Novice Wants B/G

[getwozzy]

Wow! Congrats on your TWO new fids! so glad you're able to take in both! Can't wait to see pictures

 

[Gene]

I agree he needs a cage. I was searching Craigslist for one before I made the fellow the offer on the parrot in Punta Gorda. I'll try to post pix in a couple of days after I get him home and settled. Should I keep them in the same room or separate them? Concerned they may bond and leave me out in the cold. Does anyone know of a non toxic spray paint I can use to freshen up the cages?

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Keep them in separate rooms for at least a month+ as quarantine , you should take them to the vet for a new bird check up to make sure neither has disease. If your tight on money you can also do some testing through animal genetics(think that's the name lol) but it will still cost around $200 for both birds. The avian vet will be able to give you much more information, and do a overall check up(breathing, weight, check eyes and nares, and all sorts of stuff)

 

[Echo]

I agree he needs a cage. I was searching Craigslist for one before I made the fellow the offer on the parrot in Punta Gorda. I'll try to post pix in a couple of days after I get him home and settled. Should I keep them in the same room or separate them? Concerned they may bond and leave me out in the cold. Does anyone know of a non toxic spray paint I can use to freshen up the cages?

To my knowledge, there are no safe spray paint you can use. Did you see the beaks?? LOL. They'll chip that paint in no time and I'm pretty sure that it will be toxic. (I'm sure other members will know more about this).

When you buy a powder coated cage, the powder is heated up to extreme temp. to coat the metal.(you need to know where the cage comes from because the coating can also be removed by beaks and you need to make sure that the metal underneath is non toxic (zinc).

 

[Gene]

Picked up Rebeca (her new name) and got her home 9:20 PM. I set up her cage with water and food before I let out of the travel cage. She started eating and drinking after about 15 minutes and within an hour she was talking. "quack like a duck" "hello" "meow" and barked. I have no salt roasted peanuts I give as a treat and she took three of them from my fingers. I'm going to let her grow accustomed to her new surroundings for a few days before I let her out of her cage or try to handle her. Planning to take her to the vet late next week. Open to all suggestions.

 

[ShellyBorg]

Great start! Lots of time hanging out near their cages. lots of treats thru the bars. Do try to wash hands between the birds just in case of illness. Cant wait to here the up dates!

 

[MikeyTN]

Just like Shelly mention, wash your hands between the two birds. And keep them as far away from each other as possible for the time being until everything checks out at the vet clinic!

 

[Blancaej]

Congrats on your 2 new birds! Thank you for rescuing the b/g. It needed you! Good luck. Keep us posted and can't wait for pics!

 

[Gene]

New at this and I'm not sure I'm posting correctly but here goes. I took my 9 year old Rebeca "the rescue" to the Vet for a physical and grooming. Her blood work came back today. The vet said his only concern was her white cell count is slightly elevated. He suggested an antibiotic, amaoxicillin trihydrate, 1 ml orally twice a day with a dropper. Does anyone have a better idea than wrapping her in a towel and forcing her beak open? I don't want to treat her this way twice a day.

Rebeca's poor feather was about hiegene. The vet said they should bath every day and if they didn't co-operate I should drench them with a soft spray. I took them both in the yard and turned the hand sprayer upwards so the water fell like a soft shower and got the soaked. It was 91 degrees and sunny. After they dried in the sun she looked like a different bird. Her feathers are great with some over preening on the tail.

Sammy also had a physical and grooming. The vet didn't feel there was a need for blood work. He checked out fine. They are both getting along very well. Sammy the young male seems to be dominate but no fights. I'm hoping to get them to share the same cage so I can purchase a Harlequin Macaw I say advertised on Craigslist. Same story as Rebeca. Owners too busy. Bird needs grooming and personal attention. If this one works out it will be the last. I have the time but no more room.

 

[baron1282]

Gene

I don't know anything about Macaws, but I just wanted to say I read your story from start to finish! Thanks for taking in two parrots that need your love and support. I really hope the 9 year old is doing well now! Please post Pictures!! We are all waiting for them.

I only have a Conure, but I want a Macaw!

 

[MikeyTN]

There's members that soak their favorite food within the meds to give. But I like to give the dose on its own to be sure they get the full prescribed amount. If they are flavored it would be easier to get them to try it to see if they like it to feed while you have him on the play stand.

There's absolutely no guarantee that the two macaws would get along to put them in same cage. If you don't have any more room maybe you nees to consider that two is enough for the time being. It sounds like you've got your hands full right now dealing with new birds already then to add another one to the flock.

