Identifying Your Bird if the unthinkable happens

[Talon]

Most of you know that I have passionately been searching for a found cag's home. Many thoughts have come to mind as I see how hard it can be to identify your bird to another person as confirmation is required and it should be.

 

1. It is so important to have your band info on file at home if your bird still wears it's band.

 

2. Micro chipping is the best in my opinion.

 

3. Never giving up!

 

4. Thinking your bird that has been missing for any length of time will not be traumatized and will welcome you is not always going to be the case.

 

5. Thinking that your bird will answer by name when another has found them isn't always the case either. After all it's NOT your voice that is saying their name. As we all know, greys are cautious and nervous around new faces.

 

Please feel free to add to my thoughts. I had my bands removed for. Safety reason in their cages when I am not home.

 

I am now wondering if perhaps I should micro chip my birds. They are all free flighted and outnmost of the day when I am at home. Is it safe? Are their any long term effects as it is a foreign object in their body. I know the chances they are caught are slim, but if their is the slightest chance they are found, I have a Hugh chance of finding out and proving it is my bird.

 

I would love to hear from others on this subject I am considering......

[Eshana]

I'm curious if people who find lost birds think to check for microchips. Do you think a shelter would check for one if brought there?

[Talon]

Wonder that too.....do they even know it's possible for a. Is to be micro chipped? Some I believe may not.

[Butttaxi]

I don't know if it is possible to get micro chipped here. When we lost Rorschach in the fall the guy who found him said he wasn't going to give the bird back unless we knew what was on the band. I have a feeling the man tried to remove the band which is why he had received such a nasty bite with Rorschach. The man didn't give us any problems and when I put my hand in the cage he was placed in Rorschach was kicking his foot to step up before I got my hand all the way in so the guy could clearly see this bird trusted me.

 

Besides the band, Rorschach also has the spin issue which we can clearly identify due to the big lump in his back.

 

Talon, I am very interested in free flight but I do not want to chance it. Could you let me know how you went about free flying your birds?

[Talon]

Oh, sorry, When I said free-flighted, I meant ONLY in my home. My birds fly wherever they want INSIDE my home. I WOULD NEVER EVER try such a thing outside. I have read too many stories of a bird getting spooked and lost....

[Butttaxi]

oh ok, Rorschach flies all over the place here too, I will run around and get him to follow me but I want to get him outside. I just got the Avatar harness and we are working on trying to get him to like it. He was ok with getting it on a few times but not fully and I didn't want to push him to much but the last time he let me put it on and then he lost his mind when I was done and flopped over. It scared me because he was tied in this thing, freaking out and I had to get it off as quick as possible. Luckily he sat nice when I was taking it off but was mad at me for the rest of the day.

 

I was online and there are people who charge $5000 to train your bird free flight, I don't have 5 grand and from what I can tell they are self proclaimed professionals.

[Talon]

I know of very few maybe one or two that have had any success with this. I would never risk my bird's safety in this manner. Too many things could go wrong. no matter what anyone tells you, or how well bonded you are with your bird...you cna NEVER TRUST that they will come to you when called, or stay with you when their natural instinct to flee when they get startled.

[Luvparrots]

I have micro-chipped Ana Grey because I believe it is the best way to prove that she is mine. Veterinarians in the USA will read a parrot/animal free of charge for a micro-chip if asked. Ana Grey is a very small TAG and although she is almost 3 years old only weighs in at 303 grams. She is not underweight for her size and she is very active and is free-flighted throughout my whole home. She follows me around all day long as I am retired. She also sits by the outside doors if I go outside just waiting to "escape" she wants to fly free outside so very much and it is one fear I have every day that she will get her wish and not know how to come home once her hunger for flight is gone and her empty stomach takes charge. Ana Grey has never even acted like the chip bothers her, there has never been any reaction whatsoever. It cost me $65 for the chip and she is registered. Of course, the bird also has to be healthy to be micro-chipped. Just like my dog is micro-chipped and if lost the vet will be called and can contact me, so will my avian vet be called if Ana Grey is found and taken to a vet to be checked for a micro-chip. The key is that your bird will need to be found by an honest person who knows that our parrots are like our children and very loved and should be returned to their parronts. Louie is not micro-chipped as he flies like a lead-balloon and his flights are always very short. If I had a fear that he would fly off like I do with Ana Grey, I would not hesitate to chip him immediately.

