Here at the sanctuary we also take in more than just parrots! Many of our outdoor flocks came to us either from disability, deformity, deficiency, or owners who wanted to ensure they would not be “culled” go to “freezer camp” or the likes, purely wanted to ensure they’d live out their lives in a spacious environment filled with free ranging large runs, lots of exploration areas and lots of scraps, YUM!
Although the entire flock is not suitable to contribute in the same ways, they actually all fit right in here at the sanctuary and have taken up a “job” to help out! How do they help the sanctuary in exchange for their comfortable life? Many ways! The first and most obvious is eggs, but not all of the flock can provide eggs, nor do we require them to! We do not put lights or stimulate them to lay year round or even daily. They choose when and if they would like to lay their eggs. Aside from eggs the roosters, chickens, ducks and turkeys all provide a very very important job for all of the other pasture herd animals. They will often ensure that less fly or any other bug eggs don’t survive long enough to hatch. Not to mention you may see them riding on the other herd animals backs or hopping on top of them while they are laying down to ensure they are mite, tick, flea and over all bug free! We adore all of their personalities and letting them have a natural life to retire to. Currently we are closed for any additional chicken intakes. We have a very large elderly flock that we are dedicating our time to letting them have a peaceful retirement and building a new bigger area for.
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*Update* Sparra the cockatiel has since moved on and crossed over, she will be welcoming all future hearts with open wings. We loved and adored you Sparra. Sparra the cockatiel Sparra is a sweet and feisty little girl who had a bad start followed by a few lucky breaks! Sparra is a fighter and has a will to survive. Although her background is largely unknown other than being dumped in Los Angeles and left to fend for herself, she has fared well. This was largely thanks to a good samaritan who swooped her up off the streets and took her in. They took care of her for as long as possible and provided her a sense of home for the first time until they were no longer able to provide for her needs. Wanting to do right by Sparra they made due and held out until they found the perfect place for her where they knew she’d be safe, loved, and all her needs would be met no matter what came up throughout whatever life she had left. This meant with a heavy heart she was surrendered to the sanctuary. Luckily though she has been able to be upgraded to a lovely cage, has made friends with Cricket and Skittles, and has bonded with the humans here as well! Sparra now has the sanctuary life of her dreams and a family at heart in Los Angeles who still checks in and does what they can for her! She’s happy to pose extra pretty when she knows her angel mom rescuer is checking in on her from a distance 😉 We’re happy to have Sparra as part of the sanctuary crew! Cricket the Meyers Parrot Cricket is the sweetest most mellow natured boy you could ever meet! He’s got a zest for life, loves food, snacks, things to chew up and the ability to get around despite his ‘little feet’. Cricket was dumped by an owner who decided he wasn’t flashy enough for him and he wanted to get a “better bird”. Little information was left on Cricket and he was left to fend for himself. Cricket was running around the floor being chased by other birds and attacked, they’d ripped out his wing and flight feathers leaving him no real escape and bite off all his toes. He was unable to climb, balance and grasp normally, nor was he able to fly at the time. We immediately took him in in a heartbeat. He’s been a ball of love ever since and loves to get pets and sit on your hand or shoulder. We’ve provided special cage accommodations that allow for him to walk around on flat feet since he cannot grasp, and hammocks under areas he could potentially fall from. He has flat perches and plenty of activity. He loves to greet us every day and is happy for a head scratch or two. He’s a handsome man estimated to be about 22 years old and will live out the rest of his life here at the sanctuary for whatever that time may be, whether it be another year or another 8 years or more! We’re happy to provide him with love and empathy for the rest of his life and ensure he has no more hardships in his future. Skittles the rainbow lorikeet Skittles is our sweet little lorikeet girl who likes to show off all her feathers to her best friend Jack! Jack loves Skittles more than anything and we’re so happy to announce that Skittles will be staying at the sanctuary and will be helping Jack recover and vice versa. Skittles was raised by conures being fed a diet that would kill a lorikeet. A straight seed diet is not ideal for ANY bird but is deadly for a lorikeet who are nectar and fruit eaters. Lorikeets have an iron storage disorder in which all the iron they eat throughout their entire lifespan stores up until it’s enough to kill them. Luckily, we were able to take Skittles from a young age and there should be no long-lasting effects, we hope. She did communicate with other birds and have body language more in tune with conures so meeting Jack was a strange spectacle at first. Over time though Jack has shown Skittles to play and communicate and eat like a true lorikeet. In exchange Skittles has shown Jack patience and compassion and friendship that he’d previously not found in other birds. Bald or not Skittles accepts Jack and Jack adores Skittles. They cannot live in the same cage together as they have different medical needs and on-going care but live side by side and get time out together all the time. Skittles is a playful girl who likes to do circles, dance, take baths and make rattle noises. She is a beautiful girl who will curl up in our hair and spend just as much time with us as she does with Jack. *Update* Jack has since moved on and crossed over to join sweet Sparra, we can't wait to hear your sweet sassy spirit again one day Jack* |
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February 2020
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