My baby 2.5 month old Alexandrine first fly - hit two window

[alexandrin]

I got here a proposal for $70 to get a custom designed cage
Size:

Wideness 80см
Depth 70см
Hight 65 см

Would it be bearable size?

Thanks a lot!

[alexandrin]

OK - Good news. I am going to get new cage, will cost around $70.

Cage will be custom designed / custom made for me by a professional cages builder here in Tbilisi.

Size will be 90cm x 90cm x 70cm

Should be good I believe!

[Pajarita]

My dear, you are NOT going to find a good custom made parrot cage for that kind of money. I bet the man is using chicken coop wiring (galvanized) for it and that's a complete no-no with parrots, they get metal poisoning from it. You need either stainless steel or good powder coating so, please, look for a real cage made by professionals that know what is good for a bird and not somebody who doesn't. You should be able to find a good size, good condition used cage for $80 - $100... Look in Ebay local and CL.

[alexandrin]

My dear, you are NOT going to find a good custom made parrot cage for that kind of money. I bet the man is using chicken coop wiring (galvanized) for it and that's a complete no-no with parrots, they get metal poisoning from it. You need either stainless steel or good powder coating so, please, look for a real cage made by professionals that know what is good for a bird and not somebody who doesn't. You should be able to find a good size, good condition used cage for $80 - $100... Look in Ebay local and CL.

Actually, I am now in Tbilisi, so here $70 is pretty much of a deal for a locally made product, here "solid" monthly payroll is around the 350-500$ zone. Hence, I could find here an engineer who makes cages as a profession at this rate, using metal and natural (no chemical layer) wood, no plastics.

I will contact him - make sure he uses stainless steel metal!

UPDATE: confirmed - he uses stainless steel.

Example of his work attached.

[Pajarita]

Hmmm, I don't know... the cheapest stainless steel comes from China so it would need transporting to Tblisi which would make it more expensive. And it's not that cheap there, either (and I know because I have a friend who ordered directly from the manufacturer in China and arranged transport on a cargo ship on her own - not for a cage, for an outdoor aviary). I'll be honest with you, I don't like homemade chicken wire cages even when they are made with stainless steel, the wires are too thin and hurt their feet (they climb, they are not passerines) and I don't like that they form squares instead of the bars that form 'stripes'. I also don't like the materials... Wood for a parrot cage? NOT a good idea for four reasons:
1) it won't last (parrots chew wood),
2) you can't keep it clean (you can't really wash wood - it's too porous),
3) you do not know for sure that is untreated or non-toxic and
4) you can get a mites infestation and there is nothing you can do about it (you can NOT get mites out of wood)

It might be designed by an engineer but it's certainly not designed by anybody who knows what a parrot needs. Please don't take offense but we only see these cages in countries where people cannot afford a real cage or because people simply do not know they are not good for parrots (they make them here,too but birdkeepers who know what they are doing never use them).

The one you showed in the picture is not meant for a bird.. it's for a rabbit or a ferret (down to the ground, made with wood and chicken wire, with doors that are too big and without a grid or a tray under it). I am not trying to knock you down but it seems to me that you are not very experienced in what a parrot needs or enjoys and the person selling you this cage is bamboozling you. I think you will be making a mistake if you get this cage for your parrot... neither you nor the parrot will be happy with it and you will have to buy another one sooner rather than later while, if you get a good parrot cage, it will last you years and years and the bird will be safe and comfortable in it. Think about it. And I'll tell you something that all good bird keepers share: we are mighty picky about the cages we use!

[alexandrin]

I will certainly look into this!

What's minimal cage size suggested of picking one from store?

[alexandrin]

UPDATE: Decided not going ahead with custom made as it is wood made which can be a risk of the parrot would chew too much of it. I will look in stores for a regular one which would be as close as possible to the sizes mentioned !

[alexandrin]

I am concerned, is this breathing normal? Look at his body bottom and from the above, I took video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqG5i3C ... e=youtu.be

[Pajarita]

Hmmmm, there seems to be something there... I would not call it labored breathing because there is no tail bob but, as far as I know, when a bird breathes normally, you don't really see the body moving at all. I actually stopped here and went to look at all my birds that are quiet and perching -which is just a few of them because they are all flying around right now- but the Indian Ringnecks are in their cage and I looked at them first because they are VERY similar to Alexandrines -first cousins, they even have the same family name Psittacula). The other thing I don't like is how low to the perch he is sitting. Not that the position itself is abnormal but, usually, birds perch 'standing up' so you can see their feet and legs but he is actually kind of crouching...

Why don't you give him some antibiotic in his water, just in case? If you can get your hands on some doxycycline capsules of 50 mgs each, you can put half of one in one measuring cup of water and use this for his water for two weeks (don't fall into the temptation of making a large amount, you need to make it fresh every morning). Even if there is nothing wrong with him, it won't hurt him at all. And don't forget to get him a good quality multivitamin/mineral supplement - the best one is the powder one that you sprinkle on their soft food but i've always found this method a bit complicated in terms of measurements so get the powder that dissolves in water (not the one that already comes in a liquid form and, again, it needs to be made fresh every day).

GOOD on the cage change of mind!!!

[alexandrin]

First of all thank a lot for all your support!


So some news:

1. Took a taxi today to the university animals shop
Right where I bought this baby.
2. Talked to the animals expert there, she said that he is indeed
Looking thinner and weaker (videos I sent her).
3. She prescribed A. Since he is just 3 month barely old, make sure his food jar is always full, he never should be hungry for food, she told me to use the mix she sold me, its ideal for him per her statement, the mix she sold me is a mixture of seeds, veggies and froot palets. C. She said include for now half boiled hard egg daily in his diet. D. She sold me a small portion of premium multi vitamin powder and instructed me put a two finger chop of this powder daily on the half egg served for 10 days (if I remember correctly).

And she said in 10 days he should be back to normal, good shape of all above instructions followed.

And final news -- I bought from them a larger cage, cost me around $150, well its not a 100 cm one but its good enough and much better than the current one, its 50 width 50 in and around 65-70 cm hight. For least he wil fully fit in and be able to open wings without feel limited. I will for now let him see the new cage for few days as I put the new cage near the existing... then try move him.

** As for anti biotics, maybe better avoid and stick to the new diet with multi vitamin as per her instructions? I will go tomorrow as its night now... to the pharmacy and check for these antibiotics if they got it. its half of 50mg daily OR half of 50mg for whole two weeks?

** As for him sitting "low" on perch, maybe its normal him to do it? when he is active/moving he actually has his legs revealed and when just sitting, he can "hide" his legs by sitting that low, I googled for photos of other Alexanderines, found this:
https://da1urhpfd469z.cloudfront.net/up ... 3x1200.jpg

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/imag ... KWfeNISOMH

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/imag ... gzU2qVzyhw

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/imag ... oqWDsal_i3

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Lb8q4jhxfXk/hqdefault.jpg

Thanks a lot!