Sizing

[luskexoticbirds]

Not sure how to resize photos I guess they are too large. I am somewhat computer illiterate when it comes to attachments and photos. They are jpg.:shrug:

[Shirley]

If you post them on photobucket or a similar server for showing them, I think they get resized automatically... not sure.

I use Photoshop to crop and resize.

Try to keep them 5x7 inches or smaller, and under 100KB if you can. We have members who are on dialup access. (or under 800pixels on the longest side) If you don't know what that means, then don't worry about it... so long as they are a reasonable size and load quickly for dialup... 72dpi is another size to watch for... you want 72dpi for the resolution.

[moluccanman]

Shirley gave excellent advice on services like photobucket (http://photobucket.com). Flickr (http://flickr.com) is similar to photobucket but in my opinion much easier to use and with more capabilities.

The best service for you especially if you want to share photos with BOAF is Jing (http://www.jingproject.com/)

Flickr Photo below
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2364/2179438922_54db4a41a1.jpg

Jing Photo below

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2271/2179438530_bbbc39e598.jpg

Both photos are small files because Flickr compresses them.

[luskexoticbirds]

http://[URL=http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii310/singmodel/christmas2007251.jpg][IMG]http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii310/singmodel/th_christmas2007251.jpg (http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii310/singmodel/christmas2007251[/IMG)
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii310/singmodel/th_christmas2007243.jpg (http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii310/singmodel/christmas2007243.jpg)
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii310/singmodel/th_christmas2007244-1.jpg (http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii310/singmodel/christmas2007244-1.jpg)
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii310/singmodel/th_GretaJeanLusk1.jpg (http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii310/singmodel/GretaJeanLusk1.jpg)
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii310/singmodel/th_christmas2007252.jpg (http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii310/singmodel/christmas2007252.jpg)
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii310/singmodel/th_PepperMarieLusk.jpg (http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii310/singmodel/PepperMarieLusk.jpg)
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii310/singmodel/th_BuckyRayLusk.jpg (http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii310/singmodel/BuckyRayLusk.jpg)
[

[luskexoticbirds]

OOPS!!! I must have done something wrong, I tried downloading at photobucket and pasted the url here but all the pics came up here, I am sorry!

I have no clue as to how to do this, these are just a few of my flock. My little sick one is Chloe, Dakari is next,Cricket, Greta Jean,Lourdo, Pepper, and Bucky Ray!!

[Shirley]

The pics are supposed to come up here - you did great!

That is definitely the Bare-eyed we visited.

Why is she in a collar? I don't see any feather destruction... unless it's all under her wings?

There's a better, imo, collar than that to wear... much more comfortable.
Skyler has to wear one (RB2) b/c he picks until he breaks his skin, and then he bleeds and gets an infection... he wears it as easily as we wear clothes, no big deal, even flies with it on if we don't take it off quickly enough when he's out. He has it off when he's outside of his cage.

Search for Skyler in the cockatoo forum... you'll see his pics there and how bad he got. And you'll see loads of Shelby's pics there, as well.

Here you go:
http://www.thebirdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3754

Dr. Cook saved this guy's life! :agree: :heart:

[Shirley]

Here's another Skyler link... he loves to go places - especially outside. And he doesn't need his collar while out and about like this.

Skyler at the pond (http://www.thebirdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1056)

[luskexoticbirds]

Oh Shirley! Skyler is adorable, I feel so bad when animals have to wear those collars. It would be like wearing a turtleneck all the time. That collar does look more comfortable, what kind is it? Chloe goes back to the doc tomorrow, I will ask her about that kind of collar. Chloe can hardly maneuver and due to the collar being flat and crooked, she can barely get her food or step up.

She can also reach the inside of her wings underneath- that is where the sores are. She must be itching badly, she constantly wants me to rub her head. I am supposed to mist her body every other day with warm water.

The birdie beauty shop ladies came over Saturday to trim nails, beaks and clip wings but Chloe had to pass, they didnt want to stress her out anymore than she is. So, Chloe doesnt look her best right now. I was curious if Dr. Cook felt that by looking at Chloe that day that she looked healthy, other than needing a bath and beak trim? I know you cant tell just by looking but did she feel anything negative/positive about her?
I may start taking my flock to Dr. Cook since she is fairly close and so knowledgeable.

[luskexoticbirds]

After reading about Syler's condition, it sounds similar to Chloe, she is itching so bad, she has picked under her wings, causing bleeding and open wounds. Chloe has always played with her food by taking it and putting it under her wings, she then pops it out and it goes flying evrywhere, I have even found a seed or two under her wings. She is always lifting her wings up to put something under them.
I thought she was entertaining herself by it. I am afraid she will have to wear the collar for quite some time. Dr. Clarke told me that she had another bare eye that had to wear a collar too. I certainly dont want her to remove it yet, as she still tries to pick, its driving her crazy.

