Keep in mind that at his age, he is likely going thru puberty, which presents all sorts of abnormal stuff. It hits every individual parrot differently, some starting longer, or shorter, some harder some lighter etc etc.
Worried first time owner
- Thread starter ramarieat
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ramarieat
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Hi,
thanks for the info, Loki and me live in the UK we are registered with an avian vet they are an hour drive away from us but that's the nearest vets that had an avian specialist, the vets nearer us wouldn't even register us.
I think his age and going thru his first molt was why the vet said to wait till his molt was done to do the bloods and x-ray as this could be normal for him during one.
During the day he is bright and chatty, likes to fly around and climb on the tree i made him,likes to be sprayed with the water bottle, loves too chew wood and everything else,loves sitting on the window perch looking out and shouting at everyone and everything outside lol. His talking is coming on great he says" peekaboo,can I have kiss,kisses, thank you, I love you, hello and he makes kissy noises laughs and copies my phone alarm, i do training everyday with him and we've just started to add recall training its going well eerrrrmm well about 40% of the time he listen to the recall lol the rest of his training its going great.
His diet it's still a work in progress, when i got him he would only eat seeds and nothing else not even really fruit or veg but now he will actually take whole pellets out of the bowl ok most of them go on the floor i think he likes just breaking them into pieces then throwing them on the floor but he is eating some now so it's a step in the right direction and the vet said his weight was good and it would be a long process but we were going in the right direction. He now only has seeds during his training. Some mornings for breakfast he has porridge with chia seeds and walnut others he has fruit then lunch it's chopped steamed veg Which he eats more of than when it raw, it's not perfect but we'll get there no matter how long it takes, just wish i knew what was going on with him, if he's ok and this is normal for him then fine but if there is something wrong then knowing about it we can deal with it, that's what his insurance is for. It's the not knowing that's the hardest.
Sorry to ramble on , you get so attached to them so fast. some people don't understand how much they come to mean to you, for me he's my best friend my companion, I'm disabled and practically house bound some days worse than others so we are constantly together it's nice to have someone to talk to who talks back lol, the only time he's in his cage is when he's sleeping at night unless he takes himself in there to nap or play during the day. Sorry again for rambling.
Loki when i first got him
Loki now
thanks for the info, Loki and me live in the UK we are registered with an avian vet they are an hour drive away from us but that's the nearest vets that had an avian specialist, the vets nearer us wouldn't even register us.
I think his age and going thru his first molt was why the vet said to wait till his molt was done to do the bloods and x-ray as this could be normal for him during one.
During the day he is bright and chatty, likes to fly around and climb on the tree i made him,likes to be sprayed with the water bottle, loves too chew wood and everything else,loves sitting on the window perch looking out and shouting at everyone and everything outside lol. His talking is coming on great he says" peekaboo,can I have kiss,kisses, thank you, I love you, hello and he makes kissy noises laughs and copies my phone alarm, i do training everyday with him and we've just started to add recall training its going well eerrrrmm well about 40% of the time he listen to the recall lol the rest of his training its going great.
His diet it's still a work in progress, when i got him he would only eat seeds and nothing else not even really fruit or veg but now he will actually take whole pellets out of the bowl ok most of them go on the floor i think he likes just breaking them into pieces then throwing them on the floor but he is eating some now so it's a step in the right direction and the vet said his weight was good and it would be a long process but we were going in the right direction. He now only has seeds during his training. Some mornings for breakfast he has porridge with chia seeds and walnut others he has fruit then lunch it's chopped steamed veg Which he eats more of than when it raw, it's not perfect but we'll get there no matter how long it takes, just wish i knew what was going on with him, if he's ok and this is normal for him then fine but if there is something wrong then knowing about it we can deal with it, that's what his insurance is for. It's the not knowing that's the hardest.
