The Beakery

Toys available at...

2011-10-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

Bean's Little Store toys are now available at Kay's Collectibles - located at the Englishtown Auction, 90 Wilson Ave., Englishtown, NJ 07726.

The store is located in the Blue Building, store #38.

Make play-time a safe-time

2011-03-09T16:27:00.000-08:00

There are an infinite number of "home-made" parrot and bird toy companies selling their products on the Internet and even attending local bird events. While I have no problem with home-made toys, my own company's toys could be considered "home-made" after all, I do wish to raise a word of caution about them

Not all toys are created equal.

Wood:

It is very important for a bird owner to understand that there are many common woods that are toxic to birds. Majority of toy manufacturers know what types of wood are safe and what type to stay away from. No toy manufacturer should be collecting twigs and branches from their backyard to make toys. Always ask a toy manufacturer to identify the wood that they are using, and if it is not a wood that you are familiar with, look it up.

Metal:

Zinc is a toxic heavy metal. Bird toys should never be made with zinc parts. Unfortunately, most of the metal hardware that can be purchased at a big box store, like Home Depot or Lowes, is coated with zinc. This is where my definitions of "home-made" and "hand-made" split. The toys that my company makes are "hand-made" using hardware (chains, O rings and clips) that we purchase from a wholesale distributor that specializes in bird toy parts.

If the person making your bird's toys is using parts that were purchased through a big box store or even a local hardware store, they may be zinc coated and potentially dangerous.

Other considerations:

Many toys come with split rings, or key chain type rings on them. While there is no absolute threat here, a bird could pull the rings apart with its beak and get a tongue or toe pinched inside the split.

Toys that have been played with and chewed up need to be monitored. Broken pieces need to be trimmed or removed regularly. No toy is 100 percent safe and it is up to a bird's owner to keep it safe.

Wilmington, Delaware Bird Mart

2010-06-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

We will be attending the Exotic Bird Mart and Show at the NUR Shrine, 198 S. DuPont Hwy, Newcastle, DE on Saturday, July 10 from rom 9am to 4pm and on Sunday July 11 from 10am to 4pm.

We will have a wide range of toys and perches to choose from, some come out and say hi!

Do birds have ears

2010-06-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Do birds have ears?

This question comes from the young and old alike, though the young are more likely to ask it out loud.

Well, the answer is YES, birds do have ears.

A bird's ear is a small hole on the side of their head, called the external acoustic meatus. Around the hole are special feathers called ear coverts.

Ear coverts are usually a different texture than other feathers found on the head.

For more information about feathers visit: Using Feathers to Determine Parrot Health

To read about avian anatomy visit: Avian Anatomy Basics

UV Lights and Bird Health

2010-06-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

Many beginner bird owners ask me about the importance of a dedicated UV lamp for their birds. Most commonly, they assume that placing their bird's cage near a window, or in a well lit room will be just as good as providing them a UV lamp and bulb.

They are WRONG!

A regular lightbulb does not produce UVA and UVB light the way the sun does. You need to purchase a special UV bulb in order to produce those wave lengths of light. Furthermore, the glass used in home windows contains a UV filter. This filter helps keep the entering sun light from fading walls, carpet and furniture upholstery.

So, why is UV light important?

A large majority of parrots, excluding the Amazon and Hyacinth Macaw, have something called the uropygeal gland near the base of their tail. This glad produces an oil, which the bird spread over its feathers during preening. When exposed to UV light, the oil produces vitamin D3. The bird them ingests the vitamin upon subsequent preening.

In addition to the vitamin aspect of UV light, we have the visual aspect. Birds see the world differently than we do. Without a full spectrum of light, a bird cannot see their world in the way that they should. Their food might look less appealing, their water dingy and their overall environment dull. Would you be happy?

For a more thorough understanding of UVA and UVB lighting for birds, read: Make Your Parrot's Cage Fun and Functional

Welcome 2010

2010-01-28T08:44:00.000-08:00

With 2010 here, Bean's Little Store is forging ahead.