[Shirley]

Mist her 4-5 times a day (misting was THE thing that best alleviated Skyler's "itching"), get her on pellets ASAP, set up foraging situations for her (buy Scott Echol's Foraging DVD from Dr. Cook - PM me)
Get Dr. Cook's DVD Happily Ever After with Parrots ... A Learning Game linked below -- The first assignment I had with Skyler from Dr. C was to clicker train him to occupy his mind and get him doing things with me, building a good solid relationship of trust, and giving him things to learn and do... and I thought he couldn't be clicker-trained, then saw her do it right in front of my eyes in her clinic! Three years later she has the DVD available - it's excellent! Worth every penny.

Here's the link to the collar Skyler wears, and I can't find it ANYWHERE else... nor do I see this kind very often. It's the kind Dr. Lennox provided when the first one did not work at all.

COLLAR (http://dogtrainingstore.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=EJ406X)

EJ408X 8" 22g is the size we get for Skyler, and would likely fit a BE2.

The shipping is high, but that's the only place I can find it.

He's on his 2nd collar, and it's been a little over 3 yrs.

He is really good about leaving himself alone now, but not such that we can keep the collar off 24/7 - he's always in it when we aren't here to supervise, and he's usually in it when he's in his cage. He's never in it when he's out of his cage, but during the first couple years, he had to wear it even when out of his cage. He picks under his wings, but never tried to put anything in his feathers.

In addition to pellets, go to the Harrison's site and consider the
AVIx (http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/products/avix.html) products. They are excellent... but it's hard to get our birds to eat the Sunshine Factor - but... it's great stuff. Red Palm Oil, it's what Jean gives Elvie daily, I believe, and it's great for them. I just can't get Skyler to accept it.

Read this:

Red Palm Oil (http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/products/aboutpalmoil.html)

Harrison's advice for switching to pellets (http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/ourfoods/index.html)

If you don't have a gram scale, get one, and weigh her regularly before she eats... without a scale, we wouldn't have known how sick Skyler was on one of the occasions....

Good luck, and come see Dr. Cook if you can - and then drop by to see me too -- I'd love to meet you and see Chloe again! :) :wub:

Dr. Cook's contact info
(http://www.thebirdforums.com/forums/www.cicerovet.com)

[Deanna]

A humidifier in the general vicinity (but not directed at Chloe) may be of assistance to help alleviate itching.

I live in the desert and at the temperature change from autumn to winter, my Cecil (Senegal) (followed by similar signs by my Pionus, Mojo) took to itching terribly, non-stop. Because of Cecil's history, we did a full avian blood panel and check up to rule out any possible medical causes. None were found and we started using the humidifier religiously as well as one drop per day of Skin Formula 3V Caps. It wasn't but a few short days that they found rapid and welcome relief. Their plumage looks wonderful.

[Shirley]

We have a very humid house... 120- and 125-gal fish tanks that evaporate 13 gal water / week... (we no longer have the 125, but we had it well beyond the beginning of Skyler's FDB. (feather destructive behavior)

Getting her skin wet with the misting is what really helps. And yes, Deanna has a great point -- the humidity helps a lot. But frequent misting under each wing will be most effective. :wub:

[SummerJ]

Holly, you have a beautiful flock. I hope you are able to find something to help Chloe. It is so frustrating when they are not well and we can't figure out how exactly to help them. Sydney, my Goffin's, is a feather picker. I think his is more of a behavior that came about in a previous home that has now become a habit. He goes through spells when he is better than other times. I love him as he is, but would love to help him to be in full feather some day. I do believe having a higher humidity is helpful for them. I tried Harrison's pellets with him, but he has not shown any interest in them. I also tried the Roudybush and he seems to like those much better. If you have not tried the Roudybush, you might be able to get a sample from them to see how she accepts that.
I think you would like Dr. C. if you decide to make the drive. I take my birds to her and it is about an hour trip for us to get there. She is very thorough and has many good ideas for you to try. I feel so blessed to be able to take the birds to her! :)
Janet

[luskexoticbirds]

Thank you all for the suggestions, I will definitely look into all of the suggestions and give it a try. Also, I had a question concerning a few food items for my parrots in general:
what about 'monkey biscuits'? can one be added to the diet a day or is it more for a treat? Are they good at all to feed parrots?
Peanuts, as a treat? I have heard that they could be rancid and cause the bird to get sick, should they be avoided all together? What about other nuts, such as Walnut, almonds, brazillian?
What about cereals such as cheerios or rice cereal, non sugarared?
Is peanut butter good for them occasionaly for protein?
I was just curious about a few things and wanted some opinions.
Thanks so much for everything!
Holly

[Shirley]

Our birds love Roudybush! :agree: It's their favorite brand.

