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[OT] Warning for bird owners (and parents of small children)



 
 
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  #1  
Old May 7th 05, 06:05 PM
Monique Y. Mudama
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Default [OT] Warning for bird owners (and parents of small children)

Saw this in Dear Abby today:

http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/?uc_full_date=20050507

DEAR ABBY: I am heartsick as I write this. I have just lost the
closest thing in this world to me outside my immediate family. I just
buried my sweetie-pie Sandy, an Amazon parrot I have had for 26 years.
That's longer than my two sons lived with me.

Sandy died because I burned a Teflon pan, and learned the hard way
that Teflon fumes are deadly to birds. (They can also be harmful to
small children.)

Bird owners, if you're considering buying a Teflon product, please
reconsider. If you own one, get rid of it. If I can save just one
person the grief I'm going through, it will make me feel better. Yes,
I know I'll get over this -- but it won't be easy. -- BOB IN ATLANTA

--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca
  #2  
Old May 7th 05, 06:17 PM
jmcquown
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Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
Saw this in Dear Abby today:

http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/?uc_full_date=20050507

DEAR ABBY: I am heartsick as I write this. I have just lost the
closest thing in this world to me outside my immediate family. I just
buried my sweetie-pie Sandy, an Amazon parrot I have had for 26 years.
That's longer than my two sons lived with me.

Sandy died because I burned a Teflon pan, and learned the hard way
that Teflon fumes are deadly to birds. (They can also be harmful to
small children.)

Bird owners, if you're considering buying a Teflon product, please
reconsider. If you own one, get rid of it. If I can save just one
person the grief I'm going through, it will make me feel better. Yes,
I know I'll get over this -- but it won't be easy. -- BOB IN ATLANTA


This is very true and I've known about it for years.

However, the bird has to be in fairly close proximity to any "fumes" the pan
gives off and also the pan has to be heated to *very high temperatures* to
give off said "fumes".

Sadly, and this is only my opinion, people who tend to own larger parrots
often let them have the run of the house. They may even have the bird
perched on their shoulder while they cook. This is *never* a good idea,
teflon coatings or not.

The kitchen is a dangerous place but especially for birds who have no
concept of a hot stove, getting trapped behind a refrigerator, landing in
the sink where there may be a garbage disposal. Birds are almost as
naturally curious as cats. You have to imagine a hole in the sink is a huge
temptation. Amazon's may be a bit large to crawl into a garbage disposal.
However, Australian parakeets and English Budgerigars are not. I don't even
want to think about it.

Jill --does not own teflon pans and her smaller birds have always been kept
well away from the kitchen


  #3  
Old May 7th 05, 07:24 PM
Seanette Blaylock
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Default

"jmcquown" had some very interesting things
to say about [OT] Warning for bird owners (and parents of small
children):

Sadly, and this is only my opinion, people who tend to own larger parrots
often let them have the run of the house. They may even have the bird
perched on their shoulder while they cook. This is *never* a good idea,
teflon coatings or not.


Ava gets a lot of free-flight time, but she has her favorite hangouts
in the living room (mostly, she's been known to venture into other
rooms, usually following me). She's never shown any interest in
cooking (she doesn't seem to be all that curious about events around
her, unlike a hookbill).

--
"The universe is quite robust in design and appears to be
doing just fine on its own, incompetent support staff notwithstanding.
:-)" - the Dennis formerly known as (evil), MCFL
  #4  
Old May 8th 05, 12:49 AM
Yowie
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"jmcquown" wrote in message
...

However, Australian parakeets and English Budgerigars are not. I don't
even
want to think about it.


Sorry to change the subject...

What is the difference between Australian Parakeets & English Budgerigars? I
ask because the budgerigah is a native bird to Australia, and I thought
'parakeet' was just a synonym for 'budgerigah'. Still, considering the
massive amount of breeding that has been done, the may well be as different
now as a chihuahua and a great dane. I was just wondering how they are
distinguished? (or it was a turn of phrase you used?)

Yowie



  #5  
Old May 8th 05, 01:02 AM
Kreisleriana
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On Sun, 8 May 2005 09:49:10 +1000, "Yowie"
yodeled:

"jmcquown" wrote in message
.. .

However, Australian parakeets and English Budgerigars are not. I don't
even
want to think about it.


Sorry to change the subject...

What is the difference between Australian Parakeets & English Budgerigars? I
ask because the budgerigah is a native bird to Australia, and I thought
'parakeet' was just a synonym for 'budgerigah'. Still, considering the
massive amount of breeding that has been done, the may well be as different
now as a chihuahua and a great dane. I was just wondering how they are
distinguished? (or it was a turn of phrase you used?)

Yowie


Me too. I had thought that the little birds (usually green or blue)
that are often sold as parakeets in the US are actually budgerigars.
And I did see them wild when I was in Oz.






