My New Baby CAG

[halien]

I figured I should post about my new baby CAG! It will be coming home in about 4 or 5 weeks when it is weaned. Hopefully I'll be able to get it DNA'd before it comes home (is there a certain age that is best to do this?) so I can come up with a name. So far I'm thinking "Mercury", as its a pretty androgynous name.

I was told that it is 8 or 9 weeks, but they have the hatch date on file (at their home), and they'll let me know next time I visit.

Before I bring home baby, is there anything special I should have ready? What's a good juvenile cage to put it in before putting it into its large cage? I've only got one really big cage right now, and would like to pick out its juvenile cage before bringing it home.

When I went to visit the baby today I took a couple of pictures. Here it is!!!

 

[Zkyevolved]

Congratulations! What a cutie! Enjoy your parrot and treat him or her well :-D

 

[Constantine]

beautiful!!!...

 

[Christinenc2000]

Oh so sweet. I have never had a baby parrot. Would LOVE one

 

[Birdman666]

Mine just went directly into a macaw sized playtop.

I may be paranoid, but why are the baby's nares so red?! I'd have that bird checked for an infection! Hopefully it's just camera angle or a trick of the light, but stuff like that makes me concerned.

From signs of illness in CAGs:

"Red, Inflamed, or Runny Cere: Your bird's cere is what we perceive as his nose -- the little patch above his beak that holds his nostrils. Pay close attention to your bird's cere. If you observe any redness, inflammation, or discharge, there is a very good chance that you pet could be seriously ill. Make sure to keep your bird wrapped up and warm on the way to the vet."

 

[halien]

Mine just went directly into a macaw sized playtop.

I may be paranoid, but why are the baby's nares so red?! I'd have that bird checked for an infection! Hopefully it's just camera angle or a trick of the light, but stuff like that makes me concerned.

From signs of illness in CAGs:

"Red, Inflamed, or Runny Cere: Your bird's cere is what we perceive as his nose -- the little patch above his beak that holds his nostrils. Pay close attention to your bird's cere. If you observe any redness, inflammation, or discharge, there is a very good chance that you pet could be seriously ill. Make sure to keep your bird wrapped up and warm on the way to the vet."

Thank you!! I didn't notice it in person, so it could just be the filter I used on the picture. Next time I'm visiting, I'll definitely be checking, though. I'm very paranoid about my babies, and now that I know about that I'll be EXTRA paranoid. Hahaha

With the playtop, are they out all day? Do they have a sleeping cage or a cage you put them in while you're out? I like that idea!!

 

[halien]

Congratulations! What a cutie! Enjoy your parrot and treat him or her well :-D

beautiful!!!...

Oh so sweet. I have never had a baby parrot. Would LOVE one

Thank you, guys!! I'm very excited!

 

[Birdman666]

I am hoping it's just a trick of the light, but red nares set off an alarm bell in my head...
and I saw that picture and wondered if I was seeing things, or if someone needed to check for infection.
Probably just me being paranoid again.

As for my set up:

I have a bird room with cages where doors only close for cleaning purposes. Mine are out 24/7. BUT, my CAG is now 10 years old. He is fairly well trained. He doesn't generally go on search and destroy missions. Until he is trained, I'd close doors when you weren't home, just to make sure he doesn't get in trouble. Open them again when you are home.

I've never seen a reason for sleeping cages.

I have a large playstand, and a couple of smaller playstands. (They all kinda pick their own spots.) All my cages are 40 x 30 macaw playtops EXCEPT my greenwing's cage. Hers is a Kings double macaw dometop. I prefer the playtops for the smaller birds. The XXL big macs need the dometops to give them a little extra tail feather room. The others need outside the cage spots to hang out on built into them.

My red lored has her own separate playstand. She sleeps - (who are we kidding - LIVES) - on that, and hasn't really been inside her cage in years.

My CAG and Lilac Crowned sleep at one end of the big playstand. My RFM sleeps at the other end.

My greenwing pretty much lives on top of her cage... (when she isn't on a lap, or an arm, or a shoulder.)

My CAG is actually my youngest. He was raised with amazons and macaws, and has picked up a lot of their positive traits, (i.e. he is super independent, hardier than most, and he is more inclined to pluck you than to ever pluck himself! He is the flock instigator for sure!)

 

[halien]

I am hoping it's just a trick of the light, but red nares set off an alarm bell in my head...
and I saw that picture and wondered if I was seeing things, or if someone needed to check for infection.
Probably just me being paranoid again.

As for my set up:

I have a bird room with cages where doors only close for cleaning purposes.

BUT, my CAG is now 10 years old. He is fairly well trained. He doesn't generally go on search and destroy missions. Until he is trained, I'd close doors when you weren't home, just to make sure he doesn't get in trouble. Open them again when you are home.

I have a large playstand, and a couple of smaller playstands. (They all kinda pick their own spots.) All my cages are 40 x 30 macaw playtops EXCEPT my greenwing's cage. Hers is a Kings double macaw dometop. I prefer the playtops for the smaller birds. The XXL big macs need the dometops to give them a little extra tail feather room. The others need outside the cage spots built in.

