Dave007

The names are under each picture

DOUBLE YELLOW HEADED BLUE FRONTED MEALY MEXICAN RED HEADED RED LORIED YELLOW NAPE LILAC CROWNED PANAMA RED BROWED---RARE GREEN CHEEK WHITE FRONTED Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2010/01/06 18:19<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2010/01/06 22:07

The best thing to try and do is to contact the manufacturer and explain about the info you want. If you're fortunate to get a phone #, use it. Sometimes they'll not only send you whatever info you want but they'll also send you a new set of directions concerning use. People do that for kitchen appliances, cameras, home entertainment centers etc. You can also type in the company's name in your PC and put in the model # and see if any info comes with it. So far, you haven't named off the name or model # of your heater. Some here may be familiar with it or know how to get info on it.

At this point you don't have to start changing foods. For now just give him what he's been eating. He survived on that food in the past and he'll survive on that food now. For now, just concentrate on the necesary things that need to be done in order to acclimate your bird into your family life. One other reason why it'll take a while until you see a full, even set of tail and wing feathers is because they don't grow in at the same time and many times, a new one growing in will irritate an area that only has a 1/2 feather there so the bird will chew down or pull out the new feather. So the process takes a long time especially when tail and flight feathers are involved.

You got him 2 days before Xmas? Well, I guarantee you that your bird hasn't settled in at all. The different types of things that birds start to do regularly usually don't immediately start until he/she realizes that whatever change happened was permanent. Then birds will react in different ways or not react at all. To me, this is an obvious case of heavy duty stress from what's happened 1---a very nice lady saved him from a bad situation. That means that the bird wasn't happy before that lady got him. 2---His previous family went away on vacation for two weeks, leaving Francis behind. They had a person coming in to feed and water him but that was it. He wasnt getting the attention he was used to. That will cause loneliness but even worse, it allows a bird to start plucking/chewing behaviors and there's no one around to do things with the bird. 3---They put him in a back bed room because he wasn't pretty anymore. Again he was neglected and left alone and probably not thought of as a valuable pet --- all having to do with prettiness. Very, very sad. Being neglected and left alone again lets the bird pluck/chew. By the way, I could lose my temper and tell you what I think about the person who put him away because he wasn't pretty but as you can see, I'm keeping my composure. 4---the lady I got him from went to see him and he was in the bedroom in his cage with no toys. No toys means complete boredom. To a grey, boredom means one thing--time to pluck/chew. 5---She brought him home and found him to be an absolute love. He let his feathers grow back in until she got busy with horse shows and stuff. She started off with one level of attention and it waned when the horse season started. The bird is again going through changes and feels less secure which leads to possible plucking. So now he's with you and you feel that you're a failure because you can't immediately correct long standing problems. Well, you're kicking yourself in the ass for nothing. Acute plucking/chewing takes quite a bit of time to lessen. You're doing all that you can and he's got to feel secure, safe and totally comfortable with you, your home, the new environment, your household habits, the noises in the house, the barking of the neighborhood dog etc etc. That takes time. If you haven't done it yet, make sure that the bird is around the hustle and bustle of the house. If he's plucked in the past and has stopped, he'll stop again but only when he wants to and you'll just have to put up with him not looking good. Don't worry about the feathers. He'll definitely need bathing/misting on a regular basis. More than likely, his skin is now dry and flaky and has much dander on it. Start the bathing and get him wet down to the skin. Let him drip dry. Do it at least 3x a week. There's a few items you can use in the future but for now get that bathing habit started and most importantly ----PATIENCE__PATIENCE__PATIENCE<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2010/01/06 05:58

