Dave007

Some people have trouble digesting turkey but that doesn't apply to the bones since the people aren't eating the bones. Feeding the same type turkey bone that is similar in area to the chicken bone is fine. Both bones have marrow in them. The only difference is that the turkey boneis a bit harder to crack but most parrots who have a strong bite shouldn't have problems.

Yes, your reasoning is right on target. Many short trips with the window open about 1 inch in a cage in which the bird can look left, right and backwards. Do small trips on relatively smooth roads. Use only one perch in the cage but keep it relatively close to the bottom ( 3 inches ). If you know that there is a certain time in which you're leaving, make sure the bird doesn't eat a lot. Don't put any food in the cage even if you know that you're gonna take a long trip. Keep a small amount of water in the cage. Repeat this whole process over and over and gradually increase your distance. A 45 min drive means that you traveled approx 30 miles. Keep your bird in the front passenger seat if possible. If not, make sure that wherever the cage is, it doesn't slide around. Talk to the bird. Try it out. Many people have success doing this. Short trips don't frighten a bird as much as a long trip.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/10/10 01:05

$2000!!! Oh man, that's insane. Go to EBAY---type in bird cages a large amount of pages will open up. Each will give the size, and what materials the cage is made of. If you scroll down each cage you'll see pictures of different cages abd diofferent sizes. You'll be given a large amount of info on the cage, The most important thing to look for is that the cage is ***powder coated*** PS----before typing in bird cages, clicl\k on BUY IT NOW. That will allow you to get the cage at the advertised price where no bidding is involved.

This breaks my heart. I'm familar with the disease. It's a virus that attacks the DNA of a bird. Eventually, it'll spread to the outer feathers changing their color and those feathers usually start falling out. Unfortunately, there is no cure. When it occurs, it's usually when birds are very young. It can also happen with older birds of other species especially cockatoos, lovebirds, budgies and ringnecks. If you are gonna get a replacement which is what usually happens from the breeder, you'll need to disinfect everything that the bird came into contact with. I'm really sorry about this misfortune but you should feel better that the bird is extremely young. Having an older bird that you've built up a relationship contracts this disease, it can be seriously heartbreaking. You need to make sure that the bird is totally weaned because a vet can't perform all the tests (*well* check) on a bird that hasn't breen totally weaned and hasn't developed an immune system which a fully weaned has. Try to understand that a bird that's that age won't suffer very much. Chin up. We're all feeling your loss.

That's hard to answer. I've seen birds not fly because of past clipping. There is such a thing as losing the desire to fly and also loss of desire because they can get from one place to another easily. But I've also seen some birds that have suffered trauma to the head and it takes quite a while before the effects wear off. Just like broken keel bones, it's possible that a clipped bird can land in the wrong place such as on the head. In the wild, they're basically perchers who really don't have a strong desire to constantly fly unless it has to collect food. I only mention clipping since you don't know the past. What you can try is to put some toys or a playstand farther away from the cage and see what happens. PS--if she doesn't fly, don't worry about it as long as her general health uis good.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/10/09 03:51

harmar I can give you many reasons why a bird shouldn't be clipped. First, I wanna say that in your post you've put 2 or 3 subjects together which actually deserve their own thread. Dan mentions a few of the most important things concerning clipping and not clipping birds. I'll say that all of the things you say can happen to unclipped bird as well as a clipped bird. This is one extremely important things that Dan has said """"They were all common sense items listed that the owners clearly displayed negligence in not paying attention. You need to know where your bird is at all times, whether flighted or not. If you do, accidents like you described rarely if ever happen.""""" What you haven't talked about is strength, the natural ability to do what birds were meant to do, coordination, the body's ability to withstand accidents and another very important thing which is mentality and the fact that we are talking about Congo African Greys and Timneh Afrian Greys, not any other species. This board is focused on those 2 types of birds. Our main focus has to do with stregth, personality, independence, aloofness and total development of these 2 types of birds only. Many of these things get affected by clipping. Maybe you can't understand that. A person shouldn't have an animal that needs to be altered in order to own it. There are other animals. People will say * I wanna a cat* In the next breath, those people are told that the cat should be declawed because less damage will occur in the house. That';s what is commonly called cruelty to animals. It seems like the people you've talked to about buying a very young bird forgot to tell you about the tragic things that happen to clipped birds. It seems that no one has told you what the necessities the bird must develop in order to be classified as a bird. You talk about vets who recommend this --you talk about breeders who have lines 50 ft long with people who need their birds clipped. You talk about the headache it was for these people to put up with unclipped birds. Well, right now, I will tell you that I breed greys and also own pet greys. When people come to me to buy a bird, I spend many hours talking to them about what type of creature they're gonna take home. I encourage them to not buy a parrot if it comes down to that.. I tell them what the bird needs in order for proper development. I tell them that the grey's abilility to become independent and aloof is ultra important because that's a grey's personality. I tell them that their baby bird won't stay a baby for long and their dependancy on the owners won't last very very long. I even give them a print out in case they forget about parts of our conversations. Many people never bother to learn about these things and even worse, many sellers don't mention these things to customers. You speak of vets and their opinions. I need to deal with 3 different avian vets all of which clip wngs and those same vets give me pats on the back for explaining the pitfalls of clipping. Clipping isn't illegal so they must do it. Declawing isn't illegal so regular vets must do it. But because I'm so very, very, very, very, very, very tired of talking about this subject and you wanna know the different opinions of people concerning this subject, I suggest that you go to the upper right hand corner of this page and look for the words SEARCH FORUM and type in WING CLIPPING or just CLIPPING and press enter You'llget so many answers to your questions that I guarantee you that you won't be able to finish reading them all.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/10/09 01:10