 

[Gene]

UPDATE AND A PROBLEM: The blood work for Rebeca the "rescue" showed elevated white cells and the vet put her on a 14 day antibiatic. I combine it with scrabbled egg or cooked sweet potato and she eats all of it. She is getting comfortable with me. She steps up to my arm and stays there while I walk around my 3 acre lawn deciding what projects I will do that day. She has allowed me to rub her neck and back and scratch her head but she will still test me. The last time I asked her to step to my arm she leaned over very slowly and took a small piece of my skin on my hand in her beak and steadly applied more and more pressure. I could feel it pinch but she didn't break the skin. I let her continue to see what she would do When she released it I gave her a stern look and asked what that was about. She raised her foot as if to asked to step up to my arm. I turned my back to her and walked away. Sammy the 2 1/2 yo male is getting very comfortable with me. He will set on my leg and get as close to my stomach as he can. His first owner said he liked hugs but I'm not ready for that yet. He also takes walks around the yard with me. He usualy holds on to my shirt with his beak to steady himself. When I work in the yard both of them spend that time with me perched on the back of lawn chairs in partial shade. I also have a perch and cage on the deck for them so they can be outside on days I'm not in the yard. The problem is Sammy began plucking the day after I brought him home. I noticed a very small area of white down when I visited him at his first home. The next evening when I got home it had grown to the size of a quarter. Now it measures about 2 inches across his chest and about and inch and 1/2 wide. I believe it is most likely stress due to leaving his family of 2 1/2 years. I have bought him toys and tried to keep him busy during the day especially when I can keep him in the yard. I know that has some effect because on those days when evening arrives both of them are much quieter than usual. I have been reading articles on the web about plucking. One of them mentioned not putting the cage in front of a window (which I have done) because they feel vonerable. That one suggested covering half the cage with a sheet to give them a place to retreat to. Another article said the use of melatonin was found to be helpful in calming the bird and stopping the plucking. Has anyone used this? I will check with the vet on Monday but if anyone has suggestions please let me know. He seems to be adjusting. An they are both talking a lot with new things I have not heard almost every day. The continued plucking is my only concern.

 

[MikeyTN]

Where is Sammy plucking at??? When I brought Lola home she plucked, Heather told me she plucked there and the first owner home as well. She got to the point her legs were naked and numerous other places. They're slowly growing back in now and she still minor plucks but not as bad as it once was. She's only been here for about 3 months now and doing pretty good. I would really advice you to stop acquiring any more macaws until you get the existing ones settled. Cause I missed it at first but saw you were thinking about getting a Harlequin. I would say to slow down a bit as your moving at a very fast pace for a novice!

 

[Gene]

Sammy is plucking mainly on his chest, a little around his legs and under his right wing. he doen't pay any attention to the toys I have bought him. I got new ones last nght and He was afraid of them. I had to take them out of the cage before he would settle down. I gave up the idea of the Harlequin for several reasons. While considering the Harlequin Sammy's plucking continued and it seemed to me Sammy is going to need a lot of attention and the 3rd bird would reduce the time I have to spend with him. The Harlequin had a sketchy history. He is supposedly a retired show bird from Cypress Gardens here in Florida which could make him very interesting but his age is unknow. Also the owner said he preferred women which I am not. Considering he is "retired" and on a seed only diet his vet expenses could be high. I have been a parrot owner for less than a month and I have already spent $500 at the vet for Sammy and Rebeca.

 

[Gene]

Final found a toy Sammy is interested in. Maybe this will help the plucking. Does anyone know if it is safe to give him melatonin to relief his stress?

 

[MikeyTN]

Your body generates melatonin, I wouldn't medicate my birds with stuffs like that even if it's natural. Have you tried giving him exposure to sun light? What diet is he on right now? Bathing?

 

[Gene]

He takes walks around the yard with me riding on my arm. He usualy holds on to my shirt with his beak to steady himself. When I work in the yard both of them spend that time with me perched on the back of lawn chairs in partial shade. I also have a perch and cage on the deck for them so they can be outside on days I'm not in the yard. I am trying to convert to pellets the vet recomended by Harrison's Bird Food. I grind it to a powder then get it slightly moist and combine it with their regular seed. They eat it willingly. They get small servings of scrambled egg, baked sweet potato and fruits daily. They both get a bath around 10:30 every other morning. I mist them with a garden hose while they sit in the sun. I have it attached to the faucet in the laundry room so I can take the chill of of it with some water mixed from the hot side of the tap. I'll be talking to the vet in the morning. I hope he has some ideas about preventing this plucking from becoming a habit. I've had them both out of their cages and on the perch stand in the family room most of the day. His plucking seems to have eased up today. When I see him doing it I say "stop that" and clap my hands. He quits the activity when I do that.

 

[Chesphoto]

he doen't pay any attention to the toys I have bought him. I got new ones last nght and He was afraid of them. I had to take them out of the cage before he would settle down.

Don't give up on the toys. It took Skittles two months to get use to one of those pedicure perches and three months to play with her wooden chew toys.

I was about to give up on toys too, but when she finally started becoming a beaver with wings, I knew there was hope. Last week I went to a bird expo and got her a swing. She liked that one right away. I will have to post some of the shots I took of her. She definitely seems to enjoy it and I think she is getting some exercise from all the balancing, climbing and hanging she does.

 

[Gene]

I read a post on this forum about rolling up newspaper and hanging it in the cage as a diversion/toy. I tried it this morning and Sammy took and interest in it right a way.

 

[ShellyBorg]

You can strip paper and weave it into the cage bars also.