OP
SilverSage
New member
- Sep 14, 2013
- 5,937
- 94
- Parrots
- Eclectus, CAG, BH Pionus, Maximilian’s Pionus, Quakers, Indian Ringnecks, Green Cheeked Conures, Black Capped Conures, Cockatiels, Lovebirds, Budgies, Canaries, Diamond Doves, Zebra Finches, Society F
- Thread Starter
- Thread starter
- #21
This will be my final update. I haven't shared in a while because it has been a whirlwind, especially emotionally.
I would like to emphasize that I am not an expert breeder by any means. I am a novice. I research my heart out, harass people my experienced than myself, I sacrifice money, time, and sleep, I give my heart to each baby. Yet even with all that I have barely scratched the surface of the knowledge I wish I had.
I learned a lot with this clutch. I'm not attacking anyone or trying to be mean, but this clutch is a prime example of why I feel that breeding as a hobby is irresponsible. I lost this whole clutch. I have lost other babies as well. Each issue teaches me something new and prevents the same from happening to future clutches, but it wouldn't be worth it if I wasn't in it for the long haul, committed to learning and using the knowledge I gain for the benefit of the species and parrot lovers.
Like I said, I lost the whole clutch. Beaker had issues even from inside the egg. I don't yet know why that happened. Boomer and Buster had stuffed crops, a common problem for new parents, and since I had dealt with the problem before, I knew how to handle it and did so easily. I spotted the first signs of yeast in the crop, very common in cockatiels in this climate, and treated it within hours of development. Again, been there, learned that. But they both suddenly stopped growing. I increased the frequency of feelings. Then the crop slowed drastically in both babies, and they started to lose weight. I treated for sour crop with the same method I have in the past, but to no avail. All the measurements, temps, amounts, etc, were right, but still no growth. Babies lost weight (time to emphasize again that weight monitoring is important and you MUST do it), I called the vet. I was stunned to find Boomer dead when I went to retrieve him for the appointment. Buster and I rushed across the island because clearly the baby had a problem that I had no idea how to deal with. The vet asked a hundred questions, we both were baffled. We brain stormed, but didn't come up with any viable ideas. We did a gram stain, as I was sure I had missed some terrible thing, convinced emotionally that somehow my negligence had led to a terrible health crisis and I was killing my babies with a newbie mistake.
Nope. No yeast, no bacteria... WOOD FIBERS in the digestive tract! One of the babies had decided to eat the wood chips, and the other must have followed suit, as parrots are known to do. Boomer likely suffered digestive trauma as well as the nutrient blocking and crop slowing effects of the wood. Yes, I was using appropriate bedding, this was the first time he vet had seen this.
I switched the bedding to paper towels and increased feeding frequency for 24 hours (not letting the crop empty completely between, trying to flush out the wood). I treated with herbal supplements to prevent bacteria growth during that time, and then went back to normal feeding with aloe (I AM NOT GIVING VET ADVICE, IM JUST SAYING WHAT I DID).
Immediately Buster flourished, he started to gain weight, perked up, and was "catching up" to his milestones. And then he died in the night the day before thanksgiving. His little body was too weakened, or the damage was worse than we knew, or something I did killed him.
I learned a lot, I broke my heart, I lost a clutch. Now I know more than I did, and now you know a little bit more of the struggles that can go on while someone learns how the heck to raise baby birds. This is only a snapshot.
I spent $200 on just vet bills, n it including any of the other costs. His adoption fee would have been less than half that. Yet I still get accused of being "in it for the money" hhmmm.... Some people aren't good at math.
I would like to emphasize that I am not an expert breeder by any means. I am a novice. I research my heart out, harass people my experienced than myself, I sacrifice money, time, and sleep, I give my heart to each baby. Yet even with all that I have barely scratched the surface of the knowledge I wish I had.
I learned a lot with this clutch. I'm not attacking anyone or trying to be mean, but this clutch is a prime example of why I feel that breeding as a hobby is irresponsible. I lost this whole clutch. I have lost other babies as well. Each issue teaches me something new and prevents the same from happening to future clutches, but it wouldn't be worth it if I wasn't in it for the long haul, committed to learning and using the knowledge I gain for the benefit of the species and parrot lovers.
Like I said, I lost the whole clutch. Beaker had issues even from inside the egg. I don't yet know why that happened. Boomer and Buster had stuffed crops, a common problem for new parents, and since I had dealt with the problem before, I knew how to handle it and did so easily. I spotted the first signs of yeast in the crop, very common in cockatiels in this climate, and treated it within hours of development. Again, been there, learned that. But they both suddenly stopped growing. I increased the frequency of feelings. Then the crop slowed drastically in both babies, and they started to lose weight. I treated for sour crop with the same method I have in the past, but to no avail. All the measurements, temps, amounts, etc, were right, but still no growth. Babies lost weight (time to emphasize again that weight monitoring is important and you MUST do it), I called the vet. I was stunned to find Boomer dead when I went to retrieve him for the appointment. Buster and I rushed across the island because clearly the baby had a problem that I had no idea how to deal with. The vet asked a hundred questions, we both were baffled. We brain stormed, but didn't come up with any viable ideas. We did a gram stain, as I was sure I had missed some terrible thing, convinced emotionally that somehow my negligence had led to a terrible health crisis and I was killing my babies with a newbie mistake.
Nope. No yeast, no bacteria... WOOD FIBERS in the digestive tract! One of the babies had decided to eat the wood chips, and the other must have followed suit, as parrots are known to do. Boomer likely suffered digestive trauma as well as the nutrient blocking and crop slowing effects of the wood. Yes, I was using appropriate bedding, this was the first time he vet had seen this.
I switched the bedding to paper towels and increased feeding frequency for 24 hours (not letting the crop empty completely between, trying to flush out the wood). I treated with herbal supplements to prevent bacteria growth during that time, and then went back to normal feeding with aloe (I AM NOT GIVING VET ADVICE, IM JUST SAYING WHAT I DID).
Immediately Buster flourished, he started to gain weight, perked up, and was "catching up" to his milestones. And then he died in the night the day before thanksgiving. His little body was too weakened, or the damage was worse than we knew, or something I did killed him.
I learned a lot, I broke my heart, I lost a clutch. Now I know more than I did, and now you know a little bit more of the struggles that can go on while someone learns how the heck to raise baby birds. This is only a snapshot.
I spent $200 on just vet bills, n it including any of the other costs. His adoption fee would have been less than half that. Yet I still get accused of being "in it for the money" hhmmm.... Some people aren't good at math.
