Dave007

http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/intelligencerreport/walmart_people.html http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/intelligencerreport/walmart_people1.html http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/intelligencerreport/walmart_people2.html http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/intelligencerreport/walmart_people3.html

They don't bite each other. They peck at each other. They don't try to hurt each other. As far as they biting their owners---well, we do much more stranger things to our pet birds than they do amongst themselves. Greys are wild animals and need each other. Wild birds who remain wild ( wild parrots and other wild birds) don't need the human touch.

I really don't know what kinds of things you're reading but I'll tell you that if a person decides to get a grey of approx that age who hasn't ever been a plucker, then I doubt very much that no matter what the future of the bird is, the one thing that won't happen is plucking. The statistics are just that----a non plucking older bird won't become a plucker unless the bird is physically abused or intentionally injured.

Rings aren't required on greys or other parrots. The only ring that has accurate info on it is the one that's put on a parrot before it's 2 weeks old. It's called a closed ring and is usually put on by a breeder. When a grey or other large parrot reaches the age of 3/4 weeks old, the only ring that can be used is called open ring and info on it may be innacurate. The ring can be easily taken off one bird and put on another so that type of ring means nothing. Here in the US and Canada what's necessary to bring a bird in from another country is what's called quarantine. The bird needs to be kept in quarantine before being released to the owner only if there's nothing wrong with the bird. Depending on the country, quarantine time is different. Some countries require birds to be kept in quarantine for approx 15 days or 30 days or 45 days or 60 days. So, if you're thinking that a registered/ licensed bird is what's necessary to go from country to country, that's not the method that's used. The only thing that has to be proven is the health of the bird which is proven in quarantine. In other countries the amount of quarantine time may be different but it's still required.

You've already posted this exact same thing yesterday in the Grey Lounge and got quite a few replies. This area is strictly for introductions and members who welcome you.

As far as wounds/ bare spots.---No, you won't have to wait for a molt but it may be a while before the bare spot has feathers. You need to know that each parrot is different than the next. Many changes happen either faster or slower than the next bird. No one can tell you how long or how serious the bare spot has been like that. You only saw it when your bird was wet. If you're thinking about photos, the same thing applies ---so birds are slow, some are faster. Answers are simply guesswork or opinions. Those things are fine but don't be shocked or upset if things don't happen on schedule. Also, no one knows if follicles have been pulled out. If so, feathers may not grow back. I personally don't think that happened. (JUST AN OPINION, OPINION). As far as bathing, I've just told you about everything that can be said. If you don't do it right, the right type of bath won't happen. It'll be useless. Your bird definitely has you wrapped around his claw so I'll put one more thing in which will require erious reading. I'm absolutely sure that your bird fits into these thread. There's solutions. http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?189753-Bathing-possible-method-1 http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?189752-Bathing-possible-method-2

All plucking problems won't go away quickly no matter what product you use. It took quite a while for the plucking to begin and it'll take a while to ease up. No product works overnight. I forget whether I mentioned it but I'll do so now. The huge majority of greys don't like spraying. They get angry, show signs of aggression and squawk and growl. It doesn't last long. There may be dead or damaged feathers that fell off last week. That's why bald spots are often seen. I did say that you're worrying more about this than your bird. Obviously, that's true. Humidifiers aren't going to give any quick results. Using them is for changing a room area into a moist area which will eventually be good for a bird's skin. It won't stop plucking immediately. Skin needs to be treated with different products. The vet told you to continue using avitech. You should follow the vet's advice and put aside your bird's attitude. Only when a bird is completely soaked will the bald, injured spots be much more obvious. Just to give you plucking classifications------ The chronic plucker is one that will never stop plucking no matter what is done. The bird plucks for it's lifetime. The bird needs to be treated because of skin mutilation. It doesn't stop the plucking. The acute plucker is one that has mild to serious plucking episodes periodically. Many greys go through this. The episodes usually stop if the problem is dealt with on a steady basis. You can't ease off if you wanna see improvement.

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?73409-Handfeeding-a-Baby-Grey.

