Tweaty and Pip

I've not heard of that before - will check if it's available in our little land! Maybe something similar with a different name probably.

Hubby thinks the pee idea is fabulous - you can't beat natural remedies

Little Fledgling wrote:

I've not heard of that before - will check if it's available in our little land! Maybe something similar with a different name probably.

Hubby thinks the pee idea is fabulous - you can't beat natural remedies

And you can't get much more natural than that.

Be sure to let us know how it goes if you order any.

Fancyfeathers wrote:

Little Fledgling wrote:

I've not heard of that before - will check if it's available in our little land! Maybe something similar with a different name probably.

Hubby thinks the pee idea is fabulous - you can't beat natural remedies

And you can't get much more natural than that.

Be sure to let us know how it goes if you order any.

Certainly not unless the animal itself, is used to distribute it's own pee.

Matilda wrote:

Fancyfeathers wrote:

Little Fledgling wrote:

I've not heard of that before - will check if it's available in our little land! Maybe something similar with a different name probably.

Hubby thinks the pee idea is fabulous - you can't beat natural remedies

And you can't get much more natural than that.

Be sure to let us know how it goes if you order any.

Certainly not unless the animal itself, is used to distribute it's own pee.

Hi everyone

I hope you're all OK. Thankfully although it's still below freezing at night, our days are getting longer and warmer now, thankfully. It's a lovely day today. It's reached the dizzy heights of 10 degrees C!

Tweaty and Pip are fine - both are enjoying the better weather. We had a bit of a disaster the other night though. For some reason they spooked in the night. Not sure why. Pippy was quite badly hurt on the edges of her wings and Tweaty was on the floor behind the closed door. There was a bit of blood spattered around, but she's fine. Poor little love. I felt so guilty. So now they are going to bed with an open door.

Tweaty has a wild admirer. It's doing a little dance on the top of the cage and trying to get in. He's pacing up and down against the wire in frustration. Help! Do they do bromide for pigeons?? This means that perhaps I have two the same sex, but they will be boy and girl forever to me

Finally, do any of our UK people know what I can pop on Pip's head. It's still the same. We get just to healing point and she goes and flips around the aviary after something's spooked her and bangs it again, opening it up. It's gradually working down towards her beak now. I washed her wings off with saline solution from our first aid kit, but obviously can't do that with the head area! My aloe vera stuff works to keep it from itching, but I'm scared it's going to get infected. Savlon seems to agree with her, but makes the area a bit mushy.

Any advice would be really welcome.

Wend
x

Thanks for the advice. How do I get her to the vet though - she will completely freak out. I know it's where she's bashing her head on the wire (the night spook was a one-off I think - it's not happened before). And then when the feathers start to grow through, it's itching her so she scratches it. It a big circle I need to break.

Little Fledgling wrote:

Thanks for the advice. How do I get her to the vet though - she will completely freak out. I know it's where she's bashing her head on the wire (the night spook was a one-off I think - it's not happened before). And then when the feathers start to grow through, it's itching her so she scratches it. It a big circle I need to break.

Would she thrash about even if she is placed in a kennel covered with a blanket or towel for the duration of the car ride? If you still think she might, then at least bring them inisde at night until she is healed....at least that's what I would do.

Hi Wendy,
We so appreciate the update.
I'm so glad that Tweaty and Pip are doing well, with the exception of Pip's accident.

I agree with the suggestion of bringing them inside at night until things settle down and Pip's head makes a full recovery.
Please do keep us posted.

I've started letting them out at night AFTER the accident - before then, they were inside every night. I thought if they did spook then they'd have a bit more room to flit about rather than fly straight into a door. It's so difficult. They are spooking at everything at the moment - even if I go down without my coat on, as they are so used to seeing me in a coat. Tweaty wouldn't come near me yesterday.

Iguess they are wild birds and still have the wild fight or flight in them.

Little Fledgling wrote:

I've started letting them out at night AFTER the accident - before then, they were inside every night. I thought if they did spook then they'd have a bit more room to flit about rather than fly straight into a door. It's so difficult.

* They are spooking at everything at the moment - even if I go down without my coat on, as they are so used to seeing me in a coat. Tweaty wouldn't come near me yesterday.

Iguess they are wild birds and still have the wild fight or flight in them.

* I am so sorry to hear this, Wendy.
Before this happened, had either one of them been so skittish that they wouldn't go near you?
It does sound like something has scared the devil out of them during the night, to the point of not even trusting you during daylight.

Would it be at all possible to move the aviary closer to the house?

I'm thinking and sending positive thoughts that all returns to normal.

Please keep us posted.

Maybe I'm not understanding correctly...when you say inside, do you mean inside your house?


Do you think that come Spring, with warmer weather, there is the possibility to allow them to come and go from their aviary? My thought is that since they are of mating age, they will find a mate and incorporate into the local flock. You would be there if they needed help and you could support them with food. Just a thought.

Hi Wendy,

funnily enough I was thinking about you this morning as I walked the dog and had sat down this afternoon to try and catch up with overdue emails.
We've had a bad start to this year and it's taken over a lot of my spare time and I wanted to make sure I caught up with you again, so pleased to see you're all ok, (apart from poor Pip).

