New with many questions!!

[Terry57]

The eggshells and cuttle bone will definitely help with her calcium levels. Mine also eats oyster shells.
I've never used liquid calcium because my guys levels are good with the calcium they get. I'm glad I never had to use it, I'd have been afraid of making their levels way too high.

Have you tried clipping a kale leaf to the bars on the inside of their cage? Kale has a lot of calcium, and my Bourke's used to go crazy for it.

The oil trick Monica mentioned really can help with egg binding. It worked on one of my finches when she was eggbound. I moved her to a travel cage that I put in the bathroom, and I put the oil on her vent. I turned on the shower with hot water until the bathroom was steamy, and in the morning she'd laid the egg. Now I can't say the oil was what did it, it may have been everything combined. She was egg bound several more times and it worked every time after that.

 

[buurd]

The eggshells and cuttle bone will definitely help with her calcium levels. Mine also eats oyster shells.
I've never used liquid calcium because my guys levels are good with the calcium they get. I'm glad I never had to use it, I'd have been afraid of making their levels way too high.

Have you tried clipping a kale leaf to the bars on the inside of their cage? Kale has a lot of calcium, and my Bourke's used to go crazy for it.

The oil trick Monica mentioned really can help with egg binding. It worked on one of my finches when she was eggbound. I moved her to a travel cage that I put in the bathroom, and I put the oil on her vent. I turned on the shower with hot water until the bathroom was steamy, and in the morning she'd laid the egg. Now I can't say the oil was what did it, it may have been everything combined. She was egg bound several more times and it worked every time after that.

Thanks for the info. She laid another egg and this time shes sitting on it, so hopefully she understands she has 5 eggs now and will stop or at least slow down. I think the steam helps, too.

The problem with her is, shes not handtamed. She had diarrhea I had to treat, twice, in the distant past, and that ruined any trust she may have had. Plus a nail clipping, because I had to catch her each time to give the meds and to clip her nails.
I Could never get her to eat millet from my hand, but will let me stand or put my head very close to her.
So I will only handle, catch and move her, as a last resort because it will really upset her, and Im afraid with her in this condition.

Its funny though, a couple of days before she popped her first egg out, she was a rascal and didn’t want to go to her cage (bedtime)that night (she always flies to it before dark). So I sidled up next to her and put my finger up in front of her, just to see if by miracle she would step up, lol. And she didnt, but she moved up against it and rubbed her belly on it. Only for two seconds, but it was a clue, I guess, or she wanted me to know, maybe?

 

[Terry57]

Oh, I know what you mean I felt the same about my finches, I hated having to pick them up when egg binding was a possibility, I was so afraid I'd hurt them.

She may well have been letting you know. She also may have wanted the comfort of touching you. Even though she's afraid, she still knows that you will do anything to help her

 

[DonnaBudgie]

My bird eats calcium from the cuttlebone daily and has roudybrush pellets, but she’s not great about eating calcium rich foods and its winter here. I myself take tiny oil-filled d3 pills, why would that not help birds in this situation, if it allows calcium to be absorbed more?
Im putting bowls of hot water outside of her cage, but next to her perch and waiting for the Calcivet, should I need it. I called everywhere around here and couldn’t find anyone who carried it, nor the big pet stores, not even Amazon. Oh and gave her the eggshells.

Amazon carries Morning Bird calcium plus liquid supplement which is comparable to Calcivet.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Amazon carries Morning Bird calcium plus liquid supplement which is comparable to Calcivet.

Sorry I just checked and the Morning Bird liquid calcium isn't available right now on Amazon. I bought it in October and at that time they sold Calcivet too but not now. I wonder what's going on with the availability of these products.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

The eggshells and cuttle bone will definitely help with her calcium levels. Mine also eats oyster shells.
I've never used liquid calcium because my guys levels are good with the calcium they get. I'm glad I never had to use it, I'd have been afraid of making their levels way too high.

Have you tried clipping a kale leaf to the bars on the inside of their cage? Kale has a lot of calcium, and my Bourke's used to go crazy for it.

The oil trick Monica mentioned really can help with egg binding. It worked on one of my finches when she was eggbound. I moved her to a travel cage that I put in the bathroom, and I put the oil on her vent. I turned on the shower with hot water until the bathroom was steamy, and in the morning she'd laid the egg. Now I can't say the oil was what did it, it may have been everything combined. She was egg bound several more times and it worked every time after that.

