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Post by kim1 on Nov 18, 2004 12:23:51 GMT 10
My little mate Max is a 3 mth old handraised baby platinum, he got very sick shortly after he was weaned and almost died, we never found out why but 2 weeks on antibiotics did the trick, Max lost so much weight he was just bones but now he has gained heaps of weight and seems perfectly healthy and content but he grinds his beak for hours on end, and very loudly I have noticed he is actually beginning to wear his beak quite a bit and I'm a bit worried it will cause damage, this isn't just grinding when he is tired this is almost all the time and it is very fast and hard, any ideas?
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Post by Catbird on Nov 18, 2004 16:32:57 GMT 10
Hey Kim,
good to hear he is on the mend. I've never come across 'excessive' bill grinding before. Except where a bird is rubbing its bill along the perch so much the bill wears down (associated with mites).
Perhaps you need to give him something to chew on - cuttelfish or a mineral block maybe?
- Claire
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Post by kim1 on Nov 18, 2004 16:53:50 GMT 10
he has cuttle fish and I put in those hanging bird treats but he doesn't seem to go for them, it's a mystery but it's driving me nuts, all I here is this click click click sound all the time he doesn't appear to be a nervous or highly strung bird, my son has tourrets syndrome and he gulps all the time and the bird clicks all the time I need some medication to put up whith it drives me nuts.
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Post by Catbird on Nov 18, 2004 20:16:00 GMT 10
Are you sure he is griding it?
Air-sac mite has a very distinctive 'clicking' noise. Very easily treated with a preparation of Ivermectin from the vet.
- Claire
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Smiley
Bronze Member
Posts: 194
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Post by Smiley on Nov 18, 2004 21:08:53 GMT 10
Animals are funny when it come to people that are sick...is your bird near your son..just a throught...maybe this has some thing to do with this as well...Seems like a habit..There must be a way to break this..have you tride things like gum branches...treats like seed bells which you can make your self..one egg white to one cup of seed...you can make a shape around a gum stick..cook in the mirco for a few secs...till it has formed ..and stick into an oven about 150 for 30 mins...if you make a few dont wrap them..for they could go moldy...I tire sasil rope to them,to put them up on the cages..and he can chew that as well...
Natalie
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Post by kim1 on Nov 18, 2004 21:09:27 GMT 10
No he's definately grinding, I can see him doing it and his beak is beginning to wear a bit. he doesn't make any noise while eating so it is only when he is grinding his beak.
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Post by josiedownunda on Nov 19, 2004 5:34:56 GMT 10
Just a thought here...have you checked to make sure he doesn't have any seed or food impacted up in the top beak?
Glad to hear he has recovered from his problem. Did you have any tests run on him...like for chlamydia etc? I had one that did very similar....my friend an avian vet nurse took it...she said it was touch and go for a month or more whether it would make it. She had tests done that came back negative. In the end it was treated with tetracycline for a week or so and has never looked back! Another mystery I guess!
Jo-Anne
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Post by hillcresttiels on Nov 19, 2004 14:22:22 GMT 10
Hi Kim Beak grinding is a normal habit of the Cockatiel especially whilst resting or at evenings before shut down all depends how often he is doing it cheers Frank  |
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Post by kim1 on Nov 19, 2004 15:03:34 GMT 10
Hi Frank, I recon he does it for 4 or 5 hour each day, Ive started carrying him everwhere and trying to distract him to break it as i think it's just a bad habit.
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Post by hillcresttiels on Nov 19, 2004 18:18:56 GMT 10
I wouldn,t be too concern just yet sounds like a bit of boredom on his behalf, cheers Frank  |
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Post by kim1 on Nov 19, 2004 19:05:43 GMT 10
Actually might be a different bird as Max's parents are bot platinum, but I've never bred them before and Max and his siblings seem to have a lot of yellow so I wonder if the parents where split pied, I don't know much about tiels but here is a link to Maxs picture would appreciated you opinion.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v499/kim1/max/000_0156.jpg
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Post by hillcresttiels on Nov 19, 2004 19:33:11 GMT 10
Sorry Kim1 as we have 2 kims on the forum.Max is a Platinum Pied and looks to have recovered are you sure Max isn't a Maxine? cheers Frank
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Post by kim1 on Nov 19, 2004 19:35:19 GMT 10
No I'm not sure how to tell with cocketeils, any secrets?
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Post by hillcresttiels on Nov 19, 2004 19:40:15 GMT 10
Unfortunately Kim with Pieds it's very difficult only behaviour such as repeating the cocks song whilst raising his wings and Bowing his head up and down is the only trade mark of the male Tiel hens are more subtle and in season some bob down low on the perch as to invite the male to hop on,they will do this even on their own cheers Frank |
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Post by kim1 on Nov 19, 2004 19:40:46 GMT 10
Buy the way you are right it is confusing having a couple of Kims on the site so I extended my name a bit hope that helps
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Post by kim1 on Nov 19, 2004 19:44:56 GMT 10
ok then I think out of the 4 chicks the 2 I thought were hens because they are plainer and not as piedy are cocks because they are already doing this, Max isn't so there is a possibility he's a girl time will tell I guess. What about the ones that seem to hang upside down almost with their wings held out wide?
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Post by hillcresttiels on Nov 20, 2004 4:59:32 GMT 10
Kim Thanx for clarifying the names now we wont get confused.Hanging upside down spreading wings and tail feathers is another trait shown by hens but it is not reliable as i have seen males do this also but not often!
Frank
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