VStar Mama

Hmmm...if Talon is a girl (I'm sorry I don't remember for certain if your parrot is DNA sexed or not) could pulling out the feathers around her ankles and chest be something related to egg laying?

I know for humans, honey has natural anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. There is even a type of honey produced in New Zealand specifically produced and used for wound care. Do the holistic and medicinal uses of honey (and others things) also transfer over to birds and other animals?

Birds are capable of acclimatizing to the home environment just like people are which allows humans to create human-comfortable environments that the parrots are suited for. A couple of generations of captive breeding and a few years of living with humans don't erase the millenia of evolutionary adaptations of the species to the native environment. The Congo region of African sees average high temps between 80 and 90 and average lows between 65 and 75 with occasions where temps dip below 65 and above 95 (because that is how nature rolls....she reserves the right to make it rain, snow, hail, bake, freeze, blow, dehydrate or any combination there of where and when she pleases). Daily relative humidity levels are usually between 50 and 96%. I prefer a warmer environment of 78 degrees or but not higher than 84 (or so, I do like being outside when its hot). It seems to me that household temps, along with many factors, exist along a spectrum of acceptable norms rather than there being a single "perfect" circumstance. The general rule of thumb is what is comfy for you is going to be acceptable for them, providing temps are stable. I find myself wondering if the lack of humidity may play a role in plucking and itchy skin. Has any one (i.e. a behaviorist, vet, expert, or institute or something...I wouldn't expect the typical parrot owner to do a research study like this) taken the time to determine if there may be a correlation between feather problems and relative humidity levels?

Well...........I'm on the long track to Grey ownership. No birds yet. I'm 33. I have no immediate plans on getting a bird due to having dogs with high prey drives. My plan is to continue to gather information about Greys, amass a toy collection, and raise the funds to build an outside aviary and purchase the best cage possible. After my dogs move on is when I planned on actually acting on bringing an older Grey into my life. I elaborated more on my present situation in my introduction thread. However I live in New Mexico and wouldn't be able to make frequent trips to visit and get acquainted with you and Pepper. If you want more information on my situation or have questions and such please feel free to give me a private message. I would be interested.

Are Grey's a type of bird that doesn't start to incubate until all eggs are laid? Is there another thread somewhere with more information about this? I admit that I am curious about the whole process. I've never really given much thought to how the eggs I like for breakfast in the morning came to be.

I think this is a link I originally found on this forum somewhere. Maybe this will help?

Although I am mostly firmly set on not adding a Grey to my life until things have become more stable and predictable, it doesn't stop me from window browsing at various rescue organizations. One of the trends I've been noticing is that there are often pairs that are bonded and the organizations won't allow one to be adopted without the other. I admit I feel a bit ambivalent about this. On one hand I believe that it is a good thing for organizations to keep these birds together as they provide a sense of flock and stability to one another. Possibly minimizing transition stresses that lead to problem behaviors like screaming, plucking, or biting. On the other hand, there aren't many people who have the resources to add two new birds at the same time. It is an immediate doubling of all the expenses involved in parrot ownership; cages, playstands, initial vet visits, toys, adoption fees. To an extent, adopting a "bonded" pair also means that the birds themselves have that much less incentive to bond to one of the new human caretakers. On a personal level and as a potential future owner, I want the chance to work on building a bond with the adopted. I feel that my chance of developing a bond with two rescues would be diminished because the pair would already have each other. I've been watching the adoptable parrot lists for organizations like The Gabriel Foundation for a long time. Some of the adoptable African Grey's have been there for as long as I've been watching (who know how much longer they've been on those lists) and it seems that being part of a "pair" contributes to the longevity in organizations instead of with a family. So on to the debate. Pair bonded parrots. Should keeping them together be standard policy? Should they be considered un-adoptable due to the difficulty of finding homes capable of taking on two parrots and sent to live out their lives together in a Sanctuary setting? Should they be separated in the event that a suitable family wants to adopt one of the pair? Should rescue organizations separate parrot pairs upon admittance in order to facilitate the adoption of the individual parrots down the road? So many questions and so much food for thought. I'd love to hear more opinions on the topic. There has to be more alternatives and considerations that haven't occurred to me.

Well, no one really like cold winters....but one benefit of a very cold winter is a smaller mosquito population the following spring and summer.....

If Gabby shares a cage with a male...is there a chance that it isn't an unfertilized egg? Is there some way to tell if it was fertilized or not?

I am also bird-less and have been in the information gathering stage for many years now. Go to your local library and start checking out any book related to African Grey parrots they have. Borrow books from bird friends. Or go out and purchase some. Although not academic or scientific, I enjoy books about people's life experiences with their birds. I enjoy Joanna Burgers "The parrot who owns me" and we recently got into Georgi Abbott's books about her African Grey Pickles. I read them out loud to my kids in the evenings and Pickles has created some family meme's (namely "want a snack"; "want anudder snack"; and "WANT FRESHWATER?!?!"). I have scoured the internet reading people stories and watching videos. I don't limit myself to Greys only because I think that to an extent, there are useful bits of information everywhere. If you have access to a parrot rescue, volunteer if possible. Most rescues can always use the help and it gives you hands on experience. And I fully intend to abuse the helpful natures of the experienced members of this site and pluck them of their hard won knowledge and experience

Methinks Wilbur is on the Feathernet bragging to all the other online Parrots about how quickly the training on his new human servant is coming on. Perches, spaghetti dinners....

