ellen5e.com » care http://ellen5e.com Blogging about my 5 E's Sat, 08 May 2010 05:23:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Crazy Bird Fever Scare http://ellen5e.com/p/crazy-bird-fever-scare/ http://ellen5e.com/p/crazy-bird-fever-scare/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:32:44 +0000 ellen5e http://ellen5e.com/?p=505 Something  MUST be done!  33OliverOnCageDoor

Theres a new problem with our 10 year old male Patagonian conure. He has always been a very good and healthy boy, but I went to pick him up a couple of days ago and his right foot had some red at the ankle. I thought it was blood from maybe a pulled blood feather, cleaned him up and found no source on examining him.

Yesterday, his foot was red again,,, it looked more pinkish red but was a mess. I noticed some red digested food under his favorite perch and that his food bowl was empty (unusual) and thought he might have gone down there to eat? Cleaned him up, examined his foot area again. Nothing more.

Today, he’s done it again. Appears maybe that he is regurgitating?! He eats the pelleted fruit colored food, some of which is that red color. However, I also have concerns over the possibility of his shredding the newspaper tunnels that we make for him that he loves to play in. One of the later papers used did have some red ink on the paper. But I removed that days ago, when trying to figure out how his foot got red.

Oliver is really missing his paper tunnels to play in, but I must get to the source of what’s going on with him. He is acting like his usual self otherwise. Though I am a bit puzzled by this sticky, gloppy, reddish pink that keeps ending up all over his right foot which is his favored foot for head grooming and preening. I also did find traces of the substance around his beak, but not his vents or eyes. Tonight my daughter pointed out a good size glob on his open cage door. I used a wooden craft stick to scoop into a baggie to take to vet in the a.m. if she needs to see it and Oliver is clean at the time.

ANY IDEAS ON WHAT IS GOING ON WITH OUR CONURE?

Bird vet informed me that what Oliver is doing is um…er… well, he’s displaying his desire to help create some babies. The regurgitation is supposed to be attractive (believe it or not). Although this has NEVER happened before.

Here in Indy we’ve had an unusually tropical and long spring/summer and into fall. About mid year I began making these newspaper tent/tunnels on the top of his cage that he enjoys playing in and shredding. Although some people are concerned that the inks used in newspaper could be toxic, the vet told me that years ago the toxic inks were removed to protect even people who were eating newspaper!

So the weather and the availability of a “nest” helped launch Oliver into hormonal overload.  The end result? No more tunnels for Oliver because I don’t need a frustrated bird on my hands. He doesn’t like cold showers and I’m not really into turning this place into a LOVE nest for conures. No thank you!

Related Posts

]]> http://ellen5e.com/p/crazy-bird-fever-scare/feed/ 0 Feeding Time http://ellen5e.com/p/feeding-time/ http://ellen5e.com/p/feeding-time/#comments Sat, 23 Aug 2008 06:02:00 +0000 ellen5e http://ellen5e.com/?p=30 Here some video of caring for the babies.

and here’s another video

Related Posts

]]> http://ellen5e.com/p/feeding-time/feed/ 0 Bath Time http://ellen5e.com/p/bath-time/ http://ellen5e.com/p/bath-time/#comments Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:04:00 +0000 ellen5e http://ellen5e.com/p/bath-time/
BunniesD2C-poster
Originally uploaded by Ellen5e

After feeding it is bath time; messaging clean and then down belly and to the tail to help newborns learn to eliminate after eating and outside of the sleeping area.

Plus by noticing their elimination, I can tell if they are digesting well. That and their energy level tell me they are doing fine so far. : )

This is wild mama rabbit behavior and Sable is learning to clean not only himself but also his sibling.

Related Posts

]]> http://ellen5e.com/p/bath-time/feed/ 0 Time to Eat http://ellen5e.com/p/time-to-eat/ http://ellen5e.com/p/time-to-eat/#comments Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:03:00 +0000 ellen5e http://ellen5e.com/p/time-to-eat/
BunnieD2B-poster
Originally uploaded by Ellen5e

Though not the softest of nipples, the monoject helps me deliver the formula (condensed milk, goats milk, clover honey and soluble vitamins). I am very careful to not depress the plunger too fast so as to prevent aspiration.

I learned that bunnies of this age, eyes are not opened yet, will eat about 2 times a day and about 2 ml per feeding. Most important feeding time is between midnight and 5 a.m..

Whatever the cc/ml amount, I look to the little one to tell me when it is full and look for signs of a nice rounded tummy when done.

Related Posts

]]> http://ellen5e.com/p/time-to-eat/feed/ 0 Tiny Tennants http://ellen5e.com/p/tiny-tennants/ http://ellen5e.com/p/tiny-tennants/#comments Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:02:00 +0000 ellen5e http://ellen5e.com/p/tiny-tennants/
BunnieD2A-poster
Originally uploaded by Ellen5e

This is the second day of caring for the newborn orphan cottontails.
Their 3 older siblings were killed when the nest was destroyed by either our terrier or the neighbor’s cat. Mother bunny didn’t pick a very good spot for them.

They still have sign of umbilical stub and were quite emaciated when I rescued them. Each of them weighed just over 1 oz. Although the odds are greatly against survival of babies this small, I think that my animal husbandry skills improve the odds.

Related Posts

]]> http://ellen5e.com/p/tiny-tennants/feed/ 0 The Lame Lamb http://ellen5e.com/p/the-lame-lamb/ http://ellen5e.com/p/the-lame-lamb/#comments Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:26:00 +0000 ellen5e http://ellen5e.com/p/the-lame-lamb/ good_shepherd I would like to tell you of a shepherding practice that is used when a lamb continues to wander away from the flock. In order for the lamb that keeps wandering away to learn to stay with the flock, the shepherd uses his staff and actually breaks one of legs of the lamb. Then he splints the leg and carries the little one over his shoulders for a good bit of the healing time required.

The lamb is carried this way as they go about the daily life of whatever sheep and their shepherd do. All the while a special bond is being made.

When the day comes that the shepherd removes the splint from the leg of the lamb, the purpose of what may seem to be an abusive act comes into focus.

That little lamb will NEVER wander away from his shepherd again! In fact he now gleefully leaps about in the area near the shepherd. The very hand that had caused his pain, comforted him through it, lovingly cared for him, and gave him a real appreciation for all that the shepherd provides.

So now, when you read in the book of Isaiah ” All we like sheep go astray, each to his own way”, and the LORD is the keeper of them all, I hope that you will remember this illustration.

There is a reason for our pain. If we won’t stop wandering away, the shepherd will pursue our closeness in some other way. That’s just how much He longs to be close to us. Isn’t that neat?

Related Posts

]]> http://ellen5e.com/p/the-lame-lamb/feed/ 0