Dave007

There's 2 types of harnesses 1--As Judy mentioned, one is called Aviator Harness.----this allows a person to carry the bird around on the shouldser or arm or wrist plus it allows the person to teach the bird how to fly from one place back to the person. This type of harness has extensions that can be added to lengthen that distance. 2--The other type of harness comes with buckles that are clipped together around the bird in order for the harness to fit snuggly. People use this harness to walk around with the bird on the shoulder, arm or wrist and people also use it to walk the bird in the street. The bad part of that is that a person has no idea about what the bird is stepping in. Everything is microscopic. It comes with a 6 ft leash and there's no extensions. The better harness is of course the Aviator Harness which is much more bird friendly.

The best way to get an answer to that is by emptying out the hummingbird feeder, putting it back outside and watch the bird's reaction. Make sure you do that when you know hummingbirds are around. Also watch the bird's reaction when the feeder is moving. As far as predators, a parrot won't growl as the predator gets closer. It will immediately screech and flap it's wings no matter whether the predator is far away or near. All the parrot has to do is see it. Their eyes are the best. If they can't see the predator but sense that it's around, the parrot will become extremely quiet and very still and wait. The thing that's around doesn't even have to be a predator. It could be deer, dog, cat, rabbit or person. Anything that's not part of the family.

The first thing you must do is to make an appointment with an Avian Certified Veterinarian for a complete check-up. Several medical conditions can cause a bird to feather mutilate. Bacterial infections, improper wing clipping, and dry skin are a few medical conditions that can cause birds to feather pick. Often birds begin to feather pick because of medical conditions but, the behavior needs to be stopped before it becomes a habit. You seem to be afraid of taking the bird to a vet which is understandable. So the whole process must be done quickly. The bird is grabbed with a towel, not letting him flap and immediately put into a small carrier cage.( 2 people may be needed) My suggestion is the type that's use for small animals such as rabbits, kittens, puppies. There are open cage type carriers but they may frighten the bird. The choice is yours. The vet and his tech will do all the work. Your bird is taken home, recaged and the bird will be angry for a couple of days. That's to be expected. Just leave him alone other than talking. You need to make sure that you give your bird treats even if the treats aren't as good as others. Sweet treats are very good ( nutiberries--honey sticks etc). Also try out his favorite nuts and give plenty. Daily misting will help reduce the itchiness of dry skin. A totally wet bird will not feather pluck, but will preen excessively so allowing access to a daily spray/bath may prove beneficial. In this situation aloe Vera juice should be used as the spray. It's sold in large food markets and pharmacies. Your bird may have irritated or damaged a spot which will cause the bird to pluck some more. If that's the case get aloe Vera gel and use it as an ointment on those spots. During the vet exam it is important to discuss your birds diet with your vet. The constant replacing of feathers may cause nutritional deficiencies, which may require dietary changes or vitimin supplementation. He may recommend an ointment or some type of medication to give for a while. There's 3 types of plucking. 1--acute 2--chronic 3-- seasonal #2 is permanent and that's not happening with your bird. Your bird may be having a bout with seasonal plucking. Sometimes it's severe but the feathers do grow back. Many birds do this every year and others hardly do it at all. There's possibly a change that you have no idea about even if you look or decide there isn't. Don't make a big deal about the problem in front of your bird. Act as if nothing's wrong.

They also sit on your shoulders?

*****It really is a person-by-person, bird-by-bird thing.***** I totally agree 1000 %. Too much scientific material ( blah) and definitely not enough common sense material concerning domination.

I agree with Shanlung. The subject of height domination has been going on for years to the point that it becomes splintered. I let 2 of my 3 greys on my shoulder. They are extremely comfortable and really don't wanna get off. It gets to the point where I even forget that they're on my shoulders because they're so still and quiet. Sometimes the y take a nap. Now on to my third grey--he loves going on my shoulder for a totally different reason. He's completely fascinated with nibbling jewelry, ear lobes, cheeks, shirt collars, pulling nape hair. He's been this way from when he was 6 mts old. He's 14 yrs old now. Is he doing this because he knows he's in a dominate area? I seriously doubt that and the reason I say that is because he's in many other higher areas ( all of them are) and never shows any dominant or aggressive signs. What about the bird who's high up on the top of the cage? What about the bird who's on a high shelf? The bird does need to be retrieved, right?? I'm giving him a treat which is me, my skin, my clothes, my jewelry, my hair so I have a very simple solution. I don't let him have that treat. I don't allow myself to be a treat. I just don't allow him on my shoulder. Very, very simple solution. He gets many other treats which don't involve me and my belongings. He means no harm because I can retrieve any of them from anywhere they are.

