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Conference 7.286::pet_birds

Title:Captive Breeding for Conservation--and FUN!
Notice:INTROS 6.X / FOR SALE 13.X / Buying a Bird 900.*
Moderator:VIDEO::PULSIFER
Created:Mon Oct 10 1988
Last Modified:Tue Jun 03 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:942
Total number of notes:6016

127.0. "DESPERATELY SEEKING FOR PARROT" by BPOV04::TORTORELLI () Thu Feb 23 1989 15:41

    
    
    HI!! I am looking for a Parrot - I don't know what kind (I'd hate
    to spend so much money on a Parrot that won't talk to well or is
    bad tempered. Any suggestions? Know of any aviaries in the 
    Worcester area? Please respond - anxiously wanting to find a play-
    mate for my Bolivian Mitred Conure 'Larry Bird'. 
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127.1Slow down and smell the roses! 8^}SAGE::CARLSONJFri Feb 24 1989 12:2332
    Hi!  My name is Jean Hutchins...owner of 'Feathered Obsessions Aviary'
    in Nashua NH.  Well, I don't raise parrots...so I cannot help you.
    But, I will take this opportunity to caution you!
    
    Amazon parrots, nice pets, great talkers, are very very susceptible
    to strange diseases...  Since you already have a conure...stay with
    Conures!  It is not advisable...verify with a veterinarian if you
    like, but trust me....
    
    Conures carry Pacheco's Disease.  This is a form of Herpes Virus
    that ALL conures carry and may display NO symptoms.  Pacheco's is
    very hard to find/track down and is most easily identified at necropsy!
    (Autopsy).  The Pacheco cells are not found in live birds, plus
    a biopsy of organs needs to be taken...most birds would not live
    thru the biopsy surgery.  Texas A&M is doing Pacheco testing now,
    it is an ELISA Titer test.  This test requires 1.5 CC's of whole
    blood centrifuged to 1/2 CC of serum.
    
    Anyway...the easiest way to check for Pacheco's is to use a sentinal
    bird in the same room for a 45 day (minimum) period.  If the sentinal
    bird lives (usually a parakeet), the conure is most likely negative.
    
    Be careful...Pacheco's is deadly if in fact you have a positive
    bird.  Pacheco's is NOT a human transferred so it will not hurt
    you.  Just the other birds.
    
    My suggestion is to stick with conures...and if you get a new one,
    keep it separated for 45 days.
    
    Sorry to deflate any bubbles!
    
    Jean H
127.2no parrots for LarryGIAMEM::TORTORELLIFri Feb 24 1989 12:4118
    
    Hi! thanks for the advise! what about conures catching dieases from
    other birds - such as parakeets or cockatiels?  also, do you know
    of any aviaries in the Worcester area? (I've been reading notes
    for a couple weeks and I am somewhat familiar with you - the Dear
    Abby of pet probs. - and I would love to see your aviary - but
    Manchester is quite a hike from Worcester) Do you happen to know
    how much a hand fed conure would go for? The one I have now was
    bought at Tropic Isle in Framingham - and They cut Larry Birds nails
    so short he almost bled to death the same night I brought him home!
    anyway, he cost about $200.00 - I dont have a regular Vet. I live
    right near Tufts, but I dont know if they have any Bird Vets.( I
    guess a call would do the trick). SO MANY QUESTIONS!!! I could go
    on forever - but I'll let you answer these if you would,, then
    I'll ask you some more.
    
    Thank You Again - peggie(temp)
    
127.3is me againGIAMEM::TORTORELLIFri Feb 24 1989 12:536
    
    Hi! its me again - what about a cockatoo? are they just as
    susceptible to this disease you spoke of?
    
    looking forward to your comments/advise.
    peggie
127.4No, No, You got that wrong!NUTMEG::WALKER_MFri Feb 24 1989 16:2019
    NO NO NO!
    
    Conures make other birds sick!  Parrots seem especially prone to
    these afflictions.  The parakeet I mentioned as a sentinal bird
    is one that would die within days of being exposed to a conure!
    
    Most aviculturalists do not combine conures with parrots, parrakeets,
    budgies and the amazons... you follow what I mean?
    
