News on Skittles

[viki]

Well after the attack i was sick and then he was sick. And i know some of u might say wen a parrot pukes its called regurgitation and its normal...but this wasnt normal, fluffed up sitting on bottom of cage and clear liquid uncontrolably coming out. My poop baby looked like he was in so much pain. So as i couldnt find an avian vet i rang the guy who sold him to us as he might know someone. so he said drop skittles over and hel sort him out.
While there we told him about all our problems and he came up with a solution. He said the reason we were having these problems was because of my fear. So he gave us a baby he said hes so small when he bites it wont hurt and he wants me to train him ot of biting. If i can do this then I can deal with Skittles, but if he comes back biting then I shouldnt have any bird.
So my mission is to tame this baby in 2 weeks... I hope its possible.
Last night i woke up in shock and sat right up....the feeling of guilt for leaving skittles with him woke me several times and i was plagued with nightmares; of the words he said and the bites and even the kisses iv gotten from my baby. I miss him so much

I think wel name the cockatiel little bird for now as hes so little and if i name him ill bond with him, and if i bond i wont want to leave him...
iv been struggeling to get him to eat...he will eat millet but thats all. And hes been nowhere near the water. iv been dipping my fingers in water and letting him lick them because im so afraid hel dehydrate. but i thinks hes more trying to bite me....its prob not good for him the way im doing it but iv no idea how to get him to drink

[entrancedbymyGCC]

To me it sounds as if Skittles was seriously ill on top of all the issues you have with him. What I would actually suggest is that you return the little 'tiel, try to forget about Skittles, and find someone else to deal with. Disinfect all the equipment, read as much as you can about birds, and find a genuinely knowledgeable breeder or shop owner to work with and figure out where you can get veterinary attention for your bird. I think that probably sounds harsh, and maybe the baby 'tiel will turn out to be healthy and problem free, but I think heartbreak and a lifelong desire to avoid birds at all costs is entirely too likely given the circumstances you have described.

[zazanomore]

I do NOT like the sounds of the guy you got the birds from.

Unlike entranced, I think you should try to get Skittles back.

You care for him. I believe he is genuinely sick, not just stressed out. If this man can't see this, then I fear for the safety of Skittles.

Contact your local rescues, breeders, pet stores, and small animal vets. Keep looking for an avian vet. If you still can't find any, then try looking for someone who treats chickens.

If I were you, I would be dedicated to saving both the cockatiel and Skittles.

[ginger]

This story has disaster written all over it. The breeder shouldn't have your bird. Your bird needed vet care, not the breeder. I can't believe that you turned him over to a breeder that not only doesn't appear to know what he's doing regarding the health and well being of the birds, but also gives you a baby bird, obviously not weaned, as a trade. And, part of the trade was a deal that you should train his baby bird, and then return it to trade back for your bird. Not only that but then he'll make the decision about whether or not you should have any bird based on his decision of how well you did training the baby. Am I right? Is that what the story is? Please tell me that I'm wrong and that isn't what you did. If you did do this I fear that your bird and the baby bird you have are in danger. First, Skittles is most likely sick and won't get proper healthcare. Second, if Skittles has anything contagious you have now exposed the baby bird to that disease. Third, by bringing a baby bird into your home that may also be sick you've now exposed your home to whatever that bird might have. Fourth, Skittles is now being exposed to anything that might be contagious at the breeder's location. He's already compromised regarding his health from what you stated and to have him now exposed to other birds is risky. Fifth, if you take Skittles back and keep the baby bird too what will you have learned from this experience? From where I sit it appears that you are going to be in over your head. I don't think that this is a wise decision, in my opinion. I hope I am wrong, but I fear that there is no good that will come out of this entire situation.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

I may wind up sounding harsh, but IF this really has played out the way it's been described here, IMO it is unlikely either bird will survive. Sad, to be true, but I'd cut my losses and start over. If there's a person out here making money this way, the last thing the world needs is for that to be encouraged.

[GlassOnion]

I disagree with what you did, sorry. You should have found someone who's knowledgeable about avian health, not the guy you bought from. I don't know why you took the tiel. I would ASAP find a rescue or a reputable breeder and get your Cockatiel checked out, before he gets sick too.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

According to one of the other threads, if I am recalling correctly, she's in Ireland in an area where she was unable to locate an avian vet.

[AmazonServant]

It's pretty concerning that there's someone breeding these birds for sale in an area where there is no avian vet. If I were you I would take Skittles back and take him to a vet, even if it's far away. It might seem like a big inconvenience, but it's not quite so bad as losing your bird to illness and wishing you could have done more to help him. Years ago I had a 3-year-old dog die once because she was sick, but didn't seem too upset about it and I figured the vet appointment could wait until Monday - she died that weekend and I still wonder whether she'd be alive now if I had gotten her to an emergency vet sooner. Unless your breeder is also a vet, which sounds highly unlikely, he is not going to be able to help Skittles. It sounds like the breeder didn't even acknowledge that Skittles was sick - does he think that the vomiting and sitting on the bottom of the cage are somehow related to his behavioral problems like biting? Those are completely unrelated issues, and I can't imagine why anyone would tell you that was why your bird was sick. How old is Skittles?

As for the cockatiel, that is far from a solution. It sounds like this guy is trying to distract you from being upset that he sold you a sick and possibly poorly raised bird. It's especially distressing that he blamed you for the bird's condition, that's really a terrible thing to say to someone who is worried about her sick bird. It's not your fault that your bird was biting. It's normal for birds to bite and it's generally not something that can just be fixed overnight. So for him to say that you are unfit to have a pet bird if you can't manage to train this baby cockatiel, is ridiculous. A better test for whether someone is fit to have birds is if they can still be patient and caring to a bird after being bitten - which sounds to me like what you are trying to do. It sounds like you really want Skittles back, and it's none of this man's business whether you're "fit" to have him. You did already buy him, after all. So go back and get Skittles, and please do your best to get him to a vet. Even if his sickness is serious enough for him not to live, he should be with you now and not his neglectful breeder. I hope he gets better!

[zazanomore]

Any updates?

[viki]

when we took the cockatiel we thought he was weaned and at a good age but from what im seeing his beek seems to be too weak to break seeds and he hasnt yet learned to use his feet as hands. Thankfuly the teil has a home to go to, he told us we cant keep him as hes sold but he nt going home for 2 weeks. iv read all about feeding formula to a baby so i thought that wold b a bad idea... dont want to kill him. So i mashed up some fruit and tried him with that and he wont even try it even if i put it on my fingers. he has cuttle bone and im hoping it will help his beak strengthen. all his cage has been disinfected, but he was in the cage for the hour drive home before the disinfection.
As for Skittles im begging my boyfriend to let me take him back, but as he payed 50% hes a bit like entranced "cut ur losses".
The guy i gave him to i hoped he had contacts and could get him what he needed. But if u put it that way mayb ur right and mayb he might just ignore him. And that scares me