I'm happy you've had success treating egg binding with steamy warmth and olive oil. Unfortunately it doesn't always work. I would only use liquid calcium if a hen is in an acute egg bound state and in obvious distress. My vet told me that in an egg binding emergency to put the bird in a warm humid room (steamy bathroom is ideal), administer a few drops of Calcivet (or equivalent product) directly into her beak, ensuring she swallows it, then swab her vent with a cotton swab dipped in olive oil, gently inserting it into her vent a short way. It won't injure her vent to use a cotton swab like this. The calcium in the Calcivet will be absorbed into her bloodstream quickly and raise her blood calcium enough to allow her cloaca muscles to contract and push to egg out and the oil helps lubricate things.
I had a bad experience with an egg bound budgie a few years ago and she died a painful death within hours. I didn't know about the Calcivet remedy then and it was after hours on a weekend. I tried the olive oil and steamy bathroom but it didn't help and she died. Since then, my avian vet explained how the calcium treatment works. It's not 100% effective but he told me it's the first thing he does when he sees an egg bound bird and it's often effective, moreso than the steam and olive oil lubricant alone. The next step would be trying to express the egg manually, something I wouldn't dare try myself, but have watched u tube videos. Yikes!

 

[buurd]

Sorry I just checked and the Morning Bird liquid calcium isn't available right now on Amazon. I bought it in October and at that time they sold Calcivet too but not now. I wonder what's going on with the availability of these products.

Thanks. I know! I looked online first, last night, and was surprised it wasnt on amazon or any of the big pet sites, and everywhere I could find it, it looked like it was going to take a week or more to arrive. So I bought it from the company.

Oh, I know what you mean I felt the same about my finches, I hated having to pick them up when egg binding was a possibility, I was so afraid I'd hurt them.

She may well have been letting you know. She also may have wanted the comfort of touching you. Even though she's afraid, she still knows that you will do anything to help her

l hope so! I think she has to know on some level that I love her. I had to clip a talon a few months ago, and I gave her a 1second scritch on the head, and she was ok with that. And when I tell her I love her, she blinks and closes her eyes and does the head thing, lol Sweet baby.
I keep a eye on her vent just by looking through the cage, she prefers to back her tail up into a corner when she pushes out the egg.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Thanks. I know! I looked online first, last night, and was surprised it wasnt on amazon or any of the big pet sites, and everywhere I could find it, it looked like it was going to take a week or more to arrive. So I bought it from the company.


l hope so! I think she has to know on some level that I love her. I had to clip a talon a few months ago, and I gave her a 1second scritch on the head, and she was ok with that. And when I tell her I love her, she blinks and closes her eyes and does the head thing, lol Sweet baby.
I keep a eye on her vent just by looking through the cage, she prefers to back her tail up into a corner when she pushes out the egg.

Believe it or not Walmart sells Calcivet online!

 

[buurd]

Omg i just realized I’m posting in another thread than the one I made, lol But got good advice and supports, so thanksM

 

[buurd]

But it’d take a week to get here. Maybe I could have rushed it, but I’ve never ordered from walmart so I didn’t know how reliable they are. I just went to the company site and rushed it.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Hello, we are getting a Green Cheek next weekend, if he's still available, and we have some questions. I am not new to keeping birds, but I am new to keeping flying birds. We have chickens.

Fiance wants to get a Sun at some point, his fav. My fav is the Green cheek I met today, he was very sweet and playful. How do we go about introducing two new birds?

The cage is this one and it will be here Tuesday.
[ame="[URL]http://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Products-Wrought-F040-31-Inch/dp/B00176F5L0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362796100&sr=8-1&keywords=bird+cage[/URL]"]Amazon.com: Prevue Pet Products Wrought Iron Flight Cage with Stand F040 Black Bird Cage, 31-Inch by 20-1/2-Inch by 53-Inch: Pet Supplies[/ame]

This should be large enough for th both of them when they can get along, no?

Since I have chickens, I'm guessing I need to be a bit more careful and wash my hands after dealing with one and going to the other, right? Are there any illnesses chickens and conures share?

I know these guys need a bird bath, all the ones in stores are for parakeets and other tiny birds. Can anyone link me to a website that has ones for conures or would I have to make my own?

