chirpy

copy and pastes from alerting forum. This isnt to be taken lightly. okay, here are the details. It is not of course confirmed that it was these grapes BUT [/] this was the ONLY food that was fed differently and fed singly as a treat to this one room of birds. The product was washed well. Sterling asked me to advise you all not to take any chances feeding these grapes. He is sending in the grapes for analyzing and the birds will undergo a necropsy. He had the fire department out to check air quality and he has the UV air sterilizers. It may very well be a local area thing or a particular shipment; maybe something the store where the grapes were purchased but personally I will not be feeding these grapes or any other foods imported from Chile until I hear the results. The birds lost were 1 M2, 1 GSC2, 1 MSC2, 4 U2s, a Hahn's, and a Pionus. Those that talk or chat w/ Sterling are aware of the special feelings he had for Natasha and Tasha(U2s) (I hope I got the names right I'm rather shaken by all of this) both were lost. His wife also lost her U2 Sonny. All birds were fed only a 1/2 grape after thorough washing. It was approx. an hr later and Marley was showing problems; after that he started losing the birds about 3 mins apart. While Sterling is not trying to be an alarmist he said he would feel awful if he said nothing at all and others lost their companions. Sterling is very crushed by all this and is blaming himself; which of course I told him otherwise. I asked him if I had called him telling him that all my birds passed from something I fed them would he blame me? Of course not !! We all try so hard to do what we learn and think is best for our birds and we can not control things like this. Laurie (his wife) is beating herself up for she was the one who washed the grapes. I think we all need to send positive thoughts to Sterling in light of these tragic events; for if anyone needs "outsiders' " strength it is his family during what will be a horrific time to have to work through. While on the phone w/ him all he could think of were the empty cages he was staring at and those poor little precious bodies in his fridge awaiting necropsy. I also will be making a donation to his rescue to try to help cushion the costs of the bills that will be incurred from this event. If you all have anything to spare I encourage you to do the same. I will give an update when I hear back from him; unless he has the strength to post himself. Thank you for your time. _________________

PLEASE DO NOT FEED YOUR BIRDS GRAPES FROM CHILLI AT THE MOMENT! DO NOT FEED GRAPES FROM CHILLI TO YOUR BIRDS!!!! A person on another board I frequent lost 8 of his parrots last night, shortly after feeding them chillian grapes. All the birds were in fine health until shortly after eating these grapes. People have been feeding their parrots on these grapes for ages, so it seems that a bad batch has come through. As routine, the grapes were washed well before being fed to the parrots, but EVERY PARROT THAT ATE THESE GRAPES IS NOW DEAD. The parrots are all going to have post mortems to exact the cause, but it HAS to be from the grapes. I will keep you all updated, but in the meantime DO NOT FEED THESE GRAPES TO ANY OF YOUR BIRDS. Anne

ah, right, so it probably wasnt mites in that case, unless they had been lurking unnoticed in his feathers all that time (possible, but unlikely) It does sound like a basic respiratory infection then, and even the slightest chill or cold can kick that off. Other trigger factors can be fumes from airfreshers or any airosols, cooking fumes from highly heated none stick pans (teflon) scented candles, etc. All of these can fatally irritate a birds respiratory system, and I have heard many times that the fabric freshener Febreze is suspected as being one of the worst offenders. Anne

IF you clip (and i dont like it particularly) please be sure that it is only a clip and not a butcher. Your bird shouls still be able to fly quite well, and glide to the ground gracefully, not hit it like a brick. So many badly clipped birds die as a result of a broken keel (breast) bone because their wings have been butchered beyond all flying ability. And a novice should never attempt to clip wings, its a job for the experienced only, or an avian vet. If you must do it, TRIM, DONT BUTCHER !

you are very welcome jay, it was not trouble. i still cant see picture, but please feel free to email it me at chirpy001@hotmail.com Am glad the little thing seems to be managing okay! I really do hope he gets through this. blessings, Anne

heh, they deffinately not from yur sis! most likely they came from another infected bird, did you get him from petshop or an aviary/breeder? thats the most likely place they'll have come from if it was that. human lice cant invade a budgies resiritory system, so please dont boil your sis!

