New To Bird Care, and Have lots of Questions!!!

[ShaneO]

 

This is Gracia, she is 17yrs old. I am her foster parent for the time being, her owner can't have her where he is staying so she is at my place of work. (I'm still working on my getting my wife to let me bring her home, we have 3 kids 6 and under). The previous "Forster parent", I call her C*$T. Due to the fact she put Garcia in the front room of her house and ignored her, only giving her food and water and not letting her out. Which is why she picked her feathers. She has been wearing the "Cone of Shame" now since September. We took it off for about 45min the other day and she went right back to plucking. There are 3 of us who work here and I'm the one who takes care of Garcia the majority of the time so naturally she gravitates to me (I love animals so that perfect with me). It took about a month for her to warm up to me, not trying to bite me every time i got near or tried to pick her up. She now lets me pick her up when ever she loves sitting on my shoulder and being rubbed on the back of the neck. Also when she was younger she fell and broke her wing which required surgery and pins so she can no longer fly:( She has such a great personality I just want her to be happy.

 

So now for some questions that i have all of which really could not be answered clearly by here dad, i hope you guys can help me out.

1. Will she ever grow her chest feathers back?

2. Will she ever stop Plucking?

3. She seems to hate the Parrot food she has, especially the pieces that look like dog food. What do you guys suggest besides the classic fruits and veg.

4. She is scared to death of just about anything large you walk in to the room with( any way to help?)

5. How do i make her more comfortable with being touched, she gets a little nervous when hands go behind her.

6. i have more but cant think of them right now as I'm at work....

[ShaneO]

Also i do know the cage is way to small.....

[Dave007]

 

This is Gracia, she is 17yrs old. I am her foster parent for the time being, her owner can't have her where he is staying so she is at my place of work. (I'm still working on my getting my wife to let me bring her home, we have 3 kids 6 and under). The previous "Forster parent", I call her C*$T. Due to the fact she put Garcia in the front room of her house and ignored her, only giving her food and water and not letting her out. Which is why she picked her feathers. She has been wearing the "Cone of Shame" now since September. We took it off for about 45min the other day and she went right back to plucking. There are 3 of us who work here and I'm the one who takes care of Garcia the majority of the time so naturally she gravitates to me (I love animals so that perfect with me). It took about a month for her to warm up to me, not trying to bite me every time i got near or tried to pick her up. She now lets me pick her up when ever she loves sitting on my shoulder and being rubbed on the back of the neck. Also when she was younger she fell and broke her wing which required surgery and pins so she can no longer fly:( She has such a great personality I just want her to be happy.

 

So now for some questions that i have all of which really could not be answered clearly by here dad, i hope you guys can help me out.

1. Will she ever grow her chest feathers back?

2. Will she ever stop Plucking?

3. She seems to hate the Parrot food she has, especially the pieces that look like dog food. What do you guys suggest besides the classic fruits and veg.

4. She is scared to death of just about anything large you walk in to the room with( any way to help?)

5. How do i make her more comfortable with being touched, she gets a little nervous when hands go behind her.

6. i have more but cant think of them right now as I'm at work....

 

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Well, you're right about the cage being too small. For some birds, that can cause plucking. Also, that elizabetan collar can cause irritation and possible plucking and also nasty biting. It can hamper a bird from eating properly. If you're the present foster parent and the bird has been moved around to different areas, that can cause nervousness and evntually plucking. If the bird is heading towards another new home, that can hamper the mental stability of the bird and plucking will occur. Permanent long term critical. It needs permancy. Greys are known to pluck from the most minor or major problems.

Food---she's eating veggies and fruits. That's the proper good diet which many people try to instill into their bird. You're luck there. By (dog food pieces, I assume you mean bird pellets) it doesn't matter because many pellets don't provide anything substantial so him not liking them is a good thing.

Feather plucking---- at 17 yr old, I doubt that the plucking will not totally stop because from your picture I can see that not only are feathers mssing but there's also follicles missing so those areas will probably stay bald. That also happens to many other seriuos pluckers.

 

''can't have her where he is staying so she is at my place of work. (I'm still working on my getting my wife to let me bring her home, we have 3 kids 6 and under). "" BAD IDEA. The bird needs to be home and your kids need to know that the bird has a medical problem.