I know these guys eat seeds, would a mix of crushed corn, oats, wheat, barely and others be ok for them to also have? I sprout oats and wheat for my farm critters and read that sprouts are also yummy for these guys, true?
We also have a tiny orchard, pear and apple. I know seeds are bad, what about leaves and branches of either? We have a Mulberry tree, blueberry bushes, safe?
We grow pumpkins, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, mixed leafy greens, peas and corn. Can conures have any of that?

I stay home 24/7 running the farm, we both like our sleep and read conures like 10-12hrs, we can do that for sure. Only issue would be an avian vet, don't have one that I know of what so ever.

We have dogs and cats, only one indoor dog and the two cats are indoor/outdoor. One cat is just terrible at hunting, no mice, no 1lb chickens [[bantams]], nothing. She likes to lay out amongst our chickens and randomly hop to spook them, then roll over and soak up the sun whilst laughing...or something, lol. Other cat does hunt, but two of our dogs are more of a bird threat than her. Conures will be in secure cages when the other critters are indoors, so no real worries about that.

I really do not like pinyoned birds, it's depressing and sad. I know it can be a varied topic, but my chickens are trimmed only occasionally when they decide to go dim in the head on me. I'd like to allow the conures the ability to fly. Front porch is screened, so a double door system. The side door goes to the connected laundryroom, which also is enclosed and doubly door system. So accidental fly outs would be something that could happen only in a real emergency. We have no kids and rarely have visitors, so another threat avoided.

We are buying a new pots and pans set, old teflon ones will be used as flower pots and critter bowls/waterers. We have those plug in air fresheners, are all of them not safe? We don't use candles, rarely use cleaning products and windows are cleaned of smudges with water. I don't get why people use chemicals to wash windows, you don't need them...

I do have aquariums, all but one are securely closed. The last one almost had a fully closed top, until I accidentally broke the new section of glass when I left it outside...I'll replace it before the bird come home.

We have guinea fowl, one of them thinks it's a rooster and sings in the morning, very annoying. It's not a chicken and it's a hen, but it still wants to sing like a roo. I don't mind it much. So occasional noise is fine, I've read they are usually a calm and quiet bird with morning/dusk squaking and such.

We bought a stainless steel clip bowl, a swing, a snuggie hide out, two toys, perch and a ladder. Do these guys like to have nest houses and if so, which are the right size for them? Not for breeding, but maybe they just like to sit in them or something.

Anything else we should know or think about?

Others may disagree but I don't think that cage is big enough for two conures to share. I would go at least 36x24x

My bird eats calcium from the cuttlebone daily and has roudybrush pellets, but she’s not great about eating calcium rich foods and its winter here. I myself take tiny oil-filled d3 pills, why would that not help birds in this situation, if it allows calcium to be absorbed more?
Im putting bowls of hot water outside of her cage, but next to her perch and waiting for the Calcivet, should I need it. I called everywhere around here and couldn’t find anyone who carried it, nor the big pet stores, not even Amazon. Oh and gave her the eggshells.

I'm talking about using Calcivet orally in situations when you need to raise the blood calcium levels very quickly in an egg binding emergency, not as a regular supplement. Calcivet in their drinking water is a good all-round supplement for finicky eaters but not necessary if they get enough in their diet. I believe that anyone who has a female bird that may lay eggs should have Calcivet on hand in case of emergency. Avian vet never seem to be available when things like that happen.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

But it’d take a week to get here. Maybe I could have rushed it, but I’ve never ordered from walmart so I didn’t know how reliable they are. I just went to the company site and rushed it.

Good move.

 

[buurd]

The eggshells and cuttle bone will definitely help with her calcium levels. Mine also eats oyster shells.
I've never used liquid calcium because my guys levels are good with the calcium they get. I'm glad I never had to use it, I'd have been afraid of making their levels way too high.

Have you tried clipping a kale leaf to the bars on the inside of their cage? Kale has a lot of calcium, and my Bourke's used to go crazy for it.

The oil trick Monica mentioned really can help with egg binding. It worked on one of my finches when she was eggbound. I moved her to a travel cage that I put in the bathroom, and I put the oil on her vent. I turned on the shower with hot water until the bathroom was steamy, and in the morning she'd laid the egg. Now I can't say the oil was what did it, it may have been everything combined. She was egg bound several more times and it worked every time after that.

