Ask Ash
assisted by Crista Kangas 
Summer 2003
Welcome to Ask Ash!
This is the place to have your avian questions answered. In every newsletter, Ash will answer selected questions submitted by you, our readers. Please send your questions and comments to.... Ask Ash
Dear Ash,
I have an 8-month-old sweet-natured cockatiel. I sometimes leave during the week and so she sits alone in her cage. She pulls feathers
when she is alone and I feel badly so to remedy this I was contemplating getting another cockatiel, probably a male. I was wondering if this would be a good or bad idea. I would buy a larger cage and keep them both in it. Is this a bad idea?
I’m very close with her but I feel she needs a buddy and I am willing to give them both equal attention.
Please help.
Thanks,
Lindsay
Lindsay,
Here are some things that might help her keep busy while you are gone.
Try hanging cardboard pieces in her cage for her to chew. Here are some links for toys you can make for her.
http://www.birdsnways.com/birds/ideas.htm
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww71e.htm
Hang a millet spray in her cage. Millet is very nutritious for your bird and will take up a lot of time with all the little seeds.
Encourage your family to sit by her and talk to her while you are away. You may even want to move the cage into the main family area while you are gone or even permanently. That way she will be in the middle of all the action and won't be lonely. Do keep an eye on her in case she is unduly stressed.
I play a variety of Cd's for my birds when I am gone. Classical music, nature sounds, bird songs. I even leave the TV on a timer sometimes. Usually it is on the cartoon channel or Disney. Try these ideas and then if she still seems unhappy and you are ready to care for two birds, start considering another pet bird.
If you do get another bird he will need his own cage and all his own toys etc.
He will also need to be quarantined until you can verify that he is healthy.
This usually lasts about 30 days or until the tests come back from the vet. Unless you plan to raise cockatiel babies I would not put them in a cage together.
Please read some of these sites before you purchase another bird.
http://www.parrotchronicles.com/winter2001/quarantine.htm
http://www.pethealthcare.net/html/body_introducing_new_birds.html
http://www.parrotparrot.com/articles/aa102300.htm
Dear Ash,
Is their any way tell you can tell if a baby chick is a male or female?
Thanks for your help
Nathan
Hi Nathan,
It really depends on what kind of bird you are referring to. In some birds the color of their down and/or feathers is a direct indication of what sex they are. Other birds have no link between their feather color and sex at all and need a blood test run to determine male or female status.
Here are some links for your information.
Parrots:
http://www.thomasriver.co.za/parrots/sexing.htm
This link talks about four different methods of sexing. It also lists pros and cons for surgical sexing.
http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/article12.htm
Large list of different species of parrots.
http://www.birdsnways.com/birds/services.htm#labs
This is a list of labs for testing and supplies.
Chickens:
http://www.geocities.com/junipercreekfarm/farming/poultry/sexing.htm
Many wild birds’ sex can be identified by the feather coloration.Here are two examples:
Blue Birds
http://www.stokesbirdsathome.com/birding/id/idpages/id110.html
Woodpeckers
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art8034.asp
Ash,
I recently bought a baby African Grey (born in captivity) with all the correct documents etc... However, three days after purchasing him/her I discovered that the pet shop had clipped it's wings without the bird having ever flown before. Having read extensively that this is not something that they should have done, I wanted to return him to the pet shop. I couldn't do it because I had grown to like the bird so much. I wouldn't do it for anything in the world but am worried as to what I should do to help the bird gain confidence. I would be grateful for any advice as I cannot find any such information on the net (apart from "don't clip his wings until he/she flies, which is too late in this case).
Yours
Karim
Karim,
If you have not done so already, purchase the largest cage that you can afford and that will fit in your living area. Here are some things that you can do to keep your bird safe in and out of the cage until the wings grow out. Keep the perch in the cage low and put towels and/or newspapers on top of the grate. This way if the bird falls there will be some cushion. Be careful to not allow the bird at a great height while out of the cage until there is more flying skill
Congratulations on your new baby!
Ash
Ask Ash Kudos
Dear Christa and Ash
Many thanks for the links to the HolisticBird Website. I found more useful things there than in the two books I had bought for this. I really appreciated them. I just wanted to comment that here in Spain there is a lot of ignorance regarding the treatment of birds. Today, after buying Alex the biggest cage I could find I commented to the owner of the pet shop that I was worried for my parrot’s development, as they had cut his wings. The other thing was the other pet shop's insistence that I buy the perch without a cage. I was silly enough to believe them. Now that Alex has a big cage, he/she is eating three times more, looks more secure, relaxes more and appears a lot more comfortable. He even begs to enter the cage. (Before, he used to cry to come to my shoulder). I don't know if any of these problems are usual in your country (clipping wings before they fly for the first time / advising perches instead of cages) but I just wanted to thank you for your advice because it really has made a big difference to this bird ( and consequently to me). Today I have felt that difference.
Peace to you and all the birds
Karim
First Aid for Birds
Dear Ash,
What kind of items should I have on hand for bird first aid?
Tom
Tom,
That is a very good question. Most of us have first aid kits for humans. It is also a good idea to have one for your feathered friends. Some items you might have in a first aid kit for your birds would be pedialyte, styptic powder, cornstarch, bandages, and scissors. Here are some informative links to help you create the best bird first aid kit for your own flock.
http://www.ruffledfeathersaviary.com/first_aid.htm
http://www.holisticbird.org/pages/healFirstAid.htm
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww2e.htm
http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/pdfs/firstaid.pdf
May you never need your kit.
Ash