Shaggy's vet appt., today..

[Mare]

We went in for a vet check, today. I brought Shaggy, 12yr. old Umbrella cockatoo in for her/his first vet check this morning. First off, she came to me with a crooked upper beak and the previous owner thought she was female because she "thinks" Shaggy laid an egg..drrr. I had a DNA test done, clipping the nail short enough to bleed and the blood results should be back within two weeks. The vet was almost positive Shaggy is male but the test will make sure.

She had a beak trim with a dremel, from the vet,,her beak was a mess but looks much better. The vet wants her back in a month to continue correcting. I was concerned that she might be too thin because all I can get her to touch..is seed, sometimes..a bit of banana :(. When she first got here, a month ago, she seemed to love banana but now it's just a bite. The vet told me to not give up, keep offering which I definitely will.

I'll be collecting fecals to be tested. Other than that, we are..Onward!..through the fog!! :)

[Dragonlady2]

Good news that he/she appears to be healthy. Interesting that she might be a he...lol Diet is such a tricky thing to change. The trick is to find something they like that is healthy and build on that.
With your experience Mare, I am sure that you will find ways to entice Shaggy to expand her palette to healthier choices.

[Cedardave]

I can honestly suggest,try the sprinkle of fruit juice on the pellet trick to get Shaggy interested in pellets.We use a low sugar berry blend..or you can put some fruit in a blender to juice it.We have had a great success rate getting the stubborn pellet deniers onto them this way.If the vet or you think Shaggy needs to add weight...we have had good success by mixing a juvenile hand feeding formula with fruit juice and adding that to the regular feeding.The formulas are designed to start the little ones with everything they need..and tend to boost the appetites of the older birds as well.Im glad to hear the first vet visit went well.

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Seeds and bananas both good for putting on weight but the seeds (depending on type) can be quite fatty which goes to the liver.
Have you tried "you can only have some seeds once you have eaten at least one pellet"? They are just like kids after all is said and done. :)
If the vet still has all his/her fingers I think it is called a good visit.

[Mare]

Good news that he/she appears to be healthy. Interesting that she might be a he...lol Diet is such a tricky thing to change. The trick is to find something they like that is healthy and build on that.
With your experience Mare, I am sure that you will find ways to entice Shaggy to expand her palette to healthier choices.

Helena, The vet thinks Shaggy might be male because of the black color eyes. Her/his, ( I'll continue to say "her" till I know differently for sure), eyes look exactly like Mi Amigo's but in direct sunlight they appear rusty colored. She also has the male cockatoo humping technique down pat! :). I don't know if females act the same as males in that department and if not, she could very well be male, that would be good by me!

[Mare]

I can honestly suggest,try the sprinkle of fruit juice on the pellet trick to get Shaggy interested in pellets.We use a low sugar berry blend..or you can put some fruit in a blender to juice it.We have had a great success rate getting the stubborn pellet deniers onto them this way.If the vet or you think Shaggy needs to add weight...we have had good success by mixing a juvenile hand feeding formula with fruit juice and adding that to the regular feeding.The formulas are designed to start the little ones with everything they need..and tend to boost the appetites of the older birds as well.Im glad to hear the first vet visit went well.


Thanks, Dave, I'll definitely try your fruit juice on the pellet trick! Do you know if the fruit colored pellets are also "fruit" flavored?..just curious.

Shaggy weighs 646. The vet didn't think her weight was off so..we're doing pretty good there. She/the vet says she needs a lot more vitamin A and E in her diet, I need to get her eating those veggies!

[Mare]

Seeds and bananas both good for putting on weight but the seeds (depending on type) can be quite fatty which goes to the liver.
Have you tried "you can only have some seeds once you have eaten at least one pellet"? They are just like kids after all is said and done. :)
If the vet still has all his/her fingers I think it is called a good visit.

