birdhouse

Food spoiling is a very valid concern. Convenience (read necessity where it applies) is a big reason for having dry foods in a fid's diet. One thing that might help balance their diet a little more is if you switch the night feeding of pellets & the AM seed mix. They're more likely to eat more of whatever's offered in the morning while they're hungrier than later in the day when they're starting to get their fill. There are mixes w/safflower instead of sunflower seeds which are apparently better general nutrition & less addictive. But commercial seed mixes still tend to be lacking nutritionally. There's also no real way to make them balanced because most fids pick out their favorite types of seeds & leave the rest or pitch them.

***Aren't you feeding any commercial seed, pellets or treats?*** You could go back to your vet for further testing. You could go to another vet, because they are certainly not all created equal. Maybe you could have a major veterinary hospital or teaching facility take a look, if you have one in the area. You could see about working w/a behaviorist. Just be particularly careful w/that one if you do. Some of them sound great on paper & aren't worth their weight in bird poop. They can end up doing a lot more harm than good. Your call. There are pro's & con's to each option. Since Isaac did apparently get a clean bill of health, you can also continue to keep working thru the list of possible causes like you've been doing. This is still an episode vs a chronic condition. There's still a long list of unexplored possible answers. And just because a thing didn't work the first time, doesn't mean it won't work the second. Or the seventh. Making "hopeless" even that much farther away. For instance, did you know that sun lamps stop producing an effective temperature long, long before they burn out? Did you know that testing has shown surprisingly many bulbs don't burn at the advertised temperature & a very small variance makes one useless for stimulating Vit D production in fids ? Also, florescent bulbs have a flicker that humans aren't aware of, but is disturbing to birds? So, one possibly suggestion is that you can try replacing your lamp bulb w/a 5500K LED bulb. However, sunlight is always & absolutely guaranteed to burn at the exact right temperature to get the desired effect. Might also suggest getting Isaac's little red tail some of that. It happens to come w/the added bonus of fresh air & a change in scenery which is also good for a fid's mental health. An hour of natural sunlight is worth hours & hours of artificial light (no matter whether it's ever been scientifically proven). Fids are lactose intolerant. They can't process milk or milk products effectively. A *healthy* fid can usually stomach a small amount w/no ill effects. Right now though, it's probably more helpful to act like Isaac isn't strictly healthy & be a total Food Nazi. What do you think about trying Almond milk in your cereal? Unfortunately, I don't have a work around for the cheese which has lactose & salt. There's salt in the Triscuit's, too. So I guess I'd have to suggest you either hide whenever you want to indulge or prepare to "Just say "No"!" & mean it. I know you've talked about incorporating mash/chop into Isaac's diet before. what happened w/ http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?194243-Mash-amp-Chop& ? I'd also repeat myself that mash really isn't a mystery unless you are actually planning an entirely fresh fed diet. That does need to be well balanced & it takes some practice. But otherwise, any combination of stuff that he thinks is good to eat & is good for him is just fine. In other words, you can't go wrong w/"recreational" chop. I don't know anything about baby formula. I know it's sometimes used temporarily for sick adults. But I don't know if it's high in any particular vitamins or minerals which could cause an adult fid problems long term. Someone else would have to weigh in there. But if he's actually craving the feedings, maybe you could see how he feels about warm quinoa or oatmeal w/w/o things like applesauce, fruit, cinnamon, RPO. Palm nuts are a staple for greys in the wild. So feel free to give Isaac more oil & maybe see if you can find Palm nuts for him while they're in season. They have the added benefit of being healthy foraging which is particularly helpful under the circumstances. Noticed your current pics were taken at the kitchen sink. What do you clean the sink with? Wondering if somewhere, Isaac's being exposed to something like a cleaning chemical? There are healthy alternatives to commercial cleansers that might prove beneficial. No matter what, they can't hurt. ...So, you "do not have options", hmm...? This is honestly just a few possible suggestions off the top of my head. If I thought about it for a while, I could probably come up w/a real list! lol And I'll just bet that there are many other things that the rest of your support team will suggest, now that it's progressed to this point. So once again, for the record, Isaac is miles from being a hopeless case. You do still have options. Lots of options.

I forgot to mention that I do still feed my guys some pellets for various reasons. Among other things, I live in an area that's a little vulnerable to natural disasters. I've been w/o power for as much as a couple of weeks & that's an even bigger problem w/a fresh diet. So, they get Totally Organics TOP pellets. You might check them out if you're looking for a different type of pelleted diet for your fid.

:eek: Oh my!! Quite the feisty little girl, isn't she!?! But I am glad she's not after her own feathers, anyway.

