Feeling like the worst and most neglectful 'mum' ever

[nikkid]

Can someone reassure me I'm not about to be arrested by the parrot police for neglect of my adorable 23 year old Senegal.

Looking for some advice I joined another forum and have staggered away feeling like I must be some kind of a monster.

My query was regarding an unusual situation with my boy in that a few weeks ago he was unaccountably taken poorly. He's been in rude good health all his life, thank goodness, never needed to see the vet in an 'ill health' situation. However of a sudden he seemed to have difficulty passing a stool. We kept an eye on him, unable to reach a vet for advice at the time but once he'd parped it out he was back to his normal cheeky self, full of beans and as if nothing had happened. He's not been similarly afflicted since.

I hasten to add that we are, for reasons I won't bore you with, in an unusual situation. My lad's currently staying with my mother rather than with me. It's only a temporary situation and the status quo will be restored in a couple of weeks but it has thrown him out. I see him every single day but we did wonder if this disruption has stressed him somewhat as his seasonal moulting seems to have dragged on a bit this spring.


Anyhoo, I posted this query elsewhere and was grilled about his diet etc which is a Johnson and Jeff parrot mix incorporating some seeds and other bits such as millet and some nuts. Along with this I give him a good helping of various fruits and veggies, his favourite being peas, mini carrots and tomatoes but I make sure he has a good range of things to unzip, dip and gnaw on in his fruit and veg cup. He's always looked in great fettle, feathers lustrous and always busy, active and very chatty. Apart from this one brief incident he has never been ill a day in his life - I've had him since he was a three month old chick.

However I was distressed to have a reply that more or less suggested I was killing my parrot. It's left me really shaken and upset.

Can someone advise me if I do need to improve his diet and how?


Many thanks

 

[Birdman666]

Can someone reassure me I'm not about to be arrested by the parrot police for neglect of my adorable 23 year old Senegal.

Looking for some advice I joined another forum and have staggered away feeling like I must be some kind of a monster.

My query was regarding an unusual situation with my boy in that a few weeks ago he was unaccountably taken poorly. He's been in rude good health all his life, thank goodness, never needed to see the vet in an 'ill health' situation. However of a sudden he seemed to have difficulty passing a stool. We kept an eye on him, unable to reach a vet for advice at the time but once he'd parped it out he was back to his normal cheeky self, full of beans and as if nothing had happened. He's not been similarly afflicted since.

I hasten to add that we are, for reasons I won't bore you with, in an unusual situation. My lad's currently staying with my mother rather than with me. It's only a temporary situation and the status quo will be restored in a couple of weeks but it has thrown him out. I see him every single day but we did wonder if this disruption has stressed him somewhat as his seasonal moulting seems to have dragged on a bit this spring.


Anyhoo, I posted this query elsewhere and was grilled about his diet etc which is a Johnson and Jeff parrot mix incorporating some seeds and other bits such as millet and some nuts. Along with this I give him a good helping of various fruits and veggies, his favourite being peas, mini carrots and tomatoes but I make sure he has a good range of things to unzip, dip and gnaw on in his fruit and veg cup. He's always looked in great fettle, feathers lustrous and always busy, active and very chatty. Apart from this one brief incident he has never been ill a day in his life - I've had him since he was a three month old chick.

However I was distressed to have a reply that more or less suggested I was killing my parrot. It's left me really shaken and upset.

Can someone advise me if I do need to improve his diet and how?


Many thanks

1. The parrot police don't even arrest those who actually ARE killing their birds...

2. All boards are not created equal. Myths abound, and get exaggerated on down the line. There are a lot of people who know a tiny bit, just enough to give really bad advice to others, to make themselves appear smarter than they actually are...

3. There are people who believe any seed in the diet is bad. First of all, all seed is not created equal. Second, some seed is okay. (It's an "all seed" diet that takes years off your bird's life...)

3. If he gets his vitamin A foods, and gets a variety of foods, and eats well, then he's probably fine. (But when in doubt, take him to the vet and get a well birdie blood panel done. Probably should be done at least once every 23 years or so anyway... )

4. Sounds like he had some sort of intestinal blockage that worked itself out... which can and does happen.

5. If he's happy, not obese, well adjusted, and has been for 23 years, then you've done something right. If that's confirmed by his liver values, and no vitamin deficiencies show up in the blood work... you can officially tell the folks on that other board to go to the theoretical place of eternal punishment, and oh, by the way, you also give crappy advice...

 

[Birdman666]

Read a few recent posts, if you still feel neglectful...

Did your bird die in a rat trap that was strategically placed right next to his cage, recently, where there were no rodent problems, but you placed it there as a precaution?!

Was that a "no."

Okay, then.

Cuz, believe it or not, someone else did that today.

 

[Christinenc2000]

Stick to this forum. You may not like what is being told sometimes but trust me they are here to help not only your bird but you !!
They also will go above and beyond answering any questions you have until you understand.

