Please read, many birds dead at rehab

[WakaWaka]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

Steven,

Very well versed. Thank you!

We've been following and just absorbing what we believe to be the facts so far. Arika has the Zupreem Fruit Blend but it was purchased long before she even came home in Sept 2017. The batch codes were checked and they are not close to the ones listed. We donated one of her large bags of pellets to a local rescue over a month ago, and it was consumed with no issues. Arika is doing just fine.
We are taking the precaution of postponing the purchase of any new food, regardless of the manufacturer, until solid information from lab tests are available.Arika has plenty of fresh veggies, chop, nuts, fruits, and pellets available to sustain her for many more months.

Our hearts and prayers go out to all those that have lost family members to whatever is causing the deaths and are hoping to hear concrete information from the lab tests soon.

Thanks
Kelly, Karl, and Arika

 

[Kentuckienne]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

Not trying to fan the flames, here. But I do want to post some of the more reliable-seeming updates from the rescue's page. It's not like with humans, where the CDC would be involved and collecting data from all over. All we have is the grapevine, of parrot owners talking to other parrot owners. These people could be wrong, some could be making things up for attention, other stuff could be happening... but right now we don't know anything. Maybe just be aware that something might be going on, and take extra precautions to keep your fids safe.

=========

"Caro Ri Keeping everyone updated. Reports of same symptoms and deaths have come in from these states: MI, OR, CA, FL, KY, TN, and NV. Please let me know of any errors or other states."
==============

 

[reeb]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

New update, everyone - as well one of the most hearbreaking videos that I have ever seen.

1/7/18 8:10PM
My objective the past 24-36 hours is is to basically sanitize every inch of the first floor of our home. The goal is to make sure that not even one little safflower seed is missed, not a single pellet stuck where it was flung. This has been challenging, but I have the help of hubby, and my boys. It’s stating to look like our home again, but is oddly, irrevocably and strangely different. We still have 17 birds. But it’s so quiet.

We’ve completed the kitchen/mud room, dining room, foyer, first floor bath and are finishing up the living room now, and then the dreaded room. The aviary. Right now we’re just steaming and cleaning and on a hunt for any errant food. I’m a stress cleaner, so I have confidence we won’t be able to find a speck of dust inside the next 5 or so days.

Husband is going to first shift for a month or two and that’s going to be a ginormous help to me as we’re working through the grief of all of this.

This will probably not be the last update for the night. I’m told there is something very special I will get to share with you all later. It’s not results, but...it’s something to remember what this is all about.

❤

**********
Update, Sunday 1/7/18 10:20PM

Our good friend, Dawn Graham from Birdie Box Toys has been a giant supporter of this rescue. Tonight, she made this for us. I am so very grateful. This. This is why this post was made. So you all never have to feel the anguish I feel in my soul. Remember them. They were loved. So very loved. And they shall forever be.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xDDQAyqfQs&feature=youtu.be"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xDDQAyqfQs&feature=youtu.be[/ame]

 

[LauraC]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

The video was so powerful and sad. I can’t imagine how the Rescue is feeling. I hope they get to the bottom of what caused this tragic loss of life.

 

[Kentuckienne]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

I also can't even imagine what they are going through. I was overwhelmed losing our one baby. What must it be like to lose 11, all at once? To walk into a room full of dead and dying feather babies? And they manager to carry on, keep us updated, and share information without blaming and pointing fingers. You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din.

 

[Kyoto]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

I am so glad I stopped feeding Zupreem and switched to Roudybush. I am following hoping for more answers.

 

[bug_n_flock]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

+Kyoto

When I first got Alex he was on roudybush(weaned to it) but I quickly switched him off it when someone I respect quite a lot in the avian hobby told me that there had been significant issues with quality control on that product and metal bits had been found in their pellets. Just an FYI.

EDIT: Person was one of my first mentors in the hobby; she owned the local parrot shop and I trained under her for three years. She carried all kinds of parrot products, but refused to stock Roudybush due to the quality control issues. Before you assume that "parrot shop" = "pet shop", it does not. This woman is extremely well respected for her knowledge and her service to the hobby over the decades. She has done political action to protect our birds, has contributed much to research, etc etc etc. Retired now, and the shop closed about a year or two ago now.

 

[dhraiden]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

Bought Kaytee's Fiesta "big bites" blend for parrots/conures. Ingredients seem more wholesome vs. Zupreem but I'm just a layperson with no real way of verifying integrity except through observation and experience (or I started eating parrot food myself..):

Note when you see chemical compounds there it's usually because minute amounts of act usefully for preservation or freshness; for example, 'copper sulfate' is a both a fungicide and herbicide.

If you really want to raise your blood pressure, give this a read:

Toxins - Avian Medicine
by Genevieve Dumonceaux (AAV, Dipl ACZM, Dipl ECZM, DVM, USDA Accredited), now doctor of Animal Health at the Palm Beach Zoo. (can you tell how much I like verifiable, scientific sources?)

which itself is Chapter 5 of Avian Medicine: Principles and Application, an authority on the matter.