    Your conure will remain a better pet for you if you have only him
    anyway.  If it's possible, read through this whole conference. 
    There is lots of information that I know you will find most
    enlightening.
    
    
    Jean Hutchins - Feathered Obsessions Aviary...  8^}
    
    At Little Malka's terminal this time!!!!!
    
127.5Jean......help!!!EUREKA::WHITEthe PARROT_TROOPERMon Feb 27 1989 10:0817
    It never amazes me what you can learn in this file.......
    
    Jean, you never replied to my mail!!
    
    I was GIVEN, over a period of six months, TWO Mitred conures....
     one from a friend, one from a pet store.......Aquatara to be exact.
    
    They have been co-existing in my aviary for two years now....thank
    'someone' that nothing has happened.   Am I still safe, or do I
    still run the risk of contaminating my stock???
    
    They even have laid two eggs......nothing hatched as I believe one
    of them is still too young!
    
    help me out Jean.
    
    chet
127.6Conure Horror StoriesMANILA::WALZMon Feb 27 1989 10:5712
    Although SOME conures carry Pacheco's Disease, I definitely do not 
    discount them for the loving, playful pets that they are.  I per-
    sonally own and breed sun conures along with Amazons and macaws.  I
    do not have in my aviary the diseases that Jean mentions.
    
    Proper quarantining of new birds, the advice of a good avian vet, and
    proper husbandry are essential.  In my experiences of breeding, I had
    only one "poor doer."  This bird was a baby from another breeder.  He
    died of macaw wasting disease.  
    
    If your conures have co-existed with your other birds for two years,
    they are healthy conures.  I would not worry about my stock.  
127.7NO NO YOU MISUNDERSTOOD ME!GIAMEM::TORTORELLIThu Mar 02 1989 12:4811
    
    I didn't misunderstand you - my question is "Can conures catch diseases
    (ANY) diseases from other birds such as parakeets or cockatiels?"
    For example: I bring home a sick parakeet(unknowingly) to see if
    my bird has Pacheco's (sp?) disease - and my bird gets sick from
    this sick parakeet? Could this happen? And my other question was
    are cockatoos less susceptible to catching this disease? Are they
    better disease fighters than parrots?
    
    thanks again!!
    
127.8Conures can be safe..NEXUS::M_ROBSONNews item from the Banzia InstituteThu Mar 02 1989 14:538
    Yes, Conures can be carriers of "bad" things for other hookbills.
    But this mainly is related to imported Conures.  If you get one
    from a reputable breeder you should be safe from any problems.
    
    My Sun Conure has been with my A. Grey and Mullocan for the last
    1 1/2 yrs.  (In same bird room -- not cage)
    
    Mark
127.9Conure with unknown historyEBBV01::STAATSTue Mar 07 1989 12:3019
    
    
    I have a conure that has been living in the same room as my pair
    of peach face love birds for about five months and a cockatiel
    has been moved into the room within the last month. Should I 
    consider Woody (the conure) "safe" as far as contagious diseases?
    I don't know the Woody's history beyond the last two years - he
    was found in a shopping mall parking lot as an "adult bird".
    All my little friends appear healthy - Flipper, the newest member
    of the family(cockatiel) and Woody will even sit inches apart on
    my knees and watch T.V. with me or talk between them selves. 
    
    Woody is considered a permanent member of my family but in time
    I would like to save towards a hand fed baby (undetermined spieces),
    but I would not want to endanger any bird by exposure to disease.
    
    Any opinions out there ???
      
    
127.10Pacheco ParanoiaMANILA::WALZWed Mar 08 1989 10:4522
    Many a finch has been sacrificed to check for Pacheco's.  It goes
    like this:
    
    	1.	Get new conure.
    	2.	Buy finch.  Place in cage right next to conure.
    	3.	Leave for one week.
    	4.	If finch is still alive, conure does not carry Pacheco's
    
    I have been breeding conures for a little over 10 years.  In that time
    of bringing in new stock (some imported, some domestic) I have lost 
    exactly zero finches.  I have had no Pacheco's and breed my conures
    side by side with macaws and amazons.  I know other breeders who have
    had zero problems.  In fact, I have not seen a case here in Houston,
    although people do talk about conures and Pacheco's.
    