That sounds like an inner ear infection or an infection in the rear of the nasal passages. It could also be a clogged ear that happens when birds scratch their heads and ears. Signs of these problems don't have to be consistant. No matter, those types of things are treated by a vet Neurological problem or chemical imbalance.??? Again, only an avian vet can diagnose that. We would be remise in telling you what's wrong. I live on the east coast so I can't recommend anyone but you can call them. These are animal hospitals in Houston that deal with birds Bay Glen Animal Hospital · Website · (281) 480-8800 1616 Clear Lake City Blvd Ste… · Houston · Aldine Animal Hospital · (281) 448-3256 440 Aldine Bender Rd · Houston · Bellaire Boulevard Animal Clnc · Website · (713) 772-5574 6213 Bellaire Blvd · Houston · <br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2010/01/06 02:26

WHATEVER YOU SAY!!!!!!!! You're the designer, the artist, the creator, the stylist, the one with the vivid imagination. You'll be well known throughout the bird world. You'll be able to write a book about DIY toy making. Just remember, the people are waiting!!!

You really should sell that stuff. You don't have much to do so you can make loads of items and make some money. That item would sell for mucho money. Then you can give us a small percentage of the profits cause we gave you the idea. Of course, you'll need an agent and you'll need to apply for a patent. You should think of a snappy name for your products and away we go. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Maybe you were thinking about lead paint being used which is probably the worst thing to use. It's been discussed in the past. Powder coating provides good rust resistance, is chip proof for quite a while, very easy to clean, is able to resist chemical cleaners, won't corrode when bird droppings are on it etc etc. Lots of places to buy those cages and a huge variety of prices, the best price being new cages purchased from EBAY.

You've got it backwards. The most popular cages that people use are powder coated. The true best cage is stainless steel which costs about 4 to 5 x the amount. 95 % of parrot owners use powder coated cages.

One important thing here concerning who gets along with who----No matter what you get, it may or may not get along with another bird or birds of the same or different species that a person may own. I've seen macaws get along with budgies but dislike greys and feel neutral about red lories and have seen eckletus get along with greys and dislike amazons who in turn love IRNs who may not like cockatoos but will love quakers and those quakers may love CAGs but dislike TAGs or visa versa who in turn may feel very neutral about conures who may in turn love cockatiels but dislike parrotlets. But none of this is set in stone. More importantly, personalities of specific species should be high on the list before choosing. Even with macaws, B & Gs have the nicest personalities. Those magnificent beautiful Scarlett macaws are the most aggressive and moody and are quick to bite. Amazons --yellow naped have the nicest all around personalities---DYLs in general have a more aggressive personality if not dealt with properly. But again this doesn't apply to every single bird. The same holds true as far as weight--DYLs are more prone to obesity then the smaller Zons so they need much more exercise out of the cage than other types and this weight problem doesn't have to only pertain to fatty acids. Constantly in a cage can affect their personality and can possibly cause some aggression. TOOs that are kept in cages for long periods of time will seriously mutilate themselves, much more so than greys who are also pluckers and quakers who are constantly kept in cages with no outside excersize are much mre likely to have heart attacks long before their time is up. <br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2010/01/05 23:09

A few things are wrong with this picture. DNA only applies to what sex the bird is, not the age. Visually, full grown greys look that way from the time they're 1 yr old. If they're 3, 4, 5 yrs old, they're much to young to breed. The box should be immediately removed. Each bird has to have it's own cage. Any bird will show nervousness when it's put into a new home and that lasts for much more than 15 days. After separate cages are put into place, each bird must be socialized into the family by itself. It came with a box hooked on. That would say that the previous owner/owners had only one thing in mind--breeding them and obviously, he didn't know about maturity. So, what have you got going for yourself. Well, first off, the birds are still young and it's easier to break that bonding of each bird to each other. If those birds were much older, you'd be having lots more serious problems. Yoy wanna keep them as pets? Separate them quickly. Treat each as an individual. Let each one develop it's own personality. I will tell you that i'll take a while because those birds shouldn't have been raised in one cage. Bad, bad idea. I should add something else---pairs of greys that are presently breeders and/or pairs of greys that are potential breeders are totally different than pet greys. There's a world of difference between breeders and pets. Breeders don't like people. They only like their mates. They've bonded together and left the human owners completely out of the picture and as they get older they'll even become more aggressive. So, think about that other cage and think about treating each as an individual. Believe me, there's huge difference in the lifestyles of breeder greys and pet greys.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2010/01/05 19:23

I'd bet anything that thewater in the bowl was much colder than the shower water and if so, it's not abnormal for a bird to jump into that cold water. A regular bath/thorough misting stimulates a bird to do that. Actually, people get pissed off when a bird does that ( because the bird is now clean) but it's nature that causes it to happen.

