Bird Hemp

[kme3388]

Nico is going to be trying some bird hemp for his feather destructive behaviors. I’m crossing my fingers that it helps. I’m putting it on his birdie bread to eat, and I am also mixing it in his spray bottle with water (for showers). I just started it yesterday so of course I can’t see a huge difference yet.

Wish Nico luck! 🍀 he has had a very long journey.

 

[SailBoat]

It is my sincere hope that it will provide positive results for Nico!

Sadly, I am not a believe in this product because of the lack of controls of the ingredients, their sources and the volumes of each is basic, at best, as part of the over-site management, at the mixing faculty. Basically, batch to batch assurance is hopeful at best. Yes, some are better than others, but! This is an unregulated product.

When I was reviewing this product, I was struck by what seemed like a product looking for a use!

As stated, I sincere hope that I provides positive results.

 

[Jcas]

The feathers that he does have are sooo beautiful! I really hope this helps him to grow back the rest! ❤️

 

[kme3388]

It is my sincere hope that it will provide positive results for Nico!

Sadly, I am not a believe in this product because of the lack of controls of the ingredients, their sources and the volumes of each is basic, at best, as part of the over-site management, at the mixing faculty. Basically, batch to batch assurance is hopeful at best. Yes, some are better than others, but! This is an unregulated product.

When I was reviewing this product, I was struck by what seemed like a product looking for a use!

As stated, I sincere hope that I provides positive results.

To be honest I’ve tried most anything anyone can come up with to help Nico’s feather plucking. I’m not very convinced anything will “cure” it. I’m just hoping for the best if an option is safe for Nico.

 

[clark_conure]

PLEASE keep us updated on this.....

 

[kme3388]

So far the only change I’ve seen is Nico is playing with toys. He rarely does this. Maybe once a year? I just changed out his perches too.

Downside, I’m probably going to need assistance because he’s shoving the shreds from his toys in his water 😂😂😂

Why just why?

 

[Jcas]

Yep: toy scraps, bits of food, paper shreds, poop; it all goes in the water bowl. And then they get upset at not having clean water 🙄😂

 

[Greenhouseparrots]

I hope this works for him! I've seen that hemp seed is very good for them

 

[clark_conure]

View attachment 54727
So far the only change I’ve seen is Nico is playing with toys. He rarely does this. Maybe once a year? I just changed out his perches too.
View attachment 54728
Downside, I’m probably going to need assistance because he’s shoving the shreds from his toys in his water 😂😂😂

Why just why?

Yeah i'd consider this a good sign....

 

[kme3388]

My observations so far sense I started using this hemp is he is preening himself nicely. It’s not just a grip & rip situation. Maybe the hemp oil helps with preening? I also have observed him stretching out his broken wing. I’ve never seen him stretch it out. He doesn’t move it. It’s the only place he still has his primary feathers because he wouldn’t move this wing. His fecal matter has also changed color, and frequency. He goes more often.

 

[LoveMyFids]

View attachment 54718
Nico is going to be trying some bird hemp for his feather destructive behaviors. I’m crossing my fingers that it helps. I’m putting it on his birdie bread to eat, and I am also mixing it in his spray bottle with water (for showers). I just started it yesterday so of course I can’t see a huge difference yet.

Wish Nico luck! 🍀 he has had a very long journey.

I've tried it-that exact brand & it didn't do anything. Also beware that it will raise the bird's cholesterol level too, which is something to consider IF your bird is already eating a lot of cholesterol laden foods such as nuts & seeds. I would advise you to get a full blood panel done on your bird if you haven't yet to rule out hormone imbalance, nutritional deficiencies, liver or kidney disease. These are the main factors which cause a bird to pluck. Emotional stress is obviously another factor, but all the before mentioned things are usually what starts it. My vet recommended the calming bird teas (which can be fed as a tea, in a spray, or sprinkled dry on food). Rescue Remedy PET in their water or spray bottle also can help, HOWEVER you really need to find the underlying cause, or usually nothing will help. Good luck!