it sounds like some sort of seizure to me imotive, ive just done a quick search, but as yet i havent found an exact match regarding symptoms. If i come up with anything that may be of help, i will paste it in for you. I have found however that it is not totally uncommon for budgies to suffer from seizures. If I can come up with something more precise, i will get right back. Anne okay, here's a bit of info, i will find more detail if i can.. *quote* Listen to the bird breathe. If you can hear 'clicking' sounds this may be a sign of air sac mites or other respiratory problems. A wheezing budgie is not a healthy budgie. okay, on further investigation, (far too many to c and p unfortunately) everything seems to point to some sort of respiratory disease. This is often accompanied by the 'clicking' sound you describe, tho not the happy beak click that budgies sometimes do. It is possible that at these times, there wasnt enough oxygen getting into your budgies blood, and, like us humans, lack of oxygen can cause 'fainting' or brief unconciousness. Air sac mites are often a cause of respiratory problems, and can be hard to detect, its not like they are as noticeable as headlice in a fine haired blond child. Respiratory disease can often be fatal in small birds, so its well possible this was the cause of your birds demise. why dont you ring up your local/own avian vet and ask if yuo can have a quick chat on the phone, and see what he/see says regarding these symptoms? Im so sorry you lost your pet, and sometimes investigating WHY can be quite painful, bringing back sad memories, but it can also be a valuable learning curve from which you can only benefit. I hope ive been of some help, and Im sorry i was unable to find a deffinate answer for you. My admiration goes to you for seeking out answers. Anne xx

Thanks for the update soooz, and im glad it dosent appear too serious. i wouldnt worry too much about him not drinking, he be getting a sneaky beakful when you are not looking! A nice steady, warm remperature combined with the tlc you are giving him should pull him through this. Very best wishes to and the little guy, I hope he improves very quickly! Anne

okay, here are some of the replies i got in my search .. I came across three seperate website that say if beak filing is done wrong it can cause the beak to fall off...Please ask him if this was done. Even the slightest error from a vet or well meaning person could cause this to happen. Im not a vet....this is what Im reading. Im just thinking that if this wasnt caused by fileing...there could be something more serious to the other 15....Im still searching for more info and will post if I find anything and another (these replys will, i hope be of use to anyone who comes accross beak probs... Good grief. I have never ever heard of this before where a beak just fell off and the bird is still alive. 90% of beak mutilation occurs when the bird is attacked or it gets it's beak stuck in something, panics, and yanks, but in this situation, it's almost always fatal. A friend of mine did experience this very thing with her cockatiel who got evidently got his beak wedged between bars of his cage. She found him dead in the morning with the beak and cere completely dislocated from the head. So tragic. Budgies ARE prone to parasites and fungus in the beak, cere and legs and feet. However........you would see some evidence of this before it got so bad that the beak fell off, if it would even go that far. I have never heard of a beak and cere growing back???? Please correct me if I am wrong. I would like to follow this thread to see what the outcome is. I hope the little guy makes it. a vet KNOWS beaks don't "grow back" if the beak "FELL" off. Now broken yes .... tips and such will grow back but a bird does not generate a new beak/cere like a starfish does a new leg/tentacle. Did this person mention previous injury? (lack of blood can cause necrosis and it will fall off). Did they mention blood loss? Weakness? Facial deformity such as fungus overtaking the beak and choking off the viable tissue that "feeds" the beak it's blood supply? okay, so its a bit gloomy looking, but at least you have questions to put to your vet, and some points to note, i.e, has the WHOLE beak come off, or just the main part, leaving a bit of beak behind for regrowth? Everyone is wishing you only the best for your bird and wish only for a happy healthy ending. Please keep us informed if you will how your bird progresses, there is so much we could all learn from this if you are willing to share. Anne

drat! cant view, says forbidden for some reason. Oh, and please dont appologise, youve done nothing to appologise for! Anne

hey, dont be sorry! you clearly adore your birds, and im not getting at you at all! Please hang in there, at this very moment i am trying to get you some more help and advice. No-one of my contacts will want yuo to have your little bird put down, believe me. If only MORE bird owners were like you. please hang on, I will get you all the help I can. You dont have to reply or anything, just stay around. And I do understand, if anything goes wrong with my birds, it feels like my whole world is falling to pieces! Am sorry, but i cant see the picture, thats why its difficult for me to assess from your post, cos the oic isnt showing on my pc. Anne

A deformity??? All of a sudden? This dosent sound right to me! how much beak has he got left? Has another budgie possibly attacked him? This is serious stuff, birds beaks are incredibly sensitive, this little fella could well have suffered extreme pain. Just for now, i would make available to him some porridge oats, soaked overnight in water, maybe even some farleys rusk, again soaked in water. he will need some nutrition! Bear with me, I am dashing off to try and get you some further information that may help, it will involve some copying and pasting, if thats okay with yu and board owner, Adam. But it will be advice off the best people I can think of to help, people i would trust 100% with my own two beloved birds. No identities will be revealed, just your dilemma. Anne.