[Talon]

Luvparrots, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Does she have what's called an avian chip? Not sure what that is, but I know of another bird that has that.

[Eshana]

My issue isn't with the microchip, it's with people taking the bird to get microchipped. I wish there was a tag or something that the bird could wear to let people know to check for one.

[Luvparrots]

I don't know what an avian chip is. The chip was implanted by an avian vet who also checked Ana Grey over to see that she was healthy and the proper weight so I am quite confident with the device.

[Zoom]

I don't know about the bird microchips, but there is definitely some controversy over the safety of microchips in dogs. Some people (and some researchers) believe it causes tumors at the placement site. Not immediately, but over a long period of time. My dog was microchipped at the age of one. Approximately 12 years later, he developed a tumor at the site. It grew on the back of his neck, outside his body, and got infected and bled a lot. He had it for the rest of his life, and it was a problem. The tumor might not be related to the microchip, but I'd be concerned about this technology, particularly in a bird, since they have such long life expectancies.

 

Incidentally, my dog got lost only once, at about the age of eleven, while he was being looked after by a friend. The Humane Society picked him up and scanned him for a microchip and did not find it. They said this sometimes happens over time. The chip either "disappears" or simply stops working. Again, given the lifespan of a parrot, you'd want something that's going to work effectively and safely for many decades. I'm not convinced microchips are there yet.

[Melinda]

I had considered the micro chip but was told they only last up to 20 yrs. I don't know how I feel about chipping them repeatedly every 20 yrs. Ouchy.

[xSarahx]

I dont know if they chip birds over here but both my dogs and cat are chipped,but there is also a big thing going on here at the moment aswell as noone has to check a lost animal for this,and 99% of the time they are not , you get the usuall month to find your dog then it is either re-homed or put down , so most people now think whats the point?..i think this about Archie as more than likely he would be found and sold on and i would never find him

[Luvparrots]

All my pets are micro-chipped and all are healthy. I have had my dog returned because she is micro-chipped and the finder took her to a vet for checking. I would do anything to get my pets home safely and having them micro-chipped gives me comfort to know I have done all I can to be able to identify my greys/zon/dog from any other like animal (all CAGs and TAGs look alike). Vets will check for a micro-chip free of charge.

[Life is Greyt]

Chickie will definitely be microchipped soon, just like all our other animals are.

[Talon]

I would like to revive this conversation.

 

I am having thoughts about micro chipping once again. If the unthinkable happens, I live in a state that is cold 6 months out of the year, would they die from the cold? I imagine they would...,would all the hawks we have here flying daily overhead get them, yes they would....BUT what IF someone found them, how would I prove they belong to me without a micro chip?

 

Any thoughts on this subject?

 

And would it be worth the pain it causes to have them micro chipped since it seems it's such a small chance they would survive and someone find them?

[Wingy]

I had Jake chipped. I did it for two reasons. The first reason is obvious, to have him returned home if he is ever lost or stolen but the second reason was to establish his identity, age and citizenship. There is no telling what future laws may be regarding our greys but they are an endangered species and face ever changing rules. The chip is tied not only to Jake and I but also to the vet and all his paperwork which includes the shop he came from and all the information required by this state.

[Luvparrots]

I think everyone knows how I feel about micro-chipping. All of my pets are chipped but my canary, for obvious reasons, he is just too small and is not tame like my parrots. Besides Cappy, the canary would survive outside no problem. I know, that if I lost one of my parrots and someone found him/her that I can easily identify my companions. As for pain or discomfort, I also had all my children given their shots for polio and whatever, and it did hurt, but they survived the shots and were/are safe from childhood diseases as are their children. Micro-chipping is a personal choice that we must decide on ourselves.

