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Post by luminescence on Oct 16, 2016 10:41:55 GMT -5
Hello everyone,
I bought a new quaker parrot about two weeks ago and I had some questions concerning my parrot's health. My parrot is still pretty scared of me and I try to give him as much time as possible to get adjusted to his new home and environment. The guy who sold it to me told me that a balanced diet is very important and I've been giving him proper nutrition everyday. I'm a bit worried about his preening, though. He seems to be slightly agitated the last couple of days and he has been preening more than usual with its beak and feet. He is also in a fluffed position most of the time. I can definitely see that his feathers look less 'healthy' than they did when I just brought him home. My parrot is about 10/11 weeks now.
He does eat and drink enough and is still very active. I'm just wondering whether I should be worried about his health and get him checked up or something. I called the guy who sold the parrot to me the other day and he told me I should not worry unless it's actually plucking its feathers(which is not the case). Could anyone give me some advice on this?
Thank you very much in advance.
Kind regards,
Luminescence
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Post by easttex on Oct 16, 2016 12:59:04 GMT -5
A relaxed Quaker will have slightly puffy feathers. A sick one will usually be quite a bit puffier, but that's not a whole lot of help if you're new to birds. If he isn't well, you might also see him with both feet on his perch and his feathers covering them. His poop is a good thing to study for signs. Personally, I would disregard the breeder's advice, for two reasons. First, you have concerns about your bird's overall health, and even if you didn't, an initial vet visit is a good thing to do. You establish a relationship with the vet, which makes things easier if you need to see one in the future, and you can get lots of great advice if you're able to find one who is avian certified and/or experienced. Second, although I don't know of any parrots beginning to pluck at such a young age, if there is something that may lead to plucking, it's far better to address it now. It could be a simple thing like an allergy to something in his environment. An avian vet is in the best position to help. Welcome to the forum!  Have you named your new pal? |
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Post by cnyguy on Oct 16, 2016 20:36:44 GMT -5
A vet checkup is always a good idea within the first week or two of bringing a new parrot home, so I would definitely recommend that you schedule one for your new friend. An avian certified vet is best, but if there are none where you live, find one who is at least experienced with birds.
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Post by aaron on Oct 16, 2016 21:36:43 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum! Easttex has given you good advice here. Establishing a vet is a really good move, the earlier the better... and in general, the approach of a careful bird owner is to pretty much go into the vet if there is even the slightest concern, just to be safe... because birds are very good at hiding symptoms, and often, by the time a problem is very obvious, it is also already very serious, and at times it may be too late at that point. So we learn to do things like monitor droppings (and weight) for changes (the best source of early warning signs for developing health problems)... Anyhow, that was a long way to say that yes, it'd be a good idea to get him a check up, and you're going to be doing it soon anyway, so might as well do it now Good luck, and definitely keep us posted on how things go!  |
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Post by luminescence on Oct 17, 2016 6:06:15 GMT -5
Thank you for your responses! I haven't thought of a pretty name for him yet, but I'll come up with something very soon. Also thanks a lot for the advice, I'll be going to the vet this week for a general check up Kind regards, Luminescence |
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Post by julianna on Oct 17, 2016 12:31:41 GMT -5
Hello and welcome. Have you offered your QP a bath? They love the water. Many like to splash around in a container that should be as deep as the top of his legs and long enough so he can dunk his tail. Others like the spray bottle. My QP asks for a bath every 3 days or so. I use the bathroom sink for his baths. He loves them. However afterward when they are soaked... they will be very quiet and still. This is because they will be at their most vulnerable (not being able to fly).... so be patient. All is well.
Good luck.
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Post by Jan and Shah on Oct 17, 2016 15:36:49 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum. As the others have suggested, a vet visit is a good idea just to rule out any problems and the vet will have a base line to work from if your little buddy does get sick further down the track. Please let us know how you go.
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Post by luminescence on Oct 17, 2016 16:52:08 GMT -5
Hello and welcome. Have you offered your QP a bath? They love the water. Many like to splash around in a container that should be as deep as the top of his legs and long enough so he can dunk his tail. Others like the spray bottle. My QP asks for a bath every 3 days or so. I use the bathroom sink for his baths. He loves them. However afterward when they are soaked... they will be very quiet and still. This is because they will be at their most vulnerable (not being able to fly).... so be patient. All is well. Good luck. As I do not want to stress him too much(grab him or force him to take a bath), I use a spray bottle for now. He is by the way not able to fly yet(or anymore). My breeder prefered his birds to be clipped for their own safety. Thank you for your response, I will let you guys know how it goes. |
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Have you named your new pal?
