TheTameParrot.com - Say “BYE” To Your Parrot Problems

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I’m sure many of you have lost your pet, or certainly know someone who has. The sad fact is that most lost pets are never recovered.

About ten years ago, technology was developed that allowed you to implant a special microchip under the skin of your pet. This chip would enable any vet, rescue agency or shelter to identify the pet by “scanning” the chip with a hand held reader. By searching through a database, they can identify the pet owner and reunite the pet with its owners.

It sounds so simple! But unfortunately we humans have an incredible knack of messing up a good thing.

In order to explain it, I need to revisit the past…and look at another technological breakthrough…the home computer.

COMPUTER WARS

Back in the 80’s, computers were rapidly becoming a popular (but expensive) item for consumers. At that time, the main choice was IBM and Apple, with a hand full of other manufactures like Commodore and Atari. The other computers could not gain a foothold in the market because their operating systems were not compatible with the IBM’s or Apple, and this was important. IBM was mainly used in the business world, while Apple was entrenched into the classroom.

Apple accomplished a firm foothold by offering free computers to schools. The theory…teach students how to run Apples, and when they get older they will continue to use Apple computers. However, this didn’t quite work out, because the business world simply would not give up their dependency on IBM’s. So we ended up with students coming out of school who knew nothing about IBM’s, making all that computer training worthless. If you didn’t understand IBM systems, you didn’t have a job.

OK, still with me?

FREQUENCY WARS

While microchips have been around since the mid 1980’s, thet did not become popular for pet implants until 1995, when AVID Identification Systems began to offer them. Shortly afterward, other companies began to offer their own models, and AVID and HomeAgain (manufactured by Schering Plough) became the two main sources in the US. Both of these chips transmitted at the 125MHz frequency.

AVID then began to offer their hand scanners for free to shelters and veterinarians, but they would only read the AVID chip. If you bought the HomeAgain or some other competing model, your vet would be unable to scan it. Eventually they developed a “universal” scanner that could read any manufactured chip in the 125MHz range. Both of these models are widely available throughout the US and most of the world.

Now the fun begins. A new chip was designed by Banfield, who began distributing it around the world. They were entrenched into the PetSmart chain of stores, ensuring that they had a good distribution network and customer base. The problem? It transmitted at 134MHz, making it unreadable by the current scanners being used. Unless the shelter purchased a Banfield hand scanner, there was no other way to scan the chip.

This system is now widely used throughout the world…except the US. It gets even worse….the International Standards Organization, which attempts to set electric standards throughout the world, decreed that the 134MHz frequency should be the standard for pet microchips. And the battle begins!

It’s the Apple/IBM wars all over again. Or the BETA/VHS. This is why TV’s used in the US are not usable in Europe. When two manufactures develop competing standards, they wait for the consumer to decide, and the winner takes all! We have different manufacturers fighting over a standard, and the loser goes out of business. And the consumer always loses.

CURRENT STATUS

In October, 2005, Congress passed HR255.109, which was the appropriations bill for the Department of Agriculture. Tucked inside was a demand to APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) to develop a standard and implementation for microchips. I have not been able to find anything else regarding this bill…it seems to have fallen into a government crack.

The only solution to this problem is for someone to develop a universal scanner that can read both the 125MHz and the 134MHz chips. To complicate things even more, some manufactures use different frequencies, and even use encrypted chips. It’s unlikely anyone will combine all of these standards into one scanner.

CONCLUSION

The cost to microchip your pet is between $30-$80. The chip itself is not that expensive, but should be implanted by a vet or animal technician. In birds, it is usually implanted into the muscle, and usually into the breast. The chip itself is about the size of a grain of rice. It is a relatively painless procedure, much like getting a vaccination shot.

The other problem you will have is the lack of a central, universal data system. Each manufacturer keeps their own database. In some places, the government or local organization has established local databases.

In all cases, the chip is generally registered to the vet or shelter who sells the chip. In the event your pet is found, the rescue shelter will determine which chip was implanted and contact that manufacturer. The name of the vet is given, and from there the owner is tracked.

For a small fee, the owner can have their name entered into the database. But there has been a lot of instances where this information is lost or corrupted. It is suggested that owners contact the database holder on an annual basis and update their information.

The lack of a central data base will greatly complicate the recovery of your pet. But with competing manufacturers unwilling or unable to rectify their disputes over standards, I don’t see any quick solution to this. Trying to force standards appears to be bogged down, as evidenced by the APHIS bill that seems to be going nowhere.

Microchips are safe and inexpensive. Regardless of the lack of standards, it is recommended that you make the investment. The vast majority of lost pets are never returned, so this may be your only hope.

The other alternatives to microchips are unreliable. Tags and collars can fall off and become lost. Tattoos are permanent, but the shelter needs to know where to look and then figure out what database to search. At lease with microchips, you have some established databases, the microchip is secure and can’t be lost, and hopefully the shelter that scans it has the appropriate hand scanner to identify the chip.