    I would declare Woody "safe," relax, and enjoy my pets.  You--as a
    human being--are a carrier of diseases to parrots also, but it's OK,
    you can stay, too.  
    
    Let's stop picking on conures.  Continue to be careful with "new"
    conures introduced into your homes.  Try the finch test.  And then,
    RELAX!
127.11Oh Wow, I got carried away -- sorry!WILKIE::VALERIMon Mar 20 1989 12:5519
    WEll, I can see I opened a can of worms!  SORRY ALL!  I sound like
    Conures should not be alive.  I don't mean that at all!  Honest
    I dont'  I like them!  I had an opportunity to get a Padagonian
    a few weeks ago....  I held off.  I did research with with a
    veterinarian though.  Several vets said keep away from the conures.
    I too, feel that is unfair to the conure!  Finally, I found a vet
    that was willing to help me in my quest!  This is when we found
    that Texas A&M does the tests to *Release Bad Press from Conures*!
    We even put an article in the NHAS bulletin regarding the undeserved
    press conures get!
    
    If there had not been a bird lost last month to Pacheco's, I would
    probably not have mentioned it either!  But it happened, and it
    was a baby yellow nape that was diagnosed with the disease.
    
    So sorry for the confusion...and maybe even elevated blood pressure!
    
    Jean
    
127.12Hold those Aggie jokes, please!MANILA::WALZMon Mar 20 1989 15:0816
    I am lucky enough to be within driving distance of Texas A&M.
    They are doing amazing research of parrots under the Schubot
    endowed chair under the direction of Dr. Graham.
    
    Dr. Graham will be speaking at our next Parrot People (Houston
    Bird Club) meeting.  I am lucky enough to be giving introductions
    and taking Dr. Graham out to dinner afterwards.  
    
    Texas A&M's major concentrations are on PBFD and Macaw Wasting
    Disease.
    
    By the way, if any of you have ever met Schubot---he is a reall
    hoot!  He does quite a bit of breeding (Hyacinths!!!!) himself as
    does the Macaw Project which is part of Texas A&M's project.
    
    
127.13So close to Texas A&M - How Lucky You Are!MAMIE::VALERITue Mar 21 1989 16:546
    Pat, I have to say I envy you!  So close to them!  No aggie jokes!
    I heard 'em all when I went to school in Texas many years ago! 
    I understand Dr. Graham replaced Dr. Grimes.  And yes, they are
    the leaders in the field!  
    
    J
127.14The Lone Parrot StateMANILA::WALZTue Mar 21 1989 17:5621
    I agree!  Also we have a bunch of great avian vets here in 
    Houston thanks to Texas A&M.  We are very lucky in Texas.
    A&M began a series of symposiums last year (all day).
    They are about pet birds.  The last one covered:
    	Disease Update
    	Breeding Systems
    	Environment
    	Nutrition
    	Marketing Birds
    	Physical examination of cage birds
    	Sexing
    Hard copy notes of all the lectures were distributed.  I was in
    parrot heaven.
    
    I was also lucky enough to attend the AFA meeting in Dallas last
    month.  I got to meet Marc Valentine (Feather sexer of the universe)
    and scads of breeders.  Of course, Mr. Schubot was in attendance
    and gave his words of wisdom whether we wanted them or not.  He
    is something else.
    
    Texas is Parrot Country!!!!!
127.15I have a great conure!USCTR1::NBONAZZOLIMon Jun 25 1990 11:099
    Hi. I have a 9 mos. old hand-fed Jenday Conure for sale, real cheap! It
    looks like we may be relocating, and are not able to keep him. He's
    extremely tame, does tricks, and is VERY pretty. He's vet checked (of
    course) and in perfect health. Eats everything, too!. We paid $650.00
    for him back in December, but will sacrifice for $350.00 with cage and
    toys. Please call and let me know what you think. I can be reached on
    (508) 456-8803 eves, and DTN: 297-6674. I live in Harvard. 
    Nancy Martin