Sorry to ramble on , you get so attached to them so fast. some people don't understand how much they come to mean to you, for me he's my best friend my companion, I'm disabled and practically house bound some days worse than others so we are constantly together it's nice to have someone to talk to who talks back lol, the only time he's in his cage is when he's sleeping at night unless he takes himself in there to nap or play during the day. Sorry again for rambling.
Loki when i first got him
Loki now
goalerjones
Well-known member
- Oct 24, 2011
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- Parrots
- Hahn's macaw, RIP George, Jenday Conure
My avian vet basically feels a healthy bird will always be experiencing molting year round of some sort. Feathers get worn out and need replacement, and a well-fed, happy fid will periodically grow out new feathers.
As for the poor color and ragged appearance upon his arrival to you, stress produces anxiety in prey animals as does boredom and a poor diet. lack of stimulation, toys, and a good diet doesn't allow a bird to flourish, and it reflects in dull coloration, poor energy levels, even in black or dark streaked lines in their feathers.
As for the seed diet, you might try milk thistle to help combat a fatty liver, which he may have as a result of the seeds. Speak to your avian vet about that. Regarding the pellets, you can try a smaller size version if he's having trouble with the larger size. Fresh foods are varied in our home, I'm typically on a three day cycle so she doesn't get bored. You can also make "birdie mash" ahead of time and freeze portions to make it easier to feed better on a daily basis.
Some schools of thought only offer one type of food at a time, such as pellets or fresh food, but only one at a time, suggesting perhaps fresh in the morning, then remove that and place pellets later in the day.
Bathing is a way to help your fid handle the itching and issues that come with molts. Mine lets me know about every 3 days that she's ready for a good bath by walking around the bowl I have for that purpose on the bathroom counter. I fill it, she bathes, then I take my shower after as she preens on the shower ledge.
Sleeping is a regular thing for them, and they can require up to 16 hours a day. Their greatest activity times in the wild are upon rising and towards the evening. He may vocalize then too, as their "flock call" would gather together the family so no one would get separated.
One thing I didn't see mentioned in earlier posts, perhaps I missed it, is the things you must avoid in your home when housing a parrot or companion bird. This is by no means a comprehensive list but it's a good start: No Teflon (pots, pans, irons, hairdryers, tortilla makers, waffle makers, etc.) , candles, furniture polish sprays, essential oils diffusers, bleach, insect sprays, no flypaper. All new materials such as carpets or furniture must be allowed to off-gas out of the breathing of the bird. No paints, and self-cleaning oven cycles. Ceiling fans can also be fatal to flying pets as well.
As for the poor color and ragged appearance upon his arrival to you, stress produces anxiety in prey animals as does boredom and a poor diet. lack of stimulation, toys, and a good diet doesn't allow a bird to flourish, and it reflects in dull coloration, poor energy levels, even in black or dark streaked lines in their feathers.
As for the seed diet, you might try milk thistle to help combat a fatty liver, which he may have as a result of the seeds. Speak to your avian vet about that. Regarding the pellets, you can try a smaller size version if he's having trouble with the larger size. Fresh foods are varied in our home, I'm typically on a three day cycle so she doesn't get bored. You can also make "birdie mash" ahead of time and freeze portions to make it easier to feed better on a daily basis.
Some schools of thought only offer one type of food at a time, such as pellets or fresh food, but only one at a time, suggesting perhaps fresh in the morning, then remove that and place pellets later in the day.
Bathing is a way to help your fid handle the itching and issues that come with molts. Mine lets me know about every 3 days that she's ready for a good bath by walking around the bowl I have for that purpose on the bathroom counter. I fill it, she bathes, then I take my shower after as she preens on the shower ledge.
Sleeping is a regular thing for them, and they can require up to 16 hours a day. Their greatest activity times in the wild are upon rising and towards the evening. He may vocalize then too, as their "flock call" would gather together the family so no one would get separated.