You can but don't expect him to eat them. They'll probably dry up in a couple of hrs and need to be dumped. Your most important thing right now is the formula which makes the bird gain the most weight.

I can only add a couple of things 1--let the bird tell you when it doesn't want a feeding anymore--( abundance feeding)It will simply not accept a feeding so you need to lessen the procedure by removing one. All the while, have fresh foods such as dark green veggies and a few pieces of chopped fruit in a bowl. Eventually, the switch will be made. 2--this bird you have should still be with it's clutch mates.

As far as Cheerios, introduce right now. just throw 9 or 10 pieces around the box so he can see them. At 4 weeks, don't expect your bird to eat them. They just interest the bird and encourage it to walk around. At that age, droppings in general should look greenish surrounded by what looks like white cream or watery thickness. The bird will usually sleep after a hand feeding. If the bird raises the head and makes different noises, it's hungry. Don't deny the bird just because of some schedule you heard about. There is no such thing as a *schedule*. Some birds will grow much bigger and stioll need formula. Formula makes for a mellow bird and can never hurt a bird. Expect the bird to move it's bowels quite frequently. At least every 2 hrs. NO BATHING!! I need to say one other thing--even though it probably wasn't your fault, the breeder did a very bad thing by letting you take such a young bird home. Normally,a breeder is the one who's supposed to do all the weaning. The warm toy will imitate the warmth it received when it was with the parents---no drafts of any kid---no cold rooms. Stretching is absolutely normal. Sometimes, you'll even see it slightly flap PS----If you can go to the store and purchase a feather duster, it will be a good idea to hang it down in a corner so the feathers are partially on top of floor. That will allow bird to eventually snuggle against it as if it was a parent bird--All household stores have them. At Walmart, they cost about $5. Just clip the handle to top edge of box. Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/10/08 22:15<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/10/08 22:34

I didn't realize that you put a picture in. No, that bird shouldn't be allowed to be put in a cage at all No, that bird shouldn't be allowed to walk all over the floor because of microscopic dust mites that are on the floor. Handfeeding---you've got a long way to go. Continue handfeeding everday day at least 3 to 4 times a day. In that box, put some soft toys such as a teddy bear so it can snuggle up to it for warmth, When you start to give any so called solid food, take some Cheerios ( colored) and put in the box. If you can change the bedding, use towels. That allows you to see the color and thickness of the droppings. Have a couple of towels available. Cedar chips often get stuck to a baby bird's vent area and that area gets clogged. If you need a bigger box then get it. All the flapping and walking can be done in the box. This is what a baby bird should look like before walking on a floor---8 weeks old <br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/10/08 21:58

1--a bird will tell you when to stop a certain feeding. It shouldn't be you that decides. It's called *abu.dance feeding* and what the bird does is simply refuse that particular feeding so that feeding is elimanated. Some birds take longer to reach that point. 2--You can take him out and let him stretch and walk around as many times as he wants to. Most birds do a lot of wing flapping because they're excersing. 3---don't even think about baths right now. That'll happen when the bird is 4/5 months old. An unweaned bird is NEVER bathed. Cage--you can put him in a small cage and make sure that the perch is only about 2 inches from the bottom of cage. A towel should be used under the perch in case he falls off. In a box,a bird learns how to walk and manuver properly . All birds are different and it's better to be save than sorry.