Believe me, I know how you're feeling and it's not a good feeling no matter where your dog is going. He only belonged in your house. Last year, I had to have my pointer Seamus put down. He was 13 which is a long time for a pointer. I had him since he was 9 wks old. During his last 2 months, he was acting very strange. Lots of staring at the rug, not eating, lots of sleeping and hiding, not responding to us. Imagining things that weren't there. It was like he was in a trance at times. Well, the vet did a thorough exam and he discovered a brain tumor that was seriously interfering with his *doggy brain*. The vet said that there was nothing that could be done. He was getting worse and worse so we had to do the right thing. He was a great dog. He and Smokey were inseparable. We were dog sitting the neighbor's dog. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/DaveVP/CopyofCopyofseamusmakesagoodperch---22.jpg

People don't usually use dog crates. The main reason is the type of metal that's used and the size which is mainly used for 4 legged animals. Yes, height isn't important but what that means is that certain parrots don't need a dome shaped cage whih makes a cage higher. Some birds do and some don't. A grey is fine if the roof is flat BUT height is important as far as the cage in general is concerned. The measurements you gave isn't for parrots. ****1 1/2 inch bar spacing ******** is wrong. The spacing should be 3/4 in to 1 in. Anything bigger could cause problems. A grey sized cage is about 36x by 28x by 50 to 55x high. Many people use a cage cover at night for sleeping. It can be a store bought cover or a simple sheet. During the day a grey needs exposure to what's going on all the time. A sleep cage can also be used. As far as silence, birds do get used to average sounds at night. Your definition of silence may be different thn another person's definition of silence. So, invest in a proper type and size bird cage. There's loads of places to buy from and if you want loads of pics of cages for sale, go to EBAY. This is what an average cage looks like for a medium sized cage that's used for geys and other similar sized birds. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/DaveVP/CopyofP1010041-1.jpg

Well, now that the dams have burst, GET READY!!! Just remember-----Mumble, grumble, Mumble, grumble, Mumble, grumble, BOOM!!! another word appears -. Use sentences though. They can handle 3,4,5,6, words all at one time. Good luck and have fun.

Yep, that's the way it all starts. Mumbling, grumbling and finally a word or two that gets clearer as time goes on. Just about eevry word/words they say will start out with the mumbling.

Usually, a hen will start to abandon eggs after a 28 to 34 day period. There's other hens that stay with them more. What you can do is slow removal. When she's distracted, take one egg out. Wait about 5/7 days and then remove another one. Another 5 days, remove another etc. If you remove all of them at once they'l be problems. When all the eggs are gone remove any items that she may consider to be nesting items that she can get to. Newspaper, soft cloth, huggy toys. The food you're giving is fine and doesn't have anything to do with a possible desire to drop eggs. Nature caused that and more than likely, it won't happen again considering that she's an adult who never did this before but just remember that it's possible that it may happen again. There's no reason for a vet because she's not doing anything that has to do with illness.

I never said that I was annoyed. I was simply trying to point you in the right direction so you could get more info and people's stories. No need to be Utterly and Completely Humbled . You can post whatever you like. No, I'm not a secret agent. At least not yet.

It's probably best that you read all the up to date posts in different rooms. There's many ooms that're available. They cover loads of subjects including the type of situations that you're reading about in this thread. This thread is 5 yrs old. Probably, most people don't even know who Lucy is. She only posted 10 times and then disappeared. There was nothing special about her posts. Many people come here for specific info and after getting it, they leave and never come back. Who knows, this person you're talking about may not even have a grey or parrot anymore.

Lots of info about Full Sprectum lighting. Lots of it simply has to do with inflated prices. There's bulbs on the market that don't cost nearly as much. They have all the benefits of other bulbs. They're Kelvin bulbs and different companies are known for making a huge variety of different types of bulbs besides bird lights. One of my birds needed extra D3 full sprectum lighting from problems that he had in the past. Actually' date=' he still has the light for good measure. Full sprectrum lighting provides the bird with Vit D3 which is what they get outdoors. Many parrots don't need it. Many do. This bulb is a 5500 spectrum bird light. [u']The light is attached 15 inches above the roof of the cage.[/u] It's on a timer. I have it set to copy the natural outdoor lighting--sunup to sundown. It goes on and off no matter if it's sunny outside or not sunny. It turns on at 10AM and shuts off at 5PM. When the summer arrives, those settings will be increased to imitate sunup and sundown. I've used these bulbs for years and they work. AND they're inexpensive. Each bulb is made for one bird. http://www.mysafebirdstore.com/FULL_SPECTRUM_LIGHTING-Featherbrite_Full_Spectrum_Lightbulbs_15W_20W.html http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/DaveVP/IMAG0141.jpg

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon approx 3x a week. Can be given in solid orange form or microwaved until it's a red liquid. Then it can be dripped or placed in or on different foods. The solid form is used for birds who like the taste. Micro takes about 10 to 25 sec depending upon how much you're putting in the micro. You need to let it go back to a coolish state.

The bottom link seems okay. Could be a bit bigger but it's ok. Don't get anything smaller. The other link is for smaller birds. The cage I posted is 36 in wide x 28 in deep x 55 in high . The base is 15 in----------total is 60 in. high I have 3 of them. All the same size, same manufacturer. Just different colors. Got them all on EBAY.

