Dave007

I disagree about putting any aloe baths in a cage. 1--all birds are diffent so a person doesn't really know whether a bird will use it at all or just use it once in a great while. 2--A person doesn't know whether a bird is gonna use it for putting food into it. 3--sometimes a bird will take a dump in it and that applies to water bowl too. Either fluid will get ruined. 4--A grey has an extreme amount of dander and just like in water bowls, lots of dander will go into any bowl that has fluid in it. Just like water, a bird might decide to drink it even though it's dusty. 5--if a person really wants to judge whether aloe is helping any problem, it should be applied by a person directly and consistantly to the bird so a more accurate judgement can be made as to it's benefits for the bird. The person will know for sure since they're the ones that put it on.

Bathing/Spraying------most greys don't like bathing or spraying but they do need to get it done, especially since they have dander(white dust that they always throw off)or have dry skin or pluck. Here is a suggestion.... 1-- use colder water. They like that colder temperature better than tepid water. 2-- when you're spraying him, try to get as close as possible with the sprayer, and don't spray his face. Many parrots don't like getting misted from a distance. It's much more annoying to them than when the sprayer is closer. 3-- when you do get closer only use 1/2 squirts. The shock of the water isn't as great as it is from a distance. 4-- some parrots won't open their wings when you're spray him so when you're using the sprayer, turn the knob so that the water comes out it would from a water pistol. With him facing you,squirt the water between the wing and his body. The water works it's way in and he will spread it around. 5-- a grey's feathers are waterproof and it sometimes looks like the water is just rolling off which it is. You should keep spraying the outer wings because the dander is laying on them. Enough wetness will soak the dander and when he shakes off the water, the dander will get soaked and fall down to bottom of the cage. 6-- never towel dry or hair dry hiom after a bath or spray. The longer he stays wet, the more he benefits from the bath/spray. 7-- the best way to get a grey used to spraying is constant repitition combined with 1/2 squirts. Do it once a day if you can. Expect squawks, growls and screeching but whether you know it or not, a grey likes the feeling it gets after getting a bath/spray Believe it or not, your problems and situations are not as complex as you think. Mainly, it all has to do with time plus not putting time limits on anything you want to accomplish. Stop using the gel/water mix. It's useless. The gel dissapates instantly. The method above can also be used when using Aloe Juice<br><br>Post edited by: MrSpock, at: 2007/10/25 01:01

Using a simple solution of 1/3 vinager mixed with 2/3 water cleans off any cage just as easily and it's a lot cheaper.

The very first molt when a grey is a younster will be the heaviest because of it's age and because a brand new set of more mature feathers are about to come in. That first molt usually consists of a lot of baby feathers being shed all at one time so the amount of time it'll take for new feathers to come in will be longer then future molts. It can last for about 1,2 or 3 mts although that number can vary and it's normal. I won't kid you, that first molt will be messy--tiny white feathers all over the place. Future molts won't be as heavy and new feathers will be visible in a shorter amount of time because they're not baby feathers but mature feathers replacing other mature feathers. A tip on cleaning that first batch of feathers--Take a small misting bottle that has water in it. Slightly spray the feathers in the cage tray. The feathers will get a bit damp and won't fly around all over the place. Also, when changing the paper in the tray, dampening the loose feathers will let you pick up the paper and feathers much more easily so that they can be dumped. Basically,they'll stay in the tray.<br><br>Post edited by: MrSpock, at: 2007/10/24 21:19

Bitter apple is normally used to put on items that birds chew. It's suppose to deter them from chewing because of it's bad taste. Rarely does it work well. Bitter apple is a chemical. My opinion is that it shouldn't be sprayed on sensitive, irritated skin that might have some open pores. Aloe Vera in the water? Gel or juice? Gel is used for spot application. It soothes and moisturises that area. Aloe Juice is applied straight to the body,usually with a sprayer/mister. The body should be soaked with it and the bird should be allowed to stay soaked to the skin until the bird is dry. It shouldn't be mixed with water especially on a plucker or chewer. He might have very dry skin and if a bird isn't soaked down to the skin, the bath really won't help. That applies to any liquid that's used. many feathers on a grey are water proof and fluid will only roll off of them. Soaking him down with Juice everyday can't hurt and might actually help any dryness that might be there. I think that getting to that vet should be done as quickly as possible because TAGs aren't generally known as pluckers.

