Ways to test air safety

[robin311]

Hi, I currently have two Canaries (green singing finches) & I have a good friend who comes many weekends in the summer & brings her blue crown conure. For some unknown reason, her conure often has trouble breathing in my house. I don’t have the same problems w my finches & I have had up to 6 at a time in my house & haven’t had the problems but after years of trying to figure out what it could be in my house that’s causing the problem, we haven’t been able to determine what it is that’s causing her poor parrot to have trouble breathing on occasion. I don’t do any of the obvious things that can cause trouble - like burning candles, no fabreeze softener, using any kind of scented air sprays, I go outside to use hairspray when her bird is here, I don’t use household cleaners without the windows open (I don’t use them at all when he is here) & I follow all the known ‘rules’ for bird safety. Neither of us have ever used nonstick cookware w/o something cooking in the pan (over this winter I bought a set of ceramic cookware just to be 100% sure). What I’m wondering, is if there is any kind of test kit that you can use to test the quality of the air & see if there’s anything that can determine what could be in the air that’s causing this problem. Also, I have hardwood floors & only use vinegar & water to clean the floors when he is here. Summer is coming so we are worried again that he will have trouble so I’m asking you guys because I always get the best answers from my friends here @ the Finch Forum
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. Her bird is very very special to her & to me as well. He is very healthy, gets a lot of time outside, has his own harness & leash, goes to the beach w us every week & has a wonderful life. This conure is her best friend (after me!)
Thanks again guys.

Robin

[wildbird]

Because this happens on "occasion" and "often", it might be an allergic reaction to something. Is the bird in the same room with the other birds when this happens? Is he always ok outside? It doesn't seem that it would be anything actually in the air, if your birds are in the same room and don't have these symptoms when he does. Try to figure out what has changed when this happens.

[lovezebs]

robin311

That's an odd one Robin.

As you know, Canaries are particularly sensitive to anything in the air (that's why they used to use them in the mines for many years. If there was anything wrong with the air the Canary would drop dead, and the miners would know it was time to get out).

That said, if there was something in the air, your Canaries would not be happy, healthy birds.

I am wondering if it's possible that the Conure is having an allergic reaction to either something in your house or in the area where you live (?)

I would suggest getting an air purifier with a hepa filter and running it a few days before your friend arrives and while she's there with her bird.

[Icearstorm]

robin311

Could the conure be allergic to the canaries by any chance? I've heard of New World and Old World parrots being allergic to each other, so maybe parrots and birds from other areas could also be allergic to each other. Although I thought it was a feather-dust problem that makes parrots allergic to other parrots, so who knows.