Lady's short time with me

As a famous artist once wrote.

“A candle in the Wind”.

That would be how I would describe Lady a Lutino Cockatiel I bought at a yard sale in June 2013. I got her with what I feel sure was a sister that we named Pinky.
lady pinky by wes mcfaden, on Flickr

I only had her for a short time. Between 6 weeks and 2 months.
She was a beautiful girl who brightened my live so briefly.
At the time I got her (pre-forum days) I was still looking for female Cockatiels so I could raise babies. After a short time of having her she started laying eggs. To say I was excited would be an extreme understatement.

She was taking care of the eggs when I went on a 1 week vacation and left her and the rest of my flock in the care of my wife and Son.

When I returned I was told that they thought Lady had gone blind. When I went to check her out I saw that she was not blind but her head was tilted over at a….unnatural angle and was having trouble walking and perching. Lady could only walk around in a circle. She was still eating and drinking but I could tell she was suffering.

I took her quick as I could to a vet that would see birds (not an avian certified vet, I did not know better at the time).
The vet told me that the 2 most likely reasons for this behavior was.

Head trauma from hitting a wall or window in flight. She had not been let out of the cage since I got her so that was out.

Tumor in her head due to genetic defects/inbreeding. I think this was a high probability because her sister has a malformed toe.

In the end I felt it best to end her suffering. This decision still haunts me to this day. She is gone but I will never forget her.

This is the last photo of her I took in the vet’s office and may give you some idea of the reasons for my choice.

lady last photo by wes mcfaden, on Flickr
Fly free Lady.

texsize/Wes

A sad and touching remembrance, Wes. She was beautiful; it is so tragic when it appears they have genetic issues.

thats tough.. if I didnt have the one bird I would not have the awesome feller I have today.

Very sad . But I'm glad she had a good life while living with you!

Those questions one gets from time to time, regarding "How do you know so much about Parrots?" And, the honest answer that is so rarely heard: Because I have lived, lost and learned the hard way.

Thank God for Parrot Forums and the shared Knowledge that we can pass on to new owners!

Thank-you, for including us in her memorial!

I came across the photos a few months ago when I was looking at what was on an old phone.

It took me a while to come up with what I wanted/needed to say. The first few attempts came out more like a life story that would be better suited t to {incredible stories thread}.

Pinky is the bird on the right in the first photo. The red in her eyes is not an artifact of the photo but the true appearance when viewed just the right way. That was why she was named Pinky.

Pinky is still with us but she is not a happy bird. 1 year after we said goodbye to Lady she started plucking feathers. We took her to the ACV several times and he could not find a health reason for her plucking. Pinky does not get along with any other bird. not fighting just keeps her distance.

Pinky was not hand raised but after about 2 years of work I got her to step up. She can't fly worth beans. She can make short hops but any distance greater than 3 feet she goes off course and can end up in the darnedest places.

I am so sorry for your loss. What a gorgeous cockatiel!

With how yellow they are, my first thought is liver failure.



It's never easy making that decision and I've had to make it a couple of times.