Microchipping - Worth It?

[RatAtaT2693]

So I'll go ahead and clarify that I am all for chipping your pets. Any advantage in finding a lost pet is worth the money, especially for a companion that lives 30+ years. Of the three dogs and cat I have, all of them are microchipped. I'd probably chip the rats too if I ever decided to take them outside. (Some people do, but I'm a scaredy cat. Too many things to go wrong, and there's no such thing as a solid harness for a rat.) My husky mix has a GPS collar, if that tells you anything. Getting one for my lab ASAP, and waiting for a good one for the cat.

But I've heard rumors that it's a little different with birds since their skin is different/thinner; tends to migrate, I guess. I'm honestly not 100% sure on the matter.

Speaking of thin skin, do people tattoo their birds?

So really I'm more interested in how many people have a microchip for their bird, what type of bird is it, and why or why not.

Also, especially for you free-flyers, could a parrot support telemetry equipment? I found an article in which they studied some wild parrots using a backpack harness to track them. I know many falconers who use radios attached to the feet, but raptors have much stronger feet than parrots.

I know none of these options guarantee their safe return, my husky likes to remind me of that on occasion, but like I said, any advantage in finding a lost pet is worth the cost.

 

[plumsmum2005]

So I'll go ahead and clarify that I am all for chipping your pets. Any advantage in finding a lost pet is worth the money, especially for a companion that lives 30+ years. Of the three dogs and cat I have, all of them are microchipped. I'd probably chip the rats too if I ever decided to take them outside. (Some people do, but I'm a scaredy cat. Too many things to go wrong, and there's no such thing as a solid harness for a rat.) My husky mix has a GPS collar, if that tells you anything. Getting one for my lab ASAP, and waiting for a good one for the cat.

But I've heard rumors that it's a little different with birds since their skin is different/thinner; tends to migrate, I guess. I'm honestly not 100% sure on the matter.

Speaking of thin skin, do people tattoo their birds?

So really I'm more interested in how many people have a microchip for their bird, what type of bird is it, and why or why not.

Also, especially for you free-flyers, could a parrot support telemetry equipment? I found an article in which they studied some wild parrots using a backpack harness to track them. I know many falconers who use radios attached to the feet, but raptors have much stronger feet than parrots.

I know none of these options guarantee their safe return, my husky likes to remind me of that on occasion, but like I said, any advantage in finding a lost pet is worth the cost.

Not much to say on this except OH GOD YES! to micro-chipping.
Its tiny and saves so much agro and Plum is fine with his. If I had more birds I'd do everyone of them. It's obligatory for dogs here now I think.
Obviously you have to register once it's put in (here anyway) but it's not much. Have heard of people losing birds, finding them and then cannot prove it is their bird without it.

Migration : Possible in the neck I think. It was put in his front (I call it his tummy!! LOL)

 

[Piasa]

I think larger birds are generally safe to microchip. Smaller ones, not so much.

I've heard you can get a bird tattooed.

You can also have blood taken and DNA indexed with a lab to prove ownership.

I used to belong to a yahoo group that brainstormed about falconry techniques to use with parrots. If I remember correctly, the telemetry gear didn't work well with their parrots - I think it was too bulky. This was years ago though and the technology may have changed.

 

[SailBoat]

Parrots are by Law considered Property. As will any case of stolen or lost Property, the individual with the Property is considered the owner until it can clearly be shown they are not.

Microchips are specific in their code number, which is filed and listed to a specific individual (human) as the owner of that Microchip. If that chip is found in an item (in this case a parrot), the Microchip and the 'item' that it is in are therefore consider the Property of the Microchip Owner. Now that is just plain COLD, but if you think it though it makes sense in the context of the Law.

Prior to Microchips, Tattooing was more commonly used to identify Property (stuff and animals alike). With Microchips that has become less popular with animals. Its been enough years that I am not 100% sure regarding horses, which have a long history of Tattooing. Also, prior to DNA Sexing (parrots), Surgical Sexing included Tattooing in a specific location for males and another for females. NOTE: Tattooing parrots and other small animals has become so rare that I would guess that only large animal Vets may still do it (see above regarding horses).

Microchipping a parrot should only be done by an Avian Vet. Location is everything! And to that point, if the Microchip is not placed in the proper location is may not be found by the Vet Clinic and you just wasted your money. Migration can happen, commonly due to improper installation/placement.

With mid to large parrots, I strongly recommend Microchipping!

 

[OOwl]

My larger birds are microchipped, controversial or not. We check every routine checkup to ensure their chip hasn't migrated (hasn't in 13 years). My birds didn't experience any complications from the procedure. I think they were more concerned with being restrained than the actual prick. I derive a great deal of comfort knowing they are permanently ID'd. I'm not planning any new avian additions, but if I did, I would do it again.