My local store (Pet Supplies Plus) has a good range of choices including store bulk blends. I did tell them about the issue; fortunately being the middle of winter they've no birds (but finches and parakeets who aren't fed any of those brands) at the moment.

My better half has blended a bit of the old stuff (which itself is a blend of mostly Goldenfeast either South or Central American preservation with Zupreem fruit pellets) with the new Kaytee mix. The old stuff is stored in a GF container neither near heat nor direct light. Once it's used up, pending any further clarifications here (or from the original FB post) we'll probably completely migrate to Kaytee with some Harrison's adult lifetime mash as a supplement for nutrition.

 

[Kyoto]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

+Kyoto

When I first got Alex he was on roudybush(weaned to it) but I quickly switched him off it when someone I respect quite a lot in the avian hobby told me that there had been significant issues with quality control on that product and metal bits had been found in their pellets. Just an FYI.

EDIT: Person was one of my first mentors in the hobby; she owned the local parrot shop and I trained under her for three years. She carried all kinds of parrot products, but refused to stock Roudybush due to the quality control issues. Before you assume that "parrot shop" = "pet shop", it does not. This woman is extremely well respected for her knowledge and her service to the hobby over the decades. She has done political action to protect our birds, has contributed much to research, etc etc etc. Retired now, and the shop closed about a year or two ago now.

i did an internet search and couldn't find any recalls
Or anything.
I'd be interested if anyone else here can confirm this? It's the first I've heard. And I'm talking about the quality issues with Roudybush mentioned in the quote.

 

[dhraiden]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

i did an internet search and couldn't find any recalls re: quality issues with Roudybush mentioned in the quote.

"Search Recalls for All Agencies" <-gov't site for consumer products, FDA, and USDA. The latter two database search functions don't work. Not surprised given our current administration's love for regulations.

Searching there for 'roudybush' turned up nothing, either.

PetSmart's list of recalls doesn't have it.

Ironically, searching for that brand turned up this recall notice from PetSmart...for Zupreem (elevated levels of calcium making animals ill).

It's always best to go direct to the source -- contact Roudybush directly, and ask them.

 

[bug_n_flock]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

Yeah I don't know. I never looked into it myself, honestly. I just trusted her word. Though I will say that not every incident results in a recall. Some companies are more ethical than others when it comes to such matters.

If I am wrong so be it, but I personally do not feed those pellets anymore.

 

[syakti]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

Is there any updates here?


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[texsize]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

I thought we were going to get some answers on Tuesday.
Has there been any news posted on Facebook?

 

[Billdore]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

That PetSmart recall is from 2013

 

[texsize]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

That PetSmart recall is from 2013

So because there was a food recall in 2013 every one has stopped looking in to the 11 birds that died Jan 1st. 2018?

I don't get it.

 

[Scott]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

I don't believe anyone has forgotten this horrific tragedy. Mass die-offs strike fear and panic in the hearts of all connected by a common love for our feathered children. There now appears to be a gap between event and test disclosure.

Unfortunately the investigation does not appear to be governed by a unified agency. Each manufacturer and the University of Michigan are testing by their own protocols, doubtful standardized. When the results trickle in they will be interpreted by many, and in some cases, with bias. If this were a human event, the odds of a thorough and competent analysis would be high. My hunch is months from now, we may be wishing for a more rigorous investigation. Just my opinion...

 

[Terry57]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

Here are the latest official updates from 2 of the companies:

https://www.facebook.com/LafeberCompanyNutriBerries/

Update 1/8/18: We just received the second-round of test results from the independent lab for the Tropical Nutri-Berries (expiration date: best before 12/22/18B). They reported that the food is safe and matches our high-quality standards. Thank you for your patience and for contacting us. We are deeply touched and moved by the great concern that everyone in the bird community has shown for our beloved feathered family members.

https://www.facebook.com/HigginsPremium/


Thank you all for your patience during this time. The health and safety of your pets has and will always be our top concern. We wanted to update everyone on the Birds and Beaks Rescue & Rehab situation. We are awaiting testing results both from the rescue's fed samples (submitted by them to MSU) and our own independent lab results for samples of the subject product batch and the current production. The rescue's results are expected sometime this week while ours are expected by Friday or Monday. We will update this page once we've reviewed each of the results and discussed the findings with Shannon of the rescue.

There has also been some confusion as to which of our products was mentioned as being of concern to the Birds and Beaks Rescue & Rehab. The Higgins product mentioned was Vita Seed Parrot with a best use date of 04/05/19. No other Higgins foods were fed by the rescue the evening of the event.

We have been working closely with Shannon since it was reported to us. So many times this situations breed adversarial relationships between those invloved. This has never been the case with us. Shannon has demonstrated nothing but her unselfish love and well being for all birds, a common goal we both share. We look forward to continuing this relationship into the future, regardless of the results.

 

[Billdore]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

Glad to hear the nitro berries are all cleared Timneh has been missing her treat. Thank you for keeping us up to date guys.

 

[syakti]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

Nutri berries


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[texsize]

Re: Please read, many birds dead at rehab, food to blame?

LOL.

I wondered why I had not heard about Nitro Berries.
Maybe loaded with caffeine to really rev up your bird.
Just what every Parrant needs.