This is to warn all rescuers and rehomers about the problems they can inherit by accepting cages, toys, and other bird periphenalia along with a rehomed or pet-shop-purchased bird. I've made this mistake with one happy hut that turned out to be carrying the red mite (aka blood mite), which was not detected until long afterwards when the lovebird it came with started to deteriorate. Even our avian vet missed the cause of his elevated while blood cell count and lethargy. Only after we actually found a few strays, did we trace the problem to his happy hut. a well-fed Red (Blood) Mite at … [Read more...]
Jul
14
Your Grey’s First Vet Appointment
Vets normally will want to see your new Grey within the first month (check with your vet's office for their advice on this, as many have differing views). Likely, they will advise bringing him in at about the one month mark, as this will give you a good idea of how well he's taking to this change in his life. You will then be able to answer the basic questions, such as: What is he eating? and how much? Does he appear to have a good appetite? (Is he picking at the food, or eating ravenously?) Is he sleeping well, or are there any issues you are concerned about? Is he active and playing … [Read more...]
May
14
AnAG Reading List
My favourite books include: For the Love of Greys (Bobbi Brinker) Guide to a Well-Behaved Parrot (Barron's) The Parrot Who Owns Me (Joanna Burger, Ornithologist) Sally Blanchard's Companion Parrot Handbook (aka The Happy Bappy Fun Book) Good Bird! (Barbara Heidenreich) the Parrot Problem Solver, Finding Solutions to Aggressive Behavior (Barbara Heidenreich) Conversations with Cosmo - At Home with an African Grey Parrot (Betty Jean Craige) These books will not only give you a lot of excellent information, but will also give you an idea about what living with a bird is like. … [Read more...]
May
12
Avoid Scammers
It is very important to avoid getting drawn into scams when you are planning to purchase a parrot. Scammers are sometimes hard to identify, but with the right information, they can be avoided, saving you from financial problems and personal disappointment. Here are some sites with Scammer incidents: http://blogg-erton.blogspot.com/ http://yaounde.usembassy.gov/scams_warning.html http://www.scamvictimsunited.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1551&view=previous http://www.helpmerick.com/fun_with_cameroon_pet_scams.htm How to Recognize Scammers Scammers usually use bad … [Read more...]
May
11
First Aid Kit
How to Prepare an Emergency First Aid Kit Always be prepared. That's a great motto for every pet and bird owner. You should always have a basic bird first aid kit on hand as well as a small carrier or cage for emergency situations. Whether you purchase a bird first aid kit that has already been assembled, or make one yourself, here are some items every first aid kit should include: Blunt ended Scissors -- These can also come in handy if your bird becomes entangled in a toy or other material. Styptic Powder, or other blood clotting agent - Use on bleeding nails or beaks in an … [Read more...]
Dec
19
Lost Bird – Recovery
Tips for Recovering Missing Birds by Jean Pattison (The African Queen) If you belong to a bird club, please ask your newsletter editor to publish this. If your club holds a bird fair, please distribute it. If you know of someone who has lost a bird, please send it along. If you have a personal web page, please put this up. If you are a breeder, please include this in your educational packet. Please forward this to other lists. If you know of lost/found web pages, please ask them to put this up. Birds can live for days-weeks months, and even years after an escape. Never give … [Read more...]
Aug
14
Understanding Your Parrots Droppings
There are three parts to your bird's droppings. Urates - white chalky material Urine- clear watery The above are two types of urine are sometimes mixed together and make it look like cloudy white urine. Important changes include color changes and amount. Feces The third part of the droppings is the feces. The feces is from the colon so would be made up of digested foods. This is the part of the droppings in which the colour may changed depending on the food eaten. For example red pellets and cranberries can result in a red coloured dropping. Please note that the colour … [Read more...]
Jul
18
Carpet Cleaning in a Home With Parrots
A friend of mine was a carpet cleaning professional some years ago, and his advice is to only use vinegar in the cleaning AND rinsing water. He praises its effectiveness, and warns that the detergents sold with steam cleaner rentals actually make the carpet "look" clean, but in fact cause them to become dirty very quickly as it acts as an adhesive for dirt and oil. The detergents behave more like soaps and tend to stick to the carpet fibres, and are extremely difficult-to-impossible to rinse out. Once dried, it also gives off detergent dust which can cause allergic reactions in some people, … [Read more...]
Apr
15
Why do WE Want Parrots?
WHAT'S THE POINT? By Patricia Sund Having a parrot in your life is a puzzling existence. I suppose you could agree with the idea that they provide companionship just as a dog or a cat does, but why in God's name a parrot? Where did we ever get the idea that having a parrot would be a life enriching experience? They're loud, messy, demanding, pushy, selfish, self-absorbed, and whiney. Amazing isn't it? We could have opted for the alpha-male position by having a dog. But Noooo! That would be too easy. We could have not bothered with any of it and found a cat in good need of a hearth and … [Read more...]
Feb
24
Beak Health & Appearance
Beak condition has many contributing factors: wood chewing helps to keep it worn down on the edges rubbing on perches can create scratches on the beak, depending on the what the perch is made from repeated rubbing on cage bars (when the bird desperately wants out) can cause worn spots/patches on the edges or 'crown' of the upper mandible unusual flaking (higher up the beak than is healthy) can be a symptom of vitamin/nutrient deficiency and can eventually expose the internal portions of the sinuses if not treated in a timely fashion the age of the bird affects the speed of regrowth, … [Read more...]
Jan
13
GREYS’ ANATOMY (internal structure in pictures)
This "article" is for the convenience of members. This will be a work in progress, and when any new or better images become available, this will be added to or updated. AVIAN SKELETAL STRUCTURE NECROPTIC ILLUSTRATION INTERNAL STRUCTURE (SIMPLIFIED) RESPIRATORY SYSTEM (SIMPLIFIED) DIGESTIVE SYSTEM (SIMPLIFIED) LEG/FOOT/CLAW STRUCTURE ACTUAL CONGO AFRICAN GREY SKELETON … [Read more...]
Jan
12
FIRSTS – Going to the Vet and Using a Carrier
Tips for taking a bird to the vet for the first time: get your bird used to the sight of the carrier start putting treats in front of the door of the carrier (keep the door open) then put treats inside the carrier near the door so the bird can still get the treats without going inside then put treats further inside the carrier so they have to reeeeeeaaaaach inside, maybe have to put a foot inside then put treats inside far enough back that the bird MUST step inside to reach them then put the treats all the way in the back so the bird must do inside, but DO NOT CLOSE THE DOOR … [Read more...]
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