Loving Unconditionally

[goalerjones]

Yesterday I took Hahnzel for a grooming appointment at our vet. While I was there a woman had an 18 year old cockatiel in a small cage. It had been overgroomed by a former mate so it only had the spikey cockatiel head-topper. It also had a crippled leg, and was very restricted in its movement.

At first glance my thoughts were, if I am honest, aversion. After I spoke to her about the bird and its difficulties and I saw the love she had for her bird as she continued the stories, my attitude and my heart changed. I began to think about my own baby and what the end of his life would be like and I grew to respect her for loving unconditionally.

 

[MonicaMc]

Don't judge a book by it's cover! ;-)

When you truly love something, you would get to know it for what it is, not for what it's not!

Sounds like a very sweet couple! Feather and human!

 

[noblemacaw]

I totoally understand because of what I am going though with the potential adoption of Sir John the 7 year old Naked Noble macaw.

When I called the rescue about him the gentleman told me no one is interested in him because he is plucked. No one wants him. When I saw the picture the rescue has up for Sir John my eyes welled up because I can see so much of Mihijo in him. Logic dictated that is because he is a Noble macaw so of course I would see a lot of my deceased parrot in him but for me it goes beyond that. I have the knowledge, skills and support system to be able to help Sir. John and he is ONLY 7 years old.

I don't care that he is plucked and "not pretty" anymore. Lupe does not care that he is plucked. We both want this parrot and we don't care if he never regrows his feathers back. Sir John had come from a terrible situation before the rescue and he deserves lots of love and a forever home.

To be honest I was shocked no one wanted him. Sir John is still a sweet parrot despite his past and knowing the Noble macaw personality and temperament I am surprised no one has adopted him yet.

The gentleman I talked to wants Sir John to get adopted so I think he is willing to wave the 200 mile distance rule for us. Now with the email I sent and phone message I left for the president I hope she also will feel the same way and soon Sir John will join our family.

 

[Jtbirds]

Noble everyone looks at my baby girl and asks is she sick, just because someone mistreated her and she is plucked. I get so annoyed at this question as it happens all the time. I just want to say no dumb people like you created this, but I refrain and educate the people based on the fact they are so uneducated.

 

[noblemacaw]

I use to get asked a lot if Mihijo was diseased or sick because he was plucked. Yes, my noble macaw was always loved, had the best care and everything but sometimes no matter what a parrot will pluck. With my over 20 years of keeping and studying parrots I believe many factors may have caused Mihijo to pluck. I cannot pin point why he plucked except for the maybe medical reason we had learned.

1. Medical reason could be because his hormone levels didn't drop for a year so he never was able to moult. By the time my vet and I were able to figure out maybe why he was plucking we were able to help him but the plucking was a habit and could not be stopped. We were able to get his hormone levels to normal and he would moult but he never stopped plucking.

2. Mihijo had no behavior problems what so ever. He loved people and was never nippy, bitey or was in any way aggressive. His parents were extremely tame and I think Mihijo was not co parented (trying to remember back to 1995). Sometimes I do wonder if Mihijo did not know how to be a parrot and wonder if that could be some cause to the plucking. Not sure if "too tame" is a reason to pluck?

3. My Illiger's Macaw Diego was co-parented and he never plucked or had problems moulting. Diego's personality was very spicy and he was quick to nip if he was displeased. Although Diego was never aggressive he preferred me above everyone else and Diego knew he was a parrot.

4. It seems to me that Noble macaw males are plucked after the age of 5. Mihijo started in 2002 so he was around 6 to 7 years old. Every Noble macaw male I came across was plucked. I can't help but wonder about this. I admit there is not a huge Noble macaw pool to support this data but I do wonder about this. The closest parrot I can think of with much of the same temperament and personality if the Golden Conure but these are even more rare than Noble macaws so I don't know if the males of GC pluck or not.

I will admit because people asked me such stupid or sometimes hurtful sounding questions I did stop taking Mihijo out in public. With the public speaking I use to do about rainforest conservation and parrot keeping I spent more energy talking people out of getting a parrot. Mihijo was such a good ambassador for pet parrots everyone loved him and wanted "one just like him." I had a man back in 1998 offer me $1000 for him. I was shocked and astounded he would think I would sell my companion and best friend.

 

[Jtbirds]

I have a very great article about plucking it is seven pages long and was written by a veternirian committee that comes together once a year and discusses a loft, big bird topics are PDD, anesthesia in parrots, genomes, etc.. But this year had a article on plucking on the flash drive.

The biggest research and it all leads back to it is how there life Is started, meaning parenting and the life from weaned after. The first day to year is when a parrot needs to be raised correctly in order for plucking not to happen. Soo that means they must be raised by parents and then weaned and cared for correctly or plucking can occur at many points in life usually when stress is high. This is just one vets opinion but I think it has some validation to it honestly

 

[noblemacaw]

Mihijo had a very stable temperament and his personality was very good but compared to my Illiger's macaw Diego I always felt Diego was more wild than Mihijo because he was co-parented. It took Diego 3 weeks to warm up to me where with Mihijo he had always accepted me and there was really no adjustment period.

Mihijo was plucked Diego was not plucked. I think there is some validity in what you report about raising baby and plucking. I will be very interested in learning more about Sir John's past and if I can learn how he was raised.

 

[sodakat]

Such a nice story, Goalerjones. Several of the adults I've acquired looked pretty bad when they arrived, especially Lolly. When I saw the first picture of Lolly I felt pity. And I think if I hadn't taken in plucked birds before her, I would have been horrified when I met her.

But, I'll tell you what, now that Lolly has lived with me and the flock I no longer pity her at all. Sure, she looks pretty much like the chickens in the grocery store, but there is nothing pitiful about her. She enjoys life everyday, is a silly girl and has a great attitude.

Here she is after a shower shortly after she moved in :

Now, 6 months later, she's molted some and although still naked and plucking and barbering some, she is a beautiful girl IMO because I see "her". She looks a bit better dry of course, LOL!