Yes, that's a good start but you should do all of these things in a quiet area ( room with 4 walls) where only you and the bird will be in. It'll take time. It should be done every day.If he was only handled when his cage was being cleaned then what you should do is handle him when his cage is being cleaned except for one thing---after finishing, don't put him back in the cage. Close doors of the cage. Buy or build a very simple T-Stand for him and that's where you should put him. Make sure that the stand isn't next to the cage. Walk aroundhim all day long and constantly talk to him. Since he will accept bits of food without going on the attack, have treats in your pocket to hand him. theyu could be nuts or you can buy some honey coated treats that all birds like. Have interesting things on the top of the cage. When in a very quiet room with him, make sure he's on the flloor. Expect him to fly or run away. Just stay there and repeat the process. Only get him used to the perch first, not hands and perch. The reason is that he'll eventually move closer a d closer to your hand as time goes on. Remember that you're dealing with a mature bird who has some habits that you'll have to deal with.

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It'll take longer than 4 mts to find out if your bird will talk. The sounds he's making may be him practicing some human words he's heard or he may be practicing future sounds of parrotese. Simply keep talking to him and if he's a talker, you'll eventually hear it. Lots of greys don't start talking until they're 6 to 8 mts old. Of course that doesn't apply to every grey. It's an individual thing and only time and you practicing with him will allow you to see results.

Just get some Quick Stop at the pet store or use talcom powder or use flour , take a Q-tip, dampen it, stick it iny of the 3 above, press q-tip against end of nail and press it against nail for 2 minutes. That'll stop the bleeding immediately, if it bleeds again later, do the same thing.

Simply put, 90 % of lovebirds are very loud. Their sounds are high pitched. Greys aren't loud at all but have been known to copy the sounds of other birds big or small. Doing harm to a grey's mental state? A grey can either get aggressive with them, not get aggressive with them, bite them or not bite them when they get too close. The grey may not come out of the cage or may come out of the cage. In other words, it's up to the birds. Greys as well as lovebirds have individual personalities. I can tell you one things--greys don't like other birds constantly flying all over the place when they're around the grety. Usually it will go in it's cage and become very quiet for long periods of time. If this happens frequently, eventually, the grey won't come out of it's cage at all.

All birds inside and outside sleep during the day.

There's no way of telling if your bird will stop any chewing behavior on any item unless that item is taken away. If it appeals to a bird, he'll bite it. Some birds stop but there's no way to make them stop. People use harneses and immediately start doing things with a bird that has to do with activity. when the activity is finished, off comes the harness and that includes any harness--Feather Tether or Avian Flight harness. A flight suit is simply a diaper, not a harness.

You're welcome. Nothing to worry about. Your bird is jumping and climbing around just like a normal healthy bird.

There is no set amount. It goes according to how much food is in the crop at the time of regurgitation. They can hold any amount in the crop. """""I know they will regurgitate for their "mate" but since this is the first time she has, I'm more worried that the amount was more than what is normal for CAGS.""" When the parents are feeding chicks a person can't see how much is being fed. Some take a smaller amount of food, others take more. The same thing applies when one mating bird gives the other mating bird any food. It also has to do with the consistancy of the food when a young bird regurgitates. It could be firm and lumpy or very soft and smooth and liquidy. So, there is no more than or no less than usual.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/10/03 00:01

What's the temp in that room during chilly weather? Space heater in bird room(( or any heater) is a bad idea. Greys and other parrots do well in chilly cold nights and if you wanna warm up a specific bird in the house. use a cover for that bird. Heaters are gonna be very bad for a grey's feathers and especially it's skin.

sure they can.

It's definitely a large bird thing and it's definitely a small bird thing but it may not be a medium bird thing cause medium birds can go either way. They're just not sure about what road they wanna take.

Sugar Cane is a nutritious natural treat suitable for all Parrots. Full of natural vitamins and minerals. BUT, remember that not every treat you give a parrot has to be nutritious.They deserve a break too.

Sugar Cane provides parrots, cockatoos and macaws with a natural treat; the sugar cane is available in two handy pack sizes that we despatch in a frozen state from our premises. Once the sugar cane arrives at your premises you can simply re-freeze it for up to 12 to 18 months (just like the frozen Palm Nuts) Once the sugar-cane has been completely de-frosted it is best stored our of the plastic packet in the fridge. Sugar cane treats will provide your parrots with hours of fun chewing it to bits. CLICK HERE TO SEE MOVIE OF SUGAR CANE BEING EATEN BY AN AFRICAN GREY