Bird keeping ecstasy, then despair, then mild optimism!

[avinet]

This report concerns my pair of Greys, hence their photo starting the post. Ernie is on the cage door with Jamila behind.


Ernie has now just turned 8 years old, and I have owned him for 7½ of those years, while Jamila is a year younger, and I have had her for 6½ years. During that time they have been kept very much as pet birds, in the family room with the other birds that share our house. It was of course our hope that one day they would decide to get round to laying eggs and present us with some lovely baby African Greys. If they didn't that was OK, we enjoyed their company, but babies (at $4000 plus each) would always be welcome! For the last couple of years they have had a nest box in their cage, which really seemed to be regarded as more a play toy than a receptical for eggs. Jamila would go in and scratch around while Ernie decided to play the drums in it - he discovered it made different sounds depending on where he hit it with his beak.


Ernie and Jamila are introduced to their future nest box


So last Tuesday you can imagine the delight when I looked in the box and a nice big egg was sitting in the bottom ecstasy indeed. It was totally by surprise, with no real sign beforehand that egg laying was imminent. Jamila took an interest in the egg for the next couple of days, without trying to incubate it - but Greys don't normally start incubating to the second or third egg so that was OK. However Friday morning ecstasy turned to despair. When I went to open the cage door for the Greys it was immediately obvious that Ernie was sick - very sick, and a sickness that had appeared very suddenly. Eyes closed, motionless, didn't want to come out of the cage - something was very wrong Our nearest avian vet is in Brisbane, so it was into the car and off down the Bruce Highway, in pouring rain to the Brisbane Bird Vet (Adrian Gallagher). Wondering all the way what might be wrong, and how such a thing could happen just when little baby Greys were looking like they could be coming.

Once there the reason for his illness wasn't obvious - an anaesthetic was needed for a full examination and taking of blood and X-rays. That turned out very traumatic, for both me and Ernie - he really struggled to come out of the anaesthetic and for a while I felt sure he wasn't going to make it. Adding to the trauma the X-rays didn't indicate much except that his liver appeared to be smaller than normal, indicating potentially fatal liver disease, while the blood showed elevated white blood cells (inflammation/infection indicator) and mild anaemia. He had to stay at the vet over the weekend, and I was sure he wasn't going to make it through to Monday - continued despair This morning I talked with Adrian and it was agreed that an endoscopic examination of the liver and other internal organs would be made, since he had improved over the weekend and it was felt he would be strong enough for an anaesthetic.

This afternoon came the call I had hoped for. The liver looked to be in good condition, naturally smaller than normal but looking good, other organs were also in good shape, and interestingly his testes were much hormonally enlarged and ready for breeding. The cause of the illness is still a mystery and further work will be needed to try to sort that out but he seems to be recovering and I can collect him tomorrow (Tuesday). And yesterday Jamila laid another egg, and today shows every sign of going to incubate them - even in the absence of her mate.  She must be feeling really hard done by just now - abandoned by her male just as she really needs him! So today despair turned to mild optimism. Ernie looks like recovering, Jamila looks like she will be a good mother, and there is a chance - maybe not a high chance but a chance - that we have fertile eggs.

Since the disturbance to the proper routine has happened and Jamila may decide not to continue incubating, I am also collecting an incubator tomorrow to have in reserve in case the eggs have to be artificially incubated. Even if they are not fertile, if Ernie continues to regain good health there is always the possibility of more eggs in the future. And with a vet bill probably over $1000 we will need babies to pay the bill

I will keep you informed!

cheers,

Mike

[Nymphicus]

Mike, I really do hope that Ernie makes a quick and full recovery, it must be such a worry for you.

[Laraine]

You have been on an emotional roller coaster Mike, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. Hopefully you might get baby Greys.

Laraine

[avinet]

I picked Ernie up from the vet this afternoon and brought him home. He seems OK but a bit quiet - probably needs a good nights sleep in his own cage!

The worry is that a cause of his illness is presently unknown. The only definite is that he has a small liver - almost half the size of a normal one. Whether that is due to some long term deterioration or he was born with it is unknown. However the endoscopic examination showed that it looked normal apart from just being small.  A small liver in itself isn't a real problem - there is a lot of spare capacity in a normal liver. If there has been a steady reduction in size from a normal liver then it is a major problem, potentially ultimately fatal - when a normal liver suffers around a 70% loss then death happens very quickly. In fact probably most cases of a sudden death of an apparently healthy parrot is due to liver failure - especially in seed fed birds.