Theresa
Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh
My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com
  #6  
Old May 8th 05, 02:36 AM
jmcquown
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Default

Yowie wrote:
"jmcquown" wrote in message
...

However, Australian parakeets and English Budgerigars are not. I
don't even
want to think about it.


Sorry to change the subject...

What is the difference between Australian Parakeets & English
Budgerigars? I ask because the budgerigah is a native bird to
Australia, and I thought 'parakeet' was just a synonym for
'budgerigah'. Still, considering the massive amount of breeding that
has been done, the may well be as different now as a chihuahua and a
great dane. I was just wondering how they are distinguished? (or it
was a turn of phrase you used?)

Yowie


The difference is the colours and some breeding traits. Apparently English
Budgies have been bred to have slightly more prominent foreheads and to have
have much larger cheek spots than a wild Australian parakeet. They also are
presented at shows in different shades.

However, parakeets have also been bred to be different shades; they are
slightly smaller and have a less prominent forehead than Budgies. But not
necessarily less prominent cheek spots.

I have a book which differenciates the shadings and types of parakeets and
budgies. Frankly, I don't care; I love all the little critters

Jill


  #7  
Old May 8th 05, 08:43 AM
Yowie
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Default

"jmcquown" wrote in message
.. .
Yowie wrote:
"jmcquown" wrote in message
...

However, Australian parakeets and English Budgerigars are not. I
don't even
want to think about it.


Sorry to change the subject...

What is the difference between Australian Parakeets & English
Budgerigars? I ask because the budgerigah is a native bird to
Australia, and I thought 'parakeet' was just a synonym for
'budgerigah'. Still, considering the massive amount of breeding that
has been done, the may well be as different now as a chihuahua and a
great dane. I was just wondering how they are distinguished? (or it
was a turn of phrase you used?)

Yowie


The difference is the colours and some breeding traits. Apparently
English
Budgies have been bred to have slightly more prominent foreheads and to
have
have much larger cheek spots than a wild Australian parakeet. They also
are
presented at shows in different shades.

However, parakeets have also been bred to be different shades; they are
slightly smaller and have a less prominent forehead than Budgies. But not
necessarily less prominent cheek spots.

I have a book which differenciates the shadings and types of parakeets and
budgies. Frankly, I don't care; I love all the little critters


So, in other words, they are the same species, just different breeds?

Yowie


  #8  
Old May 8th 05, 01:47 PM
jmcquown
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Default

Yowie wrote:
"jmcquown" wrote in message
.. .
Yowie wrote:
"jmcquown" wrote in message
...

However, Australian parakeets and English Budgerigars are not. I
don't even
want to think about it.

Sorry to change the subject...

What is the difference between Australian Parakeets & English
Budgerigars? I ask because the budgerigah is a native bird to
Australia, and I thought 'parakeet' was just a synonym for
'budgerigah'. Still, considering the massive amount of breeding that
has been done, the may well be as different now as a chihuahua and a
great dane. I was just wondering how they are distinguished? (or it
was a turn of phrase you used?)

Yowie


The difference is the colours and some breeding traits. Apparently
English
Budgies have been bred to have slightly more prominent foreheads and
to have
have much larger cheek spots than a wild Australian parakeet. They
also are
presented at shows in different shades.

However, parakeets have also been bred to be different shades; they
are slightly smaller and have a less prominent forehead than
Budgies. But not necessarily less prominent cheek spots.

I have a book which differenciates the shadings and types of
parakeets and budgies. Frankly, I don't care; I love all the little
critters


So, in other words, they are the same species, just different breeds?

Yowie


Yes! Like cats

Jill


  #9  
Old May 9th 05, 09:04 PM
Karen AKA Kajikit
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Default

On Sun, 8 May 2005 07:47:22 -0500, "jmcquown"
wrote:


However, Australian parakeets and English Budgerigars are not. I


Well, the birds in the cage at the pet store here in Florida are
called parakeets - but they look like regular budgies to me! I thought
it was just another case of different names for the same thing.

Wild budgerigars are all green/yellow... but that's the only
difference between them and the bred ones.

--
~Karen aka Kajikit
Crafts, cats, and chocolate - the three essentials of life
http://www.kajikitscorner.com
  #10  
Old May 10th 05, 06:17 PM
jmcquown
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Default

Karen AKA Kajikit wrote:
On Sun, 8 May 2005 07:47:22 -0500, "jmcquown"
wrote:


However, Australian parakeets and English Budgerigars are not. I


Well, the birds in the cage at the pet store here in Florida are
called parakeets - but they look like regular budgies to me! I thought
it was just another case of different names for the same thing.

Wild budgerigars are all green/yellow... but that's the only
difference between them and the bred ones.


I wish I could find the picture of a parakeet that had long, literally
curling feathers... it's in one of my books. If I find it I'll scan the
photo and post it someplace. Trust me, this fellow looked nothing like
simply a different colour budgie!

Jill


 




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