 

[kme3388]

I've tried it-that exact brand & it didn't do anything. Also beware that it will raise the bird's cholesterol level too, which is something to consider IF your bird is already eating a lot of cholesterol laden foods such as nuts & seeds. I would advise you to get a full blood panel done on your bird if you haven't yet to rule out hormone imbalance, nutritional deficiencies, liver or kidney disease. These are the main factors which cause a bird to pluck. Emotional stress is obviously another factor, but all the before mentioned things are usually what starts it. My vet recommended the calming bird teas (which can be fed as a tea, in a spray, or sprinkled dry on food). Rescue Remedy PET in their water or spray bottle also can help, HOWEVER you really need to find the underlying cause, or usually nothing will help. Good luck!

Thank you. Nico’s vet did find bornavirus with his labs. He has a lot of medical issues. Dry skin being one of them. His past is unknown due to being rehomed. Diet was poor, we’ve been making progress bit by bit. Nico isnt a fan of chops, fruits, pellets. He is eating bird bread, and some veggies. Food dishes will be flipped if it isn’t up to high standards for the King aka Nico.

I haven’t tried any teas. Thank you for the suggestion. If this doesn’t help that is another thing to try. No pluck, and a few things I have tried with no improvement.

Nico is hyper sexual. He try’s to mate with his perches, soft blankets, hands, and such. This is almost a daily thing. Ive tried anything under the sun to help with Nico’s hormones. Which is why I thought I’d give hemp a try to see if it can help anything. Any improvement is an improvement, and I’ll take it!

 

[kme3388]

I’ll talk a little more about Nico’s past. When I adopted him I didn’t think he was going to live. He was in very bad shape. I was just going to bring him to the vet to see if anything else could be done. I was scared bringing him to the vet because I didn’t want to hear the suggestion to be euthanasia. He is such a sweet bird, and so smart. He had wing flipping, toe tapping, and anything under the sun that anyone could think of. His skin was extremely dry, cracking and bleeding in places. He was given to a shelter this way. Nothing is known about his entire past. Any improvement to Nico is great. I’m surprised he’s still here.

 

[Free as a bird]

I’ll talk a little more about Nico’s past. When I adopted him I didn’t think he was going to live. He was in very bad shape. I was just going to bring him to the vet to see if anything else could be done. I was scared bringing him to the vet because I didn’t want to hear the suggestion to be euthanasia. He is such a sweet bird, and so smart. He had wing flipping, toe tapping, and anything under the sun that anyone could think of. His skin was extremely dry, cracking and bleeding in places. He was given to a shelter this way. Nothing is known about his entire past. Any improvement to Nico is great. I’m surprised he’s still here.

My initial feeling is one of distress, concern and sadness at seeing any bird do that to itself. But given its past he is actually doing much better thanks to your care. Respect.

You know how they put collars on dogs and cats... Can you put them on a bird for a short time? Just a thought 💭

I really hope you can sort out Nicos bad plucking habit and maybe one day you will be showing us pictures of a fully feathered Nico.

 

[kme3388]

I have tried collars. Nico can just lift up the back part, and get to his tail feathers. He can also get to his neck feathers. I usually do this at night time when he is sleeping. A lot of feather plucking happens overnight. Some improvements were made on his tummy with the collar.

Nico’s vet was concerned too. The first appointment I had to walk in there, and tell her I adopted Nico, and I know nothing about him. I was of course warned of behavioral issues from the shelter (Nico didn’t act the same when I brought him home as he did at the shelter). He’s never shown aggression towards other birds. In fact he doesn’t care they exist. He likes things fairly quiet (he’s not a fan of loud noises). He’s never entered my conures cages, or has gone anywhere near them. Usually he just follows me around, and wants outside.

