Dave007

Start talking to him using words that sound somewhat like the curse words. Eventually, he'll cut it out if he hears the new word long enough. Expect your bird to relapse once in a while. It's very hard to stop to make a bird totally forget things. That's why they're know for their great recall. It's important that you use the same pitch and depth and speed of the original word because if your bird says a curse word and you say something very similar but in a different pitch,depth and speed, as far as the bird goes, it's 2 different words.

Greysare the type of bird that stays with only one bird( mating wise) and when one dies, they go through a grieving period. It's best that you now interact with your bird constantly. Sometimes, they won't eat for quite a while. Make sure any of the food you give right now is the type that it immediately takes to. All of this can happen when you have a male with a male or female with a female. They don't have to be sexually involved.

WOW!!!! A one sentence post that doesn't say a blessed thing. The main character in this story is a parrot who's acting like most other parrots. So what's the big deal? The bird is annoying??? Get another kind of pet, preferably a domestic type pet like a dog or a cat. They can be trained. HUGE difference between a domestic animal and a wild animal such as a parrot. Parrots are wild animals and will always remain that way no matter how long you own the bird. A wild bird can't be taught to not chew your shoelaces. That's annoying. A bird can't be taught to not slide down his cage. A bird can't be taught to not fly when it wants to even though a person doesn't want that to happen. A bird can't be taught to not fly into a kitchen or other room when he hears the bag of nuts being moved around. Hell, a bird can't even be scolded cause the reaction doesn't exist with a bird. I can think of at least 10 things birds do that can annoy people and at least 20 reasons why those birds do those 10 things. If a bird likes to bang his dish around, so what? i really don't see bad behavior if the bird is looking for attention. Should the bird lightly tap on his perch and say " pardon me sir, would you be so kind and rub my head--on the right side please ?" Believe me, my earlier post in this thread was not meant to be taken seriously. A better description is tongue in cheek. Either a person should do some homework on the basic habits and personalities of parrots or get a dog who will gladly play fetch or a cat that will purr. ACTUALLY, I'm having a problem too. One of my birds rings his bell in the morning when he wakes up and to say the least, it's very annoying because it doesn't sound like it's in sync with Jingle Bells. He's only waking up the other birds and he really doesn't care about what he's doing to me. I"M SO CONFUSED!! Please help!! :( WAIT, WAIT--I finally got the solution-- Take the bowl away. Really took a lot of deep thinking to come up with that solution.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/04/19 03:24

Im so saddened to hear of your predicament. Yes you're right--To say the least it can be quite annoying when a parrot does that. My deepest sympathy. Lets look forward to better days with less noise.

You have adult birds that have developed personalities from the past owners. Those personalituies are permanent. That's the way it is with birds who've developed their own likes and dislikes about people, places, routines plus their own abilities. Giving an adult baby formula won't help any bonding to take place nor is giving baby formula to adults very healthy. It causes digestive problems. Whatever relationship that's gonna happen will be from the way the bird is treated from now on. Adult birds don't revert back to a bonding process like when they were babies. They're adults. You can give a bird a favorite item that they love but it has nothing to do with bonding. Giving fruit is a standard practice with birds. It's given for health reasons. All potential parrot owners are told to give fruit and veggies because that's their normal diet. It has nothing to do with bonding. Even when the bird is a little baby, bonding doesn't take place because of good food that's being given. You can give a baby bird bad food and it will not descrease the ability of the bird to bond. It's simply a diet. With pre owned adult birds that have lived in different atmospheres, the bonding you're speaking about should really be called friendship which should be worked on if it doesn't exist. You can give special things but it won't make the bird bond. Bonding is in the past. Friendship is what's important. If you wanna give your bird treats they like, give some nuts or as has been suggested some other mixture or give pasta or chicken bones or other items that aren't unhealthy. Just remember that the birds are adults. It's the same thing when a person gets an adult bird that doesn't talk. If the bird won't talk, there's nothing that can be done to make it talk even if the owner desperately wants it to talk.

my pleasure--enjoy getting slobbered on by your bird---it's such a fantastic thrilling experience to be dripped on. It's like bonding. You're stuck to the bird as it gets stickier.

then just get a base and nail it to the bottom of the T use nails to attach everything togethe---don't need a dowel.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/04/16 21:25

Make your own Make a small T out of 2 pieces of wood --get a 4 inch square --1/2 inch thick piece of wood--attach T to the wood. Put it on scale and see how much it weighs. Put bird on it and weigh bird--when finished, subtrack the weight of the stand from total figure. That's how much your bird will weigh.

