Help needed for a hyacinth rescue; Cleveland, Ohio area

[Birdman666]

To all that responded; I am aware of the dietary needs. I live in alaska, and the person who has bought her also lives in alaska. I will be picking her up from the original owner in Indiana and bringing her to ohio with me (only while I am visiting; temporary) and when I return to alaska I will fly this baby back with me and give her to the new owner. I am looking for a temporary cage to borrow while she is in Ohio with me.
I am a knowledgable parrot owner and caretaker, and so is her new owner.

No offense intended. We were just making sure...

 

[Birdman666]

This is really for everyone who keeps commenting as if Alaska is some backwoods boondocks state where people live miles from civilization and have to hunt to catch their food. The OP could very well live in one of the larger cities or even the smaller cities, she doesn't necessairly live above the arctic circle. Alaska is a huge state with a pretty wide variety of climate and living arrangements.

Been to the Anchorage area in the summer, once. On vacation. That is the sum total of my Alaska experience other than those reality TV shows, that I more or less flip through... so, we are not exactly up to speed. It seems pretty isolated up there most of the year...

I am aware that it's pretty expansive. But variety of climate in the winter time? I was under the impression that the variety was cold, colder, and one of the coldest places on the place of the earth...

I mean, I was at the laundrymat the other day, in mid December, and some lady wearing shorts and a tee shirt was complaining about how cold it was here... I'm pretty much guessing that doesn't happen in your neck of the woods....

Not exactly what you think of when you think ideal places for a tropical macaw. They'd be fine outside in the summer. But in winter?

Anyway, you seem like you know what you are doing. I'll let you be.

 

[KBEquine]

Wow, amazing thread that leans more toward showing OP all the things we assume we know better than her about her home state, macaws, macaw cages, etc. Sorry OP, we get enthusiastic about helping parrots and forget some new posters have knowledge.

OP, try the ABVP ? American Board of Veterinary Practitioners website to find an avian vet near either where the bird is or where your family is. There is one in Norton, OH, about 40 min. south of Cleveland. They may board or be able to point you to someone locally who could help - I don't know how long you need to keep the bird in Cleveland, but if you can't find a short-term cage, boarding might be an alternative.

And if the airline requires a specific health check [not to mention specific animal carrier] they might be able to help. Alternately, try the Cleveland Zoo's avian section - they might know someone who can help, too.

Good luck.

 

[MacawLoverOf3]

As Bartleby pointed out, this Hy is currently in a non SS cage so could very well be a none destructive bird. If you were not talking about being in Cleveland which would be about 345 miles away from me we could have worked something out with a cage I have though a Hy was in that one in the past and did pop a weld. I also have a spare SS cage not currently being used but that is a good distance and you are talking about February which could be nice weather (being optomistic). or really poopy weather not fit to drive in.

What airlines would you be taking? Have you double checked with them their cut off temps and what the usual temps would be when you expect to go back?

Carriers - you DO NOT want a carrier that has holes punched out on the back side like you see most often. Attached on the front of the face of a Hy is a huge can opener that will quickly custom enlarge those holes and the airline will not be happy once they see him pop his little body out that hole. You want the carrier that has the metal grates on all three sides. In the past the airlines only required 2 but now they want 3 plus the door so the old Vari-Kennels are no longer acceptable. There is/was a company from Italy that made one with the grated vent openings on 3 sides but they are extremely hard to come by. Don't know if the company went out of business, just no longer selling in the US or because the latches they use are not acceptable by the airlines. That part is an easy fix for the latches. Take them off (they snap off easily) and drill yourself a few holes and use bolts and nuts to secure the top and bottom. You will need a wire mesh to put over all the vents and door to keep the airline employees from sticking their fingers in the crates to see if the animal will bite. DUHHHHHH Secure that on with zip ties.