You've only had Wilbur for a short while and already he has trained the human to make him stuff.

Have any of the parronts found the most likely places for the fids to stash the PlayBirds?

Sorry to hijack the thread with a question, feel free to move this post to a more appropriate area if necessary. I know that when bringing in a new dog or cat into a household where dogs/cats are already present, it is best to arrange for an introduction on neutral ground and typically it can be quickly determined whether or not two dogs/cats are going to be able to cohabit peacefully. Does this tactic work with parrots?

I wonder if the different breeding months correlates to an abundance of a particular regional food source so that the parents have as much access to food in order to increase the chances of chick survival.

OKay, so I feel weird about posting advice regarding a parrot problem as I don't have a parrot or much in the way of hands on experience. But I have done a lot of reading and some of tmy psychology education to bring to bear on the problem. One of the things that came to mind reading this thread as well as many of the other threads detailing problems with parrots is an account I read from Dr. Irene Pepperberg and her research program with Alex. In the article I read, one of the teaching techniques Dr. Pepperberg utilized was model-rival training technique. Dr. Pepperberg would use a graduate student or students, who acted as part of the flock, to demonstrate the lesson. I wonder if such a technique could be used to help retrain parrots by demonstrating the types of responses we would prefer instead of a bite. Similar article here http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-behavior-and-training/bird-training/model-rival-technique-african-greys.aspx For example, the sucker bites have been mentioned in several of the threads that I've read. What if we started using confederates (like kids or significant others) to demonstrate appropriate responses to get the human to cease unwanted behaviors. Since neck scratching was specifically mentioned, what if the significant other solicited a neck scratch (using parrot-like behaviors) from another and after a while used a word or noise to stop the scratching and the scratcher would move away. Such a scenario would have to be repeated multiple times in the vicinity of the bird. But I think that eventually a parrot is going to catch on and solicit what he/she wants from us (like scratches) and then also tell us when they don't want any more. In essence, we'd be showing our birds how to control our behavior as well as communicate with us as we also learn how to communicate with them. I've read in a couple of the links that parrots learn to bite in order to control the humans behavior. So, it makes a bit of sense to me to start to teach companion parrots less painful ways of controlling our behavior.

It took some time to get registered! I've been trying for a few months now. But i the meantime I've been combing the threads and soaking in all the accumulated knowledge. Especially the Rescue Haven. I am probably a rarity on this site. I presently have no birds! :eek: But I have had a love affair with many of them over the years. I had a couple of budgies growing up. Owned a few while I was in the military. But my desire (since I was 16 or so and met a handsome fellow whose parront ran a pet store near where I worked) has always been to have an African Grey. The desire to get one peaked when my youngest started school; but my husband finally vetoed my dream after stringing me along for years with promises of "when we are living back in the States" and "when the kids are all in school so you'll have more time" and "when I'm closer to retirement". Well. Last October he decided the marriage was over (no apologies please, this divorce probably saved my life things were that bad). After the worst of the emotional shock wore off I realized something very happy; I no longer had an obstacle in the way of parronthood! However, I am not the kind of person who often acts impulsively. Several things need to fall into place before my dream finally becomes reality. First off I need to get back into the workforce and the custody issues need to be settled. That way when the bird comes home, he/she won't have to adjust to me suddenly working down the road after months of undivided attention. Second is that my time with my dogs needs to come to a close. I've got two and while both are older, both also have high prey drives. Having a prey animal in the house is too much of a risk for me to accept. And I will NOT get rid of my dogs. I've had them since they were puppies. Relinquishing animals is not part of my vocabulary. Third, I want to have the money to purchase the biggest and best cage, install an outdoor aviary, and have an embarrassing collection of toys available before my fid comes home. That is going to require time.....and a job LOL. I am especially thrilled with the stories I've read in the Rescue Haven. I'm no spring chicken myself and although the kids have all promised to take in my future fid after I am no longer able to care for it, I am not going to presume that will be their attitudes will be the same in 30+ years or that any of the will be able to take in my parrot. My plan is to adopt an older parrot from a rescue facility. Hopefully 10+ years old as it was 10 years ago that I first broached my plan to get a parrot with the future ex. In the meantime, I'll going to continue to lurk, ask tons of questions, vicariously enjoy parronthood from the pictures, stories, and videos everyone posts, plot and plan for my future parrot, smooze the parrots of friends, and volunteer with local rescue groups as I find the time and opportunity; the Oasis Sanctuary provides boarding in exchange for labor so I'll probably plan myself a working vacation from time to time. Thanks for letting me be a member of your community! Shauna