She's even better in real life. I eventually re-named her Pixie & she happened last fall. http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?200273-Hoping-for-a-little-help-w-my-newest-Rescue

I realize I may be sailing a little close to the edge, here. You seem to have acquired a nice Zen state & I really don't want to upset that. I'm sorry to say it, but a naked tummy means he's slowed down, again. I know I practically just finished telling you to be patient. But this is a juggling act between trying to figure when to be patient & when to be pro-active. This is a very good time of the year for molting. Kura was behind Isaac by at least a couple of weeks & she's a little moth-eaten yet, but pretty much all filled in. All she's gotten besides a hormone reduction (yay!!) is some extra water baths & outdoors time. IE sunshine & mental stimulus. (I don't use aloe on her on a regular basis because it gunks up her fur feathers) Now, maybe, it's time to look for something else. I'm wondering what you're feeding the boy. Theoretically, it can be the very supposed best'est stuff, but maybe there's something in it that doesn't agree w/Isaac. And my first guess would be that dyes could be the culprit...? Maybe 99 out of 100 fids don't have a problem w/them. But I wonder if Isaac is that one in a hundred. And people food? You guys are such good buddies, I'm kinda thinkin that unless he's just not a good eater, he'd ask & you'd cave. Not judging! I promise. lol I'm just trying to look at the big picture. Because of what I've seen w/some of my guys, I've really become convinced that anything fids put in their little beaks can contribute in large part to their issues. Yet somehow, it's something that gets over looked surprisingly often.

Debating & discussion is good! The more sides to anything we can understand, the better. We have had some truly informative debates where everyone played nice & stayed respectful even while they disagreed. So never be afraid to stir the membership up about something that interests you. Particularly because the odds are, other people want to know, too. I am also less than convinced about what passes for a healthy diet where avian pellets are concerned. I'm not afraid to say that feeding things like sunflower seeds, corn & peanuts daily flies in the face of just about everything I've learned. I could also rant a little about the dyes & chemicals. But I wont ...this time. ") That was a big part of why I eventually switched to fresh feeding. Although to be fair, the staple of my fids' diet is mash which I make w/fresh ingredients & freeze. It saves time & assures they're always getting a fully balanced diet. Then they also get whatever fresh ingredients are "around" & lots of it. I just don't have to monitor everything all the time all that as closely. Fresh feeding is a topic that floats to the surface here on a regular basis. There's lots of info on the Bird Food Forum. And given GF's turn over rate, maybe its time has come again. So I for one think it's a really good question & I'm glad you asked. :cool:

In hindsight, I do not know why I thought that was a good way to describe what I what I was trying to say. Think we should just put that down to a blonde moment & move one. I only meant that holding the stick fist down w/the free end away from you might make it more stable & eventually become a comfortable position for whenever Peck screws up the confidence to step up onto your wrist. It also hides those scary &/or vulnerable fingers a little more. To me, it also feels more like offering a perch vs wielding something threatening. Like I said, Phenix is completely traumatized by sticks. So I'm maybe over sensitive, or at least hyper-aware. Now that it can't jinx you or anything, I admit I was holding my breath when you mentioned he was originally being stick-shy. I'm so glad he's coming along like he has because that's a really difficult thing to live with.

I think there's a difference between that type of a clip & one that keeps a bird flightless. And I think when everyone's health & safety are affected, that type of deterrent is a rational alternative. Graycie already flies well & has developed the right muscles & bones. So this may be the right thing to do under the circumstances. Question - is has she got little chew spots on her wings or is it just the video maybe because she's wet?

This is another bird I would love, love, love to see in the wild. One is magnificent. How incredible would it be to see a flock?

I'm usually much better behaved than that. And to be fair, I did resisted that cute little face & her whole sad story for almost a week. By the time I finally decided to get it out of my system & send the email, I was sure she'd have been spoken for long since. See how well that panned out...? lol And I am very very glad because she really is a sweetheart & she seemed to belong here almost from the start.

My Phenix had no history from before I got him. So I have no idea how old he was when he came home. But he was very definitely a mature adult. He was also wild caught & pretty messed up. I didn't even realize him talking was a possibility & I really didn't care. It took him a couple of years, but one day he just out & called the dog. He loved that dog! lol Then, somewhere down the line, I called Phenix & he said, "What!!" I of course reacted (stunned!) & he of course made sure to say it lots more from then on. After that he started making word-noises & w/in maybe 6 month'ish, he was talking like he'd spoken human all his life. But I'm pretty sure he hadn't because he originally used my voice & never said anything that didn't apply to his current flock & surroundings. So never say never w/these guys.

Thanks for reminding me! As it happened, I got another extremely awesome bonus into this bargain. When I started searching for a bigger travel cage last fall, I happened on a CL ad for a certain Papillon who stole my heart & "followed me home". Another reason to be glad for Craig's List because she's just about as sweet as they come.

I was inspecting Kura's feathers this morning & it made me think about Isaac. How's it going?

Fingers crossed they'll raise a lovely family this year. And yes, please do post pics. They are so beautiful. It will be fun to be able to watch them grow up.

