Sorry, I don't have a pic but Whisper is now getting black at the end of most of his feathers. It's pretty but I didn't think that it was normal. I thought his feathers were supposed to be green. What causes it? Or is it normal? I will try to get pics to you tomorrow.
I don't think this is normal
- Thread starter Dopey
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Birdman666
Well-known member
- Sep 18, 2013
- 9,904
- 273
- Parrots
- Presently have six Greenwing Macaw (17 yo), Red Fronted Macaw (12 yo), Red Lored Amazon (17 y.o.), Lilac Crowned Amazon (about 43 y.o.) and a Congo African Grey (11 y.o.)
Panama Amazon (1 Y.O.)
Sounds like stress bars. This is from the ACV site
"Stress Bars: Feather growth requires a myriad of nutrients for normal feather development. Therefore, if there is disruption in the assimilation of nutrients during the time of feather development, this will result in the production of stress bars on the feathers. Stress bars appear as black or depigmented lines that transect a feather, and multiple lines may occur at different levels on the feathers, if multiple bouts of disruption have occurred. If a young bird develops gastro-intestinal problems, digestive disturbances, prolonged chilling or periods when it is not fed (nor fed enough), this will result in the production of stress bars at the same level on all the feathers that were developing during that time."
I am loathe to quote these guys, but this does explain it fairly well:
http://www.birdtricks.com/blog/feather-stress-bars/
Here are a couple more:
http://www.windycityparrot.com/What-are-feather-stress-bars-Does-your-bird-have-them_b_176.html
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=1012
Simple cure: Increase fresh foods, especially vitamin A foods, and decrease seeds & treats.
"Stress Bars: Feather growth requires a myriad of nutrients for normal feather development. Therefore, if there is disruption in the assimilation of nutrients during the time of feather development, this will result in the production of stress bars on the feathers. Stress bars appear as black or depigmented lines that transect a feather, and multiple lines may occur at different levels on the feathers, if multiple bouts of disruption have occurred. If a young bird develops gastro-intestinal problems, digestive disturbances, prolonged chilling or periods when it is not fed (nor fed enough), this will result in the production of stress bars at the same level on all the feathers that were developing during that time."
I am loathe to quote these guys, but this does explain it fairly well:
http://www.birdtricks.com/blog/feather-stress-bars/
Here are a couple more:
http://www.windycityparrot.com/What-are-feather-stress-bars-Does-your-bird-have-them_b_176.html
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=1012
Simple cure: Increase fresh foods, especially vitamin A foods, and decrease seeds & treats.
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Birdman666
Well-known member
- Sep 18, 2013
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- Parrots
- Presently have six Greenwing Macaw (17 yo), Red Fronted Macaw (12 yo), Red Lored Amazon (17 y.o.), Lilac Crowned Amazon (about 43 y.o.) and a Congo African Grey (11 y.o.)
Panama Amazon (1 Y.O.)
Here are normal BFA feather colorations.
https://www.google.com/search?q=blu...S573&es_sm=91&tbm=isch&imgil=1jR-LGm6OoD6IM%3
Birdman666
Well-known member
- Sep 18, 2013
- 9,904
- 273
- Parrots
- Presently have six Greenwing Macaw (17 yo), Red Fronted Macaw (12 yo), Red Lored Amazon (17 y.o.), Lilac Crowned Amazon (about 43 y.o.) and a Congo African Grey (11 y.o.)
Panama Amazon (1 Y.O.)
No problem. I'm glad it didn't turn out to be anything...
Oh yeah, BFA's are one of the flirtiest birds out there...
I still miss mine dearly.
Oh yeah, BFA's are one of the flirtiest birds out there...
I still miss mine dearly.
Birdman666
Well-known member
- Sep 18, 2013
- 9,904
- 273
- Parrots
- Presently have six Greenwing Macaw (17 yo), Red Fronted Macaw (12 yo), Red Lored Amazon (17 y.o.), Lilac Crowned Amazon (about 43 y.o.) and a Congo African Grey (11 y.o.)
Panama Amazon (1 Y.O.)
The next step...getting used to the idea of him stepping up on my hand. He still likes to bite the dowel pretty hard. CRUNCH!!
What I did with amazons who bit, was to train them to STEP DOWN, backwards onto my hand. Not step up forwards...
Stepping down from behind, they can't latch on to your hand with the beak.