What I did observe was toe tapping, wing flipping (not voluntary), falling off the perch, sneezing, off colored stool, not eating, under weight, missing feathers around the nostrils (also all over the body), lack of energy, atrophied muscle, over grown beak & nails (to the extent that the vet was taking off little millimeters while cutting his nails & was hitting the quick, extremely dried out skin, something being wrong with one of his wings and such. The vet looked even more perplexed when I explained to her that there were birds in worse shape than Nico at the shelter.

I was under the impression when I adopted Nico that this was a just to help him live out the rest of his life comfortably. I would describe Nico to be in a nursing home setting. He’ll never truly be “healthy”. He just isn’t ready for hospice yet.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I've tried it-that exact brand & it didn't do anything. Also beware that it will raise the bird's cholesterol level too, which is something to consider IF your bird is already eating a lot of cholesterol laden foods such as nuts & seeds. I would advise you to get a full blood panel done on your bird if you haven't yet to rule out hormone imbalance, nutritional deficiencies, liver or kidney disease. These are the main factors which cause a bird to pluck. Emotional stress is obviously another factor, but all the before mentioned things are usually what starts it. My vet recommended the calming bird teas (which can be fed as a tea, in a spray, or sprinkled dry on food). Rescue Remedy PET in their water or spray bottle also can help, HOWEVER you really need to find the underlying cause, or usually nothing will help. Good luck!

Only animal products contain cholesterol. Nuts and seeds contain fats but they do NOT contain cholesterol. Unless your bird is eating eggs or other animal products it is not getting cholesterol from it's diet. However, oils found in plant products like nuts and seeds can cause obesity and other health problems like fatty liver disease.

 

[Free as a bird]

I have tried collars. Nico can just lift up the back part, and get to his tail feathers. He can also get to his neck feathers. I usually do this at night time when he is sleeping. A lot of feather plucking happens overnight. Some improvements were made on his tummy with the collar.

Nico’s vet was concerned too. The first appointment I had to walk in there, and tell her I adopted Nico, and I know nothing about him. I was of course warned of behavioral issues from the shelter (Nico didn’t act the same when I brought him home as he did at the shelter). He’s never shown aggression towards other birds. In fact he doesn’t care they exist. He likes things fairly quiet (he’s not a fan of loud noises). He’s never entered my conures cages, or has gone anywhere near them. Usually he just follows me around, and wants outside.

What I did observe was toe tapping, wing flipping (not voluntary), falling off the perch, sneezing, off colored stool, not eating, under weight, missing feathers around the nostrils (also all over the body), lack of energy, atrophied muscle, over grown beak & nails (to the extent that the vet was taking off little millimeters while cutting his nails & was hitting the quick, extremely dried out skin, something being wrong with one of his wings and such. The vet looked even more perplexed when I explained to her that there were birds in worse shape than Nico at the shelter.

I was under the impression when I adopted Nico that this was a just to help him live out the rest of his life comfortably. I would describe Nico to be in a nursing home setting. He’ll never truly be “healthy”. He just isn’t ready for hospice yet.

They have huge beaks those birds and I did notice that Nicos beak was massive. Do you know how old he is?

 

[saxguy64]

View attachment 54727
So far the only change I’ve seen is Nico is playing with toys. He rarely does this. Maybe once a year? I just changed out his perches too.
View attachment 54728
Downside, I’m probably going to need assistance because he’s shoving the shreds from his toys in his water 😂😂😂

Why just why?

Well, I guess if he's busy making birdie soup, it's distracting him from plucking, even if it's just for a few minutes. Every little bit helps.

You've done a wonderful job with Nico, and I love to see updates, and seeing his beautiful plucked little self makes my heart happy. Ekkies really have a sweetness about them, don't they? ♥️

 

[4 way borbs]

Get well soon nico!!! 😙

 

[kme3388]

Nico was estimated by the shelter to be 16 years old when I adopted him in the summer of 2021 @Free as a bird . There is no 100% sure way of telling because Nico was rehomed a lot. Eclectus Parrots have large beaks for their size.

@saxguy64 Ekkies do have a sweetness about them. If you are the chosen one you are well taken care of, and pampered 😊