[danmcq]

Thanks for reviving this Penny. Due to experiences of other grey owners losing their greys or other birds and then being asked to prove it is indeed their bird. I am now rethinking this and contacting our avian vet about having it done. A chip is undeniable positive proof of ownership.

[Ray P]

Wingy you brought up some good points about identity and citizenship to add the importance of chipping.

[katana600]

I am still on the fence about this one. It could potentially be a link to find an owner if a conscientious person found our grey and took him to a vet and asked for a microchip check. It's a peace of mind issue for each of us. We have to rely on the technology that is only as good as the company who manages the data. We have friends with a beloved cat they microchipped and when he went missing she tried to check the database and discovered they had gone out of business so even if someone found him and checked the chip, they would still not be able to find her. They were not reunited. We also have had three African greys, have been to at least four avian vets and not one of them has ever (to my knowledge) checked for a microchip. While its possible they took them into another room and scanned, I am the one standing there to pay the substantial vet bill. Its the devil's advocate in me asking if it is a false sense of security. Glad this thread was refreshed because now I want more, I want more. I want to read more and see if there are any reports that show the number of chips installed, number of happy reunions and numbers and statistics. Having said that, whether it was one in a million, and I was that one that brought home Gilbert and chased away my tears, it would be worth it. That is why I bought one PowerBall ticket last night. Now... you also have me thinking that on Gilbert's next vet visit, I am going to ask for a microchip scan because what if... what if his sketchy story and unknown origins include his beloved Jim and they were separated not by choice? What if he was microchipped and even if he was voluntarily surrendered, what if I could get some information that would assist us in understanding Gilbert better?

[Wingy]

I am still on the fence about this one. It could potentially be a link to find an owner if a conscientious person found our grey and took him to a vet and asked for a microchip check. It's a peace of mind issue for each of us. We have to rely on the technology that is only as good as the company who manages the data. We have friends with a beloved cat they microchipped and when he went missing she tried to check the database and discovered they had gone out of business so even if someone found him and checked the chip, they would still not be able to find her. They were not reunited. We also have had three African greys, have been to at least four avian vets and not one of them has ever (to my knowledge) checked for a microchip. While its possible they took them into another room and scanned, I am the one standing there to pay the substantial vet bill. Its the devil's advocate in me asking if it is a false sense of security. Glad this thread was refreshed because now I want more, I want more. I want to read more and see if there are any reports that show the number of chips installed, number of happy reunions and numbers and statistics. Having said that, whether it was one in a million, and I was that one that brought home Gilbert and chased away my tears, it would be worth it. That is why I bought one PowerBall ticket last night. Now... you also have me thinking that on Gilbert's next vet visit, I am going to ask for a microchip scan because what if... what if his sketchy story and unknown origins include his beloved Jim and they were separated not by choice? What if he was microchipped and even if he was voluntarily surrendered, what if I could get some information that would assist us in understanding Gilbert better?

 

I do not know if it is routine but at the beginning of our first vet visit Jake was scanned to check for a chip. Excellent point about the database company and I hope now that there is something in place for another to take over database maintenance considering how many people are having their companions chipped. That is something I have to ask the vet about. I do know that all the animal shelters are suppose to have a reader and scan every animal that is brought in but I do not know if rescues, especially the smaller or specialty ones, do it as a matter of routine.

 

I do think that at some point chipping will be required and eventually replace bands all together.

[Luvparrots]

My vets both avian and four-legged kind check for micro-chips. It is a very simple and easy process. When I first took each of my parrots to the vet, I was asked about their origin. My parrots are micro-chipped and also registered with HomeAgain and if one is lost, there is a network to help get my pet back. HomeAgain also e-mails me about any lost pet registered with them that is lost in my area. I also watch the Lost and Found section in my daily newspaper to check for lost pets. This is my fear that one of my parrots will go on an adventure without me but in my heart I now know that I have done everything I can to get a companion back.