Coco & kiwi update 9/2/08

[gbird]

I just found out today that Coco (Macaw) & Kiwi (OWA) will be comming to The Gabriel Foundation sometime this week. They have been at The Bird Brain since their rescue. Today they were getting his cage ready. When they brought him in he couldn't perch at all due to being on top of his cage for almost 2 years. He couldn't grip. But now he has been perching and excersizing his toes and is able to grip a perch. After he arrives he will be worked with and very slowly introduced to a flock.

Kiwi still needs alot of work. He stays at the back of cage and is still very nervous. But he will be also worked with and hopefully will be able to join a flock someday.

I will now be able to get weekly pics and video updates on their progress.

Considering what they have been through, this is fantastic news. Our hopes are that someday they will be adopted into a loving forever home.

For those who don't know the story or have forgotten:

Worst Case Of Abuse Gabriel Foundation Has seen

[Lessadalinar]

That is GREAT news!!!

I hadn't read that story, those pictures ---- I'm crying and I'm angry. (pardon any spelling errors, looking threw watery eyes )

My heart is acheing. I just....... can't even........ wow.

I did not know a beak could even grow that long. Never dawned on me that could even happen. ( def not to my fids heh ) Giveing new toys and chewies, I get SOOO excited to give them new toys. i know you guys know what I am talking about

I understand that 2 years IS a long time, but is that really beak growth for a 2 year period???? or longer amount of time? I just can't even believe it.

Toenails on that poor baby. How in the heck did he stand or move?
How in the heck did that baby eat??!! Obviously figured it out somehow, I've tried to imagine and think "how", I just don't understand ANY KIND of rationalization or justify to let (yes, LET) that happen.

In all that time, NOBODY, family, friends, neighbors, ANYBODY never once saw the condition of those birds?? That is REALLY hard to believe. Even if you don't know alot about birds, you can ABSOLUTLEY see something is VERY WRONG. How did you guys find them??!!

Any other animals on the property?

I guess I don't understand the mind of a hoarder? And haveing 3 birds ( if there were no other animals there) make you a hoarder? Or just having a nasty junkie yard that built up from lack of upkeep and being a packrat? When I think of hoarder I imagine things like I've seen on Animal Cops with umpteen hundred cats or dogs.


I have alot of birds, but I work my butt off to keep everything clean and make them happy. Not even an option to neglect them. I saw in a post somewhere that someone mentioned Breeder birds are most of the time put in
a cage with no toys so they can focus on breeding. I'm not normal then all my breeder birds have toys and get attention every single day multiple times. Hasn't disrupted their breeding.

Thank You Gabriel Foundation and Bird Brain for ALLLLLL that you do.

/BIG BIG BIG BIG HUGS to you all

[macawlover]

That's great! I'm glad that those birds got rescued... What happened to Bailey, the cockatiel?

[gbird]

Here is the most recent video I have of COCO. If you notice, I think he now has a bit of a tick. He will make like he is scraping his beak, and raise his foot to his beak. I believe he developed that from having his beak so long and un-useable for so long. Also, even though his beak still looks overgrown, it has been trimmed quite alot. Beak trims have to be done slowly, because as his beak grew so did the blood & nerve supply. Because it was so long for so long, the quik grew almost to the end of his beak. So trims have to be done slowly. As the beak is trimmed the quik will recede, as it recedes more will be trimmed. He is under constant vet care, and is being given lots of love.

(*ever notice how silly we sound when talking to our, or any birds....*)





I know it's hard to imagine how anyone could see this happening and not do anything. The birds were her husbands, she didn't interact with them at all, in fact she was afraid of them. She also suffered severe depression after her husband died. I'm not defending her in the least, but after talking with Julie (Founder of TGF) I came to understand a little more her situation. We think she just had no idea about parrots at all, and was so depressed she was hanging on to the birds as they were her last bit of her husband she had. She did contact TGF finally, and thats what prompted the rescue. She does have one little Conure that she bonded with, after her husband died. She is also recieving education from TGF, and we are making regular visits with her to check on the little Conure, and her.

I don't think every case of neglet is intentional. Unfortunatly alot of it is due to lack of education. When I worked at Petco, I would turn people down who wanted to buy a Budgie, or larger parrot, if I thought they weren't prepared for owning a parrot. I would tell them to do research and find out what proper care was. I was constantly getting into arguments with the manager because he would say "you are loosing me sales" I'd say "I am saving a birds life. I am not going to sell someone a Budgie because it matches their furniture" Everyone I talk to about owning a parrot I tell them to research, research and then research some more before they decide to bring home a parrot. I eventually quit Petco....after I got Pita out of there of course. I reported them to the main office, and as a result the manager & district manager were let go. I have followed up on the care of all the animals, not just the birds, and things are 100% better now.

[Lessadalinar]

Thanks for the videos!! Coco Looks amazing!!! It's got to feel weird not having all that beak weight, maybe thats what causeing her "tick"?

[gbird]

Originally Posted by macawlover

That's great! I'm glad that those birds got rescued... What happened to Bailey, the cockatiel?

Bailey is doing great. She will probably stay at The Bird Brain. She'll have a better chance of being adopted, due to more people coming in and seeing her.

Here's a video of her with a little boy she bonded with at one of the Meet The Birds at The Bird Brain

[KimM]

Wow! I cannot believe the improvement in Coco since he was first rescued. He looks in almost perfect feather. Soooooo much better. Hopefully when that beak is normal, he'lll even feel better. What a sweetie!