You should be using a different method of feeding a 5 wk old bird. It's called *abundance feeding* First of all, go up to 4 feedings a day. When your bird finishes that 1 spoon of formula, immediately offer another spoon full. If your bird continues to eat that it's because it actually needs it. Birds don't overfeed themselves. Offer as much as the bird will take at one feeding. When the time comes for the next feeding repeat the process all over again. Eventually, the bird will refuse a certain amount or part of food which will tell you to decrease the amount used in that particular feeding. Do the same thing at each feeding. Eventually, the bird will refuse the whole feeding which will tell you to lessen that feeding schedule by one. Continue using that method until the bird eventually refuses the next formula feeding. Then lessen the feeding by one. Eventually, the bird will get down to only taking one feeding. That's the time to be adding other items to the diet that have nothing to do with formula. Those items should include some vegetables, some fruits, some parrot mix, some cereal and some pellets. Going by this whole method guarantees that your bird is getting all the formula and other foods it needs. To sum it up----let the bird decide when it doesn't want a feeding. Don't make that judgment for the bird in case you've been reading about the exact times a bird's feeding should be decreased.

We're not vets here. No one can really or should they answer the specific things you wanna know about. Some people get a certain diagnosis from one vet and than decide to visit another vet for a second opinion. When a bird has after effects concerning removal of air or fluid from a body cavity by suction 3. Med a. the sucking of fluid or foreign matter into the air passages of the body b. the removal of air or fluid from the body by suction , those effects show up quickly. usually a tube or other device is used to remove something that's lodged in the lower part of the crop or the upper area of the digestive tract. We can't tell you why the different results of X-rays came back the way they did. I can see you're getting worked up and confused so my opinion is to spend the extra money and visit another vet. If your bird has anything serious going on, at least he's still in the early stages of the problem and will be able to easily visit another vet. Aspiration is the sucking of fluid or foreign matter into the air passages of the body. The treat is quick. The air, fluid or foreign matter is immediately sucked out. Personally, I've never heard aspiration causing spots or growths on lungs which is another reason to get a second professional opinion.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/04/15 21:49

Potpourri is a mixture of dried, naturally and strongly fragrant plant material, used to provide a gentle natural scent in houses. It is usually placed in a decorative wooden bowl, or tied in small bags made from sheer fabric. Most people add many other strong fragrent items to it and some may not be good for birds so many people don't take the chance. The smell is stronger than scented candles.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/04/15 21:08

From what your Vet says, it looks like he spotted the illness in the beginning stages. As I said earlier, it may be a lung problem but I would actually call and ask to speak to the vet ( not the tech ) and let him name off the illness. He never mentioned that word to you.

On the main HEALTH page here towards the top, you can read the article concerning ASPERGILLOSIS. It is a health problem that requires long term medical treatment.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/04/15 19:14

You've had him for 9 days and you're seeing different behaviors. Expect that to happen for quite a while. He has other things that now interest him and you may not be a part of that interest right now. He's got a lot to discover and pick up in your house. Habits, environment, sights, sounds, routines. They usually do these things by themselves. Count off the days from the beginning that he was very friendly and nice to when he's started acting different. When he started acting differently is when you actually brought home a bird that has a personality to develop. This is just another part of him emerging and in the near future you'll see a lot of that. They learn all sorts of things, they act differently towards those things and they let you see different sides of them starting to develop. He's not gonna wanna be rubbed all the time. His behavior changed because it's supposed to change. ""chewing on the microphone""" Extremely common and you should expect him to wanna chew on many things you don't want touched. """When I tried to kis him on his beak, as I always did, he bit my lip, and it was hard.""""Very bad habit to get into and your bird has now given you fair warning that he will definitely do it again. """I gave him a few minutes and tried again in vain. I had to wrap my finger with paper tissues to get him to come and place him in the office."""Start off that whole process by using an 8 to 10 inch perch until he gets calmed down. It doesn't mean that he'll always stay calm in the future which is why you need to have that little perch nearby when he decides to be stubborn. It happens once in a while with all birds and you gotta be prepared.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/04/15 04:13

The bell you're talking about is one of the cheap ones that are made for smaller birds and yes, they can cause problems. If there was any chance that the one I'm talking about would cause problems, I wouldn't recommend it. In this bell, the clapper is permanent. It can't be removed even if you wanted to. This bell is rust proof and can't be bent. Just like any other item in a cage, the only thing that can happen to it is that it can get dusty. I have about 6 of these and I've never had a bird get it's beak stuck in it. The shape makes it impossible to get the beak or the head in. My friend has 2 of the next size larger ones and his macaws can't get their beaks in those bells. This bell does cost more then most but it's worth the money. This one is about 14 yrs old and only has scratch marks on it. About the only thing a bird can grab is the tip of the clapper. But, don't get it if it will make you feel uncomfortable and more nervous and worried. No need to feel bad. It was just a suggestion. I'm very glad that I have them because it keeps my birds busy for hours. In case you're worried, let me make a suggestion---when hanging the bell, just make sure that the bell doesn't hang below your bird's head. As far as your neighbors, what can I say? Have them evicted. <br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/04/15 02:33

