The Hagen Avicultural Research Institute Q and A section. Find your answers here !

The Hagen Avicultural Research Institute (HARI) has gained a respected international reputation for its work in avian research, nutrition and husbandry. Petsfanatics is proud to work with HARI, especially the experts from HARI will answer questions that are brought up by the members here related to avian, nutrition and husbandry.
HARI was established in 1985 and continues to evolve into a world class Psittacine captive breeding, nutrition and disease research facility. Present staff includes the Director, Mark D. Hagen, M.Ag., Consulting Veterinarians Dr. Louise Bauck, Dr. Michael Taylor, three Veterinary Technicians, and three Livestock Attendants. The range of fifty parrot species at HARI is a good representation of parrots currently in captivity. Work is continuing on new diets, healthy treats, and supplements for those birds. The breeding and disease research is shared with breeders all over the world and HARI staff have spoken at all major US avicultural conferences.

If you cannot find the answers you want here, please do not hesitate to contact William Tan with your question for a more detailed answer from our experts !

Health Related

Q. About 3 weeks ago i purchased a baby male cockatiel. If i get another one and keep them in different cages will they both still be friendly, whistle, and talk?

A. Often one pet bird leads to another...rather like a "Lays Potato Chip" where you can't seem to have only one. Your birds should do well as a "flock" as long as you give them both equal routine attention. You are the "flock leader".

Be sure to quarantine any new birds from existing pets to avoid possible disease transmission. Your avian veterinarian can offer more information on this.

Q. My bird is bleeding through a broken feather, what can be done?

A. FIRST AID: BLEEDING

Obviously bleeding birds need to be seen immediately by an avian veterinarian in most cases. However, if you live in an isolated area, it may be helpful to know how to manage until you can find a way to get your bird seen by an avian veterinarian. Injured birds do not tolerate handling well, and it is essential that all items needed are in place before attempting to restrain the bird. Avoid handling until careful observation of the blood pattern has been noted. External surface, respiratory rate, movements, and behavior should be checked and noted. Do not pickup any bird with signs of respiratory distress - rapid breathing, squeaking, or clicking noises – unless the bleeding is obviously continuing; leave those cases strictly to your veterinarian.

DIAGNOSING THE ORIGIN OF THE BLEEDING:
To check one of your own birds that appears to be bleeding, you should still be prepared to immediately release it should the bird show any signs of stress (drooping head, eyes that start to close, etc.). Never grasp the chest in any way -instead secure by gentle restraint of the head or neck. Birds have a calcified windpipe that makes it very difficult to choke them during neck restraint. However they lack a diaphragm and cannot breathe at all unless the chest is completely free to make its excursions. Birds that are actively bleeding should be transported immediately if you are not certain you can help quickly and safely – do not waste time trying to look for the problem if you will be unable to help the bird when you find it. If veterinary help is not immediately available, you may wish to give fluids; use a small syringe (should be in your avian first aid kit) to open the oral cavity and give a few drops of juice, water, or electrolyte solution. Give only in cases where bleeding has occurred prior to your arrival on the scene or has been going on for some time (the bird may be dehydrated). Electrolyte powder can be obtained in advance of any emergency from your veterinarian or pharmacist and made up into oral fluids when needed. Good illumination and magnification should be readily available, as well as a helper. Have cotton swabs and tissues or gauze readily available, and work near a tap and sink with warm running water. If you suspect an injured limb, check each wing, leg and foot. For a bloody wingtip, you may wish to determine if a broken pin feather ('blood feather') has resulted in bleeding or if the wingtip base itself is crushed, bitten, or injured. Using a tap running with warm water to wash away the clotted blood may be of help. Keep the rest of the bird dry and keep the bird warm once handling is finished. For bleeding that seems to be originating elsewhere, gently blow the feathers away from the skin or part them to look for wounds, swellings, or lacerations. Check the tongue inside of the mouth and nostrils carefully with a flashlight (two gauze or cloth loops can be used by a helper to safely open the mouth of a parrot type bird).away. Check the vent carefully for any sign of protrusions or swellings that might be bleeding.

TREATMENT:
Bleeding birds obviously need immediate help. In most cases, a bleeding pin feather is involved and it can be pulled out after cleaning the area (use needle-nosed pliers for large quills). For a bleeding foot or skin injury, apply direct pressure with a clean cloth. Call a medical professional for detailed advice. Wounds on the chest cannot bear much pressure as respiration will be affected. Never apply first aid ointments - or any ointment - to any part of a bird without checking with an avian veterinarian. Most ointments will do irreparable damage to feathers, and many may have serious health effects as well (i.e. steroid ointments).
Louise Bauck BSc, DVM, MVSc.

Q. Why do some quakers lay one or two eggs in a nest box and then always destroy them?

A. There could be a whole range of reasons why a pair of quakers may choose to eat their eggs. We suggest that you consider the possible most common reasons to try to correct the situation.