We are always being asked what type of bird someone should get if they don’t have any experience with birds. They don’t want a finch or parakeet (boring!) but don’t want a large parrot (expensive, large, and destructive). They want something they can handle that is easy to train.

There are a lot of birds that fit this category, and I’ve written about them in some of my past blogs. They include Quakers, and some of the conure family like the Sun and Jenday.

Another good choice is the Green Cheeked Conure. This is one of the smallest in the conure famile, measuring about 10 inches, or roughly the size of a cockatiel. Their price is reasonable, and can be purchased for around $150-$200.

They are very playful and easy to train. They are capable of talking, but are not known to be good talkers. Usually they will mimic whistles the way cockatiels do, but will pick up on a word or two.

If there is any disadvantage to Green Cheeks, is that they are a little bit nippy. It will take just a bit of training to teach them to stop biting. They also are a bit demanding, and unless you can set aside time to play with them, they quickly get bored.

BACKGROUND

Green Cheeks are quite small, and primarily green. They have a grey breast and maroon tail. They are native to South America, and can be found in the forests of Brazil, Bolivia and southwestern Argentina. They form large flocks, and nest high in the treetops.

Green Cheeks are a close relative to the Maroon Bellied Conure. The way to identify them is to look at the top of the head. Green Checks will have a dark gray or blackish look, while Maroon Bellies are all green. Also, the tail of the green cheeks are all maroon, while the Maroon Bellies have green tops and maroon below.

This really isn’t that important unless you are a breeder and are trying to mate these breeds. Both types are very friendly and make great pets.

Trying to tell the sex of these birds is difficult. There is no good visual way to identify them, and a DNA test is usually needed. Some breeders have a few ways of making “educated guesses” by checking pelvic bone structure or head size, but this does not seem to be reliable. Males also seem to have a rounder, chunkier body.

TRAITS

Green Cheeks can be moderately noisy. This makes them a favorite pet for people living in apartments, where other breeds of conures are not acceptable. As mentioned, they are not great talkers but are capable of saying a few words. They are must better at mimicking whistles and sounds.

They have a lot of personality. They are very active, smart, and inquisitive. This is there they get into trouble. When left out of their case, they love to explore. They must be supervised while out of their cage.

When in their cage, supply them with lots of toys, especially puzzle toys. You can entertain them for hours with toys that hide food treats inside, and force them to figure out how to get to them.

They love to cuddle! This trait is mostly seen in Cockatoos, but Green Cheeks want to be held. Unlike Quakers, they are a bit more social with more then one person. They love to have their heads and necks scratched and preened.

They love to play, but are also known to chew. Find some soft wood blocks for them to play with. With this type of bird, we suggest a supply of wooden popsicle sticks. You can also use these sticks as a skewer for their favorite treats. Make up a “honey-stick” using honey seeds, and after they finish this treat they have the stick to play with! You can spear their favorite foods like banana or apples.

Green Checks are intelligent, and can be taught tricks. You should have little difficulty in finger training them, or getting them to lay on their backs.

These birds tend to bite, especially if they were not hand fed or handled when they are young. Fortunately this problem is easily corrected with training and patience.

>>In our e-Book, The Easy Parrot System we go into great detail about training birds to stop biting. Green Cheeks are especially receptive to this method, and by following our step-by-step procedures you can teach your bird to learn not to bite.

One problem that Green Cheeks have is they are a little “skittish”. This is also a common problem with Cockatiels and other smaller birds, as any little distraction could cause them to panic and fly around their cage. In severe cases they could insure themselves trying to avoid this imagined danger. Such things as pets in the home (dogs or cats) coming close to their cage, sudden loud noise, or large objects moving quickly by their cage will scare them. This can be prevented with a bit of common sense and prevention.

CAGES AND DIET

Green Cheeks will do just fine in a cockatiel size cage. But like any bird, the larger the cage the better. Expect to get at least an 18×24 cage. This will give it plenty of room to exercise and hang some toys to play with.

Green Cheeks do not have any specific nutritional needs. Any good diet will do, as long as it does not contain a lot of seeds. I recommend a pellet diet, but try to push extra food for this type of bird. Try to push lots of green and orange vegetables, with an occasional treat of pasta and bits of cheese. Green Cheeks are an active bird, and do need a little fat in their diet. This is also needed to support their oil producing glands, so a few “fatty” sees like sunflower seeds are helpful. In cases like this, we like to put a little peanut butter on their food, or a piece of toast.

Here is a great tip. Buy a bag of frozen diced mixed vegetables. Take a small amount and put them in a small hand strainer, and hold it under hot water for several seconds. This will warm up the vegi’s and offer a nutritious treat for your conure.

>>If you would like more great ideas on how to feed your birds, check out our e-Book The Easy Parrot System - Nutrition. We offer tons of ideas, and home recipes that your birds will enjoy! This is not only healthier, but will extend their lives by many years.