With these Marchioro carriers you would be looking for their size 4 which will be large enough for the bird yet small enough if the bird is thrown around, she will not be able to fully open her wings and hopefully not breaking them. Don't worry about the tail. That will curl to the side but after a couple of showers it will straighten itself back again. With these carriers you need to add on a handle yourself. Call a shoe repair shop or a luggage store and see if you have any. Screw it with the nuts on the top. You don't want to position it in the middle of the carrier but more towards the front to counter balance the weight what with the birds weight and the perch you need to install. If you need to, contact me and I can measure for you where I put both of these.

I listed the carriers that I book marked in the past and show they still have them available.

http://www.petswarehouse.com/shopaddtocart.asp

http://www.rakuten.com/prod/dog-supplies-ithika-4-27x19x20-bge-blu/231374542.html?listingId=243752672

http://www.amazon.com/Marchioro-Clipper-Ithaka-Carrier-27-75-inches/dp/B00545P1Q4

The following one does not include wheels (sold seperately) but that is a built in handle on the top that pulls out from the front side.

http://www.amazon.com/Marchioro-Clipper-Idhra-Carrier-27-75-inches/dp/B003IMSBG2/ref=pd_sim_sbs_petsupplies_5

Macadamia nuts - the growing season out in Hawaii starts around September and goes till about February from what I was originally told but then I heard someone else say it starts more July/August????? I would be leery of buying the nuts from Hawaii after Japan's nuclear reactor disaster a few years ago and radiation fall out. I don't have the YouTube someone recorded that was on the island making the comment they don't believe the government telling them there was no danger from any radiation fallout but the sky they were recording sure was not a clear day. The one guy in California that a lot of Hy owners buy from sells out real fast when he harvests his in late October. A friend has a Hy and he gets the nuts from Hawaii and Batman glows when he eats them. LOL

Brazil nuts vs palm nuts - contrary to what a lot of people think, it seems a lot of Hys will not eat a palm nut. Maybe this little girl will and maybe she won't Brazil nuts usually are the one preferred but you need to be careful with them because the oils can go rancid easily. My understanding is you are also safer to get them out of the shell in the event the shell is harboring any nasties. I ordered and received a supply in June from Jaffe.

 

[miloslave]

They may board or be able to point you to someone locally who could help - I don't know how long you need to keep the bird in Cleveland, but if you can't find a short-term cage, boarding might be an alternative.

Wow, I think this is a great suggestion! If you can arrange for them to pick her up from where she currently is, and board her until February,this might be a much better environment for her to be in than she is in right now?

Could you possibly speak to her new owner and find out if this is do-able?

I think the main concern would be to find a solution that would put her in a better environment as soon as possible, and this might just be the answer.

 

[Kiwibird]

I also thing boarding at a vet is a great idea for a temporary living situation! And all her new bird checkups could be done during her stay so any health issues can be identified and addressed before going to her new home. And while she could start at any time, I wouldn't imagine a bird who has no history of eating cages would just randomly start... Just because a bird can doesn't mean it will. In my experience, birds are either the 'destructive' type who will chew up anything they get their beaks on or they aren't, and they don't typically experience sudden personality shifts. I would still have a backup plan of what to do (especially if you find a cage to borrow) just in case she starts popping welds!

I may be mistaken, but when I think of Alaska in the winter, I associate it with being 'similar' in terms of bitter coldness and lots and lots of snow to how rural upstate New York where my family lives is. It's not so much the ability to care for the bird once she is in her new home (as I said, I would assume research has been done into being sure the proper diet can be provided). I guess my concerns really come from transporting such a creature in the winter. The possibility of a major storm coinciding with your trip and how a stressed out (from being rehomed and the trip) tropical bird would react to sub zero temperatures, blizzard conditions and significant windchill. I guess flying could be safer than driving, but I would definitely talk to the airline about what kind of climate control they have in the cargo hold where the bird will be and how they plan to get the bird on and off the plane without exposing her for a long period of time to the freezing temps outside. I know a storm may not happen, but I would imagine in such places like Indiana, Ohio and Alaska, it would be reasonable to be prepared for the very real possibility of a blizzard occurring on one of the trips you'll be making with this bird.

 

[eaverhd]

Please let me know if you still need a home for the lovely bird I am able to take. Sure needs attention and I am willing to give a great home. let me know please lora [email protected]