1. Most birds will destroy their eggs if they feel threatened. This is the bird's instinct. In their minds they can always start a new family when the environment is more suitable for rearing young. Possible intrusions to their well being could be.
a. rodents, snakes, insect
b. Other birds. They might very well feel threatened simply because they know they are different. Quakers are colony type breeders-they seek their own kind to feel safe. If there is a color difference between them and the other birds, this might be just enough to make them feel different.
c. Shortage of food, nesting materials, etc. This kind of resorts to "#a". If the environment is suitable, their instinct is to wait until the circumstances are better.

2. Physiological reasons:
a. Improper nutrition
b. Pathological-get a checkup from a good avian veterinarian. (This is the easiest to rule out).

If you can pull the eggs from the pair, you might consider replacing the real eggs with fake, ceramic eggs. This could be just the trick to "break" the habit. Foster the real eggs with another pair of nesting quakers.

Once again, there are a lot of reasons birds eat eggs- the above mentioned are only a few possibilities

Q. When Bird charcoal and Oyster shell are offered:
1) Would they effect the hardness of the egg?
2) Would it cause difficulties for the babies to crack open the egg?
3) How much and how often should I give them?

1) Oyster Shell is composed of Calcium Carbonate and is important for proper egg shell formation and bone mass.

Charcoal helps neutralize toxins in the stomach.

2) The use of this Supplement should not cause too hard a shell if eaten in small amounts. Baby birds will still hatch out OK and this relies more on good humidity levels in the nest or egg incubator during hatching process.

3) These should be offered in small amounts. Therefore just put a pinch (2 - 3 grams) over seed two or three times a week.

Q. I have recently aquired a Moluccan female, and Greenwing Macaw male from homes that couldn't keep them any longer. The two former owners say the birds have always picked. I am wondering if there is a different diet that I might try with them? Any advice for me?

A. Congratulations on your new family additions! Feather plucking among the cockatoos & macaws is a frequent complaint. The reasons for this can vary, and yes, a good diet is a step in the right direction towards correcting this situation. I would like to recommend that you read Feathers Disorders in Pet Birds found in our Bird Section of our Web site. This will perhaps explains some of the causes of feather problems.

http://www.hagen.com/canada/english/birds/info_sheet.cfm?CAT=8&INFO=3

Cage Related

Q. I bought a used bird cage and some of the wires have the paint gone, what type of paint should I use?

A. Unfortunately we do not know of any safe touch-up paint that can be used for small animal and bird cages. When we manufacture a cage and paint it, the process is very special.

Our company does not make use of any solvent based liquid paints (no VOC emissions to the atmosphere) as we utilize the powder coating technology where paint in fine powder form is uniformly applied onto the metal products using an efficient electrostatic methodology and then baked to seal the finish to the wire at high temperatures. The result is uniform and long lasting finishes.

The process is very expensive and cannot be duplicated at home. Since powder coating is not possible as a touch-up, there simply is not a substitute that can be considered safe. We do not recommend using commercially available liquid paints to touch up damaged wires.

Q. Do your cages have any zinc or other metallic hazards for birds? My vet told me to ensure I have cages that are made with quality wire to eliminate problems with my bird.

A. These are safe metal based cages which we have been made and sold in Canada for over 30 years. We fabricate our bird and small animal cages using lead and zinc free, clear and bright extruded steel metal wires of highest quality. All wires are cleaned from any surface impurities in an industrial washer and are best suited prior to receiving attractive and durable finishing surfaces such as powder coatings, which is non hazardous for pets and for humans.

We use ٭AISI grade corrosion resistant low carbon steel being some of the best metal wire available on the market for producing quality wire meshes for cage manufacturing.

It would not be fair to say that there is absolutely no lead or zinc in the wires that are used. These are natural elements which are found in nature. However, the levels are so low they can hardly be measured in the wire. But it would not be fair to say that the cage wire is 100 % free of zinc and lead because of these super low levels of parts per million. Our cages are made of Ferrous Carbon metal (Iron) which are then powder coated with non-toxic, non-zinc, no lead paint. They are 99.9999999 (parts per million) % free of lead and zinc.

٭AISI: American Iron and Steel Institute

Q. Is there any danger from my bird chewing on the cage and removing the paint?

A. Hagen Industries, a manufacturing arm of Hagen located in Canada, has constantly upgraded our technology to ensure that all cages manufactured there are as safe as possible for any pet kept in them.

Our company does not make use of any solvent based liquid paints (no VOC emissions to the atmosphere) as we utilize the powder coating technology where paint in fine powder form is uniformly applied onto the metal products using an efficient electrostatic methodolgy and then baked to selal the finish to the wire at high temperatures. The result is uniform and long lasting finishes.

Powder-coating paints are environmentally friendly and non-hazardous for pets and for humans.

We can assure you that your pets are safe in Hagen cages.