Stay tuned for website upgrades in February and calendar listing of upcoming bird marts that we plan to attend.

There will also be information about how to order toys for pick up or delivery in our immediate area (within 20 miles of Lower Bucks County, PA).

So far, I can tell you that we plan on attending an exotic bird mart in Doswell, VA on March 20. Check www.BirdFairFlorida.com for details.

Joy to the World

2009-12-22T07:06:00.000-08:00

Janine Lynn and Wayne Williams of Bean's Little Store would like to take a moment to wish everyone, everywhere and happy and safe holiday season.

Peace

A Happy Healthy Parrot

2009-11-06T08:53:00.000-08:00

Most pet bird and parrot owners want to give their bird a good, healthy life. The problem is, with out proper instruction from experienced bird people, they don't know how.

Learn about basic pet bird and parrot care by reading my articles on Suite101:

Natural Cures for Feather Plucking
African Grey Parrot Health Issues
Things to Consider When Choosing a Pet Bird
Choosing a Bird Perch

I am always posting new articles, so check back often.

Also, feel free to email your questions to me at:
Bean@beanslittlestore.com

Save mnoney - buy direct

2009-10-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

There will be several new chances to catch up with us (Bean's Little Store) in the near future. We will be vending at the Chester County Bird Club show on Oct. 31 in Exton, PA. We will also be at a show in Wilmington, DE on Nov. 21.

So, come out and shop the great deals from Bean's Little Store and others. Parrot shows are a great place to stock up on food, toys and perches for you parrot. Many of the vendors at these shows are manufacturers of the products that they sell, so you can purchase many products at or near wholesale prices.

In today's economy we all need to save a buck...or two. So drop the big box store prices and visit a parrot show in your area.

Knowledge is Power

2009-10-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

Learn all about parrot toys, full spectrum lighting and more at Suite101.com

Where to find us next...

2009-10-19T07:03:00.000-07:00

Bean's Little Store was recently at the Baltimore Bird Fanciers Fall Show and Mart in Baltimore, MD.

For those who came out to see us, thank you and we can't wait to see you again in the Spring.

For those who missed us, don't fret, we will be back in Wilmington, DE on Nov. 21. More details about that show will be forth coming.

For our faithful fans in the Exton area, we will be at the Chester County Bird Club Mart & Show on Oct. 31. We have already worked out so show discounts and will be arriving with several brand new playstands as well as a wide array of toys and perches.

We can't wait to see you all there!

Upcoming shows

2009-10-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

Bean's Little Store will be vending at the following shows in October:

Long Island Parrot Show on Oct. 3 at the Freeport Recreation Center in Long Island, NY
Baltimore Bird Fanciers Show on Oct. 17 at Tall Cedars of Lebanon Hall in Baltimore, MD
Chester County Bird Club Expo on Oct. 31 at the School at Church Farm in Exton, PA

Come out to any or all of these shows for the best deals on parrot toys, perches and playstands.

You will also have the opportunity to talk with many experienced bird lovers for tips and pointers.

Philly's Best Parrot Expo

2009-09-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

We are fresh off the floor from the Philly’s Best Parrot Expo last Saturday (Sept. 12).

Thank you to all those who came out, we love to meet new people (and of course new birds).

The Philly’s Best Expo was a replacement for the DelCo Bird Club’s annual show, which is usually in April. Due to some officer changes and difficulties securing a location in time, the DelCo club decided not to host their annual show and mart. A couple of the DelCo members got together and decided to host their own show, hence the Philly’s Best Expo.

The expo didn’t have the same draw as the normal DelCo event. Since it didn’t have the backing of a club, there was no actual bird show, which is a big draw. People love to see professional show birds and pit their own birds up against other novice show birds.

The Philly’s Best crew compensated the loss by inviting an avian vet to present at the expo.