 

First off, your bird needs a larger cage. THAT'S A MUST!!!!!! Those bars on the cage are made for mush tinier birds. Your bird needs more different sized perches that have different sized thicknesses. They need to be put in different areas in the cage.

 

Your bird MUST GET a vet check. Your bird needs to be misted with a product called aloe Vera juice but he needs a more important product used constantly.

 

 

Type in

 

AVITEC.COM

 

On the left, look for PLUCKING/SCREAMING---click on it

 

Third picture from left ( spray and jar in picture) click on it

 

there's 3 choices

1---premixed bottle

2--small jar, powder in it (8 oz)

3--large jar, powder in it (16 oz)

-------

Get either 8 oz or 16 oz jar with powder in it. Stay away from premixed bottle

 

1 rounded teaspoon powder to 8 oz room temp water in a sprayer. Heavily soak your bird down once a day. If any remains in the sprayer, use it on any other birds sitting around. Discard what remains at the end of the day.

Edited March 25, 2014 by Dave007

[SRSeedBurners]

I'm also wondering about getting the collar off and using something like a sock buddy? I would start plucking if I had to wear that collar 24/7.

[ShaneO]

What other option s do I have beside the collar.

[Dave007]

What other option s do I have beside the collar.

 

 

Sterling suggests a very good idea. Look at this link. It has pictures of the item. If they're hard to get in your area, you can order online or even make your own.

 

 

No matter what, that collar has to eventually be removed

 

 

http://blog.birdsupplies.com/feather-sweaters-for-feather-plucking-parrots

 

 

 

 

PS----If a vet put that collar on, he made a big mistake. It's a preventative item, not a cure.

 

 

If a criminal gets handcuffs put on and eventually removed from him, that won't deter his desire to be a criminal.

Edited March 25, 2014 by Dave007

[ShaneO]

"No matter what, that collar has to eventually be removed"

 

^^^This is what i wanted to hear i can tell she hates it. BUT and a BIG BUT how do i get it on her without her biting the Sh*t outta me?

[Dave007]

"No matter what, that collar has to eventually be removed"

 

^^^This is what i wanted to hear i can tell she hates it. BUT and a BIG BUT how do i get it on her without her biting the Sh*t outta me?

 

Well, it's not a pleasant experience especially fo you but you can ease that problem. You may get bitten but that's just reality.

First off, get another person to help you. Then get a towel and partially wrap him up. Start removing the collar easily but quickly. I can tell you that the bird is gonna squawk, growl or screech. You need totry and put that out of your heads. The bird isn't suffering as much as you think. It sounds like it. Another trick-- have your friend hold a simple wooden pencil near your bird's beak. When he tries to bite, substitute the pencil for the finger and let him bite into the wood. Better the pencil then your fonger/hand but yes, it's better to have 2 people do the whole process.

[JeffNOK]

Hi and welcome. I wanted to address two of your questions concerning fear when you enter the room carrying a large or unfamiliar object, and issues with being touched or being nervous when hands go behind her. Most greys tend to dislike foreign objects and the sudden appearance of something large and unfamiliar can be startling and scary. When I have to carry something new into the room I always tell Gracie (my CAG) that I am coming. I always give a sort of warning. I often say, "Don't be scared it's ok" before I enter--then she knows something new is coming through and that it isn't something to fear. I also recommend placing your body between the bird and the new object. As much as possible--hide the object behind you--away from the bird. That really helps. Never just enter the room holding the object out in front of you leading the way.

 

As far as comfort with touch and having hands behind her...This is more difficult. Not all greys want to be touched or handled much and we need to respect that. My grey is not cuddly and does not like to be scritched or touched a lot. That is just her preference and has nothing to do with the depth of our bond. Also, as prey animals approaching a grey from behind is scary. I doubt many greys are comfortable with hands going behind them. That is how a predator would approach--from above or behind. It is just instinct that they will be nervous about that. I always approach my grey face on and at eye level or below.

[Talon]

Bless you for caring enough to help her have a better life tan she has had. It will take lots of time and patience, but if you are committed, you can do it. She needs a calm stable envirement. Doesnt sound lie she has that just yet seeing as oter workers come and go. May I suggest a toy or two for her to play with, it may distract her from plucking a bit but you have to introduce them slowly and carefully. She could freak outif you don't do it slowly at her own pace.

 

The others have given you great advice about plucking. Please keep us updated. And welcome to our family!