Heehee! Yes the vet and vet tec had all their fingers in tact :). I stepped out of the exam room, to use the restroom, while they took Shaggy out for the DNA test. When I stepped back into the room, Shaggy was on the floor, cowering in the corner and the vet tech was trying to pick her up :(. The poor baby was totally freaked out. She let me pick her up and we had a sweet little cuddle before going back in the travel cage.

I've thought about holding back her seeds to see if she'll eat other stuff first but Dr. Hill advised against it, especially because Shaggy is still so new to our home.

[PlaxMacaws]

Dave's suggestion of using fruit juice to enhance the flavor of your pellets is a good thing to try. And the fruit juice modification to baby bird formula is another. But have you also considered trying some of the different pelleted bird food brands? If my memory serves, you use Zupreem Natural pellets for your guys. Many birds seem to enjoy those above other brands... mine sure do! As such, one would think that if it is possible to convert Shaggy from mostly seeds to a pelleted diet, that Zupreem pellets may be the most attractive option for her/him. But these guys are such individuals that you can never really know. Perhaps she/he may find another brand of pellets more appealing? You might try Roudybush, Goldenfeast, TOPs, and/or even Harrison's. Or even some other brands. I've found that while many birds may tend to despise those boring, cubic Harrison's pellets... sometimes they'll surprise us if offered the Harrison's Pepper Lifetime pellet variety. The pepper flavoring is often desirable while the bland variety is often not. There are quite a few parrot pellet manufacturers out there and each brand, as well as each flavor among a brand, tastes different. The solution may be to simply find one that Shaggy enjoys. And be mindful that birds can get a sense of a pellet brand's flavor by merely crushing one mere pellet for the fun of it :)

[Mare]

Thank you, Tony :). My vet happens to be a few doors down from the pet store I visit. I went in there after our visit and bought the colored Zupreem pellets, giving them a try today! I will never give up, this bird WILL be on a healthy diet!

[kendrafitz]

So glad that your visit went well. So interesting that Shaggy may be a boy. Can't wait to hear the results.

So sad that Shaggy was cowering in the corner, poor baby! I'm sure Shaggy was happy and relieved when you walked back in the room!

[Cedardave]

Mare,the coloured zupreem pellets.... If they have cutsie yellow banana shaped ones and purple grape flavoured ones...sadly they seem to be the junk food of the pellet world.Tastey yes.....but our comparisons show its like a diet of candy

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

I was amazed at Casper when we first gave him a bowl of boring brown coloured cubes called Harrison's. He just tucked in with gusto and has never looked back. Something about them must be appealing to parrots. :)

[Mare]

Kendra, yes, Shaggy was happy to see me but I think the vet tech was even more so! :)

Ok, thanks, Dave. My vet sells Harrison but I can probably find it cheaper on line..?..

I'll give it a try, Jean-Pierre, thanks :). If Casper likes it..it's got to be good!

[Dragonlady2]

There is also a pepper flavoured Harrison's that might appeal to Shaggy. You might need to use the Zupreem pellet to assist in transitioning. It's still better than seeds and a lot of people use Zupreem in combination with other pellets. The potential issue with the fruity coloured ones is that a diet strictly using these exposes the bird to food colouring and extra sugar.

[PlaxMacaws]

I was amazed at Casper when we first gave him a bowl of boring brown coloured cubes called Harrison's. He just tucked in with gusto and has never looked back. Something about them must be appealing to parrots. :)Hmm, not so with my guys. The only Harrison's pellets I can get them to touch on occasion is the pepper variety.

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Then again they do have the ability to change their minds about things, Casper used to love nutriberries but then decided they were out of fashion just after we stocked up on two new tubs :)

[Mare]

Then again they do have the ability to change their minds about things, Casper used to love nutriberries but then decided they were out of fashion just after we stocked up on two new tubs :)

I know, right?! It's all so expensive! :(

[Mare]

Shaggy's DNA results came back. He's a HE! Not a huge surprise, he reminds me so much of Amigo in many ways. I'm thankful that he's more accepting of the men in my life, so far, than Amigo was. Shaggy is a more mellow bird, not much rattles him. I'm happy to finally know for sure that he is male :)

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Hey there Shaggy Boyo :)

[kendrafitz]

Yayyy!! Excellent news!