I think you're confusing aloe vera juice with red palm oil. The juice is not given internally. It's sprayed on the bird's skin ( for dryness and itchiness) Red palm oil which is given internally is the product that has Vit A and Vit E which a grey benefits from.

hehe Ummm, well lets see. What your bird is doing doesn't really come under the International Official Body Language Directory. It seems like your bird is displaying an unique behavior known as Quirky Bird Syndrome. Any bird that has it will show it's own particular gesture. Scientists have studied the situation for years and they've come to the conclusion that the only cure for this particular syndrome is consistent laughing by one or more house members.

What's going on is a very common occurance between parrots. It's just the way their personality is guiding them. A person may have 2 different species together but they hate each other. Another person may have the exact same species and they love each other. They can't be trained to like each other. They can be given freedom at different times. Maybe as time goes on, they'll relax with each other but that's impossible to tell. Loads and loads of people here are going through the same situation. It's simply a matter of not letting one bird hurt the other which means partial separation and vigilance on your part. Good luck.

Very nice to have you and your birds and dogs here. You'll learn and see alot. More than likely, you'll also enjoy your time here. NOW, get ready for all the welcomes that'll be coming your way soon.

This is a very confusing thread. I have no idea how a new local breeder who's inexperienced will help anything. Even you say that the economy is bad in your country so who would wanna buy parrots unless they were at a very low price? The breeder needs money back because of all that was spent. Because you have very little money, there would be no way to set up a breeding program. The equipment alone may cost a small fortune. People who breed greys have to first be apprentices much like the specialty woodworker who has an apprentice. Breeding greys or other large parrots isn't like breeding budgies or canaries or finches No one would give away breeders in order to prove a point in another country. Breeders cost a lot of money and they're special types of birds. Their specialty starts when they're very, very young. Breeders are not *wild* parrots. They're simply parrots who have never bonded with people. They've bonded to each other from the time they were very young and are able to produce excellent chicks. The amount of chicks that they produce is very small. I have 3 pairs of breeders and none of them have ever lived in the wild. As far as exporting birds, there's a person named Shanlung who periodically visits us here and he can tell just how difficult it to bring his bird from one part of China to another part of China. I truly think that if there's some type of point you're trying to make through experiments with one the most difficult parrots to deal with ( let me add to that----all medium to large parrots are extremely difficult to deal with) , you should visit the European bird boards that still deal with smuggling and illegal capturing of wild birds. Here in the US, that doesn't exist. Here in the US, it's even difficult to bring a bird from state to state. Not only would I never give away my breeders, I won't sell them either even after they're not used for breeding anymore. We have many members here from other countries and the things they want to know about are how to care for, feed, house, environment surroundings, socializition of their birds. The other thing they ask about is whether anyone here knows of private breeders in their country. That's not something we can help them with. I think that if you create some type of adoption situation or area, that may be good but again, experience is needed to do that. Breeding more parrots in a poor country that likes the idea of smuggling won't prove anything.

Ok, whatever you say is fine. Anyway, enjoy the video.

Concerning your PS paragraph, why did people do that? In your story I didn't see anything cruel or anything about being a bad grey owner or being selfish or hating pets. Someone did this to you here? Sounded like a great story to me other than the part about the smuggling. That's been going on for years but lots of good things are being changed out there concerning that problem. I even posted a long video about what's now going on. Lots of people here were happy that progress is finally be made. So, maybe you can explain? Check out the video

We don't have legal sized cages here. This is the average sized nedium cage for a CAG that people use and there's a slightly smaller one for a TAG but people can get even larger or smaller than the one in the picture. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/DaveVP/c.jpg

If you're talking about greys that are living in the wild, which are referred to as Feral greys, then they can't be tamed. It's also against the law to try to catch feral greys or other wild parrots. Feral greys and other feral parrots are the only true wild parrots.