The Calcivet is on its way. I think she might’ve had a harder time with this egg, because she alternated laying on the floor and sitting on the perch for longer. Counting the latest one, she laid 5 eggs in about a week and a half. There were 7 days between the 1st and 2nd egg. But she has since sped up. So she maybe is running a little low on calcium by now…but she hits the cuttlebone at least twice a day.
I’ve tried everything with kale. Hanging it wet hanging it dry, cutting it into ribbons, putting some of her food on top, mixing it with things she likes, putting it in toys… and no go. It would be wonderful if she ate it, because i eat it nearly every day and so its always available. Did you do anything special to get them interested?

So oyster grit is another good source of calcium, with a cuttlebone? And with what kind of mineral block? Is this giving her too much calcium though?


Also, Should I be giving her any special sustenance if she sits on her eggs and doesn't eat much? Or would that be unusual for a solo bird to do that? I’m asking ahead of time, just in case, because she actually kept this last egg warmed a few hours, and I read that the males feed them through this period. If I have to get her a supplement or feed her, I want to have it handy.

 

[buurd]

Others may disagree but I don't think that cage is big enough for two conures to share. I would go at least 36x24x

I'm talking about using Calcivet orally in situations when you need to raise the blood calcium levels very quickly in an egg binding emergency, not as a regular supplement. Calcivet in their drinking water is a good all-round supplement for finicky eaters but not necessary if they get enough in their diet. I believe that anyone who has a female bird that may lay eggs should have Calcivet on hand in case of emergency. Avian vet never seem to be available when things like that happen.

Yes I was talking about it given in one dose, if she’s egg bound. But Since this is her 5th egg in about almost two weeks, I wonder if a little in her dish might help, now.

Also when you say egg bound, do you mean when the egg is breeching but stuck, or do you mean when shes been on the floor with her tail up for a long period of time, but nothing is breeching?
From what I read, both are called egg bound. Internally and externally. I was saying, I think she took a little longer with this one, because the egg laying process has sped up, lately. But she alternated laying on the floor and sitting on her perch for it seems like an entire day. At one point, it was like, Oh shes going to lay it. Then after awhile, she went and sat on a perch like normal. No vent dilation from what I could see of her butt.

Thank all you guys for your helpful advice!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Yes I was talking about it given in one dose, if she’s egg bound. But Since this is her 5th egg in about almost two weeks, I wonder if a little in her dish might help, now.

Also when you say egg bound, do you mean when the egg is breeching but stuck, or do you mean when shes been on the floor with her tail up for a long period of time, but nothing is breeching?
From what I read, both are called egg bound. Internally and externally. I was saying, I think she took a little longer with this one, because the egg laying process has sped up, lately. But she alternated laying on the floor and sitting on her perch for it seems like an entire day. At one point, it was like, Oh shes going to lay it. Then after awhile, she went and sat on a perch like normal. No vent dilation from what I could see of her butt.

Thank all you guys for your helpful advice!

Egg binding is when the hen has an egg inside of her at the vent and is unable to expel the egg after

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Egg binding is when the hen has an egg inside of her at the vent and is unable to expel the egg after

After trying to lay for long enough to leave her exhausted and in physical distress. When a hen is egg bound you can feel the egg right inside of the vent as a large hard lump. Sometimes you can see part of the egg while she strains but between strains it tucks back inside. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes of active straining for the egg to pop out. If she alternates between sitting on the floor like that and perching normally and looking fine she's probably not egg bound. It's a very painful condition. A telltale sign is partial or complete lameness (not climbing, walking, or perching normally) because the retained egg puts pressure on the blood vessels and nerves in the lower pelvis. If she's laying eggs more frequently than every 36 hours watch out for egg binding because she may not have had enough time to recover between eggs. Egg laying process takes a lot of energy and can tire her out. Just because more than two days have passed between eggs doesn't mean she's egg bound. If in doubt pick her up and feel her vent area. If she's egg bound you will most certainly feel the egg right inside her vent. If she's eating, climbing walking and perching normally she probably isn't egg bound.

