What Am I Forgetting?

[radiogirl995]

Ok, I'm counting on all of you to be my devil's advocates...

In one week, my home is being invaded by a construction crew. I am having my kitchen torn out and completely renovated.
Now, I live in a small, old house that is more like a cottage. My plan was to move the bird (CAG-Tuki), the dog and myself upstairs to my bedroom/second floor for the duration (supposedly 10 - 14 days).

My other option: A partially finished basement. Carpeted, TV, warm, etc...

My question being - Which will be best for Tuki?
Which will be better to keep him away from the dust & dirt & noise?

What am I not think of here?

[kateBird]

how much sunlight comes in, in your basement? when i think of basement, i think of kinda dark, bad lighting...

about the noise, i dont know if you can really get away from that :-/

but, how exciting to get your kitchen renovated!

[radiogirl995]

Well, there's no real natural sunlight coming into the basement - but I do have a portable 96 CRI Full Spectrum Light for Tuki.

Lots of light in the bedroom with two skylights.

[CALVINS MOM]

My suggestion is that you remove the birds altogether until the construction is done. Last Friday I received a call from someone in a panic. He had a very little bit of work done in his house that afternoon. His bird was lethargic and vomiting. I advised him to get the bird outside immediately and make an emergency call to an avian vet. He did all this and got the bird to the vet within 45 minutes, but, unfortunately, the bird died at 11:00 PM that night despite the efforts of the vet to save his life.

[felisdomesticus]

I would think that sheetrock dust and such would be very harmful to your birds. Do you have any friends or relatives who can care for them during construction?

[CALVINS MOM]

Originally Posted by felisdomesticus

I would think that sheetrock dust and such would be very harmful to your birds. Do you have any friends or relatives who can care for them during construction?

That is what killed the bird spoken of in my post - and possibly some epoxy used when spackling.

[Lisa B]

Kris, If you can get Tuki out somewhere, Please do.
The sheetrock dust goes every where, and Spackle contains Silica. Silica was found in Sampson’s body and thus his fungal granuloma.
Kathie and I discussed this too the night it happened. I did not know he died.
However, my sister had a lovebird and a M2 that she refused to let me take them in while moving some walls in her kitchen...notice the word HAD?
Greys and Amazons are more susceptible to Aspergillosis because of the high volume of air they take in while vocalizing.
The problem with construction going on in the home while birds are present is because of if they inhale anything airborne over .03 microns(.001 is the size of a sharpened pencil tip) they can not expel it and it can become attached to the lining of the air sacs or lungs. If this happens, it is the perfect condition for Aspergillosis to thrive................
I highly suggest you get him OUT. ALSO make sure the contractors hang heavy plastic sheets in any doorways in and out of the kitchen that leads to other areas of the house. The dust will get through this too. Place damp towels at the bottom of each plastic sheet (even if its laid on tin foil).the damp towel will catch any dust flying around an opening.....

[CALVINS MOM]

Thanks, Lisa. It took the guy three days to call me back. He was devastated. I didn't find out until Monday evening that the bird did not make it.

[felisdomesticus]

Originally Posted by Lisa B

Greys and Amazons are more susceptible to Aspergillosis because of the high volume of air they take in while vocalizing.
The problem with construction going on in the home while birds are present is because of if they inhale anything airborne over .03 microns(the size of a sharpened pencil tip) they can not expel it and it can become attached to the lining of the air sacs or lungs. If this happens, it is the perfect condition for Aspergillosis to thrive................

Lisa, you are so knowledgeable about aspergillosis. You need to post everything you know about the issue in one thread, including gems like the one above for those of us who just don't know all that much about it and it should be stickied somewhere on this site.

[Lisa B]

Originally Posted by felisdomesticus

Lisa, you are so knowledgeable about aspergillosis. You need to post everything you know about the issue in one thread, including gems like the one above for those of us who just don't know all that much about it and it should be stickied somewhere on this site.

Thanks...I actually have posted it a few times, but it never got stickied.

**LOL**soon, I'll be out by you sharing all my tidbits with you in person, and you'll get sick of me

know I'm always here to share what I know. If I didnt, Sampson would have died in vein.