And it's in front of you, where you can keep a close eye on it, and have the other hand ready. Usually a wobble or two with the hand he is standing on is enough, but if not, just calmly swipe the beak away before he can latch onto anything.
And if he's pissy, he can just sit on the floor for a moment. "Bird, I will drop you if you don't behave!"
I'm old school...
Carabella
New member
- Jan 19, 2015
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- Benjamin, 40 yo male YNA. My husband has had him since he was a chick.
Lexi, 9 mo old female turquoise IRN.
The next step...getting used to the idea of him stepping up on my hand. He still likes to bite the dowel pretty hard. CRUNCH!!
What I did with amazons who bit, was to train them to STEP DOWN, backwards onto my hand. Not step up forwards...
Stepping down from behind, they can't latch on to your hand with the beak.
And it's in front of you, where you can keep a close eye on it, and have the other hand ready. Usually a wobble or two with the hand he is standing on is enough, but if not, just calmly swipe the beak away before he can latch onto anything.
And if he's pissy, he can just sit on the floor for a moment. "Bird, I will drop you if you don't behave!"
I'm old school...
Do you mean go in from behind? I'm afraid mine would whip around so fast and get me anyway.
Dopey, I'm so glad the issue isn't serious.
- Thread starter
- #13
Yep - that's the way I feel too. But one of these days I'm just going to be in the mood that I don't care if I get bit...I want him to step up.
4dugnlee
New member
- Apr 27, 2014
- 1,133
- 4
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- Sassy - 13 y.o. Blue Front Amazon, Cisco - 6 y.o. Sun Conure, Peanut - 8 y.o. U2
Fred - 2(?) y.o. Cockatiel, Ginger - 3 or 4(?) y.o. Cockatiel
Sassy would not step up to a perch (or me) when I got her. She is scared to death of any perch that I put near her. She would viciously attack any perch..I have to put/change out perches in her cage when she is not in it and it takes her a while before she will go to it. I had her for 2 months before she would come to me, and then she just started stepping up to my arm and she has ever since. In the last 9 months she has only bit me 3 times so I guess that's not too bad. Actually the 3 times she bit me was in the past month and she's a little hormonal so I should have expected it. Oh, and her feathers are black on the ends also. I was worried about it when I was reading about stress bars but then looked at close up pics of other amazons and saw that alot of them were the same way.
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- Thread starter
- #15
Well, since it is the hormone season and he is still viciously grabbing the perch...to go back into his cage - not to come out of it...I'm not about to put my arm out there. The other night he would not let go. Not to any perch in his cage. I had him on his back on the floor of his cage and he still wouldn't let go. I don't remember now how I got him off of the stick. He hangs on to the piece of tape in the middle of the dowel and keeps his beak twisted in it. He does not want to let go. Last night same thing but I put him on top of his cage first and then it wasn't such a fight.
He still loves me though. This morning he came right up to the front of the cage and let me give him scritches.
He still loves me though. This morning he came right up to the front of the cage and let me give him scritches.
4dugnlee
New member
- Apr 27, 2014
- 1,133
- 4
- Parrots
- Sassy - 13 y.o. Blue Front Amazon, Cisco - 6 y.o. Sun Conure, Peanut - 8 y.o. U2
Fred - 2(?) y.o. Cockatiel, Ginger - 3 or 4(?) y.o. Cockatiel
Yep, I had Sassy on her back once and that's one of the 3 recent times she bit me..lol:54:
Glad Whisper will let you give scritches. Sassy hardly ever lets me give her scritches. She will sit on me for a long time and I can touch her belly/back/feet but rarely her head/neck. You are doing great with your flock!
- Thread starter
- #17
Thank you. I really do enjoy my flock. It's fun to see the progression...even when having to take a step back. I still have one who really doesn't like me and is obnoxiously loud and tries to bite me even when I'm scritching Whisper on the Java tree.
The scritches took a long time - but I did what my son does with his Zon. The beak has to be either between the bars or on a bar before we will give scritches. That way the beak is occupied with the bar/s while we scritch. That's how it begins...now it is so cool to walk up to the cage and have him lower his head for scritches. I've tried this technique with Patches and it isn't working...yet.
The scritches took a long time - but I did what my son does with his Zon. The beak has to be either between the bars or on a bar before we will give scritches. That way the beak is occupied with the bar/s while we scritch. That's how it begins...now it is so cool to walk up to the cage and have him lower his head for scritches. I've tried this technique with Patches and it isn't working...yet.
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