickens, they need time to adapt to their new surroundings. 

Do you think there will ever be a Mr. Giggles?


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## Shrub (Jul 25, 2018)

robin416 said:


> How sweet. It probably won't take long for her to accept her new home and humans. Just like chickens, they need time to adapt to their new surroundings.
> 
> Do you think there will ever be a Mr. Giggles?


No Mr. Giggles just my hubby who giggles in his own way....

I don't think she will ever have a Mr. Giggles. We have a rabbit so maybe they can be a friends.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I had Guinea pigs and cats that were buds so there is no reason not to think Giggles and the bunny couldn't buddy up. 

I won't tell your hubs what you said about his giggle.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I’ve thought about getting an indoor bird, but figured they would outlive both of us. So we have never had one.


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## Shrub (Jul 25, 2018)

nannypattyrn said:


> I've thought about getting an indoor bird, but figured they would outlive both of us. So we have never had one.


maybe adopt an older one, unwanted or a rescue? A lot of smaller birds only live maybe 10-15 years? im no expert but that is an option


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I was wondering last night how Giggles was getting with her new family.


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## Shrub (Jul 25, 2018)

Giggles is going great. She lets us get close now. can feed her by hand. still can't touch her yet but getting closer all the time. Today I got my hand close to her and brushed her chest with on stroke and she nipped my finger before hopping away. She use to fly away when we got to close. She use to hide on top of the fridge but now she spends most the time on top of her cage and even goes in the cage herself now we dont need to put her in any more. 

When I put her night blanket on she will go sit on her perch strait away for sleep. Still loves her baths. Today hubby put his face to her and she tried to eat his nose. She is very gentle when she bites, its more puts her peck on finger (or nose) and gentle touch. 

When the rabbit is out she watches him. Sometimes gets down close to him, til he moves towards her then she freaks out and flies away. Hoping one day to get him a saddle so Giggles can ride him around.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I think I know now why you've been quieter, your focus has been on Giggles. 

It does sound very much like she's melding into the new family.


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## Shrub (Jul 25, 2018)

Winter doesn't help, we don't spend as much time with the chickens. In the evening sometimes when they go to bed hubby brings the chickens in to see Giggles. They don't care for each other. Surprised me a little they look at each other and kinda ignore each other. I have seen Shades chase little birds away from the garden so I was kinda nervous. 

The chickens did exp their first day of snow though, spent mostly around the back door where there was no snow fall and we brought them a new feeding trough. took them a little to use it. like they was unsure their head would go in there. small metal one and the lid/top opens and closes but it is just like metal bars their heads go through. When it is warmer out I will prob be outside more with them and post more about their awesomeness.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yeah, winter does interfere with the time we spend with the outside birds. We're supposed to be warm today so I'll be out there fixing a leak in my Guinea pen.

Nope, chickens are not real comfortable with change. Even tasty new treats are suspect until one gives it a try.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Doesn’t look like we’re going to have much in the way of winter as the forecasters said we were unless comes much laters and lasts longer. That has happened too.
Glad your Giggles is settling in!


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## Shrub (Jul 25, 2018)

A little update on Giggles if anyone interested.
She is doing great, loves flying around. When she wants my attention she will fly into my head before flying off. She wil do this multiple times. She enjoys being near me, we still cant handle her by hand. But she will always be in the same area as me as we talk to each other. 
She enjoys playing in the curtains when I am on the couch, because they are just above me. They ganna be fun to clean the poop off... No one ever told me how much birds love to destroy things. but it is fine, we cover books with a towel and sometimes give her some bread, she loves ripping bread apart making a mess.
Still loves her baths, when she wants one she will fly into my head (into not on) before flying over to the sink. She is much more vocal now, almost all day every day she will talk, and giggle. Can be annoying when trying to watch tv but still love listening to her, and I whistle to her. She copies some of my whistle tunes too.

The chickens are not very interested in Giggles, I was a little worried because i have seen Shades chase little birds away from the yard. But they don't worry about her, I think because they rarely come in side and it isn't their territory maybe? But Giggles will sit on her cage and watch them is they are inside. 
Giggles doesn't sit on the window seel watching them anymore either like she use to. think because she is more tame she doesn't go to that area of the room very much as she use to be there and hide as it is a "low" traffic area. Now she enjoys having company.
If I am in the kitchen I have to give her a bath before I can cook, or she wont let me use the kitchen in piece, if she has had one or doesn't want a bath she will sit on the table and talk to me and watch me. 

Never thought I would have birds growing up but now a parakeet and 3 chickens. In Summer we might get 2 more chickens, not sure what breed yet then eventually 2 more after that. Hopefully introducing more into the flock can go smoothly


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You might be able to hand train her. Teach her to land on your hand or arm. Just don't ask me how you go about doing that since I've never had inside birds. 

You do realize she's in her forever home. No way can you rehome her now that she's settled in so totally with your routine and has trained you both so well.

Caution on adding chickens outside of the introduction period. Space. Is your coop large enough to support more birds? The rule of thumb is 3 square feet of clear floor space for bantams and 4 square feet for large fowl.


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## Shrub (Jul 25, 2018)

She will land on our hands take her treat and fly off she just wont stay. She occasionally lands on my shoulder but never stays long. maybe eventually she will she even sits on the couch with me sometimes. Just takes a lot of time and she wasn't tame when we got her. Even some more experienced bird owners seemed surprised how far she has come in a short time but I spend a lot of time with her. She will even take seeds from my mouth (held between my lips not in my mouth) or fly across the room to me.

We are building a big outside chicken coop at the moment to be big enough for extra chickens. At the moment they are in the shed at night and we want to move to an outside coop. Eventually we want our flock to be about 6 hens. All our chickens will be bantams. We will introduce new hens 2 at a time we thought once our outside coop is finished. We have outside fencing and things like that we can set up so they meet and see each other and spend the time together without actually mingling. And i think i read somewhere its good to introduce 2 at a time


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Well, it's pretty obvious she is trainable so it's liable to come in time. 

I've never heard of that two thing. I raised Silkies predominately and they are more laid back than other breeds. I never had an issue adding a new bird or birds to the flock. What did happen is that if I moved one roo from a pen to another pen on the opposite side it was game on. Even though the two boys lived side by side without issues the move made them go at each other through the wire.


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## Shrub (Jul 25, 2018)

Giggles said her first word today. She said "Hey" we didn't think she would talk as these birds rarely do. She said it once and that was it. So maybe she will again...
Kinda got excited and I know I didn't imagine it because hubby confirmed her heard it as well. 
When I say Giggles it gets her attention and she will reply to me, helpful when I am not sure where she is.
After I have her attention I quite often repeat "Hey" A lot and she replies with her little chirps. I tell people they are just her way of saying hey.
Hubby is not very fond of always hearing hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey.... everyday.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Oh oh, you might have to do a speech class with her so she says something other than hey all day.


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