I agree with Tari. I think microchipping a wild animal( parrot) that has the easy and natural ability and desire to take off into areas that domestic pets don't go to makes chipping of little value. That area that domestic animals don't go into is the sky. It's extremely difficult to retrieve a bird that's escaped. It's nature is to be up in the sky traveling in a million directions. For every success story about recapturing a parrot, there's 100s of unsuccessful attempts. What about the people who might recapture one? Many don't have the desire or money or knowledge on where to go to have a chip read by a scanner. There's a chance that those people will just decide to keep the bird considering that birds adapt to new owners more successfully than domestic 4 legged animals will. Also,not every vet has scanning equipment. Most people who have had their birds chipped have yet to lose them, so the absolute, guaranteed success rate of chipping parrots has yet to be discovered especially if it's a single bird that's been lost by a single family. People are more likely to try and find an owner of a domestic animal because they feel the pain of the owners who are looking for the animal. People can relate to domestic animals but when they see a creature that has the easy ability to take care of itself, only a half hearted attempt is done when trying to get that wild animal. Although I'm not against banding, it also has it's problems. Example--a person/family adopts an older bird that's been banded in the past. The new owners examine the band and can't understand the info on the band so eventually, they visit bird boards and start asking for info concerning the different meanings of the bands. The only answers they get is *what a band might possibly mean in a certain state*. The answers are vague. The imprinted info is a code. Usually, the most information that's obtained from the band is the age of the bird. The most complete info imprinted on that band can be obtained from the breeder at the time of purchase and that info should be stored somewhere just like a person would do concerning their birth certificate. Post edited by: MrSpock, at: 2007/10/23 19:29<br><br>Post edited by: MrSpock, at: 2007/10/24 17:01

Concerning SETI---does Art Bell, George Noory or Professor Stanton supply any information or opinions? Art and George are well known radio personalities with their own shows who have dealt with extra-terrestrial subjects such as remote viewing, time travel, alien abductions, famous alien space ship sightings, space ship exceleration, black holes, the after life, crop circles, individual sightings of alien beings. Dr Stanton has been involved in all of the well known UFO subjects since the first sightings occured at Roswell, New Mexico. Alien beings who have died in spaceships when visiting Earth and pieces of crashed spaceships are supposedly stored at Roswell although out government has kept everything under lock and key since the 50s. The alien beings are known as *grays*. Interesting subjects. I'm a big fan and an avid believer.<br><br>Post edited by: MrSpock, at: 2007/10/21 22:16

Some quiet birds good for apts/condos -------------------------------------- White capped pionus Dusky Pionus Jenday Conure Marroon Bellied Conures Indian Ringneck Parakeets Moustache Parakeets Senegals Red Bellied Jardinares Vosmaeri Eclectus Rosellas White Bellied Caiques Some loud birds that aren't good for apts/condos ------------------------------------------------- All macaws All Cockatoos Quakers Lovebirds Sun Conures Grand Eclectus<br><br>Post edited by: MrSpock, at: 2007/10/21 02:59

He probably banged the feather against something, probably when flapping/exercising his wings. The feather was probably one that's called a *blood feather*. When a feather is broken or cracked, it annoys the bird and he'll try to pull it out. When he does, there's a slight bit of blood stain left. If it was serious, you'd see a lot of blood over many feathers. If it's already stopped bleeding and it's just a stain of dried blood that you see, the problem is over and he's already healed.

<br><br>Post edited by: MrSpock, at: 2007/10/25 23:33

Have you changed your hair style or color? Have you been wearing a new type colored clothing? Have you started wearing glasses around him? Have you added a new toy that he constantly shows fear of? Are there any card board boxes that're around him that weren't there before? Have you added any new furniture( very small or large) near him? Check out hubby concerning the above. Most of the time CAGs are extremely leery of new things and get spooked before accepting a change/changes.

Joe In the Health & Nutrition section there's extensive information about 100% ALOE VERA JUICE. Many people here use it with good results

ALL OF THESE ARE IN THE UK Aloe Vera Juice from Acne-advice.Com UK | Aloe Vera Juice Hwize.Com/aloe-Vera/aloe-Vera.HTML www.aloeveraonline.co.uk www.mailordervitamins.co.uk/aloe_vera.htm www.aloeveradrink.co.uk www.pharmacy2u.co.uk/details.asp?level=2&ref=891710HE&productid=PHAVJ500 www.optimah.com/shop/products.asp?id=73 ----------------------------------------------------- Just type in ALOE VERA JUICE IN THE UK and you'll find even more links<br><br>Post edited by: MrSpock, at: 2007/10/19 05:46

I have a few cages that are the same style. If there's a grating ( which is usually the top of the cage) on the top of the cage on which the tray slides on to, slide the tray out and put it away. Usually, those top trays are used to collect droppings but there's loads of birds out there that don't like those top trays at all and the owner just slides it out and doesn't use it.<br><br>Post edited by: MrSpock, at: 2007/10/19 05:27

Briansmum Look in the same types of stores as the ones above. I know a couple of people in the UK that've purchased it in the past.

