Dave007

One thing has nothing to do with the other. Most breeder pairs don't talk. If your bird doesn't talk in the futue, it was simply meant for that bird not to talk. Many greys don't talk and their clutch mates wound up talking. And I'm not guessing here nor is this just my opinion.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/09/29 22:50

It's wise when buying parrot mix to remove all monkey nutws. The reason. The type that are in parrot mix are uncooked. Uncooked monkey nut can possibly lead to Aspergilosis which is a long painful disease which usually ends in death or at best a very weak bird. Also, many greys don't care for the taste of the ones in parrot. If you would like to give them to your birds, simply go to your supermarket and buy FRESH ROASTED MONKEY NUTS (they usually cost about $1.79 lb.) which are for human consumpition. One other thing---There's very little difference between sunflower and safflover seed. Rather then getting into a long discussion about that fact, please look up both--both seeds are closely related and their main purpose is to repel squirrels from bird feeders because they don't like them..<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/09/29 22:34

I assume that your bowls are sitting in metal rings. Take the bowl out and squeeze the edge of the ring inward very slightly so that the bowl is harder to put in. That should solve the problem as far as pulling the bowl out. I've done that a number of times and it works.

Debandbella There's no need for a karma. If I can help you out, that's my karma but thank you for the nice words.

At 9 mts, there's nothing to worry about. Who's the better flyer, I don't really know but at that age it's nothing to worry about. As far as the shape and number of feathers, they'll come back in shortly but unevenly. Your bird has a lot of feathers to lose and those are the ones that you should be aware of---all feathers that will soon molt out. Skin shouldn't be as dry as normal. Bathing or misting is the secret. And as far as luvy's bird goes, that's not unusual either. I can't even tell you how many times people have asked about when those flight and tail feathers will come back. She's just being patient and that's all a person can do.

Well, if you never clipped your bird, you should feel very good about it because neither side of the flight areas will look like they lost any feathers. There may be 5 on one side and 4 on the other but the only way you're gonna know that a dead flight or tail feather is gone is when you see them in the tray. Imagine a bird who molts and loses all their flight and tail feathers all at once. The bird wouldn't be able to fly anywhwere. What determines when a flight or tail feather falls out is how muchblood supply those feathers are getting. That's why people get upset when all the flight and tail feathers don't grow back evenly.Don't clip your bird and you'll never see the problem. PS--and yes, that's why it takes a long time for all of them to grow back. It's only luck when a full set of unclipped feathers apperar on each side.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/09/29 00:32

Just so that no one gets any false hopes---flight and tail feathers won't all grow in evenly after the next molt because they don't fall out at the same time. The reason for that is because they lose a couple of flight and tail feathers here and there all year long. That applies to clipped or unclipped birds. So when the next molt comes in, only the feathers that are involved in that particular molt are the ones that will come back all at the same time. Regular molting times of the year ( either one or two) have nothing to do with the loss of flight and tail feathers that fall out all year long in no particular time frame. It's not unusual to see a bird with a full set of old or new flight and tail feathers remain on the body when a yearly molt occurs. That's why it's taking luvparrotts's bird so long to get a new set of flight feathers. Any clipped bird is gonna have to wait a long time before a new unclipped set of flight feathers appears because they come back unevenly.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/09/29 00:12

No, they're not safe at all. All scented candles have chemicals in them which holds the scent until they're lite. Even candles that have no scent to us still aren't safe. The only place to burn candles is in an area in which the scent can be immediately go out of a window. That's usually another room far away from the birds. The smell of scented candles lingers in the air long after we can't smell them after being put out. So owning a parrot does have a few small drawbacks which is any type of scented candles or scented cleaning products which can't be used because the birds can smell them.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/09/28 19:57

African Grays are well known for their exceptional talking abilities but the method of doing that is not the same as people. This is due to the musculature design of their throats. (Contrary to popular belief parrots do not have "voice boxes." They talk similar to the way a human would whistle. Consequently, a parrot's ability to mimic sounds precisely depends on the number and development of muscles in the throat.)All the grumbling that parrots make is development of muscles aimed at a certain word/phrase. Greys are also quite the "thinkers." When learning to talk, they will typically listen to you very carefully before attempting to speak. They don't have the ability to talk over you. Simple repition, both orally and physically and visually is how they learn to say * see you later* as you're leaving the house as long as you say it first. Eventually, the bird beats you to the punch when you're leaving.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/09/28 06:55

The airlines that will transport birds put them in special cargo areas reserved for animals. Most people who buy birds from other places that do ship birds are being shipped in the cargo area. You need to call different airlines to find out if they have that shipping area and also whether they're going to wherever you're going. Southwest airlines used to ship animals. I had my dog shipped from MO to PA through that airline but I never asked about birds.