The doctor used visual aides and actual surgical footage to reveal an accurate look at bird anatomy.

For shoppers at the expo, it may have been disappointing to see the small number of vendors; there were only about 10.

Over-all:

The show could have been better, but I think that the organizers did everything that they could to make the day a success.

There were talks at the show about hosting another expo in April. I think that April would be better timing for this show because there is not a lot of local competition from bigger, more established shows during the spring.

Time out

2009-09-09T10:13:00.001-07:00

Many parents today use “time out” as an alternative discipline for their children. Time out is when you effectively remove your child from outside stimulus by isolating them for several minutes. The punishment is most effective when carried out by placing the child in a corner or on a step for a time period equal to one minute for every year of age.

So, how does this relate to pet birds?

You can use this same non-violent, passive approach to discipline with your parrot.

Most parrots want nothing more than to be with you. They love you and want to spend time with you, but sometimes they break the rules.

Whether it is biting, yelling in your ear or pooping on your shoulder, inappropriate behaviors must be addressed in a way that doesn’t harm your bird in any way, but does still drive the point home.

In the past, I have used a time out cage with great success.

I placed a small cage in a closet and when my Chicken (a special needs sun conure with a bad biting habit) got out of line I would place him in the cage and close the closet door.

Because Chicken would forget why he was there very quickly, I never left him in time out for more than five minutes.

Though Chicken still has a long road ahead of him, he is night and day from the way he was.

Time out for birds, just like with children, is a diligent process and must be kept consistent for the best results.

Never keep a bird isolated for long periods of time.

Find us this weekend

2009-09-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

Bean's Little Store closed its doors on Sunday for the last time.

But, you can find us this Saturday (Sept. 12) at the Phill's Best Parrot Expo at the Quality Hotel on Industrial Road in Essington, PA. We will be there from 9 a.m. until about 4 p.m.

You can also find us every Tuesday at Rice's Market in New Hope, PA. We are spot 588 - look for the stuffed parrot holding our sign.

We will also be in spot number 1 at the Chester County Bird Show on Oct. 31 in Exton.

Our new catalog and website are in the works and coming along well. You can look for the completed package around Oct. 3.

Bird lover's event...

2009-09-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again...

Time for the Chester County Bird Club's annual bird show and mart.

This year's event will be held on Halloween (Saturday, Oct. 31) at the School at Church Farm, 1001 East Lincoln Highway, Exton PA 19341.

This is a must attend for Pennsylvania and New Jersey parrot owners.

There will be representatives from several major toy lines, as well as bulk food, a door prize and raffle, deeply discounted play stands and perches and even birds.

You'll want to come early for the best deals and make a day of it.

There is also an actual bird show - so take some time to check out the beautiful birds competing in this years competition while you are there.

2009-08-31T09:42:00.000-07:00

Hello again Beakery fans!

I must apologize for my long absence! We have, unfortunately suffered several family crisis back-to-back. But now I have returned and renewed my conviction to post regularly.

******

Lets start off with some news.

Sept. 27, 2009 will be the last day for Bean’s Little Store at the Grand Marketplace. We will not be re-opening a brick and mortar store for the foreseeable future. We are going back to our roots (in lieu of said family crisis).

You will be able to find us at several local parrot shows, starting with the Chester County Bird Mart on Oct. 31, 2009 from 10am – 5pm.

We will also be redesigning our website for better e-commerce and rolling out a brand new product catalogue for phone and email ordering.

******

Next up some talk about rescues.

I have recently begun a symbiotic relationship with a wonderful bird rescue and I would like any Philadelphia area readers (tri-state area) to check them out.

Perhaps you cannot adopt a bird right now, but maybe you can donate your time, money or materials.

www.JoJoTheGrey.org

They are a 501(c)3 nonprofit – so donations are tax deductable!

