News & Events

There is so much going on this month that I could not list everything in one short post.

Brother Roger Nelson, Cantor Cantor Marge Auerbach and Rev. Cindy Simpson will be here Friday, May 25 at 4:30 for our 23rd Blessing of the Animals and you are invited to come with pets or pictures for this memorable event. We have had everything from goldfish thru horses attend and of course lots of birds, bunnies, reptiles, dogs and cats.

Most birds have new feathers from their prenuptial molt. If they are out of the cage, please trim the wing feathers. Our youtube video shows how or make a appointment for Ruth to trim at the store.

We train pet people who are interested in working at the store. The classes will begin June 3. There is a schedule on our last newsletter or pick up a copy at the store.

Birds have bred well this spring so we have lots of baby parakeets,lovebirds, cockatiels and even cut throat finches, all locally raised and beautiful. And yes we are handfeeding 2 more baby kakarikis from the box behind the cash register.

Today is beautiful therefor I’ve already had the first call -” my bird is up in a tree. what should  I do?” There are lots of things to try but more often than not, the bird will not return.

So how do we keep birds safe?

#1-If your bird is ever out of the cage… Be sure that one wing is completely trimmed. Cockatiels can fly with 1 feather.

#2- If you are taking a cage outside to clean…Do not have a bird in the cage.

#3-Have any bird in a secure carrier if it is outdoors. Your shoulder is NOT a secure carrier. We will be glad to show you safe choices.

Our 2 Lineolated Parakeets had been feeding each other back and forth in their cage for a week. Now one was clearly unhappy. Laura separated the bird and put a heating pad under the cage. The bird went down on the floor of the cage and the next morning was ” cured “. She had successfully laid her egg and was cheerfully eating and drinking. If you need a proven female Lineolated parakeet, she is available.

This is the time of year that we get calls about birds that are “sick”. The first thing to do is put their cage over a heating pad. In many cases that will “cure” the bird. How you ask? Well with the increasing day length,  hormones are surging and the result is that female birds (hens) are laying eggs. In fact we had our bird breeding class two days before Valentines Day since Valentines Day is when you should put your canaries up to breed.

Other tips:

Please do not leave the grate in at the bottom of the cage. It’s very hard to lay an egg when you are sitting on a grate.

If your bird is suddenly eating a lot of the cuttlebone, there may be an egg on the way.

Some birds that lay eggs have been thought to be male – that was incorrect.

A male is not necessary for a hen to lay an egg. The egg just will not be fertile.

Even if you have only one bird, leave the egg in the cage until she has stopped laying (usually every other day) and has completed her clutch. Wait 7 days before removing the eggs. And yes, you can dye them for Easter.

If you want to breed birds and (I want you to) please come in and discuss nests, nesting material and appropriate equipment with me. What will you do with the offspring? We buy them!!!

Animal Exchange has sent out to our mailing list our first Pet Notes newsletter. (It has a great picture of our baby Kakariki.)  Since we have not been very good at keeping up our mailing list, many folks have not been entered correctly so if you did not hear from us the week of 2-7-12, please sign up at this link;

http://www.facebook.com/AnimalExchange?sk=app_141428856257

This is also our Facebook page, so please “Like” us on Facebook to keep up with Animal Exchange.

Note: You do not have to have a Facebook account to sign up for the newsletter at this link.

Are you 14 or older? Have you always wanted more pets? Do you want to learn more about animals? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, consider our Pet Shop Management Class starting on Jan 8, 2012. The schedule is available in the store so just come in for your copy.

Individual Sunday classes are also offered and include Parrot Psychology Jan22 and Bird Breeding Feb 12. Preregistration is advised.

We care about Pets and we care about you.  We now offer a 2% discount anytime you pay with cash for all the foods and supplies you purchase for your pets. We were concerned with the Durbin Amendment which promised to reduce the fees charged for accepting credit cards and wrote a letter to Congress. As a result, a reporter named Robin (a bird name. ) from the Wall Street Journal called and Ruth was quoted in the Nov25 WSJ.  Robin had to get a consultant to try to understand our charge statement. We would rather pay you than the charge folks!

2% does not sound like much but it does add up. We are offering you a  2% discount on any sales that you choose to pay for with cash. Just ask.

Tuesday March 20 – “Nano Technology New and Improved Cancer Imaging and Therapy”

Tuesday April17 – “Testing the Waters – a Seafood Tale”.

Call the store for more information.

We are getting more questions about bird behavior as the summer ends and we spend more time with our birds so once again you are invited to a group discussion about behavior.  The class meets from 3 to 5 PM on Sunday Oct 9 here at Animal Exchange. Please register in advance. There is a $15 fee.