 

[buurd]

After trying to lay for long enough to leave her exhausted and in physical distress. When a hen is egg bound you can feel the egg right inside of the vent as a large hard lump. Sometimes you can see part of the egg while she strains but between strains it tucks back inside. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes of active straining for the egg to pop out. If she alternates between sitting on the floor like that and perching normally and looking fine she's probably not egg bound. It's a very painful condition. A telltale sign is partial or complete lameness (not climbing, walking, or perching normally) because the retained egg puts pressure on the blood vessels and nerves in the lower pelvis. If she's laying eggs more frequently than every 36 hours watch out for egg binding because she may not have had enough time to recover between eggs. Egg laying process takes a lot of energy and can tire her out. Just because more than two days have passed between eggs doesn't mean she's egg bound. If in doubt pick her up and feel her vent area. If she's egg bound you will most certainly feel the egg right inside her vent. If she's eating, climbing walking and perching normally she probably isn't egg bound.

Thanks. This morning she got up and ate some ( and hopefully the eggshells )and is back sitting on her eggs. She sat on her first egg last night for a few hours, before she just left it and went back to her perch. So I boiled and cooled off the 4 eggs (she rolled the first one out of the cage and it broke) and shes’s sitting on them, now. I’m confused about the advice ‘take them away’ vs ‘give them to her and maybe she will realize she doesn’t have to make 4 more new eggs.’ I think she finally realized I snatched her other eggs before, this last one, so she sat on it.

So if shes egg bound, she will make noise and flop around, trying to squeeze it out? Like I saw in the clips? Relieved she hasn’t done that. Just the alternating of laying on the ground with her posterior up and going back to sit on her perch. But she was breathing hard-ishwhile on the ground. Is that just like with pregnant women, where they can feel the contractions for hours up to the birth? Even when she’s passed her eggs, she doesn’t make a peep.

 

[Terry57]

Omg i just realized I’m posting in another thread than the one I made, lol But got good advice and supports, so thanksM

This thread is connected to your issue with Monica's mention of using oil, no worries

Thanks. This morning she got up and ate some ( and hopefully the eggshells )and is back sitting on her eggs. She sat on her first egg last night for a few hours, before she just left it and went back to her perch. So I boiled and cooled off the 4 eggs (she rolled the first one out of the cage and it broke) and shes’s sitting on them, now. I’m confused about the advice ‘take them away’ vs ‘give them to her and maybe she will realize she doesn’t have to make 4 more new eggs.’ I think she finally realized I snatched her other eggs before, this last one, so she sat on it.

So if shes egg bound, she will make noise and flop around, trying to squeeze it out? Like I saw in the clips? Relieved she hasn’t done that. Just the alternating of laying on the ground with her posterior up and going back to sit on her perch. But she was breathing hard-ishwhile on the ground. Is that just like with pregnant women, where they can feel the contractions for hours up to the birth? Even when she’s passed her eggs, she doesn’t make a peep.

Boiling them and giving them back to her is usually the best way to stop a stretch of egg laying, I'm glad she's sitting on them now.

My finches never did any flopping around when egg-bound. They sat on the bottom of the cage, breathing hard with their tail going up and down and didn't move from that spot until the egg was expelled.

 

[buurd]

This thread is connected to your issue with Monica's mention of using oil, no worries



Boiling them and giving them back to her is usually the best way to stop a stretch of egg laying, I'm glad she's sitting on them now.

My finches never did any flopping around when egg-bound. They sat on the bottom of the cage, breathing hard with their tail going up and down and didn't move from that spot until the egg was expelled.

Thanks. At what point did you know they were eggbound? When the tail went up and down? Or after a certain amount of time?

Shes back up on the perch, now. It looks like she held in her waste until she got off them, and expelled them under the perch.

 

[Terry57]

Thanks. At what point did you know they were eggbound? When the tail went up and down? Or after a certain amount of time?

Shes back up on the perch, now. It looks like she held in her waste until she got off them, and expelled them under the perch.

With my finches, it was the tail bobbing and breathing hard with their mouth open with no interest in eating or drinking. If they didn't try to get away from me when I reached into the cage was another sign.

If your girl is still moving around her cage and eating and drinking, that's completely different behaviour than with my finches when they were egg bound.

The only parrot I had who was egg bound was my pionus, Pisces. She was a prolific egg-layer and never had an issue with laying them, she laid every egg from her perch and they'd break when they hit the bottom. She also had no interest in sitting on them, we replaced with with dummy eggs and she ignored them.
She finally stopped laying for a couple of years, and then she got egg-bound. I could tell because she behaved differently She went to the bottom of her cage, and gasped with her tail moving like the finches did. Nothing I did was working and I called my vet who told me to bring her in. Sadly, she passed while we were on the way.

Her egg could be felt, like Donna had mentioned.