Abused/rescued DYH questions.

[mazo]

Hi all.
I came across this site while googling some parrot questions. I've been reading around and everyone here seems very friendly and knowledgable so i figured I'd post up some questions. First some background.

This bird "Tequila" came to me from a friend. He said that the original owner (an older lady) had a brain anurism and never came out of the hospital. Her son then came to posess the parrot. Evidently he hated it. He threw stuff at the cage and I know that he let his rotty try to attack the bird.
My friend, who is a bird lover and has a cockatoo went to the house and promptly removed the bird. He had the bird at his place for a day or so and I guess his parrot did not like having another bird in the house and stopped talking to him and acting up. This is where I come in.

When i received the bird his feathers were a mess, the cage (old style wrought iron, like in the tweety bird cartoons) had the bars bent together where the dog had been biting. He was just shaking and huddled in the bottom of the cage. I put him in a quiet room where i would just sit with him and watch TV and sometimes leave the radio on for him for company when i was not there. I pretty much let him be for a bit so that he could calmdown and adjust to his new surroundings.

After 6mos he started eating and sitting on the perch, after 2 years (and lots of scars on my arms he will sit on my shoulder.

today (5 years later) he seems to be happy and healthy. He talks quite a bit now (yelling my name whenever I come home) and seems very happy. He will yell my name then come over and put his head down by the bars so i can pet him.

here are my questions.

1) is there any wat to tell age of a parrot? I have no idea how old this parrot is. I do not know is its a male/female either

2) Is there any hope at this point of socializing him to the point that I can handle him around others? At this point if he's on my shoulder and someone walks in he bites me.

3) How often should they be taken to the vet. I've not attempted it before because he's always been healthy and I did not want to add any more stress. his beak seems to be flaking a bit and one of his toe nails has a black streak in it. I remember reading somewhere that this could be a problem.

thanks in advance for any help/suggestions.


Once i get my camera back i'll post up some pictures. He looks like the bird in the avatar of freedomofflight except he has more yellow on the head.

[Dayna]

Originally Posted by mazo

1) is there any wat to tell age of a parrot? I have no idea how old this parrot is. I do not know is its a male/female either

A good avian vet can give you an appox age. DNA sexing through Avianbiotech.com (with some feather samples) can tell you if it is a male or female.

2) Is there any hope at this point of socializing him to the point that I can handle him around others? At this point if he's on my shoulder and someone walks in he bites me.

You are "his" mate. He likely will always do this if someone comes near you. This is what mated birds do. I would not have him on my shoulder if there is a chance someone could come around.

3) How often should they be taken to the vet. I've not attempted it before because he's always been healthy and I did not want to add any more stress. his beak seems to be flaking a bit and one of his toe nails has a black streak in it. I remember reading somewhere that this could be a problem.

I take my birds to the vet twice a year. I have two amazons (as well as other types), both are healthy. Sometimes the vet can see something (such as weight gain) that you might not notice seeing the bird on a daily basis. I feel it is very important to get a relationship going with a good vet. Better now than in an emergency.

Can't wait to see some pictures!

[The Outlaw]

God bless you. How in God's name people can be so cruel will never cease to amaze and infuriate me.

You likely have a male zon. However, considering the abuse, it could be either. If the bird has a rolled round leg band, than it is a wild caught imported bird and at least 25 years old. It became illegal back in the 80's to import many species.

I would suggest that you find a good AVIAN vet and take him in for a well bird check. Its unlikely that his true age will ever be known, for once they reach maturity, they will have internal appearances that only indicate they are mature.

Sometimes, you can tell whether its a young bird or older bird by the feet. Usually, the skin on older birds legs looks greyer and rougher. Usually, younger birds have shinier and smoother skin.

I can only assume that this bird was also on a poor diet. That usually accounts for dark, greasy feathers and overgrown beak and nails. That's a result of eating mostly nuts and seed, a diet that is very poor for most birds. If this is the case, expect liver disfunction. A better fresh diet can really improve your bird's overall condition and can even calm him down.

You can get an inexpensive sex test done by simply cutting a nail a little short and collecting a drop of blood on a collection card provided with a DNA test kit from Avian Biotech. Its a very simple thing to do. For about $20, you can find out the sex of your bird. Knowing its sex is especially important with amazons, because the males can be a real handful for MOST of their lives. The females are generally sweeter.

Do you know what species of Amazon you have? That will also help us to help you.

THE OUTLAW

[FeathersNFur8]

today (5 years later) he seems to be happy and healthy. He talks quite a bit now (yelling my name whenever I come home) and seems very happy. He will yell my name then come over and put his head down by the bars so i can pet him.

It sounds like he is very bonded to you. Bless you and thank you for taking him in and giving him a good home!

[Willow]

Hi and thank you for helping this guy. I take my birdsto the vet at least once a year for bloodwork. I have 5 Amazons. They are awesome birds.

[Casa Amazona]

Wow! I give you a whole row of gold stars for taking this little one in and giving him/her a life worth living.

I've been told by my AV that the black streak on the toenail could be an indication of liver problems, possibly resulting from poor diet. I took in a 20-year-old male Double Yellow Head about three years ago who had such a black streak. Now that he's been on a good diet for the time since then, the streak is almost completely gone. His feathers are also in much better condition.

"Bird Talk" had an article on determining the age of 'zons. They said that if a 'zon has "knobs" on his foot joints that was an indication of a bird that was no longer young.

Freedomofflight's 'zon is a Double Yellow Head. If Tequila has more yellow on his head than that one, it could possibly be a Tres Maria DYH. Does it have a blue "wash" on its chest feathers?

[Freedomoflight]

Hi- I have a 20 y/o DYH zon, if his age helps :)
Thank you for taking in that poor soul. My amazon is a rehomed bird too- thank god he wasnt put through what yours was.
Please keep us updated on your new buddy