[PlaxMacaws]

Hey Mare, that's pretty cool! His name still works and you'll never have to worry about egg binding! Congrats to both of you :)

[Mare]

Yayyy!! Excellent news!


Haha! Yeah..I guess!?

[Mare]

Hey Mare, that's pretty cool! His name still works and you'll never have to worry about egg binding! Congrats to both of you :)


His name definitely works! :). I wonder about the peeps that sold him. I've had this feeling that they may not have been up front people, at times. After it all and having time to digest..sometimes I wonder if Shaggy may have been a stolen bird. How would I know? He's obviously, to me, not a problem child. He has had good folks in his past.

He will never lay an egg, so..all's good. I will keep my antenna on alert for a lost or stolen U2.

[PlaxMacaws]

His name definitely works! :). I wonder about the peeps that sold him. I've had this feeling that they may not have been up front people, at times. After it all and having time to digest..sometimes I wonder if Shaggy may have been a stolen bird. How would I know? He's obviously, to me, not a problem child. He has had good folks in his past.

He will never lay an egg, so..all's good. I will keep my antenna on alert for a lost or stolen U2.He really sounds like a terrific bird. You may only be able to learn if he was in fact stolen from someone if he happens to be microchipped or ID banded. Another way would be to stumble upon a stolen/missing bird alert from the past which matches his description and circumstances, or if someone were aware of the same and links you to the alert or directly to his rightful owner. But he may not be stolen at all, Mare. There can be valid reasons why folks need to rehome their companion parrots. The simplest, of course, would be that a bird's human companion passes away and there's no one available to continue caring for that bird.

[Mare]

Thanks, Tony. I realize the reasons why a bird could be rehomed and I'm happy I was in line to be Shaggy's :). When I took him to the vet, I had her remove his band (which I saved), it was partially open, enough to where he could have gotten a cage wire stuck in it. I think I'll investigate what the numbers mean on this band.

[PlaxMacaws]

Thanks, Tony. I realize the reasons why a bird could be rehomed and I'm happy I was in line to be Shaggy's :). When I took him to the vet, I had her remove his band (which I saved), it was partially open, enough to where he could have gotten a cage wire stuck in it. I think I'll investigate what the numbers mean on this band.Is the removed band an open and rounded stainless steel one? If so, it's a quarantine band. That would indicate that Shaggy were imported - obviously prior to the importation prohibition on wild-caughts decades ago (1992).

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Did the vet scan him for a chip? If he has a chip will he be able to do contactless payments at the pet food store? Like we can with credit/debit cards.

[Mare]

Is the removed band an open and rounded stainless steel one? If so, it's a quarantine band. That would indicate that Shaggy were imported - obviously prior to the importation prohibition on wild-caughts decades ago (1992).


Interesting..yes, it is open and rounded. Here is a pic of it that I pieced back together for you to see. If this is so,,he would be older than 12yrs...hmm..

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[Mare]

Did the vet scan him for a chip? If he has a chip will he be able to do contactless payments at the pet food store? Like we can with credit/debit cards.

Jean-Pierre, no he wasn't scanned, I don't think so, anyways. I didn't ask for one to be done. Wow! Wouldn't that be nice to, heehee! Maybe I should get him chipped! :)

[PlaxMacaws]

Interesting..yes, it is open and rounded. Here is a pic of it that I pieced back together for you to see. If this is so,,he would be older than 12yrs...hmm..