Many greys like the sound of certain things they can hear. Most of the time we humans have no idea what that actual sound is. Our ears just don't have that ability. Many times, it's just one certain voice that perks him up but it definitely has nothing to do with with a bird not responding to you. This can also apply to sounds. I'll give an example and it has nothing to do with words-----I have a TAG who loves to be on a shoulder as much as possible. He enjoys watching everything that's going on from the shoulder. If I put away the dishes, I make a certain sound with them. It's my way of putting the dishes away. He has to repeat that sound instantly. I crack some nuts open. He's got to repeat that sound instantly. I pour water into a cup. He's gotta gurgle instantly. There's loads of other things too. Okay, now for my wife---- She'll have Tee on her shoulder whichhe loves and does all the same things in her style. He watches, loves it but won't do the sounds. That applies to a human voice too Tee loves to be in the middle of things but responds to sounds that are attractive to him. Why? I guess that's just the way it is. It also applies to actions. My wife sits at the PC, he's on her shoulder and loves to nap. He sits on my shoulder at the PC and he loves to watch what I'm doing while he nibbles on my TEE shirt until I pet him. Why? I don't know but the important thing I can say is that it has nothing to do with likes and dislikes of people who a bird is close to.

Basic washing/rinsing of hands should be part of contact with your bird. If a bird kisses a bird and accidently leaks nasal fluid ( especially when having a cold) or sneezes in the bird's face, it could possibly get sick, not visa versa. The only common illness that's irritated are people who have asythema or other breathing problems and that comes from the dander that certain parrots throw off.

I can only say that putting your bird into a shelter won't correct any chewing or plucking problems that your bird has. More than likely, the problem will get worse. Molting doesn't happen until a bird is at least 8 to 10 mts old. As far as chewing/plucking goes, there is no verbal command that can be given to stop it. He's only been with you a short time and the problem may have started when the bird was being fed a poor type of baby food or the weaning was prematurely stopped. Both of these things can lead to plucking. But your only solution may be to either give him to a person who has lots of time and some experience dealing with this or to a decent shelter. I'm in the US so I can't recommend any place though. Lets hope that your bird can get through this cricis. I'd just like to say that many other birds go through the exact same thing and one of the basic fundamentals when this problem is going on is to not allow the bird out of his cage until he's capable of moving around easily. It takes quite a while for the problem to ease up and one important thing is that the bird be living in a home for quite a while. At 12 wks of age up until now, you've only had the bird for 5 weeks and the bird could be very unsettled. Many times, it takes longer for a baby bird to get settled in to a new home after leaving the safety of it's brothers and sisters. PS--one other thing I should have said is that every time a bird that has that problem bounces off the floor, it's an immediate set back. He bounces off the floor which is unnatural for a bird, gets frightened, feels shock, may be stunned and because of all those things, he'll revert to plucking. He shouldn't be allowed to be in a situation where he will bounce off the floor. A cage is a good place for the bird to calm down and get used to many things. 5 or 6 wks isn't time enough for that to happen. Parrots take quite a while to make different changes in their habits. Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2010/01/04 21:53<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2010/01/04 22:39