Maybe I should call and ask them, then. Waiting for my next visit may not be the wisest of choices.

Ah!! Again, thank you. I was planning on having it up while I'm out anyway, as I have cats (and dogs, but they won't be allowed in that room while I'm out).

Is there anything else I should have before bringing baby home? What's the best pellet to feed them? I've been feeding my GCC roudybush, but recently heard of Harrison's. I also have the understanding that Harrison's says you aren't supposed to supplement the pellet more than 10%...

So that means I won't be able to feed many greens, fruits and veggies, right?

 

[Birdman666]

I fed mine Harrisons as a baby - for I believe the first 18 months of his life. He needed the extra nutrition at that age. Then, after 18 months, I switched him over to the significantly more cost effective Zupreme that all my other birds eat. Harrisons is VERY expensive.

I haven't read the Harrison's blurb in many years, but mine always, always, always got fresh fruits, veggies, rice, beans, sweet potato, pasta, oatmeal, etc. and a little bit of fish and chicken. (Just a small sliver of cooked meat.) I would disagree with that statement, because you have to expose them to new foods, and teach them that this is what we eat. You don't want them to be picky eaters... the more you expose them to, the more they will eat.

I think they might be talking about vitamin supplements, which you don't need anyway if you feed them correctly.

My CAG is fine with dogs. In fact, I have several birds that actually call the dang dogs...

He is a complete stinker with cats. We didn't have to worry about the cats going after the bird. We had to worry about the bird going after the cats! Tormenting cats seemed to be something of a sport for him. And the fact that the cats (and my sister - they were her cats!) gave him a high drama reward, only made the situation worse...

Incidentally, my CAG learned very early on how to open cage doors, and treat cup doors... so you were warned.

 

[Christinenc2000]

I hate to but into the thread but I use Zupreme Fruit blend . My Macaw loves it. Do you use any of there other products Birdman ?
I also have a saflower blend but not sure it it came from them or not

 

[Birdman666]

I use zupreem pellets. Nutriberries (three per bird, except the macaws get six.) Straight safflower seed (small measured amount.) A mixed nut/oatmeal granola mix. Straight shredded wheat (no sugar) two squares each bird. (Except the macaws, they get four.) That goes in the bowl, mixed 50% pellets about 30% nuts, a sprinkling of safflower seed over the top, and then the other items I talked about. That's the dry bowl.

Then what ever fresh foods I am serving that day (usually based on what I have in the house) which this morning included left over mashed potatoes, grapes, oranges, and brocolli. (They each got a sliver of left over salmon.) That's the fresh bowl. Plus they each have two full clean water dishes.

I nuked the broccolli taters and salmon for about ten seconds in the microwave, and then threw the fresh fruit on top. Wanna guess how many birds went straight for the taters? 3 out of 5! Sweepea and Maggie ate the nuts first, THEN went for the taters...

 

[Christinenc2000]

LOL Thanks. BB tends to fall back to wanting seed only. I can't get him to touch Pellets

 

[Birdman666]

LOL Thanks. BB tends to fall back to wanting seed only. I can't get him to touch Pellets

Fruitblend pellets? I thought you said he liked those?

 

[Christinenc2000]

He will the fruit blend but not the harrisons sorry multitasking here and not that good at it today. I am just going to back away from the computer and drive home. LOL

( what I was thinking was Harrisons was suppose to be better for him )

 

[halien]

I fed mine Harrisons as a baby - for I believe the first 18 months of his life. He needed the extra nutrition at that age. Then, after 18 months, I switched him over to the significantly more cost effective Zupreme that all my other birds eat. Harrisons is VERY expensive.

I haven't read the Harrison's blurb in many years, but mine always, always, always got fresh fruits, veggies, rice, beans, sweet potato, pasta, oatmeal, etc. and a little bit of fish and chicken. (Just a small sliver of cooked meat.) I would disagree with that statement, because you have to expose them to new foods, and teach them that this is what we eat. You don't want them to be picky eaters... the more you expose them to, the more they will eat.

I think they might be talking about vitamin supplements, which you don't need anyway if you feed them correctly.

My CAG is fine with dogs. In fact, I have several birds that actually call the dang dogs...

He is a complete stinker with cats. We didn't have to worry about the cats going after the bird. We had to worry about the bird going after the cats! Tormenting cats seemed to be something of a sport for him. And the fact that the cats (and my sister - they were her cats!) gave him a high drama reward, only made the situation worse...

Incidentally, my CAG learned very early on how to open cage doors, and treat cup doors... so you were warned.

I'll start out with Harrison's, then. But I definitely will offer all different foods... I would NOT want a picky eater- Not with how long these guys can live!!

Funny you say that the cats won't mess with them, because I was wondering the same... A bite from a CAG is no joke if you're messing with it.

Again, thank you for all of the input- I need all of the info I can absorb before I bring home my baby. I don't want to make any mistakes!!!!