[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]'s definitely a quarantine band. Jack has one exactly like it. It almost certainly means that Shaggy was imported from outside of the US. The alphanumerical stamp on Jack's band is "FGO 496", in which the "FGO" portion contains the identifier for a particular quarantine station located in the state of Florida. So that's where my very first macaw entered our country after presumably being captured in South America. This would have been circa 1979-80. The "496" is merely a sequence/serial number assigned to him.

[Mare]

My curiosity is spiked! Here is what I can read on Shaggy's band, two of the letters are partially rubbed off...

KRF(or E)MA(or R)S 066

So he would have to be "at least" 24, right? I wonder why his vet didn't say something..maybe because I didn't ask, I guess..?..

[plax]

My curiosity is spiked! Here is what I can read on Shaggy's band, two of the letters are partially rubbed off...

KRF(or E)MA(or R)S 066

So he would have to be "at least" 24, right? I wonder why his vet didn't say something..maybe because I didn't ask, I guess..?..
Yes, it means that Shaggy could not have been legally imported as a wild-caught bird beyond 1992. And I'm unsure why your vet may have failed to comment.

I'm not familiar with all of the quarantine band code specifics. We may be able to research your code (to a point), though.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

[Mare]

Thanks, Tony, yes I'm wanting to know more. Do you have a specific site in mind? I will call his vet on Monday to see what she has to add to this. Google time :)

[PlaxMacaws]

Thanks, Tony, yes I'm wanting to know more. Do you have a specific site in mind? I will call his vet on Monday to see what she has to add to this. Google time :)Below is a description of the open band system. The information includes contact information with phone numbers. It's a paste from: [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]


Open bands are pieces of metal which have been bent into the form of a circle. The ends of the band do not meet and are separated by a space to enable them to be placed on a mature bird's leg. After placement, the ends are then pinched together.

These bands usually indicate wild caught, imported birds that were imported into the United States. However, open bands are also used on captive-bred older birds whose feet have grown too large for close banding. Aviculturists who purchased unbanded birds and want some sort of identification frequently use open bands -- sometimes they are color-coordinated - to help the breeder easily identify a bird or its sex. For example, a breeder may use pink bands on hens and blue bands on cocks.

Step-by-step Process of Open-banding a bird excerpted from Zoosociety.org

Holding Technique

Holding a live bird properly is very important; you use the bird bander's grip. It is important that you hold the bird firmly but not too tightly because you could damage the bird's internal organs. Some birds do try to escape by wriggling around, some peck at whatever is near, some kick, some are very loud and some defecate. Most birds, however, wait calmly while being banded and measured. Using a handtowel to restrain the bird will prevent getting bitten by it. However, be gentle and careful not to injur the bird.

Banding

If you use a band that is too large, it could slide up over the "knee" joint or slide down over its foot, preventing the bird from closing its foot properly. If the band is too tight, you could prevent necessary circulation. It is best to use a leg gauge to measure the bird's leg so that you band the bird with the appropriate size band. Alternatively, use the below chart to identify the correct size for the species.

Once you find the right band size, you carefully pry the band open with a special banding pliers, slide it onto the bird's leg, then close the band with the banding pliers. The special banding pliers maintains the circular shape of the band and prevents it from overlapping.


GOVERNMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

The USDA mandates that all imported birds are banded. Since these bands are put on older birds with mature feet, open bands are the only option. These bands are engraved with an identifying number and the quarantine station that banded them upon their entry into the United States.

The federal government and many U.S. states require permits to move certain species of exotic birds within the different states. Other states require permits to own or breed exotic birds. In order to obtain such permits, the breeder needs to provide the birds' band numbers as proof that the breeding stock was legally imported or domestically bred. A few states will accept other forms of identification, including microchips or DNA fingerprints, but most still require a band.

Before purchasing an exotic bird or moving to a different state, please contact your local Fish and Wildlife department to ensure the bird you are acquiring or moving is legal within your state.


