mini macaw

[Hahns0hmy]

been a while since ive been here, ive had one hell of a crazy season. my hahns went nuts around june 2023. it may have been from the record heat or the construction work done at my house. he ripped out every single feather to the bare skin on his chest. I tookem to the vet and it seems to me the vet visit scared the hell out of him even more. he plucked more after it specifically. fast forward few weeks of changing environment, lights food this that, to stop the crazy plucking. he is back fully feathered once again. I literally rubbed hemp oil on his bare skin to gettem to stop couple times a week with showers and i believe it helped sooth it. his anxiety is on very high still though. one of the most wild never sitting still pets ive ever had. think I need a hahns macaw psychiatrist. very scary and stressful seeing plucking, my second time now he did that and re grew it only this one was worse. hahns are very anxious easily stressed birds. now everytime i see a feather on the floor its ptsd

 

[Shezbug]

I am glad to hear things have settled down and there has been some regrowth.

 

[SumitaSinh]

been a while since ive been here, ive had one hell of a crazy season. my hahns went nuts around june 2023. it may have been from the record heat or the construction work done at my house. he ripped out every single feather to the bare skin on his chest. I tookem to the vet and it seems to me the vet visit scared the hell out of him even more. he plucked more after it specifically. fast forward few weeks of changing environment, lights food this that, to stop the crazy plucking. he is back fully feathered once again. I literally rubbed hemp oil on his bare skin to gettem to stop couple times a week with showers and i believe it helped sooth it. his anxiety is on very high still though. one of the most wild never sitting still pets ive ever had. think I need a hahns macaw psychiatrist. very scary and stressful seeing plucking, my second time now he did that and re grew it only this one was worse. hahns are very anxious easily stressed birds. now everytime i see a feather on the floor its ptsd

I can understand your worries! Pestaa also plucked feathers and they're still to regrow. Yes, we need a psychiatrist specialized in hahns macaw, easily stressed they are. Actually I've already asked my psychiatrist friend to study about hahns macaw and he's suggested fluoxetin. Hope Jeff calms down and you also get some peace. Lots of love.

 

[Hahns0hmy]

I can understand your worries! Pestaa also plucked feathers and they're still to regrow. Yes, we need a psychiatrist specialized in hahns macaw, easily stressed they are. Actually I've already asked my psychiatrist friend to study about hahns macaw and he's suggested fluoxetin. Hope Jeff calms down and you also get some peace. Lots of love.

whats crazy is he plucked it 3rd time now and he lets it re grow asap. until he gets hormonal again june. so bizarre i cant figure it out. this is him today out and about. he was literally bald whole chest in some spots it was bare skin looked like a roasted chicken. dont give up hope. i had fish and reptiles for years. he tops the workload for all combined.


chewy sells that drug for cats and dogs in all sorts of crazy flavors like chicken marshmallow or beef with prescription. says for birds as well

 

[Pixiebeak]

I was just talking with my vet about hormonal spring and what additional steps I could take .
She advised me to switch to a 15 hour daylight, to get a light on a timer , just a floor lamp near cages. To start now , and keep 15 hours light year round .

So I plan to get on that. I have girls and a different species. But might be helpful

 

[Shezbug]

I was just talking with my vet about hormonal spring and what additional steps I could take .
She advised me to switch to a 15 hour daylight, to get a light on a timer , just a floor lamp near cages. To start now , and keep 15 hours light year round .

So I plan to get on that. I have girls and a different species. But might be helpful

15hrs daylight? I have not heard this before- did she say why more daylight?

 

[Hahns0hmy]

I was just talking with my vet about hormonal spring and what additional steps I could take .
She advised me to switch to a 15 hour daylight, to get a light on a timer , just a floor lamp near cages. To start now , and keep 15 hours light year round .

So I plan to get on that. I have girls and a different species. But might be helpful

it would make sense in the fact if you have a solid set routine the bird will technically never know when summer is or when to be hormonal if everyday is the same, but that theory has holes. some birds can remain hormonal all year if given the right elements. the problem with the spring and summer it isnt just light. its heat. the temp is humid the weather is hot. the birds outside chirp that tune too ( in my case) and let them know anyways. my birds room needs the air conditioner on in summer. its hard to miss lol


i've read other theories of resetting the circadian rhythm in birds by leaving the light in 24 hours cage covered. sounded like torture to me so i didn't attempt that. definitely let me know what difference you notice

 

[Pixiebeak]

15hrs daylight? I have not heard this before- did she say why more daylight?

It threw me st first as well, I thought she was talking dark time . I started talking black out shades. But she set me straight and said , light time is the most important. She said the change in daylight length is a big trigger. Most species have longer days , than we have in north America. And the 15 hours had the greatest success. She is avian and zoo med boarded, travels to vet schools as guest lecture, and global vet consult, and done international conservation work. . I have nothing but the highest respect for her knowledge and dedication, and experience.

As this year I had an egg bound in one, and multiple eggs in the other , I'm thinking about this now to prevent next spring. After all my years of no issues with eggs , ughhhh

I'm going to be doing this. Sure hope it helpful! As well as other stuff, moving and changing cages. No soft warm foods in spring, summer, increased exercise, and foraging. Trying to prevent darn high perch ceilings fan mate calling.

