It's not really a roundup, they're just sticky beaks.

We have tried that, and also tried getting them to choose which old ones they don't like to get rid of before getting new toys at Christmas. The occasional toy has just been "lost" before the kids could get attached to it, if we weren't as keen on it as the person giving it... oops, did I say that out loud?

My wife did make the mistake of leaving the bag of old stuff to donate out where sticky beaked children could have a look inside, and then we had a very teary child who was devastated that his old slippers (that no longer fit!!!) were going to be donated... so beware!

I quite enjoy relieving myself from parasites. It seems like our friend on the trunk at 0:50 also had an object in beak. It definitely took up the most time on the windows.

Her wing-tips look like two opposing toucans and the white markings on the wings like heads of birds grouped facing outwards. Message to predators, "There's a shit-load of beak if you order this meal."

How the hell does Big Bird work? I mean literally, it's a guy in a suit, but if it hands are moving the hands, how does he move the beak and make the eyelids move?

MAGIC!!!

What happened to her beaks?

For the last 20 or so years, my family has owned a yellow-naped Green Amazon parrot. He's finicky, and very territorial around his cage. He's quite a bit larger than these Caiques, but smaller than a Macaw. When we let him out of his cage, he's not nearly this... playful. He usually just wants to hide in a corner until he feels safe enough to explore. If you handle while they're still very young, then they can be this playful. It really depends on how their raised.

In general, social animals, that is to say, animals that flock or group with animals from the same or even similar species (the birds on Telegraph Hill in SF come to mind, they're not a homogeneous flock) tend to make better pets than animals that lead solitary lives in the wild (cats, reptiles, etc). They tend to have a more defined personality, and have more capability to read social cues and take training.

The things is, birds know they're fragile - most of their bones are only paper-thin. So they posture up, get defensive and territorial around their cages. To train them, you usually have to take them out of their place of power, that is, their cage, to another space that they don't have as much familiarity or control.

The Amazon my family has kept for 20 years, as I said, is very finicky. But 20 years of trust built up has made him a little more friendly to me, at least. He tolerates my mom, and used to be outright hostile to my dad (the bird would kick grit from the bottom of his cage at him, lunge to bite at him if he got close to his cage. But I'm the only one he'll let pet him on a consistent basis, and even then, if he's in a mood he might lunge at me. He also hasn't had much training at all, and to handle him by hand is to risk getting bit HARD. No one else in the family has attempted it, and I usually get bit in the process His jaws put out a LOT of force. Usually he tries to play with my earrings or hair, but winds up chomping my ear or scalp. I don't hold it against him, he's probably trying to figure out how to climb to the top of my head. If you want to handle animals, you have to accept that getting bit or scratched will be an inevitability.

My wife's family took care of a Grey Amazon that found his way to their home about 20 years ago. You could say the bird adopted them. One of his legs was busted - he likely broke it himself to break free of what chained him down, and he still managed to fly away with clipped wings. Most birds keep their beak ground and well-kept, but he let his beak over-grow, curving to one side of his upper beak and hooking upwards in a manner that looked threatening. His cage was left open frequently so he could bop around, but usually he'd just want to climb up someone's leg all the way up to their shoulders. He was very rough around the edges, likely because of the constant pain of a disfigured leg, but eventually warmed up to me and let me scratch his head. He passed away a couple years ago, around Christmas time. He is missed.

>> ^MilkmanDan:

Farm story:
When I was growing up, we always kept 30-50 chickens for eggs. You can buy sets of chicks that are supposed to be all pullets/hens (females) but usually a few roosters (males) get mixed in by mistake. One time we bought a set of bantam chickens, which is a small/miniature variety, and happened to get 4-5 roosters mixed in with the hens.
Bantams "make up" for their small size in increased aggressiveness. I (about 6 years old or so at the time) was initially scared of them because they would act a lot like this goose -- charge, jump, and try to show you who's boss. They don't have any real means to actually hurt you; no spurs, beaks aren't sharp, etc. but their behavior can be scary for kids at first.
Then my dad taught me how to handle them: stand your ground, angle out a leg and foot so they charge down your foot/shin first, and let them start to ineffectually attack/spur your foot and leg. When they have a leg on either side of your foot, you just kick/launch them away, or even better aim them into the nearest solid object -- like the wall of the barn. I'd go in to collect eggs, let them attack, and boot the little bastards into the wall.
Chickens aren't exactly known for being very intelligent, but bantams seem to have miniature brains in their miniature bodies as well. Getting booted into a wall never really hurt them, but it would make them dizzy or dazed for a few minutes and give you time to collect the eggs. But the next day, or even just after a few minutes if you stuck around, they'd come back around for round two of chicken football.
One disclaimer: if you're a PETA type, consider that being repeatedly kicked into a wall (yet suffering no long-term ill effects) is perhaps better treatment than the likely alternative of being caged into a 2 foot square, force fed, and ending up on a plate at KFC. Maybe.