RPO doesn't need refrigeration until its opened. Some brands say to refrigerate after & others say it isn't necessary. I think it may have to do w/how it's processed.

Awesome! Peck is a sweetheart! I think you both lucked out! Another possible trick w/the stick... Maybe try holding the stick like the handle bars of a bike. It's more stable. But also gets a fid used to the fisted pick up position. Also can try pasting a gob of bribery (peanut butter?) on your wrist. It might trick him into walking off the stick & onto you that much sooner. But you guys are doing so well, it looks like it's just a matter of time.

Yay Dorian!! That's really exciting! Phenix didn't bother to fly around very much after he got his wings back. Dorian might not either. What it did do for Phenix was gave him confidence. I think he became less fear-based after. I also felt like he made more general progress faster from then on. "Faster" by his standards, anyway. ") Hoping this will be good for Dorian's self confidence, too.

Lovely as always!!

If only!! Food & water dishes are all on opposite sides of the cages, here. But they still make plenty of truly nasty concoctions. The only thing I feel like I've managed to deter w/the strategic placement of dishes is some of the poop. They can't reach from the perches & have to actually sit on the cup to crap in it. My TAG is actually not too big on making Nasty Soup. My Quaker is a dunker, but usually just a quickie. She doesn't usually make too much of a mess, surprisingly. My Eclectus makes up for everyone. I have to make sure she gets fresh water before & after every feeding. Not only does she love to soak pretty much everything, but she also likes to regurgitate her food into her water dish fish the bits back out. That's also when she usually thinks its best to take her bath. Gross!!

Kura was the only one I really trusted in my smaller folding carry cage. She just wants to sit & watch the world go by. So she would have been fine in it, except it's kind of small. However, every time I put Phenix in particular outside, he initially spends a ton of time & effort looking for a way to escape. No matter what I did for that cage, I never felt like he was safe in it. It took him no time at all to attack those stupid spring clips especially. No matter whatever additional security measures I added, he was always trying to push thru any real or imagined vulnerable spot. So besides fearing he might escape, I was also afraid he might hurt himself. That just doesn't apply w/the King's carrier. So in spite of it's weight & a few other "design flaws", he hasn't gone out in anything else since I got it. This new carrier is very obviously designed for bigger birds because it's beefier all around. The door latch is tough for me to flip. The clips each have 2 hooks instead of the single one in the small cage. Although I had to laugh because albeit more robust, still only 1 spring per each. Otherwise though, nearly everything about it feels like the average escape artist might actually stay put. Originally, I put the cages on tables on the deck. But when the hawks moved into the yard, I was afraid leave them unattended for any length of time. For a while, that meant the gang got much less outdoors time. Then, I started lugging the cages around on folding tables while I gardened. Eventually I got lazy & just sat them on the ground beside me while I weeded. I think having me right beside them like that made it mostly okay. But I'm also never more than a few feet way, either.

Nothing. Sorry SterlingSL. I didn't even think to ask where it all came from. I was too busy hightailing it out of there before someone came to their senses! lol But I did research the cups because I'd never seen the design before & I might like to get more. I really do like them. Thinking they might have come from Windy City Parrot. They sell First Prize Pet cups. I just looked & they look to have the carrier or one just like it, too. http://www.windycityparrot.com/Fold-Away-Travel-Cage-Carrier-for-Large-Parrots-603-30-X-19-x-22_p_605.html#.U5-q-ygV_ow

From what I've read, some greys still want actual formula feedings well after they're fledglings. And it seems like most parrots who eat food, tend to gravitate to warm, mushy stuff like oatmeal, mashed veggies, etc because it is comfort food for them. It's not your imagination. The nice thing for you is that it hopefully gives you an advantage w/new foods. Also some foods like carrots & sweet potatoes are actually a little more nutritious when they're steamed a bit because it unlocks certain nutrients for easier digestion. So this is all good! :cool:

After we'd had become all too familiar w/him growling to warning us off, Phenix also went thru a phase where he'd growl while agreeing to do whatever. My best guess was that it was an outward sign of his inner conflict. He wanted to do "it" but he was afraid. He did that for long enough that we eventually got trained to accept it as a warning to proceed w/caution, but still actually proceed. I don't really remember how long it lasted anymore. Years, though.

Kura's got a brand new, second hand travel cage. It was a beautiful day. So we had to try it out. The people couldn't use this 30"L x 19"D x 22"H carrier which they bought for their beautiful B&G because it turned out to be too short to accommodate his beautiful tail. The thing dwarfs the middle size King's carrier that Phenix has. And while it may not be quite as sturdy as the King's, it's so-o-o much sturdier than the smaller version I have. It also came w/a (different) perch & a pair of pint sized cups. I'd never seen cups that have the same screw caps as the rope perches, before. But I'm finding I'm really liking them. All in all, I think I got a pretty good deal for $25!!