 

[Doublete]

As birdman said.. Probably best to have blood work done to know for sure that the diet you are providing covers everything but don't feel like you are wrong or a bad mom.

The Internet is known for self taught experts.

 

[gracebowen]

I wish my FIDS would eat as good as yours. I give them fresh veggies every day and mostly they just throw it. They only eat cooked carrort. I'll keep trying.

I think you are doing great.

 

[Kyoto]

You are definitely doing okay. And I agree, this forum is wonderful. I was on another one as well, but I felt that there were some characters there that were quick to anger and to be very fussy and set in their ways about how birds should be cared for.

One person said to me "You're a terrible bird owner because you feed your birds pellets" because they believe fundamentally that pellets are no good. I feed pellets as a staple with fresh vegetables and once in a while fruit to make sure Kyo gets the nutrients he needs because it's what my AVIAN VET recommended… sheesh.

 

[Grraarrgghh]

Haha the "other" forum. You should have seen the advice they gave me about parrot lighting.

(Hint: it was literally crazy and impossible to achieve without creating a customer program that mimics the light cycles found year round, to the day, in Ethiopia)

 

[Birdman666]

Haha the "other" forum. You should have seen the advice they gave me about parrot lighting.

(Hint: it was literally crazy and impossible to achieve without creating a customer program that mimics the light cycles found year round, to the day, in Ethiopia)

OR, YOU COULD JUST TAKE YOUR BIRD OUTSIDE ON NICE DAYS WHICH IS PROBABLY BETTER FOR THEM PSYCHOLOGICALLY ANYWAY... :32:

But that requires so much less time, effort and energy that you can't really act like a superior being for doing it.... than I just had my house re-wired for full spectrum lighting... BLABITY-BLAH-BLAH!

 

[Grraarrgghh]

It's more unfortunate than anything really, it just seems that most conversation there is dominated by ~3 posters who have very, very, uh, "holistic" views on birdkeeping.

 

[Birdman666]

You are definitely doing okay. And I agree, this forum is wonderful. I was on another one as well, but I felt that there were some characters there that were quick to anger and to be very fussy and set in their ways about how birds should be cared for.

One person said to me "You're a terrible bird owner because you feed your birds pellets" because they believe fundamentally that pellets are no good. I feed pellets as a staple with fresh vegetables and once in a while fruit to make sure Kyo gets the nutrients he needs because it's what my AVIAN VET recommended… sheesh.

While another group of people rips you a new one for NOT feeding them pellets... EITHER WAY, YOU SUUUCCCKKK!!!

Ummm... no.... but you wanna know what does suck?! Listening to this crap.

 

[Chihuahua]

It's more unfortunate than anything really, it just seems that most conversation there is dominated by ~3 posters who have very, very, uh, "holistic" views on birdkeeping.

Right?? I went there all excited about my new buddy and they told me:

> You cannot have a bird if you work overnight
> You cannot have a bird in a trailer if you can't get the entire cage out in an emergency
> You should never feed pellets because they are all seed based and your bird will die

I was told WILDLY different info elsewhere... they are so over the top there. My bird has done just fine on my overnight schedule. In fact he sleeps when I am working so it's great!

 

[Grraarrgghh]

It's more unfortunate than anything really, it just seems that most conversation there is dominated by ~3 posters who have very, very, uh, "holistic" views on birdkeeping.

Right?? I went there all excited about my new buddy and they told me:

> You cannot have a bird if you work overnight
> You cannot have a bird in a trailer if you can't get the entire cage out in an emergency
> You should never feed pellets because they are all seed based and your bird will die

I was told WILDLY different info elsewhere... they are so over the top there. My bird has done just fine on my overnight schedule. In fact he sleeps when I am working so it's great!

Yeah basically all of the advice there boils down to:

"We are all horrible monsters for having a pet bird, but since you already have one (you awful person you) you should do all of these arbitrary things to keep it happy because it's more ~*natural*~ based on our warped logic. Also you might think that your bird is happy, but trust us, it's miserable (and it's your fault you jerk) and will die for a bizarre reason."

Like I remember being told that my parrot's gonads would explode if it didn't have a correct light cycle. What the heck.

 

[Birdman666]

The internet is filled with misinformation like this...

There was some other site awhile back dedicated to the proposition that all greenwings were dominant aggressive feathered buzz saws coming to tear your toes off...

Leads me to wonder if you have ever spent any time at all around a properly socialized greenwing cuz its just not true!

 

[EdgesofTwilight]

It's more unfortunate than anything really, it just seems that most conversation there is dominated by ~3 posters who have very, very, uh, "holistic" views on birdkeeping.

Right?? I went there all excited about my new buddy and they told me:

> You cannot have a bird if you work overnight
> You cannot have a bird in a trailer if you can't get the entire cage out in an emergency
> You should never feed pellets because they are all seed based and your bird will die

I was told WILDLY different info elsewhere... they are so over the top there. My bird has done just fine on my overnight schedule. In fact he sleeps when I am working so it's great!