Although you have every right to be frightened concerning the feathers, you may be frightened for the wrong reasons and not understand that there may be other situations that cause the plucking in loads of species that have a reputation for quick plucking. First is excitment and possible happiness. Some birds will pluck because a change in environment allows them to show nervousness and excitement which in turn may stimulate plucking. A new physical relationship with people may cause plucking because of the hustle and bustle that surrounds the bird. A different type of activity with new people may be great for the bird and it'll also cause picking/plucking. Your bird is approx 10 yrs old? I doubt very much that your bird is a chronic plucker. It sounds like an acute type of plucking which will eventually stop. A chronic plucker rarely stops even though he/she is extremely happy about all the new things that're going on. No one ever touched her and now all wanna touch her. That's a 180% turn around from the past. Many of the things you say are going on in your new relationship sounds like the bird is heading into a new productive phase. For a 10 yr old bird, 5 weeks won't really show great changes. It takes a lot longer than that. A LOT LONGER. Continue to gradually build your relationship with the bird and you'll soon see how accepting she is of all that's new in her life. Yes, conytinue to bathe her but address particular situations such as the bald spots. Go to a pharmacy. Buy a small bottle of 100% Pure Aloe Vera Gel. Put some dabs of it on those bald spots. Do it often. Many people think that a plucking bird is either a sick bird or unhappy bird which many times just isn't true. There's loads of people here that own pluckers. The birds are healthy, happy and socialble BUT they still pluck. It can happen to different species.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2010/01/04 18:30

Pre owned Parrots rate high on the difficulty chain. The reason for this is the rating which it's been given by bird experts and scientists which is 'a wild species that will always remain a wild species' and I totally agree with that and because of that, special problems arise and can be more visible with older, mature greys or other species. Adopting a pre-owned parrot is a different thing and with it comes some difficulties and situations although the new informed owner is able to understand what they're actually seeing in that parrot. Usually, those people already own or have owned other parrots and are able to ease the pressure that the pre-owned parrot is going through. These parrots have usually lived in either one or a few homes in the past. With each home, the parrot develops habits that pertain to what's going on there. Parrots don't forget things very easily and when that parrot moves on to that next home he/she takes those habits with him/her. It's frequently referred to as 'baggage' which involves many aspects of the parrot's personality and habits and ways of thinking. The ideal adoption of a pre-owned parrot is getting one that has no 'baggage', but that's impossible. What they do see is an obvious amount of previous 'baggage' and they become disillusioned and many times, the parrot will soon be off to it's next home. It happens frequently and a person who is familiar with parrots has a better chance of putting up with problems. The amount of 'baggage' that the parrot stores away when living in that home depends on how long the parrot has lived there. Part of that newly obtained 'baggage' are the personalities of all the different owners and the methods used to make the parrot conform at each home. Again I say, parrots don't forget and they have the natural ability to store away more and more situations. Some of these past owners should have never taken on the adoption of a pre-owned parrot and some of these same people should have never taken on the task of owning any parrot. This doesn't really pertain to you though simply because you're familiar with parrots. Another thing that exists is how long ago you adopted. With a pre owned parrot it takes loads and loads of time for that parrot to adapt whether it's just with a new family or a new family that has other birds. Believe me, I have loads of experience in that area as well as friends of mine. Feather pulling is common when a bird is excited or feels very uncomfortable with new environments and new people and new animals. Some pick/pluck or bite or get terrified or become very shy or just the opposite. The bird will eventually show it's personality and also it's added on personality that's developing in his new surroundings. Coming outside of his house? What better place is there in order to feel safe while learning new habits, surroundings. Length of time? Remember he's an adult that's been shuffled around for a long time and has learned how to be very leery of things. Doesn't like other birds? Very common for adult greys that meet up with each other. Sometimes that'll change or won't change. """"" he well rip, not pluck, his feathers. Always little pieces of feathers too. He seems to not straight up pluck, or at least a lot, and I've seen that he has bald spots under both wings and it looks like under the top feathers that he has no down ones on his stomach/neck area. And he has pulled/plucked nearly all the feathers on his leg recently. I don't know if the other spots were there before we got him."""" Those are many are many of the things that preowned adult birds can do. Actually, there's many more things it can do. I agree about the wings. I'm not a fan of clipping especially with a bird that's learned the importance of flying. Another home? You can get opinions, the pros and cons here but in the end that's a decision only you can make. It has to do with your tolerance level. PS--I can tell you that I've dealt with adult birds that were big problem birds and so have friends and others I know. It's a long process but it can be done.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2010/01/03 18:25

No, you didn't. I know you wouldn't do that. If you did, I'd make you an offer you couldn't refuse.