"""""I will do a search for toys she can destroy."""" You can make them yourself. A couple of small blocks of wood with a hole drilled in it attached to a strong rope or a chain. Let it hang somewhere. Color isn't important when it comes to a parrot that wants to chew. Go to the pet store and look for a cow bell. It's about 2 inches in diameter and has a clapper. They're usually attached to a chain. Hang it in the cage. Eventually, your bird will get into violent fights with it, knocking it all around. The bell will swing away and swing back and crash into the bird which they love. They'll retaliate over and over. Don't be surprised when sleep time arrives if you see the bird cuddling and resting with the bell next to it. The bell becomes their close friend and the bird relies on the bell to have fun with. And as far as your neighbors are concerned, I doubt that they'll even know whats going on. The bell will cost about $4 and will last forever. PS--don't expect your bird to instantly take to the bell. Your bird will need a little time to study it and push it around to see what happens but once he takes to it, you won't be able to take it away.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/04/14 23:58

You should be using a different method of feeding a 5 wk old bird. It's called *abundance feeding* First of all, go up to 4 feedings a day. When your bird finishes that 1 spoon of formula, immediately offer another spoon full. If your bird continues to eat that it's because it actually needs it. Birds don't overfeed themselves. Offer as much as the bird will take at one feeding. When the time comes for the next feeding repeat the process all over again. Eventually, the bird will refuse a certain amount or part of food which will tell you to decrease the amount used in that particular feeding. Do the same thing at each feeding. Eventually, the bird will refuse the whole feeding which will tell you to lessen that feeding schedule by one. Continue using that method until the bird eventually refuses the next formula feeding. Then lessen the feeding by one. Eventually, the bird will get down to only taking one feeding. That's the time to be adding other items to the diet that have nothing to do with formula. Those items should include some vegetables, some fruits, some parrot mix, some cereal and some pellets. Going by this whole method guarantees that your bird is getting all the formula and other foods it needs. To sum it up----let the bird decide when it doesn't want a feeding. Don't make that judgment for the bird in case you've been reading about the exact times a bird's feeding should be decreased.

ZivaDiva It's a good idea to understand that as greys gets older many start to lose interest in the toys that many liked when they were immature. They revert back to their instincts of constant chewing and many toys get pushed to the side. If your bird doesn't wanna play with toys, he simply won't. It doesn't mean that there's a problem with his habits or personality. They also start paying attention to being very aggressive towards items in a cage that will fight back such as heavy duty bells. That kind of habit helps them with pent up tension. A bird may start chewing on a rope for hours at a time and you should consider that it's something that relaxes a grey. As they get older they become less active and spend more time relaxing as opposed to constantly playing with all the toys that are around. Usually with a grey, it's a good idea to make things that the grey can destroy. They find that very satisfying. Buying so many toys from pet stores is a waste of money when it comes to medium to large sized parrots.

Ok. Do what you think is best.

There's the possibility that your bird is being bothered by dust spores in the area he lives in or is in an area where there's little air circulation or he may have a partially collapsed lung. You didn't say how long it was after the vet visit that the condition returned but in any case, the only correct diagnosis has to come from a vet especiallysince there's even more possibilities about why the problem has returned. Explain to the vet how long it took to come back and whether you were having any type of difficulty in giving the proper doses of medicine. Hope you get good results.

All parrots if they can get to the feathers that have fallen out will hold them and play with them, preen them and sometimes chew on them. It's nothing to worry about and it isn't a sign that your bird is becoming a plucker.

I don't know what country you live in but here in the US you can get 1 gallon bottles of the aloe juice from Walmart or other pharmaqcies or health food stores--in Walmart it costs approx $9.00 per gallon. In other places, you may have to pay a little more. Walmart always has it in the section that sells items for stomach problems because humans drink it because of digestive problems. ith birds, it's only sprayed on the bird. You need to make sure that the skin is saturated. That's where the dryness begins.

It's simply a habit. It's a question with no real answer. The best thing I can think of is that somehow or another, the bird is simply winding down, releasing tension, scratching against something that has a very rough edge, the appearance of an item. It's hard to say. One of my greys hangs upside down in the cage from the roof and does the same thing with the bars. Understand that greys don't mind hurting themselves if they think they can retaliate. Just look at what happens with heacy duty cowbells in a cage. A bird will smash them around while yelling, the bell comes swinging back and hits the bird in the face and the only thing that happens is that the bird yells louder and immediately starts to put a serious hurting on that bell only to have the whole process repeat itself.

Well, go to the vet anyway. He'll have to do a minor repair and blunt out the beak so the tip isn't so dependent on the thinning area above it. In the mean time, if you have any aloe gel or vit E fluid or olive oil, put a dab on that area to take the brittleness out

If she's only 6 mts, she's just going through a phase that very young greys do quite often. ore than likely, things will turn around and the same thing will happen to your girlfriend. Don't get too upset because if your bird lets you handle her in many other ways, that means she doesn't hate you. She's just being stubborn as many women often are.