They may get along, they may not get long, they may be indifferent to each other. There's no exact answer. The one thing both would need is their own cage. 2 in one cage is only asking for serious trouble. It'll take a bit of time to find out if they get along but that can only happen when both are near each other outside of the cages on playstands. Most of the time, they're indifferent towards each other. I have 3 and as long as each has their own space, there's no problems.

For greys, amazons and small cockatoos, the cage should be approx 33 in widex 28 in deep x 55 in high ( without stand which is included with purchase). The next size smaller cage is made is made for timneh African greys and similar sized parrots which are smaller. Bar spacing should be 3/4 to 1 in.. The rule of thumb is *the bigger the better* Prices vary all over the place but for a good price, check EBAY which have quality cages at good prices. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/DaveVP/MediumParrotCage.jpg

He's losing flight and covert feathers ( depending on length). He's not molting. That'll periodically happen all year long when those long feathers die. Theres no set time when it'll happen. It'll happen for the rest of his life. What you're doing has nothing to do with his losing feathers. It's just a coincidence.

Dan, you should make this a sticky.

Well first off, you'll get many responses be they positive or negative and it's wise to understand that the answers will come from owners who've had lots of experiences good and bad. Some subjects that you're asking have definite proven answers. Opinions are a dime a dozen. Experiences from people are very important. Problem 1----Cleaning products can be used as long as the bird is very far away from the areas being cleaned. The bird has to be kept away until all the residual odor has disappeared. Air freshners odor doesn't leave even after a person can't smell it anymore. Their lungs and nasal passages are 100 times more sensetive that people's are. What lingers is invisible to us but may cause a bird breathing difficulties and even death. It doesn't take very long for a bird to keel over when breathing problems start. Teflon is a no no because it too gives off odors that can kill a bird quickly. Not Too hot isn't a good reason to have teflon around. You're playing with fire. Loads of people here have replaced their teflon. What was the upside of that? Their birds are still alive with no breathing or lung problems. Fortunately, with the last 2 yrs some companies have finally come out with cookware that duplicates all of the great things accomplished by teflon but they have no effect on birds at all ( non-stick--easy to clean etc.) There's others here that disagree with my take on teflon. I only speak for myself and others who've had serious problems caused by teflon. Problem 2---You would need to rethink the area you'll put the bird in. Constant odors of different cooking items passing by them isn't good for the bird. The bird should be kept in the house in a generally warm, undrafty area. Loads of people here live in warmer areas than you and those rules still need to be applied. If you're gonna do all the normal correct things to raise that bird, it'll mean that the bird will be out of the cage quite a bit ( greys and other similar sized parrots can't be caged all day.) so, being near a kitchen isn't the proper place for the bird to be near because they can fly into that area and get injured or burnt from hot foods, hot appliances. Loads of people will tell you that kitchens are a big no no. They can also injure themselves by bumping or crashing into things in kitchens. Problem 3-----Owning a grey or other large type parrot is an expensive project. The bird absolutely needs the proper food. That'll iclude fresh foods ( veggies--fruit) a decent seed mix. That's not something that can be debated. They need this food 24/7. There is no cheap way out. You may not get the proper sized cage for $200. They need a certain size. That type of info can be had here. The rule of thumb---the bigger the better. Never smaller than necessary. Not only do you need a vet available, it must be an Avian Vet. Regular vets don't deal with parrots and other birds. Avian Vets don't deal with the animals that reg. vets deal with. Without an Avian Vet available, a person and even more so the bird, is in lots of trouble. You'll never know when you need that vet. That also isn't something that's not up for debate. It's good that you're scared. It's much worse if your father can't change his mind. If he can't, forget the bird. Only the bird will pay the price nd that price is high. It may result in the bird's death. PS--one more thing I should have said. Not all greys talk and if they don't they can't be returned for refunds because it takes most grey about 8 to 12 mts before they talk. That umber varies a bit but it's still a long time and exchanges, warranties, guarantees will have long expired.

Well I've talked about this a few times in the past but I never said that excessive whistling will overtake it's ability to talk so I don't know who you're refering to.. I only said that teaching whistling isn't necessary because eventually that grey will become a natural whistler all by itself. Most greys do this. They do it before learning to talk and they do it after they learn how to talk. About the only greys that don't do this are very young greys that haven't yet learned that they can whistle. Once they realize they can, there's no stopping them. They're known as one of the best whistlers in the parrot world. With many greys, whistling is prefered to yelling or screeching. That's why it's known that they make ideal small apartment parrots. Neighbors don't usually get annoyed by a parrot who's whistling.