I had some anti-bacterial jelly given to me a short while ago by a very experienced re-habber who took over the care of a bird I had just after Christmas. She always uses this when she has serious bird skin injuries even though it says it's for use on animals. She gets it from her vet I think but I've just managed to order some more off the internet.
It might be good for Pip's sore head. It's a bright orange colour and so she'd end up with a yellowy head for a bit.
I had a very badly injured Woodie youngster last week whose skin had been torn on his back after a possible hawk attack. Unfortunately I used it all up on that otherwise I would have sent it to you to try.
If you want to get some it's B-R Antibacterial Jelly, made by Radiol Health Care Products.
I ordered from www.petdispensary.co.uk. This was the best price I found with delivery.

If you want to take Pip to a vets I'd put her in as small a box as you can find so she hasn't room to flap about. Just punch some air holes in the sides and I'm sure she'll be fine.

I wonder what caused them to panic. I know you put some wire under the aviary to stop rats etc. so I don't expect anything got in.
It could be just something like an animal walking across the roof in the dark which would be enough to panic them. Hopefully just a one off.

I love that a wild Woodie had fallen for Tweaty. We've got some massive flocks of Woodies that have merged over the winter. I counted up to 300 in one group today as they were feeding in the field. Do you have these large groups in the fields at the bottom of your garden. I can't say I've noticed them like this in the past, but maybe it's something they've always done. Quite amazing when they take to the skies in one go.
When it was snowy you'd see masses on the groung digging down to get to the green crops. The farmer has put these bird scaring machines in there now that set off a load noise like a gun shot at regular intervals. It frightens me more than the birds.

Do keep us posted as to how Pip gets on.

Speak soon,

Janet

Thanks for the updates, Wendy!
Poor babies, wonder what freaked them out... Hope the injury on Pip's head gets better soon! :Yes:

Sorry, been on magazine deadline again. It rules my life.

Just to clarify, Tweaty and Pip have been locked in their roost at night with the door closed. There is wire mesh on the door which is what she bashed her wings on. Having searched inside, I found a jug which had fallen over, so I wonder if it was that which spooked them. Anyway, I left them outside for two nights in the main aviary but on the second night Pippy went nuts about about mid-night - just two nights ago. I heard them over the camera which has great sound quality. I shot down there in my PJ's (it was minus 7 outside) and really dark. The security light came on so I was able to find her cuddled in a corner with her wings out.

My heart was racing as I picked her up and cuddled her, then glanced down at my coat to find blood on it. On inspection she had grazed all the outside edges of her wings. I managed to clear her up and she was remarkably unfazed by it, but I kept my eye on her a further two hours over the camera and finally went to bed at about quarter past two (all this time hubby was snoring in bed.....MEN!).

At half past 5 I got up as it was getting light and went down to them. She was fine - just a bit bloody around the belly area where her wings had rubbed, but I'd watched her having a good preen to get rid of it all. She's a little darling, she really is. So robust!

Last night I locked them up in the roost again and she was fine, so I'll keep doing that from now on. I think the spook inside the roost was just a one-off, hopefully.

I went to the small pet shop which is run by a fabulous chap locally. It's not one of these big chains. He suggested Gentian Violet spray, but rather than spray it on, get a cotton bud and dab it onto the wounds. I've done this today and both seem fine, although have bright purple heads. I treated Tweaty too as he had a little nick on his head from hitting the wire.

It's a nightmare this wire - wish I'd got them to use plastic! Then again a fox would chew through that, wouldn't he?

Janet - will try and get some of that gel though - sounds brilliant.

I'm just watching them on the camera in the rain and both are fine. They haven't had a spook at all today. The trouble is, everyone's suddenly started coming out into their gardens with all the associated tools, such as garden wheelie bins, lawnmowers, etc. The lady next door (I could have knocked her block off) wondered down to see them with two bits of paper flapping about in her hand. They went nuts. Wish I could stop them doing this.

I don't want to let them out into the wild, although I would love to. I'm certainly they wouldn't make it as they are both so tame and haven't got a clue about what danger is with regards to dogs, etc. They love my two! The other problem is that I'm so attached to them, that I couldn't let them go now. How selfish. They are absolutely lovely and both fly onto my shoulders when I'm in the aviary. They love playing with all the bits on my coat.

We extended the aviary at the weekend and they were fine. Just locked them up in their roost with a towel over the door so it was dark. With all the bashing and banging they didn't budge an inch. The panels have been on the ground for ages and I've been so nervous about fitting them, because I thought they'd got nuts, but they didn't. They love the extra 6 foot it's given them. They are flying back and forth and swooping up to land on the perches, just like wild ones do.

I bought them some parrot toys at the weekend, which they love, but I've hung them on the wire, so they can see where it is rather than think it's not there and fly into it. It's worked a bit.

Tweaty's friend has been back today. I was watching two in the garden yesterday as they performed their mating dance and the male ones seem to have a thicker neck and bigger head. Praying mine are male and female!

Thanks for all your help - it's so appreciated.
Wend.

Oh my goodness...you had my heart racing with that story.
Thank goodness you have the camera.

My idea wasn't to just shove them out and have them be on their own, but rather put an opening in the aviary to the outside, which you can open and close, as you wish and allow them to explore the outside. If eventually they wish to mate up with one of the outside flock members, still they will know where to come back for support. It would be like givng them the best of both worlds. It would be letting them decide what they wanted.
Certainly, I so understand why you would be hesitant. It's a scarey thing.