New Here! Hello!

[LeafyGreenBeaks]

Hello! Introducing myself!

Hi Everyone! I'm so glad I found this forum! I just adopted an Orange-winged Amazon. In my eyes, it was more like a rescue. Here's the story:

I have been wanting a CAG for quite some time. After some research and looking around, I found a breeder with some babies that were still being weaned, ready to go in late March. Being extremely excited, I set out to prepare for my soon-to-be new addition: Brand-new cage, lots of toys, play gym, etc.

So last week, I was running some errands in Miami and decided to stop by an eatery for a quick lunch. It was located in a strip mall with dozens of other hole-in-the-wall establishments. After I was done eating and was walking to my car, I kept hearing loud squawks coming from a dry-cleaners shop nearby. Concerned, I entered the shop and found an amazon in a makeshift cage on the floor. It was terrified of all the commotion in there, not to mention the cage was no more than 1.5 ft square, made of chicken wire. There was a dish of sunflower seeds. The water dish had about half inch of dirty water mixed with sunflower hulls. The owner of the shop saw me looking at the bird and came over, he asked if I wanted to buy him. Trying not to sound furious and judgmental, I calmly asked about the bird. The guy said that the bird used to belong to a breeder, but since it wasn't getting along with any of the females, the breeder dropped it off at this dry-cleaners. So now, they have to find a home for it. This whole story seemed sketchy to me. Why can't people just tell the truth? It would be so much more helpful if we knew the bird's exact history!

Long story short, there was no way I was leaving the poor baby there. I took him with me and had his wire cage in the front seat while we drove an hour home, all the while talking to him and singing along with the radio tunes. Along the way, I made a call to the Avian and Exotic vet in our county to ask if I could bring him in for a checkup. I explained the situation to them, and they said I could come as a walk-in without an appointment. Two hours later and a clean bill of health (surprisingly!), we were home! I placed the cage on the floor in front of the big cage that I had set up, and he immediately came out. He waddled to the new cage, climbed it, and went inside (I had the door opened), as if he recognized it was his new home lol. Once inside, I have been letting him get adjusted to everything.

It's a challenge when I know close to nothing about his history. How much was he handled before? How many homes has he been through? His hatch date? The vet estimated that he was between 3-5 years old.

Since he didn't have a name, I have decided to call him Murphy. So without knowing anything about him, here is what I can tell you about the Murf:

He is an absolute sweetie! He likes to sit and observe. And he's very quiet. The only times that I've heard him scream (other than that awful day in the store) was when I was in another room rough-housing with my dogs. As soon as I contact called him to let him know that everything was alright, he stopped screaming. I have his cage set up in our family room where he gets to see and be a part of the family (including 2 kids and 2 dogs). We all talk to him and tell him what a good boy he is. And he talks back! At this moment, I can't make out what he's saying, but I know that he's communicating. He loves to eat. If he sees us eating, he walks to his food bowls and starts eating as well. Sometimes, I'll stand by his cage and pretend to eat fruit, sweet potato, bell peppers...just to get him interested. Then when I know I have his attention, I slip the pieces of food into his bowl, and he gobbles them up.

I am already in love with him! At this point, it's a safe bet that I won't be getting my CAG. I know that I have a long road ahead of me in terms of taming and training Murphy, but right now, I am happy to just have this sweet boy safe in my home and just getting to know him. And if you could see how much he has opened up within a matter of just one week, you would know why I'm so glad that I rescued him!

Thanks so much for reading this super long intro. I'll keep you updated soon! And I'm sure I'll be a constant on here with questions as I go.

 

[ParrotGenie]

Re: Hello! Introducing myself!

Interesting story. Unfortunately heard similar stories when people use to bring in rescues all the time. Cage not suitable rusted out, or way to small. Sunflower seeds as main diet and ETC. Thanks for saving him and getting him out of that bad environment.

 

[Flboy]

Re: Hello! Introducing myself!

Really awesome!

 

[ChristaNL]

Re: Hello! Introducing myself!

Now that is some introduction!

I am impressed.


Welcome here.

 

[LaManuka]

Re: Hello! Introducing myself!

The Universe sure does move in mysterious ways doesn’t it?! There you are with the perfect bird home all ready to go and Murphy strolls into your life. It was meant to be. To paraphrase the great prophet Mick Jagger “You can’t always get what you want, but you might find you get what you need”

 

[Anita1250]

Re: Hello! Introducing myself!

Congratulations! I had an OWA that was 48 years old when he passed away 5 years ago. They are one of the best and gentlest parrots around. I still have Sam, my 36 year old BFA. Give Murphy a little time to settle in, and I bet you will have a wonderful parrot life with him. At only 3 to 5 years old, there are many years left to train and develop a relationship. Remember, these birds usually go very slowly in that department. It is wonderful that you brought that poor baby home. You will be blessed with all of the parrot luck in the future!

