About Me

My love for birds started with a lovebird. I was at a petstore and saw a baby peachfaced lovebird. That was it! All I could dream of over the next few weeks was having a little lovebird. My dad came home from work one day and asked if I was still interested in having a lovebird. Of course I said yes. He went on to tell me that one of his patients was moving and had two young lovebirds she needed to find a home for. I was so excited! This was my answered prayer! We went by her house a couple days later and she explained to me how to care for them and to bring them home. I have never been more happy inmy entire life!

After a few months, they started laying eggs. I couldn't bear to throw them away (I was only 10) so I let them hatch. And that's where Chipper came from. It was my thrid clutch. I was handfeeding them and came to love the smallest. He was so sweet! He was so tiny but always came running to me for food first. Anytime I walked by, he would come over the the edge and look at me with "I love you Mommy" eyes. I was in love (again!)! His feathers were goingto be all yellow with a pink face, the dream lovie I had wanted. I absolutly loved him and named him. Nemo. At the time, I was working at a barn and not getting home until after 6:00. When my mom came to pick me up, she told me that Nemo had tried to climb out of the nest box with hisolder siblings and had fallen. She put him back in the nest box, not sure what to do. He seemed stunned and in shock. She told me she wasn't sure ifhe was alive or not. My dad called and said that Nemo had passed. I disconnected and broke down. I didn't understand how something that I had raised since 14 days old; had put so much work and heart into; loved, cared for, thanked God for, coud just---go. I was mad; mad at God. Mad at my parents. Mad at everything. I ran off, still in my riding clothes, in the rain. I went into the woods and cried until I couldn't cry anymore. It was dark when I went home. I was still upset and didn't want birds anymore. I let the parents finish with the other babies. But one caught my eye. Once they were all handfed, I picked out that baby. This became Chipper.

 My parents thought we would be 'smart' to get a larger bird. Us and our ideas. We researched out different large parrots and came across a species called Eclectus. OMG. We found Zazu. He was pretty. He was 'sweet'. He was everything we thought we wanted. (THOUGHT being a key word). So we bought him. Well, Zazu wasn't as sweet as he was made out to be. He would bite us out of the blue for no reason. And when he bit, he clamped on and didn't let go. We all have battle scars from Zazu. However, he wasn't all bad. I did love him and still do. We had some good memories together and I still look back at those. We decided to sell him and after that, I alwasy drempt of ekkie.

 A month later, we went to a bird show. Never trust your parents when looking for a bird at a show. We could have gotten an Eclectus and been all done with it. We could have gotten what I wanted and we wouldn't have had to deal with the tears and saddness. But no. My parents fell in love with a macaw. I was not. Sure, whe was pretty, who was sweet, but she was BIG. I was not ready to deal with a beak like that, especially after looking at the scars I had from Zazu. But, we brought her home. I was the only one with handfeeding experience and was assigned to handfeeding duty to a very messy, hungry baby. Once my job was done, I was done with her. After a few months, my mom decided to sell her. She was done with birds and was ready to be over with this hobby. I thought to myself "If this is the only bird I have, I can't bear to see her go and never have a bird again. I've done nothing with her and owe it to her". So, I stepped up to the plate. Harley melted like butter for me, and I was really in love.

 A year later, my bird love was not yet complete and I got Echo. And then, after years of waiting, Lucy.

I plan on being an Avian Vet.