Dave007

No apologies please. Sometimes, they get that behavior when they're very young. Mostly, it has to do with gulping food down which was given by a breeder or the actual parents. That exactly what the action is. Many birds keep that behavior but it only happens when they're eating. That's the reason he's doing it while you're holding a spoon, scoop etc. usually when they eat very tiny things, they'll keep their heads down and eat ( like small seed). If it's large items they'll try to hold it with one foot and proceed to eat. Many birds actually go in their bowl and take out large things so they can eat that way. If he's only doing this when you're handfeeding something, there's nothing to worry about. Please don't think he's choking. When they're very young, that's the way they're gulping down things.

That's good because S/H will be the same for everything you buy there. When I get the oil from them, I usually get 3 bottles because I have many birds. Many years ago, they charged $5.99 but just like everything else in the world, the price slowly got higher.

Red Palm Oil. I've been using it for yearsas well as loads of other people. It provides a very large amount of VIT A and VIT E which are very important that a bird have an abundant supply of. It's an add on to whatever food is being fed. In the wild, palm oil and palm nuts are a staple in their diet. It's a light oil which can be given in different ways depending upon how the bird likes it. Some put it on a piece of toast and the bird accepts it. Some put a little on a teaspoon and the bird will take it but that usually applies to birds which are still newly weaned chicks. An adult grey doesn't accept it so easily but there is another method I've always used which works because a bird can't avoid taking it in. I take a handful of pellets and let the oil drip on the pellets. The pellets absorb the oil and the bird eats the pellets. I've always had to use this method because Smokey, Tee and Jazz won't accept it any other way. I'll explain about it but I'll also include pictures. When the oil is purchased, it's bit thick in the container and has to be thinned out in order to use it. What I do is take an old small seasoning bottle,( like the type that oregano or parsley comes in )clean it thoroughly and then fill it with the oil. When opening the new container the oil has an orange color. The filled up seasoning bottle is put into the microwave for approx 25 seconds. After microwaving, the oil becomes very thin( thinner than olive oil) and the color of the oil is a rich red. I then take a wooden stick that's a little bit thicker than the ink tube in a ball point pen. I put the stick in the oil and let it drip on the pellets. Then I take the pellets and mix them in with their seed mixture. Some people put it in oatmeal or on scrambled eggs. They don't even know the oil is there. It can be used once or twice or 3x or 4x a week. The original container and the seasoning bottle can be put away wherever because no refrigeration is necessary. The oil will return to it's orange, thick texture. The name of the company that I give you sells it for about $7.99 plus S/H per container. There are other companies that sell it but it's much more expensive. The product would have to be purchased online.No matter what company sells it, it's all the exact same thing. People who have serious digestive problems also use this product. Type in SWANSONS VITAMIN OUTLET. All of their thousands of products are much less expensive than other places because they're a huge vitamin outlet. I've done business with them for years. When their main page opens up, look for any area that allows you to type in the product. Type in Red Palm Oil. You'll then see the product which is 16 ounces. It will be listed as Red Palm Oil or Virgin Palm Oil. Both are identical. Because you only have one bird, that container should last you about 8 to 12 months. If you decide to use this product, after microwaving, the seasoning glass container should be allowed to return to room temperature before giving to your bird. A trick is to put it in the fridge fopr a little bit. Think about it. You'll be doing your bird a big favor health wise. It's called Red Palm Oil. Leave the word african out. PS----It can be used for other parrots too. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Color of Palm Oil before Microwaving http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/DaveVP/Palmoilbeforemicro.jpg Color of Palm Oil after Microwaving http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/DaveVP/PalmOilaftermicro.jpg

Cinnamon is perfectly good for all parrots. Many people mix it in with other foods because the greys are picky eaters. It makes the food more palitible. It's not toxic nor is it a narcotic. Even other foods which are toxic to birds aren't narcotic. The toxic food is just bad for their digestive systems and arteries, livers, heart rate.

Ok, that's great

Chipped? you mean -clipped? If so, at that age any semblence of balance and coordination that started even in a very young bird is temporarily lost and that balance loss can cause a bird to mess up their desire to eat. The grey is uncomfortable for a while. Sometimes a bit of fear sets in. If clipping is needed, it shouldn't be done until the bird is much older after the bird has regained balance and coordination from a premature clip. Your bird will come around but it may take a while.

It depends on his mood when dinner time comes around. Be watchful, alert and careful when you're eating the hen.

Yes, that was a cruel thing to say. I tried to tell you that the process would be difficult. I'm somewhat familiar with international shipping of wild animals. I simply gave you conservative numbers concerning quarantine time. I had a feeling that those numbers would be higher but I didn't wanna scare you. It's best to hear that info from the officials in the different countries. Even though that remark was uncalled for, I should tell you that these laws have existed for years and years. Concerning predatory animals-----if a person owns any predatory animals such as eagle, hawks, lions, hyenas, wolves etc, that person would not be able to get permission to move the animal from any country to country ever. It's against the law to own these types of animals. The only way that can happen is if accredited zoos, accredited sanctuarys are involved. They need to own the animal and that animal can only be shipped and given to other zoos in the new country, not individual people.

