# Should A Bird Be Left On It's Back?



## Pasuded (Feb 13, 2015)

I have an Angolan Rosy-Faced Lovebird named Kingsley. He is so tame that I can flip him over onto my hand on his back. He usually gets back up in a few seconds. Other times he will lay like that for a long time. I just had him out and he was laying like that for about 20-minutes on my desk on a small blanket while I typed and took the occasional break to rub his belly. I just put him back in his cage. Is it bad for me to let him do this? Could it hurt him in anyway? He isn't sick at all. He just seems to enjoy it and loves having his belly rubbed and obviously trusts me a lot. I'm just concerned that laying on his back could be bad for him. He will lay in my lap on his back, too. He has never done this in his cage before. He only does it when I put him into that position and only with me, never with my wife or anybody else. I think this is probably the longest he has laid on his back. I'm thinking about getting him out again and seeing if he will repeat it. Right now he is just sitting on his perch. He looks perfectly fine. I often play with him with my finger while he is sitting on his perch. He only hops onto my hand if I hold it flat. Although, sometimes he doesn't feel like coming out and refuses to.


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## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

He is fine on his back (as long as you do not hold your hand under water). He is just chillin'.

If he starts to cough , turn him over the other way as he may choke on his own vomit (preferable to choking on someone else's I always think). Don't tell him any jokes - excessive laughter could cause him a mischief.


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## lilythepink (Jul 24, 2013)

yes, they carve better this way


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## Pasuded (Feb 13, 2015)

If I do decide to hold him underwater, I will make sure to get him some scuba gear. He seems pretty relaxed, as he will just lie there and enjoy himself. He has never coughed and I have yet to vomit on him! Ill keep the jokes to a minimum. 

Maybe Ill get him some wood so he can widdle.


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## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

Pasuded said:


> If I do decide to hold him underwater, I will make sure to get him some scuba gear. He seems pretty relaxed, as he will just lie there and enjoy himself. He has never coughed and I have yet to vomit on him! Ill keep the jokes to a minimum.
> 
> *Maybe Ill get him some wood so he can widdle. *


I hope you mean "whittle".

Keep sharp knives away from birds - they have trouble holding them in their pinions while steady the wood with their feet (or vice versa). You may be best providing him with a tiny vice (not porn or alcohol - you know what I mean).


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## Pasuded (Feb 13, 2015)

The truth is out  I cant spell! 

I guess the WHITTLING is out. No porn or alcohol  maybe I will let him smoke a Colombo!


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## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

Pasuded said:


> The truth is out - I can't spell!
> 
> I guess the WHITTLING is out. No porn or alcohol - *maybe I will let him smoke a Colombo! *


Warning: Short, one-eyed men in grubby raincoats may be injurious to his health.

(Also - I don't know if it's the same in the US, but in the UK, "widdling" means urinating)


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## Pasuded (Feb 13, 2015)

I guess that means I need to fire my bird sitter.


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## Rafa (Jun 18, 2012)

Pasuded said:


> I guess that means I need to fire my bird sitter.


Do you mean set fire to your bird sitter?

I wouldn't do that. We call it murder in this Country and it can involve a rather lengthy and inconvenient spell of incarceration.

If your bird likes to lie on his back for lengthy periods, you could perhaps turn this to your advantage and practise manicuring his claws so that you can launch yourself into a career as a beautician?

Just a thought for you. I do like to be positive wherever possible.


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## Pasuded (Feb 13, 2015)

Yes, I did plan to set him on fire. But, that may not be a good idea. Although, it isnt murder if I put him out before he dies. I wonder what color I should paint Kingsleys nails? I think he would look fabulous with blue. Or maybe red, white and blue?


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## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

Sweety said:


> Do you mean set fire to your bird sitter?
> 
> I wouldn't do that. *We call it murder in this Country and it can involve a rather lengthy and inconvenient spell of incarceration.*
> 
> ...


Yes - but Pasuded is in America. They do things differently there. Maybe that i how you dispense with the services of employees in the US. Perhaps it is the origin of the term "fired", though I had always though that perhaps in the middle ages surplus staff were put into a cannon and "fired" out of the borough.

Have to admit it would make "The Apprentice" a lot more exciting if they were used to "take out, as I believe the expression is, particularly unattractive London architectural carbuncles.