 

[Jen5200]

Re: Hello! Introducing myself!

Welcome to you and Murphy! Sounds like he found the perfect person for him

 

[LeafyGreenBeaks]

I am already in love with him! At this point, it's a safe bet that I won't be getting my CAG. I know that I have a long road ahead of me in terms of taming and training Murphy, but right now, I am happy to just have this sweet boy safe in my home and just getting to know him. And if you could see how much he has opened up within a matter of just one week, you would know why I'm so glad that I rescued him!

Thanks so much for reading this super long intro. I'll keep you updated soon! And I'm sure I'll be a constant on here with questions as I go.

 

[Flboy]

Welcome again! Second time is always sweeter!

 

[ParrotGenie]

Interesting story. Unfortunately heard similar stories when people use to bring in rescues all the time. Cage not suitable rusted out, or way to small. Sunflower seeds as main diet and ETC. Thanks for saving him and getting him out of that bad environment.

 

[Tami2]

Hello & Welcome! It's a beautiful story :heart: and I look forward to hearing all about your journey together.
Please post lots of pictures.

Best of luck to you both!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Hello, greetings, welcome!

Great story. I'll look forward to following your adventures.

I'm glad you found us!

 

[SassiBird]

I love these stories. I'll be watching for your updates.

 

[texsize]

Thank you for rescuing this beautiful Orange wing Amazon.
heartwarming story.
I cant even guess at the number of chemicals used at a dry cleaners.

 

[LeafyGreenBeaks]

Yes, the chemicals at the dry-cleaners. I'm still worried about that, even though the vet gave him a clean bill of health. Could there be residual chemicals in his lungs that are still lingering? I'll be monitoring him. It's been exactly a week now, and so far I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary.

 

[Inger]

Amazing! I think you might have thought you were prepping for a CAG, but the universe knew Murphy was going to need you and that’s what you were really getting ready for. Fantastic.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LeafyGreenBeaks]

Amazing! I think you might have thought you were prepping for a CAG, but the universe knew Murphy was going to need you and that’s what you were really getting ready for. Fantastic.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I totally agree and believe some things happen for a reason!:21:

 

[texsize]

Yes, the chemicals at the dry-cleaners. I'm still worried about that, even though the vet gave him a clean bill of health. Could there be residual chemicals in his lungs that are still lingering? I'll be monitoring him. It's been exactly a week now, and so far I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary.

If there were going to be adverse effects from the chemicals I think it would have happened by now.
My first bird was an Orange Wing Amazon. They hold a special place in my heart:heart:

 

[Scott]

Kudos for rescuing Murphy! You're about to embark on a lifetime of reward. Amazons are marvelous companions, and this one seems rather well adjusted. Far too often they come to us a blank slate devoid of background information. You can be sure Murphy has a history forever hidden, and over time some of his "baggage" might emerge via behavior triggered by events that will seem benign to you.

We're here to offer advice, encouragement, and a helpful ear!

 

[EllenD]

What a great story...I work at an Avian Rescue and I can tell you with 100% certainty that things like this happen all the time, where someone comes to look at a specific parrot/bird or reptile (it's also a Reptile Rescue) that they have seen on the website and then called to ask about, got all the information about, etc., and sometimes they've even visited that specific bird a couple of times previously (we require at least 3 visits with each bird/reptile to make sure it's a good fit before they can adopt them), and then suddenly they come in, sometimes ready and planning on bringing that bird home on that day, and we've gotten another bird or reptile in that is nothing at all like the original one they were coming to see or coming to adopt on that very day, and something happens...Something clicks, they either see this new bird and are just drawn over to it, or they might even just hear the bird from across the room and it's like something 'calls to them" and they end-up immediately bonding with this other bird/reptile...I've actually seen people come in to the Rescue to see a particular bird they saw on our website or that someone else told them about, and they have immediately rushed to the phone to make sure the bird is still there, and then end-up rushing right into the Rescue that day, sometimes taking a sudden, unplanned trip that takes hours of driving one-way to get here, like something just suddenly told them that "this is YOUR BIRD"! It's amazing when it happens, but animals know, especially birds, they know...Not exaggerating and totally serious, I've seen people come into our Rescue for the very first time and be drawn immediately to a particular bird who NO ONE at the Rescue has been able to handle AT ALL, not even a step-up, after months of training/taming sessions every single day, after feeding them tons of treats every day, letting them out of their cage to go into our flight-room to fly freely, etc., and they still have to use a towel and/or a small carrier every single time they get them in and out of their cage...And here comes this person into the Rescue, completely out of nowhere and just to "look around", not at all planning on adopting a bird any time soon (sometimes they are actually there to look at a Reptile or Amphibian, lol)...And they go right to a bird that we've had nothing but behavioral issues with, some who have actually been deemed not ready to be adopted after months and months of being there, and the crazy bird immediately jumps right onto the side of the cage right next to them and they start giving them scratches through the cage bars! I'll be standing there watching, ready with the first-aid kit and my car keys to have to take them to the ER to have a finger reattached, lol, but damn it if they aren't able to get the bird to just step-up onto their hands out of nowhere, let it sit on their shoulder, give it all kinds of pets and handle it any way they want to, and the crazy bird starts singing and happily chirping and making sounds that none of us have ever heard it make before...We've actually had to make special exceptions and allow a bird to be adopted without giving them a "pass" in the behavioral training department, just simply because we know that this person is what the bird needs, for whatever reason..