[murfchck]

Welcome! So others have addressed your questions and i will say i agree with them all. First get the collar off, you mentioned you had it off before but put it back on after 45 minutes because she started plucking again, she was just scratching places she hasn't been able to in a while, lol. I have a plucked grey and we have stopped stressing over it. One day when we look, she is bald, the next week we will notice about 6 new feathers then the next week they are gone. This is pretty commen for greys but the more we stress and show them this the more they pick up from us and they start to stress. Get a bigger cage and have it set up at your home! Your little girl needs to be a part of your family and treated as such. Best of luck, with time you both will come through with flying colors!

[Talon]

I just noticed she appears to be in front of an air conditioner...if so and it is being used. Please move her immediately. The draft is very bad for her especially if she is stressed as she appears to be.

[ShaneO]

I just noticed she appears to be in front of an air conditioner...if so and it is being used. Please move her immediately. The draft is very bad for her especially if she is stressed as she appears to be.

 

Thank you for the advice. Its not being used yet but I live in Texas so it will be on very soon. I am going to be moving her first thing. Thank you

[SRSeedBurners]

Tx? Where? I'm in Allen, just north of Dallas.

[Greywings]

When you move her into your home find a place she can see the family activities but help her feel safe by either covering a corner of the cage or placing her in a corner of the room. Speak to your kids about sudden loud noises scaring an already frightened bird you may even want to put a barrier to keep the kids back from the cage to start with, a folding puppy pen works great. A vet visit to make sure she is not suffering from a bacterial, fungal or yeast growth on her skin might be smart as well.

Kuddos to you for taking on this challenge and giving Garcia a chance at a safe and more comfortable life. You will find several threads on here about feeding healthy foods for your new friend, toy making ideas and ways to help her feel safe. Reading Gilbert's story will give you a great deal of insight into how to approach a Grey with so much emotional baggage. We are all willing to help when you have questions.

Another Texan here-outside Houston.

[murfchck]

And another one here! DFW mid city area.

[ShaneO]

I live in Austin

[judygram]

Hello Shane and welcome to our family.

The others have already given you some excellent advice and I know she will be so glad to have that collar removed.

[ShaneO]

Hello Shane and welcome to our family.

The others have already given you some excellent advice and I know she will be so glad to have that collar removed.

 

Thank you and I'm glad i found a place where my questions get answers so quickly.

[katana600]

Welcome to the forum to you and Garcia. When you commit to this girl, it is not only giving her the chance she deserves, but your kindness, patience and the work of building her trust will reward you for decades to come. Our Miss Gilbert took a while to believe in us and to open her heart but it has been worth every minute. My thought on trying the sock buddy is perhaps to combine it with a vet visit. Their staff is well experienced in handling techniques and watching them will give you confidence when the time comes to do it yourself. It speaks very highly of you that she has chosen you and allows you to pick her up. I am not well experienced in handling a dedicated plucker, but you will get to know her and hopefully you can help her be happy even if she is a nudie.

[ShaneO]

So i smashed my finger Saturday. Came back from the hospital with 4 stitches to hold my fingernail back on and this.....

 

Needless to say Garcia acts like there is an alien on my hand now, LOL.

 

Other than that just got in the FEATHER-IN that DAVE recommended, so ill start using that today. Thanks Again for all the help guys!!!!!!

[judygram]

Sorry about your finger but yes they notice everything, like I cannot put on nail polish other than a clear coat because my grey will freak out when she sees it, just keep it away from her if possible and she will be less afraid of it as time goes by. She does look good sitting there on your shoulder even if she is plucked with a collar on.

[ShaneO]

Sorry about your finger but yes they notice everything, like I cannot put on nail polish other than a clear coat because my grey will freak out when she sees it, just keep it away from her if possible and she will be less afraid of it as time goes by. She does look good sitting there on your shoulder even if she is plucked with a collar on.

 

 

That is by far her favorite place to be. I found out she didn't like the bandage when i went to pick her up and she ran off scared clucking like a chicken. Lol

[Brat Birds]

Nice Owwie! Watch it when Garcia gets use to it he will try to chew it off. Hope you heal fast.

[Inara]

yeeeouch! You and Garcia make quite the pair, with your appliances. Hope you heal fast and that Garcia responds well to the Feather-In.