# Old man



## RitzieAnn (Nov 18, 2007)

So my pretty much 'mom' has a bird named Mack whom she's had for 22 years. He was found, and he never learned to say anything other than what he already knew (even though she got him tiel records and stuff) Not sure if that helps you guess his age.

Well, he's lived alone the whole time. No other tiel. Though I've moved back up here and am staying with them, the gets along with my tiels. They don't yell or anything at eachother, and they talk very excididly to each other 

Anyway, Mack is old, and you can see it. (I think I've posted about him before). He's a nice guy, but he's shaky and sometimes falls, sometimes onto his back, and he can't get up. His wings are really long, he's fully filghted, and has been for quite some time, though he never flies. He just doesn't have the muscle tone to do so.

I'm not sure if there's a whole lot I can do, but I'll be in the house for a while, with my birds, and I let them out together, and they all preen themselves (though not eachother).

Would it be better to let him keep his wings, since he's had them for so very long, or do you think it would help him if they were clipped?

I can see pros and cons to this. Clipped wings are a big ajustment. I notice it takes a while for mine (all much younger than mack, though) to adjust to them. So I can see how it might make him very upset because they've not been clipped in so many years. Plus, I don't know how well he clips.

But... I can see how it would be good, because the extra "weight" of the feathers, and specifically the length. Shorter things are easier to control, and he might have a lot more control over his wings and movement, and possibly helping his balance then.

I wanted to get your guys opinion on this.


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

I have a tiel who's 21 yrs old, but he doesn't act it he flys every where, he follow's his "woman" around so much I think she's actually getting irritated by it (i call him her lil stalker LOL) he doesn't have a problem with balancing or anything 

I'm a clipper my self, Specially when i get a new bird, I let mine be free flighted all winter because our house was closed up, but now its spring and summers close, we've clipped the one's who aren't set up for breeding, and even know my birds have a room of thier own with a door and a screen to block the door way, I wanted them clipped just in case a kid forgot to close a door all the way etc.

I am not sure if it'll help him any by clipping him, But like you I think it would help out even if its just a little bit 

if he has issues perching from bieng off balance, have you moved his perches down? So he doesn't get hurt when he falls?


I just had a friend lose her African Grey from a broken neck because he fell off his perch that she had attached to the cieling he fell and didn't get turned around in time to take off flying and landed and his neck broke instanstly - we think it had alot to do with the Earth Quake and After shocks we had yesterday because she's had him for sometime and he's always perched there and has never fallen off before.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

I would not clip his wings, I think it would be safer for him being so old to keep him flighted. That way if he falls he can try to flap and make an easier landing for himself. I would also put his perches lower in his cage


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

I don't think i would clip him either. If he's been fully flighted for a long time i doubt that his wings have anything to do with him being off balance. In fact a full tail and flights are supposed to increase balance.


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## RitzieAnn (Nov 18, 2007)

well, I ask because Macks wings are droopy anyway, and they hang really low. He always bumps his wings on stuff, and when he's on your finger they often touch you.

He fell on his back today and he just lays there and holds his wings (1 or both) in his feet and wiggles. He really can't get up. This time one wing was all stretched out, and he held the other wing by the primary flights. They don't help him at all.

He has a hard time standing on your finger, and he's wobbly in his cage, but I've never seen (or heard of him) falling while in his cage.


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

If you think there two long and hindering him I would just trim them a little bit, as long as it doesn't stress him out to much, maybe just trimming a little will help him out.


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## RitzieAnn (Nov 18, 2007)

I'll try to get some pictures of him soon, but the ones I have right now are from Christmas... and he's in the tree...


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## Cryren8972 (Oct 3, 2007)

If he's falling off of his perch, then it's possible he's sick...
this actually sounds more like heavy metal poisoning or a bacterial infection of some sort. It might be a good idea to take this little guy to the vet.
And please, keep us posted on progress


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## RitzieAnn (Nov 18, 2007)

"Heavy metal poisioning". I really really doubt it. he's old. He's more than 22, and just slowly deteriorating.

Let me reitterate that he does not fall often. He doesn't fall in his cage. Like, if you pick him up, and he's standing on your finger and you move your hand too fast, then he'll lose his balance and sway, "sometimes" falling. mostly just swaying.

Oh, and he's lived on seed mixes his whole life. He's got food that has kibbles mixed in it but he doesn't eat them. He doesn't eat fruit, or veggies. They get offered, but he doesn't eat them. I'm kind of hoping that my birds will 'teach' him how. We'll see.


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

I think at the age of 22, he is entitled to sway a bit as well. ****, I sway and fall over frequently........I do eat my veggies though!!


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## RitzieAnn (Nov 18, 2007)

I've got hope. Cousteau didn't eat fresh foods, but then he saw Boomer and Birdie eating them... now he does. Actually- Boomer didn't use to- but Birdie taught him how.  We'll see.

Like I said though, she's HAD him for 22 years, but he was found, and when they found him he never learned to say anything else, except for what he already knew. I'm not sure if that helps you 'experts' figure out how old he is... but he had tiel records and the works, but never learned anything else.


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## RitzieAnn (Nov 18, 2007)

Well, we'll see how it goes. I clipped the first three feathers on my birds today to limit their height, so we clipped Macks first 2 feathers, because those ones stick out much further than the others. We'll see how that goes.


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

Let us know if it helps his balance at all!


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## RitzieAnn (Nov 18, 2007)

I'm not sure if clipping his two longest feathers really helped balance, but he's not banging them into the cage walls nearly as much now.

Sometimes he likes being out with my birds, and sometimes he doesn't. he's doing fine though.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Glad to hear he is doing well


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