Hi suzy, nice to meet you! It sounds like your budgie has the beginings of a bit of a cold, so really he does need veterinary intervention, as their respiratory systems are very weak. Kepp him nice and warm, but not too hot, and make sure his cage is well covered at nifgt, so as not to allow draughts in, as this could aggravate the problem. Also, be sure that his cage isnt in a draughty position, or in a window where he could quickly get heatstroke from concentrated sunshine. Keep us informed, we care about every budgie on here! Anne.

Thankyou for bringing this to our attention, forwarned is for-armed. Hmm, maybe a 'Danger Alert' forum could have a very usefull place here? What do you think Adam? That way a post warning us of hidden dangers isnt going to be lost among many other posts of a totally different nature. just a thought! Anne

what worries me greatly about them is that if they get the slightest bit of sunshine on them, they are going to act like a greenhouse! Pot roast beef is rather pleasant, but cage stewed budgie????? Jeeez, no, I dont like these cages!

Snowy, my little rescue bird isnt overly tame pixie. She's much, much calmer now after being here about 5 months, but although she will very occasionally fly to me, and has preened my hair once, i know deep down she will always be a 'birdy' bird. However, i must say i get sooo much pleasure just watching her fly round, and torment Teapot (and he torments her too :(Laughing out loud): ) I think Teapot is quite exceptionally tame, in the way he talks so much, adores humans, and he comes to me like a well-trained pup when i shout him. (he's fully flighted so its a lovely sight watching his little feet come forward in the 'landing' position just before he plonks himself on my shoulder or outstretched hand! ) I think Teapot is just one on his own, and ive been the lucky one blessed to have him in my life, but, in her own unique little way, Snowy is just as special, not tame, but special

Hi Pixie Teapot was a crazy bird for about a week, maybe a bit less, and he didnt really want to be handled. Then one evening my fosterchild gave a loud sneeze whilst Teapot was on the side of his cage, and in his fright Teapot just flew straight to me and huddled under my chin. That was it, litteraly. From then on he just wanted to be with me all the time. As soon as i offered my hand, he was on it, and up my arm to my shoulder and has stuck to me like glue ever since! I think the fact that I work from home (foster carer) helped a lot with the bonding aswel, he sees so much of me. He's friendly towards everyone and will let anyone hold him, but he always comes back to me after a minute or two

Im sure he will learn step up eventually for you! Pixie is right, it can be a life saver at times (tho hopefully that time never arises, though best prepared) it sounds like he's taming up quite nicely as it is

Grabbing him will only deepen his mistrust. Patience and time and gentleness are the way forward. Some budgies just dont want to be cuddle-pets and personally I dont think it should ever be forced. The only time i would ever 'grab' one of my birds is if it was in imminent danger, or needed to be caught for a vet visit or something on those lines. Think how easy it would be to break a tiny leg or wing.

hopefully this link will take you there ... http://www.ukpetsupplies.com/detail.aspx?ID=129&affiliate=2

Hi Sal, sounds to me like youve got a little boy there!

It probably is due to being with all the other budgies. When cookie has his/her first proper moult, the tatty feathers should be replaced by nice sleek feathers. What colour is cookies cere? You should be able to tell if its male or female from that Anne

mine get the mini sweetcorns raw julie, they love it.

Hi guys! I use one of those cotton (not fleecy) throws to cover my birds at night, its navy blue. Graham, hi. In the wild, the birds can take shelter amongst the leaves and branches of the trees, so really, the cover over the cage is just mimicing this. Also, birds do need their sleep and that isnt easy for them to achieve if they are in an artificially lit room till say, 11 or 12 o clock at night or even later. Covering them helps them to have the hours of darkness and peace that they would get in the wild, and also gives them the feeling of a protective shelter, again like the leaves on the trees. At night, my birds are moved into a quiet room where they will not be disturbed, as well as being covered. Anne

I agree with what Julie says, and also, try putting lettuce leaves or spinnach leaves in the water at the bottom of the bath. This tempted both my budgies to start bathing. I also use slightly warm water for the bath aswel, Teapot wuldnt even dip his toe in if i used cold!