Pharmacies like Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS, health food stores, stores that sell organic products , large Dept stores like Walmart. Most of these places will order it for you if they don't sell it. Start your search at Walmart. If one Walmart sells it, then all others will have access to the product. It can be purchased online but it'll cost much more than purchased directly from a store

He's not mimicing you. They yawn when they're about to rest, getting ready to sleep or just relaxing. It's as real as you yawning.

<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2008/02/05 20:56

I've heard the name but know very little about Craigslist. Is it possible that you could fill me in about them?

well, no one fluffed up which is a good sign. It's a feeling out process. That'll go on until all the bases are covered. Could be dominance but at their age, it's probably the drawing of property lines and showing who's toys are who's. They'll peck for all different reasons. Keep your eye on them. Make sure they don't lock beaks. Watch for the one(either one) that might attack from behind.They're usually aiming for the skull. The pecking will lessen with time as long as each has a place to retreat to when he/she wants to.<br><br>Post edited by: MrSpock, at: 2007/10/16 03:23

""""""""Ah, maybe youve never experienced a Grey that really wanted to hurt you?""""""" Well, I've been bitten by greys, TOOs, amazons, eclectus, small-medium-large macaws and a few other species. That's because of what I was involved in when I lived in MO. I've been bitten at least 50 to 60 times and have the scars to prove it. Quakers are extremely territorial. That's not my opinion, it's a well known fact. Sometimes, quakers won't let a person take out bowls in order to get fed. They're also well know for going after much larger birds than themselves as opposed to same sized birds. I have pictures of that. I should have also said that it doesn't apply to ALL quakers but in general, they do have an established personality that's well documented. Outside of the cage, they're a different bird. I also have pictures of that. By the way, I have 2 quakers, both adults and I've had them since they were very young--one is 11 yrs old, the other 10 yrs old.<br><br>Post edited by: MrSpock, at: 2007/10/15 18:10

Spooky's right but it's actually better that you buy a new cage that's powder coated cause it's more expensive to recoat it with powder coating, especially if it's had rust on it before.

"""""No doubt some of you have seen the horrific advertisements around the Internet for the wild-caught parrots mostly from Cameroon, Africa. Our site administers all adverts to stop these scammers."""""" Even though the type of scammers you mentioned have been seen by people, the same people (potential customers) can't have any bird shipped from outside the US whether or not the seller is legitimite or a scammer. Since 1992,importation of parrots into the US is against the law and is strongly enforced with serious consequences. In the UK, importation is still legal although efforts are being made to stop it. Until that happens, people in the UK can be tricked by scammers. People can go to Canada from the US and purchase parrots but the sellers are registered with the RCDOA who are involved in all health issues and shipping back to the US and heavy quarantine is enforced both in Canada and in the US when the bird arrives. Total quarantine time is 60 days in Canada and apprx 90 days after a bird arrives in the US after a purchase has been made. In the US, there's plenty of places to buy birds thru the internet. That includes pet birds, breeder birds and the sale of the complete contents of aviaries which are going out of business. 90% of these sales allow shipping from one location of the US to another US location. There are no organizations that control any of that because basically, that would be policing private business practice which is also against the law. All of the sellers don't charge any fee to the customer because most advertising is free. Anyone who pays a fee to advertise will include that fee into the price of the bird. We also have numerous rescue/adoption centers which sell birds for much less than the going price. Those places are dealing with pre owned birds, mostly adults. Many bird boards advocate buying pre owned birds as opposed to breeding more because the excess of parrots in the US which is why there are so many rescue services. Expanding a service who is, besides everything else, dealing with international scamming into an area that doesn't have that problem would be difficult to do. Post edited by: MrSpock, at: 2007/10/14 01:24<br><br>Post edited by: MrSpock, at: 2007/10/14 01:30

2 to 3 is the norm. 4 is a bit more difficult unless the hen has an overabundance of calcium. Out of 4 eggs, some times one will be clear or infertile.<br><br>Post edited by: MrSpock, at: 2007/10/13 23:39

Hi and welcome to our crazy flock. Lots of knowledgeable bird brains here which is different than just being a common bird brain. It has to do with graduating. Many passed with flying colors. For new people joining, manuevering around the board can be somewhat difficult so feel free to post your questions at the easiest spot for now. Your questions will be answered and eventually, the admin or mods will move the material to the proper area and that action will be also posted. In the mean time, check out different areas just to get the feel of how the board works. I had to do it and probably others also had to do it. Have fun here and congrats on your new family member.