Help your babies to thrive!

In an earlier post we talked about using socks to help with feather growth when your bird is an avid feather plucker. I found this site that has a lot of experience with rehabbing abused parrots and they use this method, as well as others, to help allow feathers to fill in.  I thought posting it here would help illustrate how this method is used.

On their website there are videos and pictures as well as information on how to care for these less fortunate birds who had not been in the best environment for them to thrive.  What got me to their site was this video on YouTube. Very touching and inspirational. Take some time and check it out.

Here is a link to their website: Second Chance Birds

Commitment -- a must have in avian/owner relationships

Recently there was a survey done by Kaytee avian products. They looked at the various reasons why bird owners give up on the relationship with their feathered companions.
If you would like to see the survey results, please go here: http://fb.me/BwLkzrw9

One of the top health issues experienced by these birds was beak deformities.  We, as groomers, recognize the importance of a properly groomed beak.  Oddly shaped beaks can, in the worst senarios, prevent a bird from consuming ideal nutrition.  We have had clients with cronic beak problems, as well as some with minimal abnormalities, cracks and breaks which we have overcome through routine trimming and maintenance. One of these examples was while working with a Parrot Rescue in Southern California which had a Conure come in with little lower beak that had been irreperably damaged after flying into a window.  The top beak became overgrown due to lack of natural wear commonly maintained by the lower beak. The conure was able to injest some food, but was having difficulty due to the overgrowth. By observing the way that the portions of beak came together, we were able to reshape the upper beak using clippers and a dremmel so the bird could more readily obtain food.  

Here is a Mccaw that has a naturally deformed upper beak and needs regular shaping to keep the whole beak from growing more crooked.

Front view

Over growth causing crooked beak and deformed upper and lower beaks

After the inside of upper  and lower beaks have been evened out.

A simple task as keeping your feathered friend well maintained and groomed is the least we can do for them. :)

Forget sock monkies...they're for the birds!

I was recently on a fellow birding blog and there was a question about feather plucking, which we all know can be devastating for us bird owners. We want our beauties to always be in the best of health and what's a bird with no feathers? So we feel compelled to do anything we can to help them look their best. 

Now I'm sure there are loads of wives tales and rumors out there as far as what really works and if there is something that you have tried for your feathered friend, please do share. We are going to share a fail safe method to saving your bird's plumage if the plucking is on the neck or chest...tube socks!

Yep, you heard correct, socks. Cut the foot off and slip the remaining cuff over the bird's head to cover the chest/neck, or where ever on the body they are plucking.  They will probably continue to pluck in the same area so make sure to have some extras on hand to replace those that they get through. A word of caution: Do make sure that it is not too tight. Birds need to be able to move their keel (chest bone) in order to breath, making the sock too tight can restrict this. If you can easily fit a finger between the sock and bird, this should suffice.  I would recommend washing the socks to loosen them up a bit.  

There are other ideas such as using Sour Apple to help stop plucking. The problem with this is that birds in general do not have a very strong sense of smell/taste, so this will not deter them much. Also if they do have open skin from the plucking, the Sour Apple can wind up irritating the skin and making it worse.  Now, if they are losing feather's on their head and they are alone in the cage, they may be rubbing it on the bars of their cage in which case you may consider moving their cage. They may be bothered by something in their environment, something like an air vent or even another bird in a different cage. Every scenario is different. Pets in general can pick up on many things going on in their environment...you as the caring owner just need to take a little quality time, sit and watch them and see what is irritating them.

Thank you for stopping by and again, if you have other methods for helping deter feather plucking, Please, share!

Breaking in the Blog

Hi all!
We want to reach out to all bird owners out there who need help managing the grooming of their bird companions. We come to you and offer a less stressful way to groom your bird. We are able to perform the grooming in their home environment and so we are able to put them right back in familiar surroundings, making the process much less stressful.  We groom wings, nails and beak WITHOUT anesthesia! We even give them a bath if desired. With over 15 years of experience working with exotics, we can help answer behavior and health questions and point you in the right direction to take the best care of your beloved pets.

We are located in Sacramento, CA. We also service clients in southern california in Ventura/Thousand Oaks/Mulholland areas. If you are in the Sacramento area or know of someone who is, please pass the word along.

You can contact us at (805) 551-4493, email or feel free to comment and help us grow in this blogspot!

Thank you for helping us make a difference one bird at a time! And stay tuned for more!