Who knows why these things happen, it doesn't really matter why to me, I'm much more of a "If it's meant to be, then let it be" kind of person...So thank you so much for giving this Amazon a responsible, loving home. You truly are his/her "person" and guardian angel...

***I don't know where you live in Florida, but you've got access to some of the best Avian Vets in the country and the world, namely if you live anywhere near or in Broward County (Dr. K and Dr. T have their Avian and Exotic hospital in Deerfield Beach, so if your bird ever becomes seriously ill or needs ANY TYPE OF SURGERY, I would absolutely make the drive to "Broward Avian and Exotic" in Deerfield Beach...Dr. Susan Kelleher is one of the best Avian surgeons in the world; she has rebuilt legs and wings for baby parrots born with horrible congenital defects like a leg literally bent around it's neck and over it's head! She also has a full understanding inside and out of General-Anesthesia and what is safest for birds, as that's always a major issue with birds, even if they're only having a minor surgery they still often die while waking-up from the anesthesia, and I would trust Dr. Kelleher with any of my birds before anyone else...Hopefully your Amazon won't ever need to have any surgery or any other medical procedures done, but if he does I wouldn't take him to anyone else...I can tell you for certain that even though I have a wonderful Board-Certified Avian Vet of 25+ years 10 minutes away from my house who I love and trust, we've already talked about the plan if he decides that any of my guys need any major surgical procedure done, I'm driving them the 2+ day drive straight to Fort Lauderdale...So that's a huge asset that you have in your state..

***I'm so glad you took him already for a Wellness-Exam...Did they do a blood-draw for routine blood-work to be run? If not, I suggest that in a couple of months, after Beemo settles-in to his new home and with his new family, that you make an appointment for him to have both a Fecal Smear and routine, baseline Blood-Work done, so that you can get a full picture of his overall health, as well as a really good idea of the "age" of his body (so to speak) from his blood-work. I'm sure you know that with pet/captive birds their Liver and Kidney health/function are two of the main causes of serious health issues and early death...And since you already know that his daily diet, probably since he was first weaned and brought home with his first owner, has been really horrible and nothing but fat. So you definitely want to not only work to gradually transition Beemo onto a varied, low-fat, high-protein diet, you also want to see just what kind of shape his Liver and Kidneys are in...

Most people take their pet birds for a complete Wellness-Exam once a year that includes both a complete Fecal work-up (both a culture/sensitivity that is sent out to a laboratory and full microscopy and a Gram-Stain that is done right in the office on the spot), as well as complete, routine Blood-Work...So if you get this done within the next month or two for Beemo, the results will serve as his "Baseline" Levels as of when you first brought him into your family, and these first "Baseline" Blood-Work results can then be compared to his Blood-Work done during his Wellness-Exam next year, and you'll be able to see how much his Liver and Kidney functions/levels have improved in the first year of you having him, as well as how his overall-health has improved and his body's overall "age" has decreased just from your care...

***I'm also sure you know this too, but I'll mention it anyway just in-case, so that you know just how crucial it is to have full routine Blood-Work done once a year on Beemo...All bird/parrots, regardless of their species, age, gender, or whether they are captive/pet birds or wild birds, possess an innate, natural survival-instinct that keeps them from showing any and all outward signs/symptoms of illness and pain for as long as they possibly can. This serves to protect not only them but also their entire Flock from being targeted by predators because they appear weak and as an "easy catch"...As a result of them hiding all outward signs/symptoms of illness and pain, by the time WE notice that something is wrong with our pet birds and WE are able to see visible signs/symptoms that they might be sick or in pain, they've usually already been sick for quite a long time, usually for at least weeks, if not months, and sometimes even over a year, depending on what the issue is. And sadly by the time we as their owners first notice that something is wrong with our birds and that they may be sick, and we get them to our Avian Vets, it's often too late to prevent or reverse any permanent damage or disability, and sometimes it's too late to save them...So this is exactly the reason why we need to take our birds for a full Wellness-Exam with an experienced Certified Avian Vet or Avian Specialist Vet once every year at the least, and why this annual Wellness-Exam NEEDS to include complete, routine Blood-Work and a Fecal Smear/complete Fecal Testing, as it really is the ONLY WAY to stay ahead of and on-top of their health.