Opinion on the clipping you're thinking of doing to a large bird like a macaw? Is this what you want to deprive your bird of. There is such a thing called a harness.

A very smart grammar school girl that got good marks except for those Fs.

Whatever food won't go bad should be left in all the time. Parrots don't have the same type of eating schedule like we do. They eat all day long.

Some will start early such as 5 mts, some will start at 1 yr to 18 months old. That figure can vary a bit. Some will not talk but will be masters of every possible sound they can hear. Others will do the same with words but not sounds. Whistling is something every grey doesvery well with no lessons. If she's saying a few words, there's a chance that she may say more. Some people have to practice the talking with their greys and other people don't need to do anything. THis applies to TAGs and CAGs. What you've got going for you is your bird's age. How other people's birds are coming along with their vocabulary really won't give you an answer you'd be satisfied with because it really boils down to when will the bird speak and how much, how little. I will say that TAGs are masters of making sounds without ever hearing them before. Have a TAG on your shoulder, pour a cup of coffee and the TAG will make the exact same sound as the coffeee being put into a cup. Put dishes away and a TAG will make the same scraping sounds as 2 dishes scraping together ettc etc<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/09/24 23:42

The pros---- that you're giving a pre owned bird a second or third chance at living in a good environment with a person that's willing to put aside the basic reputation and well known facts that are usually attributed to a particular species of parrot and accept the present condition and attitude of that bird. Cons---Many birds who are in adoption situations usually aren't perfect but they can be good pets. Many here will tell you that. Those pre owned birds always shows alot of gratitude in different ways--example, they wake upin the morning and whistle or do something that tells a person that the bird knows it's not alone anymore. Luvy said it all. Ask, ask, ask, ask questions, study opinions, learn the difference between chicks and older birds before you take the step.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/09/23 02:45

RPO has absolutely nothing to do with molting. """I've heard that RPO helps birdies that are plucking/molting,""""" You heard false info. RPO is simply a basic vitamin supplement that they consume in the wild.

I think that those few videos pretty much describe what birds do to each other but with the ekkie, try to imagine the bird on the person's arm getting more and more and more stimulated. Obviously,that bird is getting more and more stimulated. The slight biting is starting. In one of the other videos, there's a bird masturbating with a soft teddy bear. It has it's eye on a particular area. The teddt bear isn't encouragingit. Eventually, the bird will stop but I guarantee that if the teddy bear is allowed to stay there, the bird will start all over again. Manybe later, maybe tomorrowormaybe next week. The bird resembles a quaker but quakers are more intense and heavy duty rubbing is involved. Once they wrap their wings around something the rubbing slows down but gets intense. The male aims the tail downward and the female aims the tail upward. They go through rituals. They react to each other in strange ways. I really don't believe that humans should be involved in setting off birds into a sexual feeling. Let the birds do it. As far as what age to stop doing it, I can only say don't do it ever no matter what the age.It's not fair to the birds. Those birds were each going through part of their rituals with each other. The ekkie is going it with a person. Put your fingers near those 2 macaws while they're doing that. I'll only say this--you'll never put your fingers there again. Much more desciptive video and best of all, they're greys. Notice position of wings. Notice where each bird mouthes each other. Notice that each never stops the ritual. Let the birds get the sexual excitement going. We can't finish the act. The birds can. <br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/09/22 20:43

Maybe I'm dragging this out but I was asked another question so I'll respond. A person sits down on a couch or chair, maybe watching TV. A grey ( especially one that's under 3 yrs old) is sitting on the person's knee. The bird is petted on the head and neck. The bird moves closer to the person's body ( like the arm) and the person decides to pet the bird's back. The bird likes it and slightly spreads it's wings. The person starts petting the wings and then under the wings. It looks very cute so the person starts rubbing the breast upper and lower. The vent becomes more visible so the person rubs in that general area. The bird likes it so it speads it's wings even wider including it's tail feathers. The person continues the same thing and eventually, the bird starts to flatten out it's body on the person's arm. The bird starts to wrap it's wings around that arm. The person continues the petting and then the bird starts making small huffing sounds. The bird holds on very securely. The bird starts to move it's head in different positions especially to the side and aims the face at the person. The bird starts pushing the prson's hand towards certain areas of the person's hand. The huffing continues. The feathers on the head stand up straight as well as other parts of the body. The huffing becomes slightly more rapid. The bird is now in a position where removing the bird is a little difficult because he's holding on. All of this applies to a female too. The person tires of this behavior and starts to stop all of this petting. The bird senses this and starts to bite on the hand a little harder so the person won't stop. The person continues to remove hand and the bird seriously bites. Now comes the time to either push the bird back up to the knee or put the bird back to it's cage. If the bird is left on the knee, it immediately moves closer to the person all over again. SO, the bird is put into a sexual situation and is left like that and it's very uncomfortable. Basically, the bird is hung up. Is that fair? My opinion is NO! Ever see 2 breeder greys going through the act of copulation? It's a long drawn out love affair with total mutual desires to finish. They breed over and over until it's time for the female goes to the nest box. Even then, they continue to breed periodically. They touch each other in different places. The males nibbles on the females neck and head She puts her head up to accept the nibbling. Breeder birds are known as * sexually mature*, Birds who are much younger are known as *sexually aware* and most person who are doing this are doing it to *sexuaally aware*. Compare it to a 9 yr old boy who finds out that his thingy can do more things than pea with it. It just doesn't know what to do with that thingy. Toys and masturbation has been brought up. One of the most prolific birds that do this is the quaker. I've seen it many times with many quakers but I'll use my own as examples--my male loves to rub himself against the pole that holds the swing in place. The female loves to rub herselg against a certain edge of a perch. Look at them from 3 feet away and you'll see thir eyes 1/2 closed, feathers up and slight huffing.The big difference is the quakers aren't being touched and they know when to stop. There's no reason to sexually stimulate birds of ant kind because it looks cute. To them it's serious business.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/09/22 19:15