[SummerJ]

It is best to avoid peanuts if possible, they can have a toxin in them, which can make birds sick. Tree nuts are good as long as they are given in moderation. For Chloe, I would try to limit her to one no more than 2-3 times a week. As treats, I think cereal is good to use - Non-sugared cereals should be used. Sydney loves cereal, especially oatmeal, Cr. of Wheat, or Grits. Based upon information that Dr. C received at the AAV convention this summer, when possible pellets should be the main form of nutrition. Intake of too much fatty foods can result in cardiac problems for the birds later in life.
Janet

[Shirley]

No peanuts... the tree nuts Janet mentions are more nutritious and not susceptible to fungus/mold.

I would not give monkey biscuits. Instead, try an avian biscuit, like Beak Appetit. And try different non-colored brands of pellets until you find one she likes. Zupreem natural, Roudybush, Harrisons... ours loved Roudybush right away, and turned up their beaks at the others.

Treat - safflower instead of peanut, or piece of almond, and the treat is as positive reinforcement, not just a treat for the sake of a treat.

unsalted unsweetened P-nut butter is ok, but ours don't like it. Many love it. And in moderation.

I'd avoid cereals that are processed or have unnatural ingredients. (that would include cheerios). Oatmeal is OK.

Baked sweet potatoes are a huge favorite, as well as raw string beans, thawed frozen peas and corn, raw broccoli...carrots...

[luskexoticbirds]

Sounds like good advice! I will have to switch to non colored pellets though, the last couple of days, my greenwing has used the bathroom it had a orangy/brown/red tone to it, I figured it was from the red colored pellets.
It scared me at first because I thought it was blood.

Changing from seeds to pellets has been a smooth transition to some and for my blue and golds, they wont even try it. I will try Roudybush. Is that sold in pet stores or is it special order(internet) or vet?

I am getting ready to take Chloe to her appointment, I hope everything is better. She acts better, except that collar seems to bother her and she has found a vegetable she really likes-peas! Hopefully we are on our way back to normal, happy, nippy Chloe!

[Shirley]

Roudybush is available at several online sites, and some bird shops carry it, and I can find it at the fairs. It's not in the typical "pet store" ime.

We usually get 32# at a time, and save a lot by buying in bulk like that.

Here's where I most recently ordered it:

http://www.nibblenest.com/index.asp

I've ordered here in the past:

http://www.foryourbird.com/

[CocosMomma]

A couple of the local, true bird stores around here (the REAL bird stores) give free samples of Roudybush. (They carry it only because they are REAL bird stores.) So I know that Roudybush does produce sample bags, and the sample I got was an "ample" sample. It was very nice. Despite the fact that Ms. "I'm picky, picky, picky" Coco turned up her beak at it..... don't go by her. She'd still prefer I hand feed her!:rofl:

It looks to me to be an excellent food. It would be wonderful if you could get your hands on a sample bag. The store that gave me the sample even had samples in different pellet sizes!

Oh, and PS: My sis gave her B&G some zupreem colored pellets, and you wouldn't believe the colors he started pooping..... like a rainbow!

[Shirley]

If you come up this way, I'll give you a big sample :D I get the "small" size. My birds don't care for the large size pellets. Small is plenty big for them.

[luskexoticbirds]

Well We are back from the vet. Chloe is slowly but surely improving. I am to continue with meds of course and she gave me a bottle of AVIx Soother Spray to use on her wounds. They are scabbing over and the itchines is driving her crazy. I am going to invest in a humidifier and see if that helps, I keep it pretty warm in the house. I am going to continue with warm baths and misting too.

Has anyone ever heard of the soother spray or had any luck with using it? Dr. Clarke sprayed it onto her hands and put it right on the wounds. I didnt really want to touch the wounds with my hands for fear of infection.
She wants to see her in about a week. They are hoping to remove the collar by then too but I am nervous about removing it and getting her chewing again. The vet said Chloe will be on Milk Thistle for quite some time until her livr function is up to par. So, the process is going to take awhile. I am just happy that I caught it in time.

I am going tomorrow to hunt down some roudybush. The vet also has birds and she suggested mixing different types and brands of pellets so that the birds dont get bored and have something to pick from. She also suggested soaking the Harrisons in apple juice, orange juice, whatever the birds prefer to get them to eat it. I am thankful for all of the good advice and suggestions everyone has made. I looked through the site at a lot of the birds, they are all so gorgeous!
Holly

[Shirley]

Good to hear! I used the aloe soother spray, and can't say it helped or not any better than water. I've also used Pluck No More, which is a collection of herbs in water. I sprayed the soother right on him - now I just use water, but the soother/aloe spray is good stuff.

I'd be very cautious about taking the collar off if she has wounds. She can open them all back up in a matter of seconds... Skyler's been there done that. :(