One thing I didn't see mentioned in earlier posts, perhaps I missed it, is the things you must avoid in your home when housing a parrot or companion bird. This is by no means a comprehensive list but it's a good start: No Teflon (pots, pans, irons, hairdryers, tortilla makers, waffle makers, etc.) , candles, furniture polish sprays, essential oils diffusers, bleach, insect sprays, no flypaper. All new materials such as carpets or furniture must be allowed to off-gas out of the breathing of the bird. No paints, and self-cleaning oven cycles. Ceiling fans can also be fatal to flying pets as well.
Last edited:
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ramarieat
Member
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- #25
Hi,
Loki is doing ok thanks, at the vets on Monday for bloods and possibly x-rays (if his chest is still crackly)the drooling is better and worse, he's doing it less but when he does it there seems to be more of it than before and sometimes his mouth looks wet inside even if he not drooling so no idea what's going on ,otherwise he's doing good, happy, talky, chirpy and zoomy.
Diet wise have tried smaller pellets he didn't seem to like them. the ones he's on are the only ones he's made any attempt to actually eat and even then that took starting with feeding him a mash made from the pellets mixed with coconut,walnuts and chia seeds ( also had access to whole pellets in a bowl)after about 8 months he started to take whole pellets out of the bowl but only to destroy and throw on the floor then he started to eat tiny Bits of them and now he eats small Bits of them lol he just seems to like destroying food ,you give him a skewer and he's in heaven lol takes him about ten minutes to totally destroy it not eat it. Give him a wooden lolly stick ( ones bought for chewing ) and two bites and it's in pieces so have started to get him natural bamboo wooden skewers and he loves them
he's my little wood chipper.
Environmentally I'm careful to keep all those things you mentioned out of his room , I tried to read up on things like that before i got him,having not a Bird before and them living so long i wanted as much info about him as possible before i even thought about getting him.
My whole life revoles around him and his schedule, truthfully somedays he's the only reason i can physically make it out of bed.
Anyway hopefully Monday will be start of getting answers and i guess we go from there,anything he needs to be happy and healthy.
I hope everyone else's birds are enjoying life and doing well..
Loki it's shouting "can i have a kiss" at me at the moment and flying onto my head as I'm not paying him enough attention so better go, Bye for now from both Loki and me xx
Loki is doing ok thanks, at the vets on Monday for bloods and possibly x-rays (if his chest is still crackly)the drooling is better and worse, he's doing it less but when he does it there seems to be more of it than before and sometimes his mouth looks wet inside even if he not drooling so no idea what's going on ,otherwise he's doing good, happy, talky, chirpy and zoomy.
Diet wise have tried smaller pellets he didn't seem to like them. the ones he's on are the only ones he's made any attempt to actually eat and even then that took starting with feeding him a mash made from the pellets mixed with coconut,walnuts and chia seeds ( also had access to whole pellets in a bowl)after about 8 months he started to take whole pellets out of the bowl but only to destroy and throw on the floor then he started to eat tiny Bits of them and now he eats small Bits of them lol he just seems to like destroying food ,you give him a skewer and he's in heaven lol takes him about ten minutes to totally destroy it not eat it. Give him a wooden lolly stick ( ones bought for chewing ) and two bites and it's in pieces so have started to get him natural bamboo wooden skewers and he loves them
he's my little wood chipper.Environmentally I'm careful to keep all those things you mentioned out of his room , I tried to read up on things like that before i got him,having not a Bird before and them living so long i wanted as much info about him as possible before i even thought about getting him.
My whole life revoles around him and his schedule, truthfully somedays he's the only reason i can physically make it out of bed.
Anyway hopefully Monday will be start of getting answers and i guess we go from there,anything he needs to be happy and healthy.
I hope everyone else's birds are enjoying life and doing well..
Loki it's shouting "can i have a kiss" at me at the moment and flying onto my head as I'm not paying him enough attention so better go, Bye for now from both Loki and me xx
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