Aiki_Joker
New member
Hey everyone. I hope all is well. I'm looking for some advice on these beautifully intelligent birds. I have had two babys (approx 4-5 months old) die and I am feeling disheartened.
These poor birds are shipped to Oman in horrible crates from South Africa (they are hand reared and they still exhibit the hand feeding reflex, very tame). I had one about 8 months ago and in 14 days it died. It was sick before I got it and I saw the signs, but I just couldn't leave it with the guy who worked at the airport and got it for free for signing the shipping papers. Around 200 birds arrived that night and half of them were dead. This is very sad indeed and there is very little control of this corrupt practice here. This is the perfect climate to breed these birds, but people don't have the knowledge or inclination to do this and it is cheaper for them to import.
He had the bird for a few weeks just feeding it seed. It was pretty thin when I got it. I slowly switched it to pellets (zupreem) over the first week and it was putting on weight. I started fruit and veg (tomatoes, apples, chili, banana, broccoli, bell peppers, lettuce, almonds, peanuts and sunflower seeds as training treats). It really was eating a lot of these. I think this could be the problem but not sure. At least 50% or its diet was veg and some fruit.
It started to show signs of illness on the 10th day. Poo was looking more liquid as it ate more greens but the component parts were still separated. It got really vocal for a day constantly wanting attention, then very tired and not vocal at all until it's death on the 14th night
Before this its beak was running and it had laboured breathing. The vet gave it a shot of antibiotics and I had drops for it which I used in its water for a few days until it died. On the last day it stopped eating and drinking almost completely. Very sad. I don't know what I did wrong. I think the fruit and veg here is full of bacteria that these birds are not accustomed to. Also the dust in the air maybe.
Since moving here and cleaning up dusty areas outside, I have had infections in my nose/throat and I am pretty fit so god knows what it is like for a young bird just developing its immune system.
In the end it's poo was very liquid (last day) and the urates were pretty undefined almost homogenous because it was so liquid. I think it was heavily dehydrated. That was at Christmas, it died around Christmas eve
I then had another one that was a totally different bird with a different personality and fully flighted. Same age, just in better health I think. After a few days longer than the first one, it was dead too the same story, I found it at the bottom of the cage. I visited the vet 24 hours before because I knew something was wrong (experience from the previous bird). But the vet said it was in good health and to keep on with the feeding. By this time it had stopped gaining weight for a few days and it had got loud attention seeking and vocal... I was just waiting for the silence and tiredness now I thought
So around a day and a half after the vets and no antibiotics or shots prescribed, the bird got quiet, then stopped eating and drinking and died.
None of the two birds were at the bottom perch in the cage ever, the first one was not highly balanced, but I thougt this was becasue its wings were clipped and it was young, its balance didnt change significantly over the time I was with it. The second one had good balance until the last night when it fell from its perch once and immediately climbed back up three feet to the same perch again. The story is the same as always with birds they would look healthy if it wasn't for monitoring weight gain, vocalisations and feeding habits.
Is the attention seeking and more vocalisations an indication of illness (maybe they realise they are sick and want to look well so they start pretending to be well and over compensating if you know what I mean)? As soon as they did this is was only less than 48hrs until they died
I love these birds so much, but I just don't have any luck with them. Any advice would be appreciated. The vets here do deal with birds, but they are not specialists
These poor birds are shipped to Oman in horrible crates from South Africa (they are hand reared and they still exhibit the hand feeding reflex, very tame). I had one about 8 months ago and in 14 days it died. It was sick before I got it and I saw the signs, but I just couldn't leave it with the guy who worked at the airport and got it for free for signing the shipping papers. Around 200 birds arrived that night and half of them were dead. This is very sad indeed and there is very little control of this corrupt practice here. This is the perfect climate to breed these birds, but people don't have the knowledge or inclination to do this and it is cheaper for them to import.
He had the bird for a few weeks just feeding it seed. It was pretty thin when I got it. I slowly switched it to pellets (zupreem) over the first week and it was putting on weight. I started fruit and veg (tomatoes, apples, chili, banana, broccoli, bell peppers, lettuce, almonds, peanuts and sunflower seeds as training treats). It really was eating a lot of these. I think this could be the problem but not sure. At least 50% or its diet was veg and some fruit.
It started to show signs of illness on the 10th day. Poo was looking more liquid as it ate more greens but the component parts were still separated. It got really vocal for a day constantly wanting attention, then very tired and not vocal at all until it's death on the 14th night
Before this its beak was running and it had laboured breathing. The vet gave it a shot of antibiotics and I had drops for it which I used in its water for a few days until it died. On the last day it stopped eating and drinking almost completely. Very sad. I don't know what I did wrong. I think the fruit and veg here is full of bacteria that these birds are not accustomed to. Also the dust in the air maybe.
Since moving here and cleaning up dusty areas outside, I have had infections in my nose/throat and I am pretty fit so god knows what it is like for a young bird just developing its immune system.
In the end it's poo was very liquid (last day) and the urates were pretty undefined almost homogenous because it was so liquid. I think it was heavily dehydrated. That was at Christmas, it died around Christmas eve
I then had another one that was a totally different bird with a different personality and fully flighted. Same age, just in better health I think. After a few days longer than the first one, it was dead too the same story, I found it at the bottom of the cage. I visited the vet 24 hours before because I knew something was wrong (experience from the previous bird). But the vet said it was in good health and to keep on with the feeding. By this time it had stopped gaining weight for a few days and it had got loud attention seeking and vocal... I was just waiting for the silence and tiredness now I thought
So around a day and a half after the vets and no antibiotics or shots prescribed, the bird got quiet, then stopped eating and drinking and died.
None of the two birds were at the bottom perch in the cage ever, the first one was not highly balanced, but I thougt this was becasue its wings were clipped and it was young, its balance didnt change significantly over the time I was with it. The second one had good balance until the last night when it fell from its perch once and immediately climbed back up three feet to the same perch again. The story is the same as always with birds they would look healthy if it wasn't for monitoring weight gain, vocalisations and feeding habits.
Is the attention seeking and more vocalisations an indication of illness (maybe they realise they are sick and want to look well so they start pretending to be well and over compensating if you know what I mean)? As soon as they did this is was only less than 48hrs until they died
I love these birds so much, but I just don't have any luck with them. Any advice would be appreciated. The vets here do deal with birds, but they are not specialists