What would you do?

[mels95yj]

First, let me introduce myself. Since this is my second post, obviously I am a new bird owner. My wife and I purchased a GCC a little over a month ago. In that time we have obviously spoiled him rotten with bought and home made toys, perches, etc. I've always wanted a macaw, but thought it would never happen. The wife wanted to see one in person, so we went to a local pet store that I knew had one not for sale. He's the store "mascot" I guess. Here's where my disgust comes in.

What we saw was a B&G that has plucked his entire body bald. His entire chest, under his wings and his tail looked like it got caught in a fan. He's housed in a cage that I would guess to be acceptable sizewise, but only had a 12" calcium perch on each side of the cage. There was only 3 or 4 toys hanging inside and the bottom of the cage was covered in feces. I only saw pellets and seeds for him to eat. We were inches from him, and the thing he cared about was plucking. Needless to say, I can't get him off my mind. Here's my dilema...

1. What would you do? Would you try to somehow talk the shop into letting you rescue the bird? If so, would you recommend this to a new bird owner and first time macaw owner?

2. I'm not looking for a free or cheap macaw because I understand the vet bills, time and effort would far outweight purchasing a healthy bird. I've researched, here and the internet, about plucking and honestly think it's from neglect, boredom and diet. I have no idea the age of the bird, but would guess somewhere around 5 years old. I'm a huge research freak, so searching for help, ideas, etc would not be a problem for me.

3. Would you just come to the realization that this isn't for me and walk away? We're not swimming in money, but would somehow find a way to get him the care he needs vet-wise.

4. Is there a chance that this macaw could recover as far as regrowing feathers, etc if it is diet/boredom?

5. Am I just a novice bird owner who's over-reacting to the situation?

I'm sorry for such a long post, but like I said, I cannot get this out of my head. We were so mad, we had to immediately leave the store. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Mel

[mmr]

The bad thing about all of this is, if you do just go in and buy it (from the horrible pets stores ( I hate pet stores)) then they will just go and get another one thus the cycle starts again.

You can try to go the route of seeing if they will just take a rehoming fee, but that isn't likely. You couls also threaten to turn them into the humane society and animal welfare if you guys can't work something out.


Do you have large bird experience?

[mels95yj]

Thanks for the reply. I don't think the macaw is for sale. I think it's just the store "mascot". They are more known for their saltwater fish than anything else. They have a few small reptiles, 4 or 5 puppies and the rest is fish and supplies pretty much. I would hope they wouldn't replace it since it's not for sale (I think).

We do not have any large bird experience, thus causing the most dilema for me. Our only experience is with our conure, but that's only a month or so. I do know that it could be cage aggressive since it's rarely, if any, out of the cage. We are huge animal lovers having rescued and helped re-home many dogs. We currently have four dogs, including one pitbull mix that had mange we rescued off our neighbor. So, wanting to rescue this bird isn't necessarily because we're "high on parrots" right now. It's more of just an animal being neglected needing our help.

We were talking about adding a sun conure to the family when we saw this macaw. To me, a B&G is like a corvette. Something I've always wanted and admired, but probably won't own.

Mel

[mmr]

Originally Posted by mels95yj

Thanks for the reply. I I do know that it could be cage aggressive since it's rarely, if any, out of the cage.

Don't assume anything! He may be the sweetest thing ever.
I would find out the store owners name then or the manager and talk with them. Explain how yo feel and situationt he bird is in. He could be plucking for many reason's besides just boredom! My be a health issue also. I guess it won't hurt untill you try, but you and your wife have to be on the same page when going into this! I would also if they are being like "HELL NO YOUR NOT TAKING HIM", Then I would advise to tell them you are calling your local humane shelter and ASPCA and FOLLOW THROUGH witht he threat.

Where are you from?

[mels95yj]

We're in Eastern Kentucky. We don't have many pet stores locally, and only one avian vet. I've already called her to find out how much the initial physical and bloodwork would be. Obviously, there could be additional costs for medicines if needed. I've already explained to the wife, that if we would do this, it would be a long process and require both of us. We don't have any children, so our pets are our kids.

Oh, I re-read your quote, and I meant to say that I know that it could have cage aggression since it's rarely out of the cage. I didn't mean that the plucking could be from aggression.

Ok, I stand corrected. I just called the petstore and the macaw IS for sale. They want $1199 for it! I was so shocked, I just hung up.

Mel

[mmr]

Originally Posted by mels95yj

Oh, I re-read your quote, and I meant to say that I know that it could have cage aggression since it's rarely out of the cage. I didn't mean that the plucking could be from aggression.

Mel

No I meant don't assume anything witha parrot as far as you saying it prob has cage aggression. He very may not, even if he has been cage bound. My B&G macaw is very cage aggressive and he hasn't been cage bound. My U2 for 8 years was pretty much cage bound before I got her and I can do anything to her cage! That is what I mean about assuming.

Especially with parrots, you can't assume. Always expect the worst and hope for the best is the motto in my house with parrots! lol


Hoping that he does come with his cage...is the cage he is in now big enough? If not you will also have that expense and that would cost about another 500-700 dollars. Then there are the toys, vet check up, pellets (large birds shouldn't be on seed). Is that about what you were thinking?