Identification:

Whether imported or domestic, open or closed banded, the leg band carries letters and numbers which identify the bird. Import bands are traceable - please refer to the information below. Domestic bands purchased from bird associations and some commercial vendors are also traceable.

Open-banded / Imported Birds:

USDA-owned and operated quarantine stations use bands with letters and three or four numbers.

There were 85 quarantine stations, located in the following states:

California - 40 - First letter C or O

Hawaii - 2 - First letter H

Florida - 20 - First letter F

Illinois - 7 - First letter I

Louisiana - 6 - First letter L

Michigan - 2 - First letter M

New York - 6 - First letter N

Texas - 2 - First letter T

A quarantine band always had 3 letters and 3 numbers For example FAB 123

The first letter stands for the state, Florida, California, New York, Illinois, Hawaii, Louisiana and O's were also used in California because they had more than 24 stations.

The second letter stands for the specific quarantine station.

The third letter is part of the number code so with 24 letters and 3 digits you have 24,000 possible combinations. The bands were manufactured and issued to the quarantine station owners. Numbers used in each quarantine lot were reported to USDA. If a station imported thousands of birds each year the sequence would be repeated frequently - for example-maybe conures or other small birds imported in large numbers. If for larger birds the sequence would not be repeated so often. (Author Unknown )

For additional information regarding the numbers and letters on a bird's import band, contact the USDA Administration Office Department of Agriculture, Fish, and Wildlife in your area.


Domestic Birds

Domestic birds are usually closed-banded. Their traceability depends upon the source of the band. Many bird associations, such as SPBE, AFA or species-related organizations offer record keeping services and bands to their members. To trace a band with an organization's ID engraved on it, you would contact the organization directly, who will be able to provide identification information, which usually is the breeder's name and contact information. If further information is needed, you would get into touch with the breeder directly through the contact information provided by the bird association.

It is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to trace a band that doesn't have an organization code on it. The best course is to contact the major band manufacturers. They have thousands of customers, so it is unlikely that the band buyer code would be unique. But they may be able to provide the names of a few breeders using this code, which is a starting point. The more information which has been engraved on the band, the better the chances of tracing it.


Databases and Registries:

Number to call for locating bird with bands: 800-327-2263; or for identification of birds found in CA and NV: Tel. 916.414.6736 (Migratory Bird Permit Department - US Fish and WIldlife Service.)

There are databases for people wanting to track the band on their bird, such as this one: [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]

One yahoo group exists to help trace bands. Here is the link for joining up with this group: [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]

Organizations to contact about tracing avian leg band:

Most leg bands are sold by [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) ... They may be able to provide you with the breeder information.

[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]

American Federation of Aviculture
PO Box 56218
Phoenix, AZ 85079-6218
602-484-0931
Fax: 602-484-0109

Note: I notice that your code doesn't fit the 3 letter/3 digit pattern for USDA quarantine stations and that it begins with a letter that's not listed. As such, maybe it was not applied at a quarantine station.

[Dragonlady2]

This is fascinating. Can't wait to see what you find out about Shaggy.

[Mare]

This is fascinating. Can't wait to see what you find out about Shaggy.

I know, right?! The only other one of my birds that I would have questions about..would be Chip, our male cockatiel. He was a wildish bird that flew onto my brother's shoulder one evening in 29 Palms, out of nowhere! Larry was eating some tortilla chips, while sitting on the patio and along comes Chip! He landed on my brother's shoulder, super hungry..hence, the name :)

[Mare]

Thanks, Tony. Great info and I will check into it. I will also look forward to hear what my vet says.

[Mare]

I'm waiting for a call from my vet. The vet tech that I spoke with told me that the numbers can be hard to track. He was checked for a micro-chip when I brought him in...this is good to know. She told me that basically, the bands used in the US are to contact breeders of sickness outbreaks..I'll let you know what the vet says.

[Quakerella]

That is great information Tony. The US regulations are very different from Canada with regards to quarantine, licensing, etc. It is good to know.