Rescued Umbrella Cockatoo

[MrRick]

I got a call last Friday from a lady who's husband had just brought home 3 birds (Cockatoo, CAG, BG Macaw). She was looking for a home for these guys and wanted to know if I was interested. After speaking with her at length on the phone, my wife and I went and picked up the U2 (the CAG was getting picked up the next day and we don't have room for a Macaw).

Anyway, the U2 is a female named Mickie who is about 40 years old and has a permantly dislocated foot (an old injury possibly caused by her owner yanking her out of her cage while she was still holding on to her pearch). She only weighs 361 grams and is extremely malnourished. Even so, she is quite a sweetheart!

We took her to our vet on Saturday and had her tested for Clamidia (pardon my spelling!), Beak & Feather, Psitacosis. We also had blood drawn for a CBC and complete Avian Chemistry and had a gram stain done. The doctor just called and said the gram stain was negative and the test results so far are showing all the signs of poor nutrician.

Mickie has a long road to recovery ahead of her. It looks as if she was on an all seed diet (go figure!) so we have been mixing Sun Seed fruit and veggie mix with cooked food that we give the rest of our flock. We're also giving her Zupreme pellets mixed with Goldenfiest Fruit & Nuts Plus and trying all sorts of other food to see what she'll eat.

This is the first handicapped bird I've had so I'm trying to do everything right. I left the large manzanita perch in her cage and added a 2 x 4 piece of wood next to it to make a platform of sorts. We've also added a couple of comfort perches, extra food dishes, and assorted size perches. We also put in some toys but she doesn't seem the least bit interested in them. We'll also be giving her a bath tonight.

If anyone has any suggestions on what else I can do for Mickie, please let me know!

[mamalovesrico]

Congratulations on your new little girl. Wow is she malnurished! My U2 weights 440 and he's a runt. He's the smallest U2 I've ever seen. Is Mickie the average height of a U2?

Oh, thanks for providing her a fantastic home!

[kp_in_scott]

Bless you, bless you, bless you. Mickie is one lucky little lady. I would be careful about making too many changes all at one time. The new perches and toys are great ideas but may be a little frightening for her if added all at one time. Take it slow and easy, you've got years ahead of you! Again, Bless you!

[MrRick]

mamalovesrico - As far as I know she is the average height of a U2. Where can I upload some pictures of her? (I used the upload feature when I wrote this reply so there might be a pic of her attached to it)

Each day she settles in a little bit more and her apetite seems to be getting better. She enjoys her nightly "Family Time" when I bring her in with us while we watch TV. Everyone takes turns holding her and making a big fuss over her. She sits on the back of our "birdie chair" happily grinding her beak and watching TV with the rest of us. When she's ready for another cuddle session she'll make these little cooing noises as if to say "gimme more lovins"

[mamalovesrico]

Rick,
She's absolutely beautiful. Sounds like you and your family are making her very comfortable. Is this your first time owning a U2? Do you have any other birds?

How did her bath go the other night? Was she familiar with getting a bath?

If you have any questions, please ask away. Besides myself, there are plenty of Too and U2 owners here on the board that would be more than happy to help you with any questions you may have.

[grandma]

Oh my, she is beautiful. Can't wait to see what she looks like when she is well nourished.

Sounds like you have it under controle Rick...Kim is right though about introducing new things. Take it slow and I'm sure she will thrive.

[Maui's Mom]

Congrats ! Your new lil girl is quite the looker, adorable ! God Bless you and your wife for making the commitement, its wonderful to know that there are people willing to take in an "older lady" and be happy. You are surely making her feel special.

[Luvmygrey]

Congrats on the U2! Sounds like you are doing a great job with her.

[MrRick]

Thank you all for your support!

This is my first U2 but not my first bird. Go to the photo gallery section of my website (www.berkscountybirdclub.com) and check out Rick & Andrea's flock. If you click on each picture, you can read stories about each bird and see more pictures! Be sure to read Buddy's story as it is a highlight in our lives. I haven't posted Mickie's pictures yet.

[mamalovesrico]

Quite the flock you have there Rick. Mickie looks like she will fit in nicely.