How Do I Wrangle This Quaker Under Control?
blue-quaker-eating-chili-pepper-e1632793942746

How Do I Wrangle This Quaker Under Control?

Subject: Re: Hi Leigh ~ Why Won’t This African Grey Play With His Toys?

Hello Mitch!

I wanted to thank you for your awesome weekly email – I look forward to the information and the humor every week!

I have a question on lighting and biting:

We have a 4yr old Quaker, Boop, who we think is male… does a bit of chest plucking – almost like a Tourettes behavior… but he seems to get awful pin feathers. It’s better now I have him on an avian vitamin powder.

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How Can I Reduce My Female Cockatiels Hormonal Issues?
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How Can I Reduce My Female Cockatiels Hormonal Issues?

Hello, I’m writing this because I have a 10-year-old Cockatiel female.

I’ve had her since I was 14 and she’s the most important thing in my life.

She’s gone through a lot though and has had to survive 2 emergency surgeries to save her life.

Becoming egg-bound and near-death both of these times due to chronic egg laying.

I don’t know what to do to help.

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Did a 6 Week Absence Cause My Budgie’s Negative Behavior?
budgie-in-birdcage

Did a 6 Week Absence Cause My Budgie’s Negative Behavior?

Hi Mitch,

My name is Barbara T, and you and I just spoke re my parakeet, Ricky, who has been treated by an Avian specialist, Gloria Goodman, VMD (website: avianexoticvetpa.com), for mites since July 2nd, 2020.  

As I told you, I had surgery and my sister took care of the bird from May 12th through June 28th. 

I noticed immediately that his face looked like it had rot on it and he seemed “antsy”—pecking on his feathers and rubbing his head, especially around the eye area, on the cage. 

I called the vet and she saw him on July 2nd. 

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Why Is My Budgie Itchy and Plucking His Feathers?
Colourful native Australian Rosella bird scratching its head

Why Is My Budgie Itchy and Plucking His Feathers?

Kris S. seeks advice:

We got a budgie when he was 1 month old rarely in his cage and very spoiled/loved. 

 

Got 2nd young male 2-3 months later, he was a month old as well.

 

Moody Blue, the first one, is VERY jealous of Zipper, the new one. 

 

Zipper wants to be friends and tries to be near Moody but he just won’t allow it and will bite at times. 

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How to Remodel a Cage to Reduce 2 Bird’s Hormonal Behavior?
Green cheek conure parrot on top of blue cage against an off-white background

How to Remodel a Cage to Reduce 2 Bird’s Hormonal Behavior?

This thread took place during the entire month of December 2020.

Spoiler alert (also found at end of the post)

Hi Catherine I don’t know if you got my email from the other day about the lighting treatment for Reggie’s hormones.

It did the trick.

She is so much friendlier to Kiwi there was just one time she went at him when he was on his stand but it wasn’t as bad as it was before the lighting treatment.

I know you are probably so busy I just wanted to know if she starts to show aggressive behavior do we do the 72 hr or 7 days she is still a little hormonal but not nearly as bad she loves going under my blanket lol.

Thanks again for your advice it was the best Christmas present we could have asked for.❤

Begin thread

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What Should I Do With the Three Eggs My Grey Just Laid?
A cockatiel bird at nest box incubating eggs

What Should I Do With the Three Eggs My Grey Just Laid?

Michael G. reaches back out with a new pet bird keeping challenge.

 

Hi, Mitch, I ordered a clamp-on light fixture for Lil’ Girl and Big Boy. 

 

While they have sunlight on the end of their cage (3′) and down one side (5′).

 

I figured it couldn’t hurt as the sunlight is filtered by windows with a light tint and filled with Argon gas which, I think, only prevents fogging. 

 

I am not sure about its filtering effect. 

 

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Can Lighting Benefit My Blue Crown Conure With Cataracts?
blue-crown-conure

Can Lighting Benefit My Blue Crown Conure With Cataracts?

Janet D. relates:

My blue-crown conure (named BLUE) is one of 2 rescue conures I’ve now had 5 years.

He has cataracts in both eyes. I know this because I could tell his vision was changing and took him to the vet 3 months ago.

Very recently, he’s more hesitant with everything so I think his vision is deteriorating more quickly than anticipated.

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How Can I Achieve Better Birdcage Environments for My Birds?
blue-quaker-birdcage

How Can I Achieve Better Birdcage Environments for My Birds?

Hey there, here for the brunch, but I’d like to speak to the manager, I just have a question or two before sitting down: 

So we have a 2 bird, 2 human family.   

The littlest one, a GCC named Pz is the comedian and energy ball of the group, with tons of personality packed into a 70gram feather suit.   

Our sanity these days hinges upon making sure the bird children are well taken care of, as we spend all our days with them now and find it very enriching to be attentive to their unique needs and the interesting ways in which they communicate them to us.

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How Do I Place Clamp Light for Lighting Over My Bird’s Cage?
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How Do I Place Clamp Light for Lighting Over My Bird’s Cage?

Marcia D. asks:

I wish to purchase a clamp light assembly w/light for my parrotlet’s birdcage…reason: I currently have a floor lamp with Zoomed avian bulb (expensive) and want to eliminate the floor lamp feature.

QUESTION: with clamp light. Am I laying it right on the top of the cage or hovering it inches above the cage?

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