Yes it's true that a new bird should be put in the middle of everything but in your situation there's many people living there including a very young child. Yes, the child will definitely freak out the bird and if possible under the right circumstances will bite that child. The bird will also get an attitude towards the person/people who have put him into that bad situation. A baby grey needs to be handled with kid gloves. The start of a relationship should be one of calmness. many types of socializing has to be started and most of that has to have people around or else the bird will ignore, misbehave or develop very bad attitudes with others. The place a bird starts out with as far as a home ( cage )should be in an area where the bird will remain but moving the cage around that area would work as long as the general environment remains the same. Putting the bird in a room by itself with little or no constant contact is a bad idea because it will cause problems for the bird later on. A grey who is alone can cause problems for itself, both physically and mentally. Also, a grey needs lots of time out of it's cage everyday. All medium to large sized parrots do. Although I normally wouldn't say this, my opinion is to think about not getting that bird right now until the atmosphere is much better and roomier.

<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2010/01/01 23:33

Well, I only mention parrotese where it has to do with people who are worried about the capability of their greys as far as talking which personally in my opinion is a very unimportant thing to worry about. I've studied greys and their language in the home and find that they will use their own parrot language in order to communicate during the day. I find that my other birds communicate with each other much more often when they're using their own language as opposed to one who is only mimicing human language. Why do I say mimicing? Because as much as people think that their birds are constantly sending messages to us, those same birds will say the same things all day long and aren't trying to communicate with us at all. Most of the time, they're not even looking at the person. But other opinions are fine because as I said, I only discuss it to people who are putting the ability at an important level which is really not that important. I understand all the things my birds say to me in parrotese and I had to study that for quite a long time and it's an extremely enjoyable experience.

Actually, there are booklets and books that are for sale concerning how to go through the beginning steps after buying a baby grey. These books just like any other investigative material, should be purchased before buying the bird. That also applies to all animals, 2, 3 and 4 legged. Getting information from a breeder doesn't necessarily mean that the information is totally correct. Many breeders have different opinions and ideas which aren't necessarily true. Let's say that a person buys an unweaned bird. There are no books available that teach a person how to deal with that situation so the breeder can possibly tell you wrong information. All people of all ages should check out what they buy before buying. People even do that when they're buying appliances or lawn mowers or paint or TVs hamsters, cats, dogs, reptiles, horses etc.

I agree with the others. Get a new cage. Even after cleaning, the smell will leave a residual odor. People have to that with household items too. Roaches will eventually adapt to anything. I hate roaches, no matter what their nationality is but german roaches are the most common and multiply quickly.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/12/31 20:15

As Dan said, greys have an extremely versatile amount of muscles that develop over time. As that happens the amount of time that words will come out is easier and takes less time to come out. Concerning lips--greys and all other parrots have no lips nor do they need them to talk. All sounds come the rear of the throat and are formed thru vibration and control of those muscles. Some greys excel concerning human language and others excel concerning all types of sounds. Parrots talk all day long but they're making sounds in parrotese which isn't mimicing anything. It's their natural speech. Other birds understand them but not many people do. It's a great experience to learn what a bird is saying in parrotese. They use that language to talk to us all the time. As far as Alex, he really didn't have a large amount words that he imitated. Maybe 125 to 150 words. His big thing was cognitive association. I've come across many greys who have the ability to say anything from 500 to 900 words. Yes, some of those words have to do with us but the majority of those words simply have to do with imitation. A grey will go through it's whole vocabulary of words during the day even though people aren't around. They'll also do the same thing with sounds.