Chicken Kicker!

Farm story:

When I was growing up, we always kept 30-50 chickens for eggs. You can buy sets of chicks that are supposed to be all pullets/hens (females) but usually a few roosters (males) get mixed in by mistake. One time we bought a set of bantam chickens, which is a small/miniature variety, and happened to get 4-5 roosters mixed in with the hens.

Bantams "make up" for their small size in increased aggressiveness. I (about 6 years old or so at the time) was initially scared of them because they would act a lot like this goose -- charge, jump, and try to show you who's boss. They don't have any real means to actually hurt you; no spurs, beaks aren't sharp, etc. but their behavior can be scary for kids at first.

Then my dad taught me how to handle them: stand your ground, angle out a leg and foot so they charge down your foot/shin first, and let them start to ineffectually attack/spur your foot and leg. When they have a leg on either side of your foot, you just kick/launch them away, or even better aim them into the nearest solid object -- like the wall of the barn. I'd go in to collect eggs, let them attack, and boot the little bastards into the wall.

Chickens aren't exactly known for being very intelligent, but bantams seem to have miniature brains in their miniature bodies as well. Getting booted into a wall never really hurt them, but it would make them dizzy or dazed for a few minutes and give you time to collect the eggs. But the next day, or even just after a few minutes if you stuck around, they'd come back around for round two of chicken football.

One disclaimer: if you're a PETA type, consider that being repeatedly kicked into a wall (yet suffering no long-term ill effects) is perhaps better treatment than the likely alternative of being caged into a 2 foot square, force fed, and ending up on a plate at KFC. Maybe.

>> ^Reefie:

>> ^alien_concept:
I used to have an Orville puppet toy when I was about 4. It was amazing, the beak was solid and it could do some hardcore damage. I so want it back now I've seen this <IMG class=smiley src="http://cdn.videosift.com/cdm/emoticon/smile.gif">

Keith Harris and Orville are awesome - I have to confess to owning a 7" vinyl of the single "Come to My Party" when I was a kid Let's not forget Cuddles either
(oh and I had a battery-powered Orville doll that said a few things and the head turned creepily!)


YAY! I had forgot about Cuddles, he annoyed me I remember. Christ, look what I just found... Paedobear Mark I?

>> ^alien_concept:
I used to have an Orville puppet toy when I was about 4. It was amazing, the beak was solid and it could do some hardcore damage. I so want it back now I've seen this <IMG class=smiley src="http://cdn.videosift.com/cdm/emoticon/smile.gif">


Keith Harris and Orville are awesome - I have to confess to owning a 7" vinyl of the single "Come to My Party" when I was a kid Let's not forget Cuddles either

(oh and I had a battery-powered Orville doll that said a few things and the head turned creepily!)

I used to have an Orville puppet toy when I was about 4. It was amazing, the beak was solid and it could do some hardcore damage. I so want it back now I've seen this

>> ^poolcleaner:

Have you ever seen the baby chicken de-beaking and meat shredding machine? Now THAT is quite the machine.


I've seen those videos. Pretty gruesome for sure, but most chickens do have it better than that. There is a solution however- buy organic and free-range. Myself I don't, but it is an option.

Have you ever seen the baby chicken de-beaking and meat shredding machine? Now THAT is quite the machine.

No to mention that beak that could cut clean through your finger. I lived with a macaw until just a couple of months ago. They're really cool to have, but DAMN they can be loud. This one would just randomly scream that would reverberate through the house. But then it was funny when you watched a movie and during a sad scene, she'd laugh "hahahaha" >> ^ghark:

>> ^cito:
I would decapitate this bird instantly if I had it.
they are all fine but when they start that shit while you try to sleep, I have 0 compassion for animals then haha.
hatchet to the neck makes a nice snooze button

they have wings! And claws!! You'll be in for a real fight buddy.