 

[Solo]

Phoebe is microchipped. My vet did it while she was under for blood work and was non the wiser. In regards to tattooing, it is still done on many animals (my German Shepherd is both chipped and tattooed), but not sure I would do it on a bird due to their thinner skin and slower clotting.

 

[RavensGryf]

Here, this is a very old thread but it discusses telemetry that you were asking about . http://www.parrotforums.com/free-flight/32077-falconry-telemetry-free-flight.html

Chipping is good as long as it's scanned and discovered. The GPS dog collar sounds cool, I've never heard of that.

 

[RatAtaT2693]

Thanks. They're relatively new to the market. I pre-ordered mine, so I got it almost half off with a free year of service. It, the Whistle, sends updates to my phone any time my dog leaves a predetermined zone. Let's me know where he jogs off to. It doesn't weigh much and the battery lasts up to three days when he's not near the base. I wish it was lighter, though, so it could fit on my cat.

They're working on one, the Nuzzle, that is supposed to be lighter.

I feel like developing some sort of tracker, at least for the larger birds, wouldn't be that difficult. If you can get an Aviator on them, you might be able to attach a radio wire or even one of these GPS devices on them. The one in your cell phone is phenomenally small.

But as I've posted before, I'm typing this from my silent, birdless living room, so I very well could be wrong.

I've just been spending too much time in the Lost & Found section, and I can't imagine losing a companion you've spent so much quality time with. It's why I spent the fifty bucks on the Whistle for the, um, adventurous husky. I'm looking into a bird right now, and I really do want a chance to train it and free fly it, but I couldn't handle it if I lost them. It's not like losing a hawk. If you lose the hawk, it's an, "Oh crap, there goes my hunting partner. Somebody go get the radio." A hawk is an impartial wild apex predator. The parrot is a pet. But it just feels so wrong to watch a bird spend it's whole life walking or caged.

I'd want to build a huge walk-in flight aviary, but at the end of the day, it's still a cage.

 

[plumsmum2005]

Thanks. They're relatively new to the market. I pre-ordered mine, so I got it almost half off with a free year of service. It, the Whistle, sends updates to my phone any time my dog leaves a predetermined zone. Let's me know where he jogs off to. It doesn't weigh much and the battery lasts up to three days when he's not near the base. I wish it was lighter, though, so it could fit on my cat.

They're working on one, the Nuzzle, that is supposed to be lighter.

I feel like developing some sort of tracker, at least for the larger birds, wouldn't be that difficult. If you can get an Aviator on them, you might be able to attach a radio wire or even one of these GPS devices on them. The one in your cell phone is phenomenally small.

But as I've posted before, I'm typing this from my silent, birdless living room, so I very well could be wrong.

I've just been spending too much time in the Lost & Found section, and I can't imagine losing a companion you've spent so much quality time with. It's why I spent the fifty bucks on the Whistle for the, um, adventurous husky. I'm looking into a bird right now, and I really do want a chance to train it and free fly it, but I couldn't handle it if I lost them. It's not like losing a hawk. If you lose the hawk, it's an, "Oh crap, there goes my hunting partner. Somebody go get the radio." A hawk is an impartial wild apex predator. The parrot is a pet. But it just feels so wrong to watch a bird spend it's whole life walking or caged.

I'd want to build a huge walk-in flight aviary, but at the end of the day, it's still a cage.

Nail on head!

 

[RatAtaT2693]

Same thing goes for dogs, though. You can fence in 100 acres, but it's still just a kennel. A big one, but a kennel nonetheless.

 

[plumsmum2005]

Same thing goes for dogs, though. You can fence in 100 acres, but it's still just a kennel. A big one, but a kennel nonetheless.

Yes but they have undergone many years of domestication unlike birds.

Dogs still get their basic necessities - exercise, food, affection.

Unless you are an exceptional bird owner with nerves of steel it is not very often that they get the exercise they should have imo.

 

[RatAtaT2693]

Hahaha. Yeah. Still, have you met a husky? I've ran mine, full speed ahead, for over two miles, and he still looks depressed to come home. Like, "Five more minutes, mom. Pleeeeeeease?!"

For his birthday, we do an all day exploration trip of bikejoring, hiking, swimming, etc. Get home - BAM depressed to be inside.

I just need to move to Alaska and buy 10k acres. The look on that dogs face is heartbreaking once we get inside. (And he's got plenty of toys and interactive puzzles.)

 

[plumsmum2005]

Hahaha. Yeah. Still, have you met a husky? I've ran mine, full speed ahead, for over two miles, and he still looks depressed to come home. Like, "Five more minutes, mom. Pleeeeeeease?!"

For his birthday, we do an all day exploration trip of bikejoring, hiking, swimming, etc. Get home - BAM depressed to be inside.

I just need to move to Alaska and buy 10k acres. The look on that dogs face is heartbreaking once we get inside. (And he's got plenty of toys and interactive puzzles.)

Yes I have on TV (ha ha) they just run and run don't they? Guess they just live for exercise?