 

[Shezbug]

It threw me st first as well, I thought she was talking dark time . I started talking black out shades. But she set me straight and said , light time is the most important. She said the change in daylight length is a big trigger. Most species have longer days , than we have in north America. And the 15 hours had the greatest success. She is avian and zoo med boarded, travels to vet schools as guest lecture, and global vet consult, and done international conservation work. . I have nothing but the highest respect for her knowledge and dedication, and experience.

As this year I had an egg bound in one, and multiple eggs in the other , I'm thinking about this now to prevent next spring. After all my years of no issues with eggs , ughhhh

I'm going to be doing this. Sure hope it helpful! As well as other stuff, moving and changing cages. No soft warm foods in spring, summer, increased exercise, and foraging. Trying to prevent darn high perch ceilings fan mate calling.

Interesting!

I only know of using more daylight hours to increase breeding or egg laying so this is a tad confusing to me.

I was always of the belief that more abundant/better quality and availability of food, better warmer weather, more daylight hours all adds to increasing hormones needed for optimum breeding. I wont argue with what your vet said as I honestly do not know or understand enough about hormones in parrots to have even a decent discussion about them but I will question the advise till I somehow understand it.

 

[Pixiebeak]

it would make sense in the fact if you have a solid set routine the bird will technically never know when summer is or when to be hormonal if everyday is the same, but that theory has holes. some birds can remain hormonal all year if given the right elements. the problem with the spring and summer it isnt just light. its heat. the temp is humid the weather is hot. the birds outside chirp that tune too ( in my case) and let them know anyways. my birds room needs the air conditioner on in summer. its hard to miss lol


i've read other theories of resetting the circadian rhythm in birds by leaving the light in 24 hours cage covered. sounded like torture to me so i didn't attempt that. definitely let me know what difference you notice

It's definitely a multi prong approach. I was consulting with her for what additional steps I could take .

 

[Pixiebeak]

Interesting!

I only know of using more daylight hours to increase breeding or egg laying so this is a tad confusing to me.

I was always of the belief that more abundant/better quality and availability of food, better warmer weather, more daylight hours all adds to increasing hormones needed for optimum breeding. I wont argue with what your vet said as I honestly do not know or understand enough about hormones in parrots to have even a decent discussion about them but I will question the advise till I somehow understand it.

I understand. She did mention it can be less effective with some species. But I was focused on mine. So I didn't ask . Hormones are a common theme. If she's seen success, I'm all in to give it a go.

 

[Shezbug]

I understand. She did mention it can be less effective with some species. But I was focused on mine. So I didn't ask . Hormones are a common theme. If she's seen success, I'm all in to give it a go.

Oh for sure! Keep us updated! Maybe you should run a diary type thread on what you find with your birds once you start making the changes.

 

[Hahns0hmy]

I understand. She did mention it can be less effective with some species. But I was focused on mine. So I didn't ask . Hormones are a common theme. If she's seen success, I'm all in to give it a go.

i think the light for some is more important than others. like for example in my personal home i have lights go on with alexa everyday 8am and shut 7:30pm along with the tv and all else it controls. i have 3 sets of shades. 1 regular blinds 1 pull down blackout and one black out curtain for sound as well. that routine has been the same since i basically got them 5 to 6 yrs ago. during the day i do expose them to the natural sun and open all shades. what we need investigating is the lights we use in our homes. what is the lumens on the full spectrum lights/ the distance from cage and so on

the routine for me never changes with light. its definitely multi prong approach as you said. i have all prongs in the sockets stressed from the trying lol

 

[Hahns0hmy]

It threw me st first as well, I thought she was talking dark time . I started talking black out shades. But she set me straight and said , light time is the most important. She said the change in daylight length is a big trigger. Most species have longer days , than we have in north America. And the 15 hours had the greatest success. She is avian and zoo med boarded, travels to vet schools as guest lecture, and global vet consult, and done international conservation work. . I have nothing but the highest respect for her knowledge and dedication, and experience.

As this year I had an egg bound in one, and multiple eggs in the other , I'm thinking about this now to prevent next spring. After all my years of no issues with eggs , ughhhh

I'm going to be doing this. Sure hope it helpful! As well as other stuff, moving and changing cages. No soft warm foods in spring, summer, increased exercise, and foraging. Trying to prevent darn high perch ceilings fan mate calling.

i learned from last years pluck diet is major player. the vet told me last year cut out what i normally give him and stick to the veggies pellets fruit only. i did that and he went nuts ripped out every feather. they need nuts and seed in the diet just not a lot... the vet wont tell me that but he did.

i really want to love avian vets and I want to believe all they say. so far though ive seen some very high specialists. one wrote vets texts books. the knowledge is very limited. avian medicine is not well known

 

[Pixiebeak]

i learned from last years pluck diet is major player. the vet told me last year cut out what i normally give him and stick to the veggies pellets fruit only. i did that and he went nuts ripped out every feather. they need nuts and seed in the diet just not a lot... the vet wont tell me that but he did.

i really want to love avian vets and I want to believe all they say. so far though ive seen some very high specialists. one wrote vets texts books. the knowledge is very limited. avian medicine is not well known

We need more captive parrot studies!! We need more wild parrot studies!! With as much money as we spend on them! With how amazing and glorious they are. With decline in wild parrots . I do hope we see more advances