Kiki St. H. asks about Millicinth macaw care,

Hi!

We adopted a Millicinth macaw, Tupi, about a year ago following her owner’s death. She was previously used as a show bird doing tricks and greeting crowds. To keep her working she was kept hungry, fed dog biscuits every other day along with vitamin supplementation, and then clicker-trained using sunflower seeds. She was transported in a small metal box and housed without proper light or perching in a cage too small to turn around.

Her vet visit when she first came to live with us revealed she had at some point broken both a wing and a leg on her left side which had not been treated and so healed wrong, and her right leg is developing arthritis as she uses it to compensate.

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Barbara K. has a biting lovebird,

Hi- I bought a hand-fed female lovebird from a respectable breeder. She was hatched in January 2021. She still bites my fingers very hard. She lands on my head, shoulders, lap but doesn’t want my hand near her. I have her in the main living area with 2 cockatoos and a macaw. She enjoys visiting my cockatiel, but when she lands on the big parrots’ cages I say no!

I walk there quickly and hope she will fly off the cage.

If she doesn’t fly I catch her in my hands.

So I think that could be why she’s afraid of my hands.

Is it better to keep her in the same room as my other birds, which include finches besides the parrots and cockatiel?

Or in my bedroom where I wouldn’t have the worry of the big bird cages, but I’m not in there as much as the living area.

It could be temporary, while I work on her learning to come onto my hand?

Or is it true female lovebirds are more biting no matter where they are, compared to males?

Thanks much. 

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Nancy M. is concerned about her young budgie,

Hello, a few months ago you helped me with a question about my parakeet with a feather cyst.

I now have another young parakeet since August who is unable to fly and seldom chirps or makes a sound. It appears to be a male. 

He can fly from the cage to the floor but is unable to obtain enough height to fly more than a few inches above the floor. His flight feathers have not grown.

He spends most of the day sitting on a lower shelf on the cart we keep the cage on.

He is able to climb very well and seems to be content and does engage with our other male parakeet while in and out of the cage.

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Louisa B. is concerned with air fryer toxicity,

I have been looking for an air fryer and all say nonstick, but no details. Are you aware of any that do not use Teflon? Many thanks. I have two birds.

Dear Louisa

It isn’t just air fryers, it is toaster ovens, fry pans, cookware, etc that state non-stick, but not all have surfaces that are toxic. In fact, they are getting a lot better at producing products that are safe for our pets and us.

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Betty M. wants to learn more about pet bird nail trimming.

I don’t know how much I should trim my AG’s nails. They are all black. I trimmed one nail too much, and it took a long time to clot.

I used the clotting gel which didn’t help much. Thanks.

Dear Betty

How do you know that your Greys nails need to be trimmed? Is it because when it is on you and they are sharp and pointy? If that is all then it is not a reason to cut the nails.

Birds need their nails to be able to safely perch and climb. 

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Zach K. is concerned about the noise his macaw makes,

We live in an apartment with a noise ordinance and have recently adopted a macaw. He sometimes starts screaming when people are home but in a different room than him. Is this something that we can train him to not do? Is it maybe a sign of anxiety? Or is having a macaw in an apartment with a noise ordinance a recipe for disaster?

Sorry to say Zack, but it is the latter statement. 

Macaws do not belong in apartment buildings unless your neighbors are also large bird owners, have noisy dogs and kids or don’t want the attention of the police themselves.

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Lou K. has a cockatoo that hates water. What can I use on her try skin areas that she scratches too much?

 

Dear Lou

It is not uncommon for birds who have not been exposed to showers or baths early in their lives to be afraid of or unwilling to bathe when they are offered, especially with cockatoo care.

 

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Carol G. is concerned with her parrotlet’s foot,

Hi, My parrotlet has been scratching her foot to the point where she has a deep cut along the side of her toe.

The vet gave me Hibitaine to rub on it but doesn’t seem to have helped much.

She sits most of the day with her toe in her open mouth almost like she is trying to keep the area moist.

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