I work 3rd shift so I must be a bad parront.
I get greeted as soon. As he hears the key enter the tumblers on the lock before I even open my door.
I hold him and walk around with him as I prepare his morning fresh food, then put him back in his cage while he eats and I go to bed for 5 or 6 hours.
When I wake up he gets to be on his playstand anywhere from 3 to 6 hours with the occasional pick me up and hold me moments.
Then its bedtime for birdies an hour before I go back to work.

I must be a real bad parront

 

[Kiwibird]

While I (firmly) stand behind my more 'natural' approach to feeding, I also believe it is up to each owner to make their OWN INFORMED DECISION about what is right for their bird as an individual. Seeing as we can't replicate a parrots natural diet in captivity, how to best get as close as possible is subjective anyways. Older parrots, like yours, do occasionally suffer from issues simply related to OLD AGE, not overall poor health. If he's been thriving on his current diet for 20+ years and just had a little blockage (common enough in old age) that passed naturally, there is no need to drastically change his diet. Heck, a drastic dietary change may well trigger issues in an otherwise healthy older bird!

And remember, you can't please all of the people all of the time. I do lots of stuff that make some of 'those types' of up-tight know it all bird owners panic and pounce. I leave my birds cage open all day (and someone is not always home watching him), bring him outside unrestrained, keep him clipped (the cruelty!), don't feed pellets, implement actual consequences for bad behavior (I really am awful aren't I?), cover him at night instead of giving him his own 'sleep room', adopted him when I was 19 (clearly too young to be responsible) and have always had him in small apartments. Guess what, my bird is a healthy, happy, social, well behaved and well adjusted bird (who was a mean, nasty rescue who feared humans when we adopted him) and I'm not changing anything about how I opt to care for him and make no apologies to the 'my way or the highway' crowd. It doesn't matter what you do, you'll never be good enough for those 'types', as most are self-absorbed narcissists who want to make themselves look more intelligent or like a better bird owner. Even if you're doing nothing 'wrong', they will STILL pick you apart and demean your methods for their own personal gratification. Stick around this forum and participate in intelligent discussions (occasionally with opposing views, though argues in an intelligent, respectful manner), not childish bickering or bullying with nothing to gain!

 

[Chihuahua]

It's more unfortunate than anything really, it just seems that most conversation there is dominated by ~3 posters who have very, very, uh, "holistic" views on birdkeeping.

Right?? I went there all excited about my new buddy and they told me:

> You cannot have a bird if you work overnight
> You cannot have a bird in a trailer if you can't get the entire cage out in an emergency
> You should never feed pellets because they are all seed based and your bird will die

I was told WILDLY different info elsewhere... they are so over the top there. My bird has done just fine on my overnight schedule. In fact he sleeps when I am working so it's great!

Yeah basically all of the advice there boils down to:

"We are all horrible monsters for having a pet bird, but since you already have one (you awful person you) you should do all of these arbitrary things to keep it happy because it's more ~*natural*~ based on our warped logic. Also you might think that your bird is happy, but trust us, it's miserable (and it's your fault you jerk) and will die for a bizarre reason."

Like I remember being told that my parrot's gonads would explode if it didn't have a correct light cycle. What the heck.

lol right?? i was just lectured on a FB group bc i use rope in my bird's toys and leave his cage open even when i am not in the room-- horror!

talk about small spaces--i live in an RV trailer! the rooms are "the entire living area" and the bathroom, which is now the bird room because it is not hooked up to water/sewer. and he gets the whole room. it's way bigger than any cage i could give him, though he usually stays in/on his cage anyway--but he has a choice. and if he ever is flighted again, well..

 

[deque]

So sorry this happened to you. Take it with a grain of salt. As others pointed out you've managed to care for him for many years without incident. This is something to be proud of.

Your story reminded me of a recent encounter I had. I take one of my kids with me each sunday morning while running errands. I just pop someone on my shoulder and run.

I was at the fresh fruit market and a woman approached and basically cornered me to express how in her opinion birds should be free.

My responce was simple..."does it look as if she wants to be somewhere else to you?"

That ended the conversation, lol.

So my advice would be. Flip them the " bird" and carry 9n!

 

[Chihuahua]

i have now been attacked on a facebook group for asking which cage brands are good and asking what some good resources for research are... i feel really bad and like i did something horribly wrong and i just don't get it.

 

[Doublete]

i have now been attacked on a facebook group for asking which cage brands are good and asking what some good resources for research are... i feel really bad and like i did something horribly wrong and i just don't get it.

Tell them to fly a kite and just don't worry about it.
People get big and bad when they're hiding behind their computer... For all you know they're a 12 yo kid that never leaves the house. Take it with a grain of salt.