""Sexually mature greys: what do you guys do when your grey is in the mood?.....""" I immediately stop whatever I might be doing to cause it such as petting sensitive areas. I don't change that petting to another non sexual part of the body. I just don't pet. Any touch to anywhere else after a bird has been stimulated will cause the bird to start all over again. Allow all of the rubbing a few times and that bird will expect it everytime he's being held and it's simply cruel to the bird and potentially dangerous to the person doing it. The more the rubbing by the person continues, the more agile and bendable the bird becomes. It's able to wrap itself around your hand or arm and sink his claws in deeply to hold on. Eventually, the person finds what the bird is doing is becoming annoying because your hand or arm is becoming immobile. So you decide *well, enough is enough, let me remove my hand* and all of a sudden the bird inflicts a serious bite because he/she is in seventh heaven and doesn't want it to stop. Think that's fair to do to a bird? Why doesn't the male or female bite each other when they mate? Cause they intend and wanna go all the way. """"Is it because we are conservative and sex is bad?""" It is bad if a person and a bird are involved and I guarantee you that that ain't conservative.

Once a week is fine if she doesn't like it. If she likes the shower, 3 or 4 times a week is fine. Just remember to get under the wings where the feathers aren't waterproof. That also applies to lower and upper breast area which isn't waterproof. Don't towel dry or dry with hair dryer. Let her stay wet so she can properly preen herself. She'll eventually dry off.

Go back to the hardware store and buy Jute rope. It comes in all different thicknesses. It's also used to wind around PVC piping stand extensions. The most important thing is that jute doesn't shred, Sisal does. At Home Depot, it's $2 for 150 ft. Tan in color, comes in a roll.

You know, the most common yet thrilling thing that loads of grey owners say is *I know greys have the intelligence of a 4 or 5 yr old child but something that isn't said very much is * I know that greys can be as bad and disobedient as a 4 or 5 yr old child* And when that happens it's taken in the wrong way to the extreme. I'll use your words here which applies to me---I've been bitten *maliciously* loads of times and I 've been bitten * mischievously * loads of times and I expect it to happen again and again. Sometimes greys get very tired of *routines* and they don't take a long time to show their displeasure. In one case here, it's not wanting to go back in a cage but wants to stay on a perch instead of a cage. """after the now usual runaround""" well, it's very possible that she didn't wanna go out or have a harness put on but it was put on in an area where she was distracted but what you may not realize that she was just as annoyed with you taking it off because she didn't wanna be handled concerning the harness in the first place. Taking it off and putting it on can mean the same thing. ""1)I have started showering her lately (see recent post) she might be resenting me for this.""" Did she let you take her out of the shower peacefully and did you bring her back to a usual place without her attacking you? People need to change methods of bathing all the time. Some of the birds get aggravated until they are brought back and start preening themselves. That applies to misting, showering, sink baths and bowl baths. """"2)I've been a little down lately - can parrots pick up on your mood (I'm sure yes) like dogs can? Maybe this is her trying to "slap me out of it"!""""" Birds are smart but not that smart. They become quiet when they sense problems and they don't jump around or play as much but they never take on the role of the *enforcer*. """When Alf is doing her "don't go near lyn, she is evil" routine""""" What have you ever done to her that would make her think you're evil. There's birds in oter home that are mistreated, neglected and they don't think the owner is evil, just uncaring. """"she's totally sucking up to David and being a real daddies girl."""""" Unless you always intentionally wanted to keep David out of the bird's life from the beginning, you should be grateful that your bird has good feelings towards him and wants to socialize with him. Most people are brought to tears because their bird has turned into a one-person bird and they ask for as many possible methods to do in order to change that. """"I urgantly need to re-establish a bond with her but haven't a clue where to start, I feel I'm out of my depth and it's so upsetting. I think she's rejecting me in favour of David. """""" I doubt that you've experienced what it's like when a bird decides to cut one person off permanently. Most of the time it's a total loss of connection with a person. The person can't feed the bird, play with the bird, socialize with the bird, won't change it's mind about that bird ( like being ornery during one part of the day and being nice another part of that day)----- Example, "The thing that I really don't get is, through all of this, she is still REALLY affectionate with me of an evening - cuddling right up for an hour or so."""" Keeping your distance from the bird won't do any good. You just need to follow your routine. You gotta eat. How do you why she's doing this lately? Maybe it's that time that she wants a male bird boyfriend, can't find one and is bitchy.