Yes, it's a major process so make sure that your new country is your final country. Hypothetically, if you decided to move back to your original country after 6 mts, the whole process would have to be started in reverse. The reason for that is because in those 6 mts, a bird may have contracted a disease/diseases that a bird needs to be checked for. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with your bird. It's simply because of a countries' impersonal rules and regulations that need to be followed.

Well, here's the short version------ You're gonna need several pieces of official documentation in your present counrty. That will probably mean health certifics from your vet. It must be an avian vet. Then, you're bird will probably be put in quarantine for about 2 to 4 mts in your present country before the bird can be allowed to travel. The reason for that is that avian vets aren't government sanctioned. Then when you arrive in the new country, there may be tests given because rules and results and requirements of testing are different in each country. Then it's possible that your bird may have to be put in quarantine in the new country depending upon their official rules. After that the bird is released to you. Of course some of the rules may be slightly different but health certificates, vet exams are basically the same in each country. Some countries are more stringent or less stringent then others. So, you'll probably need to contact both countries' organizations who set the rules for importing wild animals. Different countries have different rules. Even here in the US, it's not always an easy process to move a wild animal from state to state but it is easier than importing a bird from one country to another.

What you wanna do is extremely difficult especially because parrots and other birds are considered wild animals even though they might be pets. Parrots will always be wild animals and are dealt with differently then domestic animals. There's a special but long process you need to go through and this place will tell you what you need, what you have to do, what organizations you need to deal with. basically, all of the officials you'll be dealing with are located in your present country and organizations and officials in the country you're going to to. Of of these things are international law. http://www.tailfeathersnetwork.com/birdinformation/movinginternationally.php

When you say *fresh stuff*, if you mean veggies, then no, there's never too much. People have trouble getting their bird to eat veggies. As far as pellets, it's importaant to know that pellets aren't all they're made up to be. If a bird is eating fresh stuff, pellets aren't really necessary. Pellets are somewhat better than parrot mix but they're never as good as veggies. As far as putting crushed pellets in oatmeal, it's just different opinions about that. My opinion is that there's nothing beneficial in doing that. Oatmeal shouldn't be given in excessive amounts. Once in a while is fine. Oatmeal can't be considered as food for a grey just like lots of fruit can't be considered food for a grey. I feel that you should have pellets around but you should expect your bird to ignore them. Having a small amount of parrot seed available is also good. Pellets are something that many birds have to get used to over a certain period of time. Other birds eat them quickly. Pellets also have chemicals in them. Veggies don't. Try out as many different veggies as you can. Try to get green veggies.. Try out small pieces of carrots. Try out some different peppers. Try out some human foods too. I don't know how old your bird is but the above appplies to a bird who has been weaned or is close to weaning. Look around here and check out the various ways people make up a mash for their birds. PS,if you're gonna put fluid on pellets, stay with water.

The position you've described is a normal sleeping position for almost all birds. It's the best position to keep warm. Warm blooded animals need to conserve their heat because it takes too much energy staying warm. The less energy used on staying warm, such as holding the heat close to your body when sleeping, makes living and eating that much easier. It's like sticking your hands under your armpits- the area they bury their heads is the warmest spot for their head. Most birds will also sleep with one foot tucked under their belly for balance reasons. It's just nature's way.

You tell me Standard Grey sized cage--powder coated-----EBAY http://www.ebay.com/itm/32-x24-x65-Parrot-Bird-cage-Cages-birds-stand-perch-cup-cabinet-S323-/130752789522?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e71793c12