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## Pasuded (Feb 13, 2015)

lostbear said:


> Yes - but Pasuded is in America. They do things differently there. Maybe that i how you dispense with the services of employees in the US. Perhaps it is the origin of the term "fired", though I had always though that perhaps in the middle ages surplus staff were put into a cannon and "fired" out of the borough.
> 
> Have to admit it would make "The Apprentice" a lot more exciting if they were used to "take out, as I believe the expression is, particularly unattractive London architectural carbuncles.


Yes, I live in the United States. Things are a bit different here. I hope it is okay that I joined a UK forum. One thing I've learned on this forum is that quite in the UK means "somewhat" and quite in the US means "very." That has been odd for me.


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## Rafa (Jun 18, 2012)

Pasuded said:


> Yes, I live in the United States. Things are a bit different here. I hope it is okay that I joined a UK forum. One thing I've learned on this forum is that quite in the UK means "somewhat" and quite in the US means "very." That has been odd for me.


Oh yes, I've heard that things are very different in the United States than here.

For instance, there is a rumour around that you make pumpkins into pies and eat them, whereas we hollow them out, carve hideous faces in them, stuff candles inside and use them to try and terrify vulnerable children on Halloween.


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## Pasuded (Feb 13, 2015)

Sweety said:


> Oh yes, I've heard that things are very different in the United States than here.
> 
> For instance, there is a rumour around that you make pumpkins into pies and eat them, whereas we hollow them out, carve hideous faces in them, stuff candles inside and use them to try and terrify vulnerable children on Halloween.


Things are different. But, as far as pumpkins - we do both!


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## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

Pasuded said:


> Yes, I live in the United States. Things are a bit different here.* I hope it is okay that I joined a UK forum.* One thing I've learned on this forum is that quite in the UK means "somewhat" and quite in the US means "very." That has been odd for me.


'Course it is. We are very forgiving and hardly resent the fact that you turned on us in 1776 and threw us out of what was then our own protectorate. In retrospect we have been able to see that we were well off out of it in view of that fact that your chocolate is appalling and you have never grasped the complexities of proper spelling - though the internet has rendered the latter superfluous, so I doubt you are even aware what a disadvantage it is in evolutionary terms.

(It has been somewhat more difficult to come to terms with the fact that you threw tea - TEA - into the harbour at Boston. This outrage against our national beverage still rankles.

Somewhat.)


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## Rafa (Jun 18, 2012)

lostbear said:


> 'Course it is. We are very forgiving and hardly resent the fact that you turned on us in 1776 and threw us out of what was then our own protectorate. In retrospect we have been able to see that we were well off out of it in view of that fact that your chocolate is appalling)
> 
> (It has been somewhat more difficult to come to terms with the fact that you threw tea - TEA - into the harbour at Boston. This outrage against our national beverage still rankles.
> 
> Somewhat.)


I'm very happy that Lostbear has been able to get those long held grudges off her burdened chest. It's very healthy.

I have to admit that I have a small complaint of my own.

We invented the game of Tennis, you copied it and then started beating us at it. That's just a little rude you know. Thankfully, we British know how to lose gracefully, we're used to it.


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## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

Sweety said:


> I'm very happy that Lostbear has been able to get those long held grudges off her burdened chest. It's very healthy.
> 
> I have to admit that I have a small complaint of my own.
> 
> We invented the game of Tennis, you copied it and then started beating us at it. That's just a little rude you know. * Thankfully, we British know how to lose gracefully, we're used to it*.


Indeed. We have perfected it over many painful centuries.


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## Pasuded (Feb 13, 2015)

lostbear said:


> 'Course it is. We are very forgiving and hardly resent the fact that you turned on us in 1776 and threw us out of what was then our own protectorate. In retrospect we have been able to see that we were well off out of it in view of that fact that your chocolate is appalling and you have never grasped the complexities of proper spelling - though the internet has rendered the latter superfluous, so I doubt you are even aware what a disadvantage it is in evolutionary terms.
> 
> (It has been somewhat more difficult to come to terms with the fact that you threw tea - TEA - into the harbour at Boston. This outrage against our national beverage still rankles.
> 
> Somewhat.)


I'm still getting used to it. Yes, we did turn on you in the year of MDCCLXXVI (as the Romans would put it). But at least we had the decency to beat your butts during a leap year! As far as The Destruction of the Tea in Boston (as John Adams would put it) was a political protest. It is something our country does very well.


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