goffins playstand

Question
QUESTION: My husband wants to build our goffin cockatoo a playstand using pvc pipe. I am a little concerned that our bird may slip since the pipe is so smooth. Can you suggest something that we could put over the tubing to make it less slippery? I was thinking of wrapping vetwrap around it (its like an ace bandage that sticks to its self) If our bird were to chew this would he get sick? Thanks!

ANSWER: I'm actually in the middle of making a PVC stand for my Goffin, too! Mine is probably a little fancier than what you're planning to do, but all PVC stands are basically the same. This is the one I'm making: http://www.funtimebirdy.com/images/Senior_Red_No_Bird.jpg
The only real difference is the colored and shaped tubing which you do with a heat gun. The perch where the bird stands is a textured perch which I believe you can buy online from stores that sell things to make dog jumping hurdles. I get mine sand-blasted from a friend who has a sand-blaster. I'm sure at a local hardware store they would have that kind of service or you can rent a sand-blaster. Vetwrap would probably be ok, but it's not the healthiest thing for him if he decides to ingest it. You can get non-toxic dipping latex (usually used to make masks) pretty cheap and dip the PVC pipe in it to make it a little less slippery and still safe. Let me know if you have any more questions!

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QUESTION: That is a really nice playstand!! Maybe you can help with something else. We got our Goffin from a bird rescue in July. We are told he's 2 years old if that. Is there any real way to tell age? He also seems so afraid of any toys we try to give him, even shoe laces. About 2 months ago we bought him a circle rope swing. We put in near his cage so he can see it and get used to it but if we put it anywhere near him he runs. What can we do? We had him vet checked and other that a yeast infecyion he's fine but recently his feathers look ratty, especially the tail. Is there anything we can give him to improvr the health of his feathers? He does get vitamines daily. Thanks again!

Answer
There really isn't an exact way to age a bird, a vet can only give you an approximate age, which you have already. Some birds are just scaredy-cats. I usually just make my own toys out of things I know my birds already like, or I take the bird with me to pick out its own toy. It really just takes time for him to not be afraid of the swing. Kai's had a new T-Stand for about 6 months and she just now will sit on it longer than 5 seconds.
Ratty feathers are a sign of poor nutrition and  (especially if he's on a seed diet) you can switch him to Roudybush or Harrison's pellets. You will not see a wonderful change right away because the bird has to molt before you see the new feathers BUT you will see that they don't get any worse. About 2 weeks into a good diet you should see a heavy molt and lots of pin feathers especially on the face and head. Baths are important to keep the sheath soft so it breaks down to let the new feather emerge. You will also notice that he'll start getting much more pink around the face and chest. The inside of the crown will become almost neon orange/pink and you'll know that it's getting better. It will take a full year or so for ALL of the feathers to be replaced, but significant improvement will usually show at 3-5 months. The nails will also grow very quickly during this time, so become very familiar with your nail clipper LOL