I'll say another thing """"I feel he really wants to be near me now than ever ( and i feel da same, he is my baby ) but even when its time for his nap, i had to bring his cage into my room so he feels safe. is this normal?""""" That's probably one of the worst things you can do. A bird has to learn how to live in it';s home which is actually his cage and if you give in to bringing him with you, you'll be very sorry in the futute. As your bird gets older, many different things are gonna happen in which you'll have to put up with an just turn around and let the bird get it out of his system. For many things, that takes time. The more independent they get the more they start acting like independent birds and some of the things are gonna bother you. Shivering--happens when you first bathe a bird and reperch him. That's when the shivering starts and ends within a 1/2 hr. At other times shivering won't occur. Shivering starts when the bird is passed from one person to another. Shivering can start when the bird is put on or in a strange place. Shivering can start when the bird is approached too closely by you or another person. Shivering can start when a new toy or other item is introduced to him but it's too close to him. Feathers get old. Birds first pick at those old feathers because they're dry. At 8 mts old, you can expect your bird to be going through iot's first major molt. Probably 1,2 or 3 mts from now. """""Star hs stared to scratch himself alot , i mean more thanever, i do bath him 3 times a week if i can, since he hates bath time and its war, i am still using a light spray bottle to bathe him...""""" You're not bathing him. The only thing you're doing is wetting feathers in which the water is simply rolling off. Grey's feathers are waterproof. You're gonna have to learn how to mist him so that the underneath areas of the feathers, namely the skin , will get wet. That's where the ichyneness begins and that's why birds pick at those areas. A different type of misting won't be pleasent for you because the bird willsquawk alot but you have to put that aside and continue what you're doing. After many times of doing thi, a bird will calm down but not completely. """ feel so depressed i dont know why he would start going at his feathers, i know it's a bad sign that the birf is unhappy? but its that the main reason.""" That question hs already been answered. """"Do you weigh your grey periodically? Is it loosing weight?"""" Siome people do, and others don't. The importantant thing to first find out is what constitutes a loss of weight first. Birds loses grams and gain grams all the time depending upon how active it is. Do you know what your bird weighed 1 month ago? Do you know what your bird weighed last week? Do you know what your bird weighed yesterday? Do you know whether you have a small, medium or large boned bird? If you wanna constantlly weigh your bird, you'll have to get a battery powered gram/ounce/pound scale. Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/09/19 20:13<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/09/19 20:21

The first thing you should know is that your bird is now older and as many other living thing, habits and ideas and independence and smarts kick in. There really isn't anything that your bird is doing that's unusual to most of the more experienced people here who gone through the same thing with their birds. """when he wants to be let out he makes so much noise and keeps climbing to the top of the cage, he never used to do that b4"""" Very common, all birds make noise at different times. He's a parrot. """"Star, who is now 7 months old has been acting strange for a week """" Again, very common. Star is acting like a more mature parrot who has learned the art of getting your attention. """"Also he stated being vocal he throws some words, which i cant make out"""" All greys make sounds that make no sense to a person. What they're doing is pracricing sounds that will eventually turn into words. """"i searched online but found nothing that could help me"""" May I suggest that instead of going online looking for answers that may conflict with each other or not show up at all, get some decent reading material that you can have at your side at all times. I want others to continue this thread simply because there's absolutely nothing wrong with your bird and I'd rather that other people tell you there's nothing wrong.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/09/19 01:56

Well, you havn't given much info. 1--where did you get the bird? 2--didn't the person give you any instructions about feeding? 3--di8d the person tell you whether the bird was weaned? Well, greys eat veggies (green), fruit, parrot pellets and parrot mix. Water must always be around the bird. It would be best to give us more info.