There are males or females that do that constantly. They breed well but as soon as the chicks hatch, they eat them. As far as changing their behavior, that's not gonna happen. People who do have breeders that do that need to use incubatorrs. The egg is taken away about 2 wks before they hatch and put in the incubator until they hatch. Then they must be hand fed from that time on. Only experienced hand feeders should do this. Another reason that some males and females do this is because the chicks are born then quickly die.

It's really difficult to give a thumbs up or down concerning any company that sells through shipping. Yes, they have birds to visit but in your situation, it'll be shipping. A person should really see the bird in person, not through pictires on websites. Most people don't like purchasing a bird sight unseen. I personally think you should stick with your state and even if difficult, make the effort to see the live creature that you're gonna purchase. Here's a list with phone #s. Check out this places and ask lots of questions. Maybe you'[ll come up with something good. Good luck. http://birdcage.net/bird-breeders-georgia/

Good luck with your decision. I'm sure you'll make the right one.

When a person steps back and realizes that their bird will be spending lots of time in that *new home* forever, larger is always better. A larger cage can be better customized by the bird.

Changing the diet , adding more or less bathing time, checking the food values of different things isn't gonna change anything the bird is doing right now concerning the way he feels about that toy. . Instead of that toy, what could be done if the item was a bell? The bird is fascinated with a certain item. Many birds fit into that catagory. Sometimes it's permanent and sometimes it's just a phase.

First off, many of your thought processes are wrong. Wild caught parrots are a thing of the past. Wild caught greys have been in this country for years and years. In 1992 importation was enacted so no more wild birds can come in. All wild caught greys have been in captivity for years and years. Breeding------That bird of yours is gonna be treated like a pet by you and the family. That's the relationship you're building. There's a world of difference between breeder birds and pet birds. Breeders bond to each other and humans aren't welcome in their lives. Trying to breed a pet bird can be a disaster for that bird. Your goal is for the pet bird to bond with you, not another bird. Trying to do that can cause confusion and a pet bird won't be able to cope with that confusion that has to do with bonding. If your pet bird is put in with a breeding female or male , there's a good chance that the breeder will seriously maim or even kill the pet bird. Breeders recognise a pet bird. Pet birds don't recognise breeders until it's too late. ****Although hes been born in domestication a CAG is still a wild animal and I feel sorry for him when he doesnt want to shout and play and be a little monkey.***** Apparently, you haven't put enough studies into the grey species because you'll find that this behavior is very common to greys. They're aloof and like lots of quiet time by themselves. I can name off at least 3 other sppecies that are the total opposite. That toy-----first off the worst thing you're doing is keeping that type of bedding covering the grating. That type of material acts and imitates material that's used in nests . As it stands, your bird doesn't even have to move it around. Newspaoper should be used. Both males and females protect eggs. I would bet that if you took that toy and put it in a bowl attached to insde wall of the cage ( like food bowls), that bird would rip your hands up if you tried to remove it. One other thing about toys---greys will become attached to some of the strangest things that are sitting around. That includes items they fight with during the day and snuggle with those same toys at night. Basically, you're playing with fire concerning the breeding. The bird is a pet, not a breeder. If you want to study parrot behavior, those studies should include the study of each species because each species is totaklly different then the next species. Oh, I see that you're in Scotland---well, the breeding aspect of your post applies to that country too. PS--if you don't like what's going on with that toy, just purchase another one( same color) but make sure it's larger. Switch the two.

Yes, she's medium boned and she's reached her maximum body size. The wing feathers and tail feathers which have no weight may get longer but the body weight of your bird will remain the approx amount that she is now.

CharlieB small boned CAG-----------approx 375 to 420 gms medium boned CAG---------approx 430 to 475 gms large boned CAG----------approx 500 to 600 gms ---------------- TAGs---small boned--approx 280 to 305 gms medium boned ----- approx 315 to 325 gms large boned ------ approx 335 gms All the above figures can vary a bit. There is no exact weight, just approximate figures which appllies to body structure.

At that age and general measurement it's safe to say that your bird is at it's maximum weight and length.