Birdie Bazaar Weekend - Thank yous

2009-06-15T07:44:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all those who came out for Birdie Bazaar Weekend

Special thanks to Jo Jo the Grey Rescue & Adoption ( www.jojothegrey.org ) and Fascination with Feathers for donating their time and efforts to make the weekend a success.

Bean's Little Store raffled off a manzanita playstand, a sassafras playstand and many other prizes.

We will be posting pictures from the event in the next couple of days.

In other news, we have decided to make the bazaar a regular event. Details about the next event will be posted in the coming weeks. Expect at least one more weekend before the end of 2009.

Birdie Bazaar - THIS WEEKEND

2009-06-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

The first ever Birdie Bazaar weekend is coming up this Saturday and Sunday.

Bean's Little Store is sponsoring the event and has invited local bird clubs and rescues to set up tables at the event.

On Saturday the birds from Fascination with Feathers will be there to perform their tricks and take photos with fans.

Throughout the weekend Bean's will be selling raffle and Chinese auction tickets.

On Sunday at 4pm they will choose all winners. The main prize is a manzanita play stand with two 10oz coop cups.

Other prizes include toys, travel stands, hanging stands and travel cages.

To Clip or Not To Clip...

2009-05-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

To clip or not to clip…that is often the question for new bird owners. Now this, like many other questions that arise when raising a parrot, can really only be answered by you.

It is a personal choice – based on the life that you and you bird lead together.

What I can tell you about clipping comes from my own personal experience and the experiences of several clients.

I choose to only partially clip my two conures, and only do so when they are acting up.

What I mean by this is that I let their flight feathers grown it, causing them to be “free flighted.” If they begin to act inappropriately, i.e. they begin to bite or fly away from me when it is time to go in their cage, I clip about half of their flight feathers.

With half of their feathers they are still able to gain a small amount of lift and can fly short distances. What they cannot do is get away from me easily by flying to a high surface.

I also have to be careful now because we have recently moved in to a home with ceiling fans. If they try to get away from me or fly away from their perch in a panic, they may inadvertently fly in to the fan and be harmed or even killed by the blades.

I have spoken to many of my clients about clipping and their reactions have been quite varied.

There are some people who are just flat out against clipping of any kind. They believe that if you own a bird you must take the proper precautions in your home, baby – or more properly – birdie proof it.

Others, like myself, clip as a form of, lets say, “punishment” for lack of a better term. Or they clip for safety.

A great deal of Macaw and other large breed owners clip their parrot’s wings. Larger birds have a large wingspan and can reach the end of a large room quite quickly. If they get startled, they can injure themselves by flying in to walls or windows.

I feel that I must mention that, if you decide to clip your bird as a matter of regular grooming, instead of as a punishment, it is best to take the bird to a groomer – even if you know how to do it yourself.

The process of clipping can be a little traumatic for a bird and can break the bond between owner and bird. Rather they blame someone else and come to you to seek shelter and encouragement.

So – what’s the bottom line on clipping?

Really take the time to think about it. No one wants to take flight away from a bird, but no one wants a bird to get hurt either.

Take a go hard look at your home, is it safe for a large parrot or small bird to fly around in?

What about your belongings? Can you accept it if your bird destroys your favorite book, or poops on your rug or couch?

How often do you have visitors – do people often open doors or windows that your bird could fly out of?

These are just some of the questions that you need to ask yourself in order to find out on which side you fall in the debate about clipping.

Save money on food and toys

2009-05-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

There is no doubt that toys are an important part of owning a pet bird. There is also no doubt that toys are a major expense when it comes to a owning a pet bird.

So how can you save money on your toy bill? Even on your parrot food bill?

Buy toys in bulk – at wholesale stores, like Bean’s Little Store in New Jersey, you can often get a discount for buying a number of toys at one time. Also ask about a frequent buyer discount card.

Frequent bird shows – many area bird clubs hosts bird shows and marts every year. Bean’s Little Store, as well as many other parrot supply manufactures, attend these show and sell their products at a discount directly to the public.