I told myself that I wouldn't get involved in this thread but I now feel that I would be guilty if I didn't do my duty and give my opinion here. Lets face it, many new owners of baby greys here aren't buying cages for their parrots. They're buying them for themselves. Designer cages, different colors. Slightly different features. A parrot doesn't care about color. The most important thing about a cage is size and basic quality. There's so many places to buy cages and each says that they have the lowest price. When people who've had parrots and cages periodically look at these sites, tthan realize that it's tricky advertising and they're glad that they never fell into that trap. Many new owners are thrilled about their new family addition and immediately say that they want the best. All grey/amazon,eckletus/ small cockatoo cages are the same as far as size and shape goes. They really don't care about price. The main thing is buying the right size and shape.. Quality is always discussed by the sellers because of competition. Price wise even simple items like a simple bird carrier was so over priced by one of the companies listed here. . Throughout the years, info has been given out about purchasing good quality cages for very decent prices at certain places but that info goes by the wayside because of so called designer cages. That also applies to many other items. The outside of a bird cage means nothing. It's what a person puts in the cage that attracts a bird. Some of the best yet common cages around are powder coated but because of some private bad experiences by others, all of a sudden powder coated cages lose their quality ratings. What comes into the picture next is Stainless steel. For every person who says their bird chips off the coating, there's at least two thousand that have had no problems. People don't hear those figures because all they wanna talk about is the bad thing that just started 2 weeks before. When people are having no problems with cages there won't be threads starting off about how great their cages are. They're not even thinking about starting that kind of a thread. They only say something on a positive note in a thread where the subject contains bad reviews. When experienced people give the names of places to buy inexpensive cages, the first thing that comes to mind is *there's gotta be something wrong with that cage because of the price* So they shop around to well known places that have deceiving advertising---Example---BirdCages for Less. This is one of the highest priced companies around. Avian Adventure---Their prices are crazy. There's others.high end sellers too. Some people shop around and find that certain cages are not in stock or discontinud. So, of course their cages must be the best or else they wouldn't be out of stock which is a crock. Experienced people tell others to check out Ebay who has the largest ( hundreds) seceltion of cages-different quality-different sizes---different colors--different styles--for all types of birds, not just parrots. A huge description of each cage, many pictures of each cage. I won't say any thing else other than to say that it's really sad to see people getting ripped off. No one seems to wanna save money. 3 cages, same exact cages, different colors, same manufacturer, same online company Black and Green cages-----$200 ten years ago White cage---------------------$239 7 yrs ago These prices included S/H. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/DaveVP/DSCN0196.jpg [One grey pictured on the same cage ( his) to show size of grey in proportion to size of cage http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/DaveVP/MediumParrotCage.jpg In the wild, greys and other parrots aren't really interested in the shape of a tree. They're just concerned that it has enough branches to perch on.

No, but I've exchanged quite a few Emails with the owner who also happens to be a female. She can be heard in the background talking to Einstein. Go to YouTube, find one of her videos, subscribe to it and you'll start getting all the latest things at your Email link that she's doing .

Sarasota, My dear lady, since you're a lover of Einstein, I'd like to present her. DIRECTLY from a world wide tour, This is the famous female Einstein ( not a sex change, he was always a female) doing her 07 long performance!! Enjoy!!! http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v50/DaveVP/?action=view&current=EinsteinsWordPractice.mp4

You really need to go to a vet. We can't tell you what's wrong because the same thing may have happened to other people's birds but for totally different reasons. You need a diagnosis, not opinions. The longer you wait, the worse it may get.

People have been using that carrier for years. It's nothing new. There's about 4 different sizes. One of those that are good for birds is the one that's also bought for very small dogs or very small cats and medium sized birds ( greys--amazons--eckletus). I looked at the price of the one in your pic. OUTRAGEOUS!!. Highway robbery!!. They can be purchased from large or medium sized pet shops for about $35. I have 6 carriers and because I bought them all at the same time, I paid $20 for each. And I got them in the Bronx near Bruchner Blvd. These are the type of carriers in which you transport your bird from one place to another--home to vet, visiting others. Their purpose isn't to be carrying around your bird all day long. There's other tpes of carriers for that and most aren't metal except fopr the frame and they're much more expensive. they're put on your body just like a back pack.

http://zanylol.com/blind.html

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=videos+of+releasing+african+grey+parrots+back+in+the+wild&view=detail&mid=6658E504ADC5F2D9B1386658E504ADC5F2D9B138&first=0&qpvt=videos+of+releasing+african+grey+parrots+back+in+the+wild

Absolutely true! but it's too bad that people believe what their 'professionals' say their bird needs to have done. Filing down a beak only causes it to grow longer in a relatively short amount time.. I don't need a vet or tech to tell me that. I've seen it for years. Lots of problems can happen with constantly filed down or trimmed beaks.

Some people spread it on toast. Some mix it in a mash. Some people put it on a spoon and feed it in solid form. Some put it on pellets. When putting it on pellets you need to microwave the palm oil into a thin oil, drip it on the pellets and set aside the bowl of pellets and let the oil sink into them. Pellets act like a sponge but if nothing works, stop giving the oil. Treats aren't a good idea. If pellets are used or even any other item is used, the oil m8ust be put in the micro wave until it melts and turns cherry red. Then it can be dripped on anything. Some people use palm oil the wrong way.

Very easy to put on Also, instructions are on package Loads of people use them. No special instructionas required http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=aviator+harness+video&mid=73644DF35B9D83624BF873644DF35B9D83624BF8&view=detail&FO Hopefully, you rbird is very young. Adult birds don't take to a harness very well. That's where peoplr have more difficulty putting it on.

I have a bit of experience with hand feeding a grey. At one point all greys start to shun their formula feedings. Usually, it's 2 feeding until the bird won't accept it anymore. There's no time schedule. Some birds will do that at any time they're ready to wean. Some do it at 10 wks,some 13 wks, some do it 18 weeeks etc etc. Cut down on all those fruits. Just give a variety of vegetables as green as you can find them. Put pellets in with him and if he isn't able to eat the medium sized pellets, use the next size smaller. Right now his system is maturing and it needs solid food. Continue with the formula but if he refuses a feeding, don't force it in him. Increase his solid food intake and have solid food around where he can easily get to. That means 24/7