Just clumsy or indication of Problems

[nquizitive]

Hi,

I am a keeper of a CAG and already love it. The birds name is Zeke and he has been with us only a month and a half. He came to us from an aviary where he was aggressive to the owner and pretty much left alone. Prior to that his home was a cage in a garage for 5 years. He was placed in the garage because he just didn't fit in with the owners hopes of what he would be. During his time in the garage he started plucking and now has downey feathers on his chest, tail feathers about 1/8 inches and one wing with no flight feathers and scuffs and rubs which are raw. He was eventually given to the owner of the aviary who could not come close to the cage wihout Zeke becoming aggressive. I visited the aviary a couple of times and Zeke didn't seem aggressive towards me so I brought him home. He went to the Vet for a check-up and all seemed well. He does not trust being held or handled much yet but is getting better. He mimics a lot of sounds and has a fairly good vocabulary. He eats a good mix of foods. There is one concern, he seems to fall from his perch sometimes. I have not seem it happen so don't know if he is moving around and slips or loses his balance or what. Could this be an indication of serious problems? It seems to happen maybe twice a week. Not while he sleeps I don't believe.

Anyone heard of similar and or know what the problem might be?

Thanks for your replies.

Dave

[birdgranna]

This could be an indication of calcium deficiency or chlamydia. Better have some blood work done. How very very kind of you to give him a safe and more sociable home. Poor little soul. Lucky he found you.

[jujubechan]

Dave, I am glad you helped this CAG and gave him another chance in life. Like birdgranna said do some blood work and try to find a good diet with calcium. Have you tried to get him out of the cage yet?

[judygram]

Hello Dave, glad you could give this grey a home and hopefully bring him back to full feather and health.

 

When you took him to a vet, was it an avian vet and did he do a complete workup on him? It doesn't sound like it and he needs that to determine why he is falling off his perches, he shouldn't be doing that.

 

Since has has come from an abusive home it will take some time to get him to trust you and form a bond so give it plenty of time, even a year or more if need be. He needs your love and understanding and with it I think he will flourish.

 

If you don't mind, please introduce yourself in the welcome room and tell us a little more about you.

[kiwibarb12]

Karma for taking this bird. sounds like Zeke is bonding well with you.

 

I have a TAG that came from a neglectful,not abusive home, and it has been a gradual process between the two of us to learn each other. I am proud to say I am scab free for two months now ie no serious bites for two months.

 

So , hang in there, and you will have a great friend!

[judygram]

Thanks Barbara for replying to this thread, you are proof that with a little hard work and patience you will be rewarded with the love of a good bird that once was neglected by it previous owners. Karma for you girl.

[danmcq]

Hi Dave,

 

You are a wonderful person for rescuing and taking on the responsibility of your Grey. I feel so saddened by your description of how he was maintained for 5 years...unbelievable!!

 

With no feathers for balancing and probably never fledged properly to gain balance and confidence, falls are somewhat common a grey.

 

I would make sure a complete blood work-up is done as others here already indicated, if the vet did not perform one when you took him in.

 

Once you get his plucking stopped and feathers fully in place, you should let him remain flighted at least long enough to gain confidence in flight and balance.

 

One other thought, are his claws possibly trimmed too short? That would cause him to lose his grip while perching or navigating about also.

 

Just make sure you keep some towels or other type of padding if possible on the cage bottom to cushion the falls so he won't split open his chest from a fall.

 

It's really good that he seemed to pick you and is less aggressive towards you than others. I am sure you are becoming his Hero, if not already.

 

Also, get some Aloe Juice from a Walmart, Walgreens or a Health and Vitamin shop. Place it in a spray bottle and mist him down with it full strength everyday if possible. It will keep his skin supple and help promote feather growth.

 

Keep us posted on your progress and any questions you may have. We have many experienced users here with decades of experience in rescuing Parrots and nursing them back to much loved companions for you to draw on there expertise.<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2007/10/20 17:34

[dblhelix]

Very good info here. Really check the nail length as if they are too short falls are inevitable since they cannot properly grip. In addition, what is the diameter and material of the perches? The perches should be natural wood with normal variation in thickness and grain to give them grip. Machined wood perfectly round and smooth is not really so good for them. Also, most greys should not have a perch larger than 1 inch in diameter and depending on the actual size of your grey you may want to go smaller or bigger...Good luck! Sounds like you are off to the right start and after you work out some of the challenges you likely wlll have a special friend for life! Don't expect change overnite, it will take patience and persistence but it sounds like you are up to the task!

[kiwibarb12]

one thing you might try are the cotton rope perches. My TAG loves them - once she got used to them! There are a couple of different diameters, and Beckette has both.