Bean’s Little Store will be hosting their own show on June 13 and June 14 at the Grand Marketplace (Route 130 in Willingboro, NJ).

Stores like Bean’s Little Store, who sell mainly toys and stands, and not birds, also sell food at a discounted rate. With out the overhead of feeding and housing baby birds, these stores can offer their customers a break.

The truth is – owning a bird is expensive. They go through a lot of food and a lot of toys – but it doesn’t have to break the bank. With a little creative shopping, you can find cheap parrot toys and food.

Check back for more coupons from Bean – there is a sale every week!

Don't break the bank

2009-04-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a long couple of months at Bean's Little Store, but boy have they been exciting.

We have expanded from an idea to a scarcely stocked store to a small store loaded with hundreds of toys, several large play stands, hanging play stands, many small and medium stands and a small variety of food and treats.

We have received some criticisms for not having everything that the "other" stores have, but we are a very small store and we want to stay that way. By keeping our overhead low we pass the savings on to you.

We have hundreds of toys, and not one of them is over $20. We also have cage perches of all sizes and shapes, and not one of them is over $20 either.

That is a kind of savings that you are NEVER going to find at the "other" stores.

Our whole mission is to improve the life of your parrot - without breaking your bank!

So we hope that you'll give us a try, and maybe even stop in on our Birdie Bazaar Weekend this June 13 & 14.

We will be raffling off many of our customer's favorite toys and holding a Chinese auction for some large stands.

Check the website next week for more details.

This week's sale:

Zupreem 3lb bag for $5.50

Buy any large stand over $40 and choose any two toys (up to a $20 total value) for free.

Sign up for discounts...

2009-02-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

Bean's Little Store will be mailing out coupons to customers who have signed up for our mailing list.

To add your name and address, email us at: Bean@beanslittlestore.com

We will also be sending out special, unadvertised email coupons.

The big 'to do' about parrot toys

2009-02-16T11:59:00.000-08:00

Most parrot owners understand that they must provide toys for their pet parrot to play with. However, many parrot owners do not fully understand why and therefore may not be giving their parrots an appropriate number of toys.

So what is the big deal when it comes to parrot toys?

Well, for one parrot toys can be pretty expensive. If you own a larger bird, or just a very destructive one, you can go through one or two toys a week. And with the price of a single parrot toy ranging from $15 or so dollars for a small toy to $80 or so dollars for a large toy, it doesn't take a lot of math to see how easily to costs sneak up on you.

So why not just stop buying so many toys?

Although it can be tempting, especially in a bad economy, to skimp on parrot toys, it is never a good idea. Birds are incredibly intelligent animals, and as such, they get bored very easily. Just like a human child, when a parrot gets bored, he gets in to trouble.

A bored parrot may spend his time learning how to break out of his cage. Once out of the cage, she will find things to play with around your home. This can not only lead to damaged walls, carpet, molding and so on - but it can also be very dangerous for your pet bird.

There are many things around a home that can cause harm, or even death, to befall a curious parrot. Electrical wires, paint, other animals, stained or treated wood and ceiling fans are just a few of the dangers a bird can face if left unsupervised in a home.

Another pass time of the bored bird is feather plucking. This nasty little habit can be incredibly hard to break. Once a parrot starts plucking it has a hard time stopping. Without feathers, a parrot has a very hard time regulating body temperature.

So how can I stretch my parrot toy budget?

Keep about 10 size appropriate toys on hand. You need only about three or four in the cage at one time. Before a toy is completely destroyed, rotate it out with a different toy.

Save the usable pieces of old toys and turn them in to a new toy.

Shop around for a parrot supply store that makes their own toys, like Bean's Little Store (Grand Marketplace, Rt. 130, Willingboro, NJ or online at www.BeansLittleStore.com) . By making their own toys, instead of buying them, stores can keep their overhead low and, in turn, charge less for their toys.

Check back often for more parrot food, toys and general care tips.