"Here's the deal! If you can't afford the vet when they get sick, you need to give up the birds for someone else who can! Why bother rescuing them when you can't provide better health care? I rescue birds too and everything comes out of my pocket!"
Maybe you're made of money, and can fork out whatever your vet demands you spend on your pets. I can't. I work hard for my money, and I have to spend my money carefully. I've seen too many vets that want to do a whole pile of expensive, work that could be skipped in favor of more selectively chosen treatment.
For example, I took my cat into Angell in Boston. They wanted to do $4000 worth of ICU, overnight stay, surgery, tests, lab work and observation. I didn't have $4000. So I spend $500 on the surgery, limited tests, and did my own observation and overnight care. To make a comment that I can't keep birds because I don't hand my checkbook to the vet is obnoxious, hurtful and ignorant. Sorry. I get really angry at people who accuse me of things without having a clue about the situation.
The person who bred my first macaw, and runs a large bird business told me to be careful going to a vet, because the bird can catch all kinds of nasty things at a vet's office. He told me that I should avoid the vet unless something is going on. I asked here because I wasn't sure if the bird was doing normal things. Further, I wanted to try to get a personal recommendation on a vet so that I could find someone trustworthy.
So far, bird is doing OK. Poops still messy at times, but bird is eating well, and looks good. Feathers growing back slowly. Still afraid of the stick.