Dave007

Cage 1 is boxy and is the ideal shape style wise for greys. That's the style of cage that's normally used. Cage 2 is fine and the size of the play area on top means nothing because some birds won't even use the playtop. If the bird uses the top, the size is fine. The important thing is--as long as the bird can go from cage to cage through the divider( divider being removed) then it's fine. If the bird can only stay on either side, it's a waste of money because if the bird can only stay on one side of the cage then either cage is no good because according to the measuements, either side is too small for a Grey PS--That's why the playtop on the cage is small--yes, small, but it covers the entire side of that cage. Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2008/11/18 02:31<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2008/11/18 02:37

If he really did have a TAG that size, the bird was either sick or extreme overweight plus female breeders tend to lose weight during breeding season because most of their food intake goes to the chicks. The female breeders don't suffer though because they're also extremely inactive. The male does all the work including giving her food which is transfered to the chicks. The female only takes a bit for herself. After breeding season is over, the female's strength and weight needs to be replenished which takes about 3 to 5 mts. 445 for a TAG? I doubt it.

"""445 seems prtty far fetched to me for a TAG"" I said that applied to a CAG, not a TAG

If he didn't crash and just glided down, more than likely it has to do with that time when they were gonna fall out shortly. If he's not freaked out today, more than likely he won't be. Let me tell you about something that happened to one of my greys last week-- We had a frigid cold spell here. The bird room was extremely cold, I decided to raise the temperature about 3/4 degrees. That night they all went to sleep. The next morning, I took the covers off the cages and on the bottom of one of the cages were 4 wing feathers, 7 covert feathers, 3 tail feathers and loads of breast feathers. They all fell out at the same time and I knew that it was a combination of eventual molting and temperature change that caused those feathers to fall out at the same time. That's happened to my birds in the past and the birds never gave it a second thought. I'm the one that was pissed off cause I had a lot of vacuuming to do but if you really think that something is very wrong, you can either call or visit your vet. Guessing what happned is hard to do.

Does he still have those 8 inch feathers attached to his wings?

My TAG weighs 322 gms This is a weight chart for greys which can vary a few gms either way. Congo African Grey ------- Sm--380--Med--415/425-Large--460/525--Ex large--545/600 Timneh African Grey------- Sm--275/295--Med--300/320--Lg--335

Long feathers?- from the wings? Using inch measurements---how long are these feathers and how wide? can he still fly? did he crash into something? You're freaking out--is he doing the same thing? It's much better to submit a photo of him and a photo of those wings that fell out. It could coincide with molting in which some birds lose many kinds of feathers overnight but photos are much better in order to give you an answer. Guesswork may not help you.

Very true and frequently happens with high strung biords. Stress in some birds can elevate the white cell count, and juvenile parrots (less than 7 mos of age) can have a slightly higher white cell count than adult birds. Normally, there's very little problems going on when that happens but don't be surprised if your vet tell you to keep an eye on certain things for a short time. This is normal procedure and nothing to worry about. Low white blood cell counts are occasionally observed with severe viral infections, particularly psittacine circovirus (beak and feather disease virus) infection in young birds. Parrots can't get a low blood cell count from stress.

Welcome to the board anbd congratulations on your new family member. You'll get lots of info here and can trade stories with many others. Great group of parrots here that will tell you all about their birds. PS--don't forget those pictures.

Bad clips cause much more trouble when they're done on birds who have mastered the ability to partially or fully fly. Your bird got stronger as time went on and got coordinated which is the most important thing for a bird to go through. Now that he's a fully developed bird, what has been taken away from him is a natural body function for a bird. This happens to many people who have the same exact problems afterward when clips are bad. The worse the clip, the more drastic the change in the bird is.I can sympathize with your problem but what's happening is nothing unusual as far as the physical and phycological changes. The feathers are weak. The shafts are weak. The bird is frightened and his flying lifestyle is temporarily down the tubes. Expect this problem to go on for quite a while. None of the feathers will grow back evenly until that magic day when they finally do which is only happening by coincidence. Then expect the bird to take at least 6 mts or more to regain confidence in flying. You'll see broken feathers because the new flight feathers that are growing in are only as strong as the original flight feathers he had as a very young bird. he's an adult sized bird with adult sized strength who has baby flight feathers growing back in. You'll simply have to put up with this and make sure that all areas surrounding his cage are covered with a small throw rug to absorb his bouncing off the floor. At least 4 ft square.Let him build some trust in you but let him do it in his own time. Don't intrude on him with constant stepping up because believe it or not, he was once doing that regularly knowing that he could get away very easily if he wanted to even though he never tried to. I've dealt with birds who's feathers were in much worse condition than your bird's feathers and I can tell you that it takes a long time until everything comes together by accident. When your bird does reach that state of confidence, stay away from the clipping. This is an experience he won't forget very easily