He is to have a liver tonic twice daily - to the beak which should be interesting - and probably will go back for a check over in a few weeks if he is otherwise progressing OK. Also there are some blood tests still to come back.

So, around a $1000 later, we are still in the dark as to the cause of the illness, very frustrating.

In the meantime Jamila is sitting pretty well on her two eggs, and was pleased to see Ernie return. Whether they will turn out to be fertile is anyone's guess - we will know in a few days. And I now have a loan of a small incubator in case she decides sitting on eggs for 4 weeks is too boring for an intelligent female African Grey. I will keep you informed!

cheers,

Mike

[Nymphicus]

Thanks for the update Mike, I'm pleased to learn that, apart from having an undersized liver, Ernie is home and seems OK.

Good luck with the egg hatching, I'll await further updates.

[avinet]

Jun 26, 2013 6:42:12 GMT 10 Nymphicus said:

Good luck with the egg hatching, I'll await further updates.

Ernie continues to improve - looking quite a bit better this evening. Jamila wasn't doing a good job with the eggs so I took them out this morning and put them into the incubator. I don't expect them to be viable after the disturbances but we have to give them the opportunity. I will know after the weekend whether they are going to develop.

cheers,

Mike

[avinet]

Ernie continues to improve - looks pretty well back to normal today. Also we had a third egg this morning, and Jamila is sitting pretty tight on it - maybe after having the first two eggs removed she has decided to make sure this one doesn't disappear.

cheers,

Mike

[Nymphicus]

That's great news Mike, I hope things continue to go well for you, Ernie and Jamila.

[Laraine]

Hi Mike

How are your greys going, any luck with the eggs?

[avinet]

Jul 22, 2013 11:59:02 GMT 10 Laraine said:

Hi Mike

How are your greys going, any luck with the eggs?

Hi Laraine,

Thanks for asking - they are well but unfortunately no fertile eggs. Ernie appears in perfect health again - seems to have got completely over his illness. His weight is back up to 515 grams, normal for him, after being down to 467 grams during his illness. Frustratingly we still don't know what the problem was - all tests have come back normal apart from having a small but healthy looking liver. He will go back in a week or two for follow up blood tests but, after a vet bill of $1400 we are still none the wiser.

In the meantime Jamila ended up laying 4 eggs in her first clutch, all infertile, and followed that up two weeks later with a further 2 eggs! She didn't make much of an attempt with the first lot at incubating but with these latest two has been very good about incubating. Unfortunately I candled them today and they also look to be infertile. However it is good practice I guess, and gives me greater confidence that when Ernie finally realizes what he is supposed to be doing that Jamila will incubate properly and I won't need to buy an incubator.

In the meantime I sometimes think about what might have been if there had been 6 fertile eggs - and have to admit to thinking occasionally of $5000 a baby that hasn't eventuated

Finally those who have bred parrots will know that many species save up their droppings to pass away from the nest box so that they keep it and it's surrounds as clean as possible. Greys are no different, and Jamila saves her droppings until she can get out of the cage to pass them - the result is enormous as can be seen in the photo of a single dropping! Their cage is surrounded by newspapers to catch the mess, with Ernie making a sizable contribution as well - he also seems to be trying to keep inside the cage cleaner than normal.

cheers,

Mike

[meandem]

Oh Mike, you must be beside yourself. We have been away for a few weeks and had a few personal things going on, and I haven't been able to get on and have a good read. Now I have just read your post. My heart bleeds for you. I know how much these beautiful pair mean to you. And like you, I don't mind if my birds don't breed, it is always just a bonus. But to lose a bird to an unknown illness is frustrating, and you are ALWAYS left wondering.

I'm so happy to read that Ernie continues to improve. Sad about clear eggs, but you still have the pair.............and there is always next time. I hope Ernie continues to improve

Looking forward to hearing more Big hugs to ya XXX

[meandem]

Oh and the poop thing - Chuckles does exactly the same thing, she saves it up and then makes a huge deposit. I wish I could make bank deposits that big!