Macaw Help

[kovachx]

Hi there guys! Firstly my Macaw doesn't like water at all starts to bite and flies away from the bathroom I can't seem to wash him very often.

Second thing is he sleeps in my room is that dangerous for my lungs because I read about Bird's Keeper Lung should I be worried about it. I don't have any other place in the house to put him in...

 

[morpheus]

Hi there guys! Firstly my Macaw doesn't like water at all starts to bite and flies away from the bathroom I can't seem to wash him very often.

Second thing is he sleeps in my room is that dangerous for my lungs because I read about Bird's Keeper Lung should I be worried about it. I don't have any other place in the house to put him in...

Subscribed...:44::44:

 

[Mattroma]

My macaw hates the bathroom to, I use a spray bottle to give him his bath. I mist over him and let it rain down on him.
As far as sleeping in your room, macaws are not as dust as toos. Regular baths will help keep the dust down. If your worried you can buy a box fan and tape a filter for a furnace to the back of it. It will act as a purifier and help trap the dust.

 

[kovachx]

I am particularly worried about Bird's Keeper Lungs and is it common?

 

[goalerjones]

I am particularly worried about Bird's Keeper Lungs and is it common?

How many birds do you keep?

What kind are they?

From what I've read it seems to be those 2 factors. "Dusty" birds like cockatoos and African greys can cause some problems for allergy sufferers.

Larger numbers of birds will also contribute. But it's the droppings that cause lungs tissue swelling.

http://www.birdchannel.com/media/bird-diet-and-health/bird-care/bird-clean-air.aspx.pdf

 

[kovachx]

I only have one Macaw Blue and Gold ... The problem is I don't clean that often ...

 

[thekarens]

I only have one Macaw Blue and Gold ... The problem is I don't clean that often ...

That is an easily fixed problem. Doesn't take long to change paper and do a quick wipe down.

 

[RavensGryf]

Also how bout an air purifier. They sell small room sized ones. HEPA with a carbon pre-filter is best. Honeywell HPA060 series. I love mine.

I wouldn't worry about Bird Keeper's Lung. Usually happens (in susceptible people) who keep MANY birds, especially of the dustier species over many years. For example if you have aviaries and have been cleaning them for years, raking the ground and inhaling the fecal dust particles regularly for a while. I suppose if you had lots of birds in an indoor small space with lack of air exchange it could cause some dust irritation too.

 

[Birdman666]

Try a hose with a mister setting. Wheel the cage outside, do your normal cleaning, then put the bird back, and close the door, THEN turn on the mister setting and just lightly mist him. Like it or not, it's happening. When you're locked up... you're not going anywhere.

And you may just decide you really like it, once you get used to it!

Once a week. Do it anyway. My CAG HATES - ABSOLUTELY HATES BATHING... BUT HE TAKES A BATH ONCE PER WEEK. He's still pet quality. Just not especially happy with me when it's happening.

 

[goalerjones]

Cleaning is an accepted part of keeping a parrot. Dried feces can breed disease. Rotten food can draw vermin and insects.

 

[Pastelsponge15]

My Blue and Gold hates the shower- he has limited mobility in his wings, and so has impaired balance. The shower wouldn't be feasible even if he liked it when we tried it! What we do, instead of a shower perch, is we bought a spray bottle. (An empty windex/cleaning/bleach/scrubbing bubbles/you get the idea will NOT work. The chemicals could soak into the plastic of the bottle and make your bird very very sick!) We keep him in his cage, put him on his rope perch, and mist him with the entire bottle. (Which is about fourteen ounces. This takes 10-15 minutes. We do it every three days) The gentle mist feels really nice on him- as he is an outside bird in humid humid Florida. (He's very well shaded and protected from predators, and taken into the house into his play-space when it gets below 68 Fahrenheit or during hurricane force winds, but it's still hot!) and he gets a bath!

 

[Mekaisto]

Some birds like to be bathed in different ways.

I have a bird that likes to wash, but ONLY if she's out in the sun.
Another that doesn't like to be sprayed, but loves to bathe in shallow dishes of water. Warm water is usually more pleasant for them than cold water (NOT hot water), maybe even incorporate some treats into bath time.