Cotton my G2

[FlyingMacaws]

Cotton aka Our Biting Buzzard, has finally nailed down the reason why she is missing her head and neck feathers. My vet and I have with a 95 percent certainty that it was caused by an allergic reaction while she was in the care of of her previous owner.
This brings up the importance of making sure you watch what your birds eat and play with. Cotton likes to bury her head in her pellets. Which explains why her reaction was pinpointed to her head and tail feathers.

 

[faislaq]

She was allergic to the pellets she was on? If not, I've misunderstood. Glad you've figured out what it was, though.

 

[cassiesdad]

Wow...that's a great catch you and your vet made!

 

[FlyingMacaws]

She was allergic to the pellets she was on? If not, I've misunderstood. Glad you've figured out what it was, though.

Yes. She was allergic to the pellets he had her on. I noticed she would scratch and scratch after she would “dip” her head into her pellets.

 

[faislaq]

Wow! Great job catching that!

 

[FlyingMacaws]

I was lucky, but I’m also hyper diligent though. She is on a daily dose of infant Benadryl.

 

[cassiesdad]

I was lucky, but I’m also hyper diligent though.

...you're an excellent parront...

 

[sunnysmom]

Wow. I'm glad you got it figured out.

 

[Shezbug]

I am really curious how the pellets would have affected her so furiously when I guess they were the pellets she was eating. Wouldn't the likely reaction from eating them have been worse than the reaction to them topically if she had an allergy to them?
Either way I am glad you have managed to help her regrow her feathers

 

[FlyingMacaws]

I am really curious how the pellets would have affected her so furiously when I guess they were the pellets she was eating. Wouldn't the likely reaction from eating them have been worse than the reaction to them topically if she had an allergy to them?
Either way I am glad you have managed to help her regrow her feathers

My vet and I are only speculating that it was the pellets that the previous owner had her on. When I brought her home with the ziplock bag of her previous pellets she wouldn’t eat them. She would “burrow” her head into the pellets and fling them out of her bowl. I can’t guarrantee that it was her previous pellets but to me it’s the only logical explanation due to that she only has feather loss on her head and neck. So I’m guessing her previous pellets may have been improperly stored leading to bacteria buildup, causing the feather loss since she likes to play in her food.
I am seeing new “hair feathers” and she has two actual feathers coming in.

 

[FlyingMacaws]

She finally figured out that she had her favorite piñon nuts inside it. She’s an officially happy Coo.

 

[Deleted member 29421]

Personally, Ive never been a fan of pellets. I know they push them on people but I cant believe that some company out to make money can recreate the perfect food, all in a boring pellet. They arent available in the wild so I stick to a wide variety of greens, other veggies, various grains, some fruit and limited amounts of quality seeds.

 

[FlyingMacaws]

Personally, Ive never been a fan of pellets. I know they push them on people but I cant believe that some company out to make money can recreate the perfect food, all in a boring pellet. They arent available in the wild so I stick to a wide variety of greens, other veggies, various grains, some fruit and limited amounts of quality seeds.

I use pellets as a supplement or a “filler” more or less. I also use pellets as my “flour” for when I make my birdy breads. I’m a firm believer in fresh fruits/veggies, grains, nuts(in the shell) seeds, edible flowers etc.

 

[Sylvester]

Glad it was diagnose. You have a great eye and that's a pretty savvy vet you have. Although I think she looks cute bald, I know you are excited for her to get her feathers back.

 

[FlyingMacaws]

Glad it was diagnose. You have a great eye and that's a pretty savvy vet you have. Although I think she looks cute bald, I know you are excited for her to get her feathers back.

I like the “vulture” look. She is our little Cotton top commando. Lol

 

[Nancy B]

Personally, Ive never been a fan of pellets. I know they push them on people but I cant believe that some company out to make money can recreate the perfect food, all in a boring pellet. They arent available in the wild so I stick to a wide variety of greens, other veggies, various grains, some fruit and limited amounts of quality seeds.

My vet says exactly that. Not more than a tablespoon of high quality seed at a time a fruit 2-3 times per week and all the bird safe veggies, greens & herbs they will eat. Fred eats great, the lovebirds eat anything they are given and Fred is getting just like them! I find fresh food cheaper and easier.

He also gets oatmeal chia cookies I make from instant oatmeal packets (plain, then add raisins, chopped almonds, cinnamon or ginger, mashed banana, anything you want really then enough hot water to make a cookie dough. Bake then serve or freeze.) We like them too! You can add a little sugar but I don't. My son said he ate some for breakfast lol, I didn't tell him they were for the birds! Lol

 

[Nancy B]

Hmmm....I have to try sweet potato in those cookies!

Just an added footnote; I also like adding a little cooked quinoa to their veggies. I freeze it in a silicon ice cube tray, then put the cubes in a container in the freezer. Then just add to the veggies, usually 1 cube per cup of chopped veggies. Thaw & heat, mix with chopped raw or cooked veggies. Fred prefers cooked, lovebirds don't care.

 

[Shezbug]

He also gets oatmeal chia cookies I make from instant oatmeal packets (plain, then add raisins, chopped almonds, cinnamon or ginger, mashed banana, anything you want really then enough hot water to make a cookie dough. Bake then serve or freeze.) We like them too! You can add a little sugar but I don't. My son said he ate some for breakfast lol, I didn't tell him they were for the birds! Lol[/QUOTE]


These sound yummy. We do not buy the sachets (too expensive) but I do have two massive containers of rolled oats (one is instant like the sachets) so I might just have a look to see how much is in the sachets and give your recipe a try. They sound like something all the people and animals at my house would like, thank you

 

[Deleted member 29421]

You can add a little sugar but I don't.

I make some blueberry protein muffins for myself that are only sweetened with applesauce. I bet it would work for your bird cookies.

 

[Nancy B]

He also gets oatmeal chia cookies I make from instant oatmeal packets (plain, then add raisins, chopped almonds, cinnamon or ginger, mashed banana, anything you want really then enough hot water to make a cookie dough. Bake then serve or freeze.) We like them too! You can add a little sugar but I don't. My son said he ate some for breakfast lol, I didn't tell him they were for the birds! Lol

These sound yummy. We do not buy the sachets (too expensive) but I do have two massive containers of rolled oats (one is instant like the sachets) so I might just have a look to see how much is in the sachets and give your recipe a try. They sound like something all the people and animals at my house would like, thank you[/QUOTE]
That works too! I have both! Sometimes I use a flavored one and add rolled oats to it too! Just add enough hot water to make a cookie dough. Used to make them for my son who wouldn't eat breakfast as a kid, and put them in a paper lunch bag to eat on the bus. Had to make extra for friends! Lol If you add chia, I just add it the way it is, it will cook with the cookies