Quarantine and other questions

[Ede-bird]

We are still working out details before deciding to adopt Kenney the 18 year old CAG. One major detail is quarantine - normally the newbie is confined to the guest room for 6 weeks - but Kenney is used to being with his family 24/7 and I worry about the stress. Kenney has lived 18 years in a house with no other birds, just the family dog - so is isolation even necessary if we take him to the AV first for a check up??? The other thing that I keep hearing about is an air filtration system for the dust he will produce - any suggestions or brands to avoid. I have to dust the house daily now because of the other birds and the woodstove pellet plant that is a few blocks away, so how much worse could it be?? ( STOP laughing you Grey owners! I want to be as prepared as possible if we do this...not that we are ever truly prepared for a new baby

 

[Cynthia & Percy]

even though he has never been with other birds quarantine is a must in my opinion he may be over whelmed by the other birds and he should do fine by him self for that period of time I do not know about the dust however

 

[JLcribber]

Quarantine is not just for health reasons. It's also about the slow introduction to the other birds so they get a chance to hear each other and become curious about each other. The odds are much better that they will get along. Just slamming him into the "population" can cause a lot of sudden stress that won't help the situation at all.

 

[Saemma]

A great air purifier would be the Austin Air since you seem to have so many birds.

 

[Ede-bird]

Sigh...I wasn't going to just stuff him into the general population, but I was thinking that he could be in the guest room with the door open and hear the others, and that we could wander in and out more freely than we normally do with a newcomer in the house.( no lab coats and such) He could even come out if he was so inclined, but be able to retreat if it is all too overwhelming.

 

[JLcribber]

Sigh...I wasn't going to just stuff him into the general population, but I was thinking that he could be in the guest room with the door open and hear the others, and that we could wander in and out more freely than we normally do with a newcomer in the house.( no lab coats and such) He could even come out if he was so inclined, but be able to retreat if it is all too overwhelming.

That works for me!!

 

[*K*J*B*]

Sigh...I wasn't going to just stuff him into the general population, but I was thinking that he could be in the guest room with the door open and hear the others, and that we could wander in and out more freely than we normally do with a newcomer in the house.( no lab coats and such) He could even come out if he was so inclined, but be able to retreat if it is all too overwhelming.

I think that sounds like a fantastic idea. I wouldn't worry about quarantine since he's been an only bird. I'd still have him vetted though. Just introduce him to the other birds slowly. I probably wouldn't let them meet at all for a few days at least. Just let them hear eachother. I have no suggestions on the air purifier. I need to get one as well.

 

[Brigidt36]

I think your idea is a good one. Good luck with bringing Kenny home, and Congrats.

 

[LittleGems]

If he has not been around any other birds his whole life, then I look at that as he has already been quarantined for 18 years! Definitely a vet check - and I think blood work is a good idea so you can see the "true picture" of his health. But I would not be panicking about introducing him into the other birds airspace in this situation and agree that total isolation would quite possibly do more harm than good

 

[atvchick95]

For an Air Purifier i've used Honey well for the last 2 years, I just got an Austin, but if you don't have the funds for that honey well is a good brand

as for proper Quarantine, he may be the only bird for 18 yrs may seem healthy- but what if he's a carrier? 90% of diseases come out when the bird is stressed, being moved out of his only home(or only home he's known for the last 18 yrs) into a new one with other birds is going to be a lot of stress! - Just saying -