I live in Indiana up north

[Monica]

Is it possible the store got the bird in this condition and thus the plucking is not *there* fault? I ask because I have two birds who mutilate, however I got them in that condition. One, Noel, rarely mutilates now, not normally more than 3-5 times a year. It took her a few years, however, for her to actually lessen the amount of plucking she did. The other is Kiwi, and she mutilates on and off. She may be good for some weeks, then all of a sudden she mutilates. Maybe the store is doing what they can for the bird???

Then again, maybe they don't know anything about birds since they specialize in fish? It's possible that the chemicals from the store itself is bothering the B&G since they can have sensitive respiratory systems. Maybe the bird is plucking due to boredom, a bad diet, or even some health problem. If that's the case you could kindly go up to the owner of the bird and ask about the bird. Don't be rude. Ask them why the bird looks naked, and if they've taken the bird to an avian vet. You can explain to them that it could potentiall be chemicals from the fishtanks, maybe the bird is bored, or sick.

If they say no they haven't taken the bird to the vet, and they wont take the bird, then you could ask them if you could have the bird so you could see what the problem is. If they want money (a large sum), you could mention that the bird isn't in the best of feather condition, and that vet bills are a lot of money.

If they refuse to give up the bird, you could call animal control and ask them if there is anyone there who knows anything about birds, proper diet, toys, etc, and have one of the animal control officers go check out the situation. However, the general idea is, is that if the bird has food, and a cage, there really isn't much they can do. They can tell the owners to keep the cage cleaner, but that may be it.

EDIT: just read some of the previous posts I missed(?). Still, learn more about the bird, see if they got it in that condition or if they've had the bird a long time, and see if you can bring them down on price because of the birds condition?

[TikusMom]

Mel,
Before jumping into anything with these people, first find out some background info on the bird such as where they got the bird, how long they've had the bird, what they're feeding him/her (and since you mentioned that you are a research freak, you will know if they are feeding this poor guy improperly), and find out what veterinary care this bird has had in the past. Then be direct and ask them straight up about the plucking. You can also take this opportunity to ask to handle the bird and while you have the bird on your hand (assuming he will step up for you), try to educate the petstore owner or whoever is the caretaker on proper housing/diet/environmental enrichment/diseases (such as giardia that could cause feather plucking), etc. Let them know that it's alarming to see this animal in such a poor condition and go from there. But most of all please REFRAIN from making threats at this point, which could very well lead to the demise of this poor bird. If you need to call the humane society (and I think you should anyway) do NOT inform the store owner, just call and arrange for the rescue group or humane society to make an unannounced, unexpected visit so they can see what is truly going on. If you inform the store owners/managers, they very well could dispose of the bird and claim it was sold or worse.
Just my 2 cents.

[mels95yj]

Thanks so much for everyone's advice! I've decided I'm going down tonight after work to talk to them. I've called the vet, and it's $73 for a physical and a max of $200 for complete bloodwork. Any medicines obviously would be extra. Here are the questions I'm going to ask:

1. Did they get it from a local breeder or elsewhere.

2. How old is the bird and how long have they had it in the store.

3. Ask about the plucking (how long it's been going on and have they had the bird checked for it)

4. Is the cage included in the $1200 price (I seriously doubt it is). Also, see if they'll come down any for the plucking.

5. Ask if it's tamed and if so, can I hold it.

My last question to you is...Is all this advisable for a first time macaw owner? I know it may depend on why it's plucking, but just the overall process. I've already called another pet shop and found out a 40" x 30" x 50" interior dimensions playtop cage is $600. Not saying that's the cage I would get, but I'm just trying to factor in everything for "worse-case" scenario with costs. Again, I thank you for your time and help.

Mel

[Irish]

Diet, stress, illness, parasites, boredom, and things people just don't know about can cause a bird to pluck. I know people who are the best bird keepers you could ever hope for who have birds who pluck, despite thousands spent on vets, food, behaviorists, etc. You can't assume that a plucked bird is an abused or neglected bird simply because of the plucked body. Some of them are loved dearly and treated very well. Whether the feathers re-grow depends on so many things, including whether or not there has been permanent damage to the feather follicles.

Many people feed pellets only. I don't think you could convince an ACO that the diet constitutes abuse, either. Of course, a varied diet is better, but some birds are notoriously stubborn about not eating or trying new things.

And remember, all parrots are messy! It only takes a day for a cage to look like it was hit by a tornado. Those toys on the floor could possibly have been hung properly only hours before, and a bored bird took them down for the sheer pleasure of the puzzle. Heck, my birds, in their sleep cages as well as out in their aviaries, constantly disassmble toys, and take great joy in figuring out how to undo their fastenings, apparently for the simply joy of hearing a "THUMP!" as they hit the ground :-).

I am not saying that the bird ISN'T neglected, or that he couldn't be in a better setting. Perhaps his plucking has to do with the stress of living in a pet store. Who knows? If you suspect that the bird is abused or neglected, by all means contact the local animal control people. Be aware, though, that most places have to meet minimum standards for animal care. In other words, the cage can be small and totally devoid of toys, and the bird may never get any real attention, but as long as its cage is not filthy with a month of bird poop, and it has food and water of almost any sort, an ACO will call it "good". Also, if you do call and accuse the owners of abuse, and they have any clue at all about who did it, you'll likely alienate them forever. Perhaps even to the point of not being allowed in their store.

Just wanting to suggest that going in like gangbusters isn't likely to have as optimal an outcome as tact and goodwill, and that things aren't always what they seem.

If, by some chance, you do get the BG, be sure to have it vetted properly, and quarantined away from your little GCC, just in case it IS ill.

Good luck :-).