I have a yellow female ringneck- Karools- and I probably have her for 7-8 years minimum now, and I’m on the brink of giving her away because I’m having a hard time keeping her happy. I realise now it was a mistake getting her, because my family and I are clueless when it comes to what this bird really needs. Don’t get me wrong we did do our research and tried getting advice how to help her, so we did try our best but now it starting to look hopeless.
We got her from people who just didn’t want her because she already had deformed toes because the breeder they got her from said she was left to long in the hatchery. Basically her toes just bend inward, she walks and climbs and eat fine. So I’m not sure really why the people gave her up, maybe they knew something we didn’t. But in any case we took her because we always wanted a parrot type bird, and things went well for a while, she bonded with me especially and she’s still bonded to me. But at least a year after getting her she started plucking her feathers, and we jumped into action to try and figure out why and how to fix it and I swear we’ve been through a-z to find out what to do. We changed diets, got her vitamins, even got her a male companion (was also given to us, but unfortunately he died, also Karools didn’t care much for him), tried for mites, even had a cone placed around her neck. Simply said we’ve tried and nothing seems to work. Even our own avian vets keep giving the same advice that we try but bottom-line is, it’s been years now, Karools basically only has feathers on her head and shoulders and wings. She hardly has any tail feathers, in fact her tail is now so deformed from her biting and plucking her feathers, that some of the feathers started growing out of one shaft. And she literally bites these feathers that she starts bleeding. She screams allot too, , and I’ve read some of the other forums about this problem already so there is a few things I’ll try out.
I’m the only one that can handle her, and none of my other family members can get near her, I’ve also been gone for 3 years studying in a different city and I wasn’t allowed any pets accept my Albino Bugdie in the apartment. But I tried to coax my family in trying to tame her like I did, but this seems to be too much trouble for them. So I’m stuck with being the one that’s supposed to help her, yet I’m working now and not at home allot. So my poor Karools is really not getting the love and attention she deserves. And everyone in the family obviously just wants to get rid of her.
So my questions is, should I consider finding her a better home, would it be better for her, because I feel that at this current moment what is happening to her is bordering on animal cruelty if not already. She is a lovely creature even without all her feathers, I doubt her tail will ever heal, and so is there a possible way of amputating her tail? But the fact is I know we screwed up with her, because we weren’t prepared for this type of pet. Cats and dogs we know, but ringneck parakeets are a whole different thing. Is there any hope for Karools, can I still safe her?
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