shazbaby36 Just one of many aricles concerning Macaws and respiratory problems Author--- Rebecca Sweat Some birds are sensitive to dust and dander from other birds Some bird species are more sensitive to the dust and danger from other birds. Courtesy Michelle Testa, Georgia Not only can bird dust cause respiratory problems in people, it can also have a similar effect on other birds in the household. Birds with the avian version of allergic alveolitis are not having a reaction to their own powder, but to the proteins in the feather dust from another bird in the house. Any bird can develop this disease, but New World species, particularly macaws, seem to be the most sensitive, especially if they are sharing airspace with cockatiels, cockatoos or African greys. No one knows for certain why New World species are more susceptible to this condition, but Larry Nemetz, DVM, a birds-only veterinarian in Southern California, theorizes that the Old World species like cockatiels, cockatoos and African greys have proteins that New World species are not used to. Furthermore, macaws in particular may be more sensitive due to their large nostrils. “Being that they have big nostrils, they inhale more powder and get more allergen exposure,” he asserted. Just as with people, birds with allergic alveolitis may start out wheezing and coughing. If the condition is diagnosed and addressed early on, the bird’s breathing will probably return to normal, but even then, it may very well need to be moved to a new home — free of other birds, said Washington state avian veterinarian Cathy Johnson-Delaney, DVM. If the problem is allowed to go on, the bird’s entire respiratory tract can shut down, and the bird can die. There are also cardiac problems associated with this in some cases. “As the bird loses his ability to exchange air, his blood pressure goes up and he goes into secondary heart failure because of the increased pressure he’s experiencing from trying to breathe,” Johnson-Delaney explained. The condition is so serious that she advises against macaws living in the same airspace with cockatoos, cockatiels and African greys.

Well, it can be checked out. The nasal passages are very sensitive and they get respirtory problems from greys and TOOs. I didn't make it up. That info has been around for years. If not in another room, then a far distance from each other. The greys are louder than the macaws? That's extremely unusual too. Greys are well known for being quiet. That's why many people in apartments find them appealing.

Before you decide to get a macaw, make sure you put down security on another apartment/flat/house. Besides the terribly loud noise, you'll also need another area in thehouse to put the macaw in. Macaws have very sensitive nasal passages and can't handle the dander of a grey or cockatoo.

casper says.. """"Just wanted to know about other people who have a few birds like me """""" Birds like you? Oh geez, I hope not. One is enough. You are defenitely a strange bird. Unique in the world of birds.

http://www.parrotshack.co.uk/index.htm Parrot Breeder UK Based In Northamptonshire 01933 273849 Specialists in Hand Reared Parrots Welcome To The Parrot Shack! We are a small private breeder of exotic birds. All Our Baby Parrots are hand reared in our loving home & given the the very best start in life. We also Offer a Hand Rearing Service.

Is Kent in the UK?

Where in the south east? What species of Macaw?<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2008/11/15 22:35

Wow, what an exciting thread! So informative. The methods vary so much that it takes my breath away. Another thrilling spine tingling thing is the products that are used. And yes, I can't forget the most important thing here..The thread is also allowing me to have fun and I'm feeling so connected. Makes me warm all over.

The Meaning of Rescue ======================== Now that I'm home, bathed, settled and fed, All nicely tucked in my warm new bed. I'd like to open my baggage, lest I forget. There's so much to carry, so much to regret. Yes, there it is, right on the top, Let's upack loneliness, heartache and loss. And there by my perch hides fear and shame. As I look on these things I tried hard to leave, I still have to unpack my baggage called pain. I loved them, the others, the one's who left me, But I wasn't good enough, for they didn't want me. Will you add to my baggage, or help me unpack? Will you look at my things and take me right back? Do you have the time to help me unpack? To put away my baggage, to never repack? I pray that you do, I'm so tired you see, but I do come with baggage. So please tell me now, I really need to know... Will you still want me?

Generally, once a year in the fall just before winter but if there's little humity in the house, it could be 2x a year and also there would be constant loss of breast feathers ( they will be replaced)due to dry conditions. This schedule applies to a bird who's an adult as your profile says. In baby birds, they have a soft partial molt before they'r 1 yr. Then they have their first major adult molt after that age.

Hehe Oh so true. The face says it ALL!! Very good--from your archives of overbearing, distrustful female birds????

I get mine from Swanson too. I get about 5 or 6 jars at a time. I've been buying from them for about 6 yrs. It's very inexpensive, delivery is quick and the other extra thing is that you will periodically get catalogs with pictures of every single vitamin/health products you can imagine. It's great in case you're into vitamins and other health products. All that stuff is also inexpensive.

Anmlhggr Pretty soon, he's gonna start saying things in 2 or more voices in the same sentence or series of words. Then he's gonna mix up the words and soon, you won't know what he's doing but I can assure you that nothing is wrong other than that he's becoming a teenager. Think about that young male boy. The adam's apple starts to get obvious. The tiny pubes start growing out. The male imagination kicks in. He starts to see what he thinks are huge biceps. The voice changes depending on whether it's a girl or a guy walking down the street BUT the kid has invented a brand new voice when he has to answer to the school principal after doing some *boy* things with his buddies in class. It's a voice you never heard before and all you can do is think "Oh geez, does the boy have a sore throat?"

Good luck--let's hope you've run into a person who has compassion.

Bene-bac is a *good* bacteria strain. It has specific uses, none of which apply to your bird. It's basically used for birds and reptiles under adverse conditions such as showing, weaning, worming, surgery, traveling, boarding, breeding, antibiotic therapy or simple intestinal stress. Save your money--- If you would like to give your bird *good* bacteria once in a while, simply go to the supermarket and purchase any flavor yogurt that available. Yogurt is also a *good* bacteria item that people constantly use and it's healthy for birds and can be used as a treat once in a while. Yes, it was 100% Aloe Vera Juice (actually, it's 99% juice. The bottle says 100%) You can use it 1/2 water -1/2 juice or you can use it full strength. Many people here use it in all different percentages. The bottle on the left is Aloe vera Juice.