Dave007

A chronic plucker (like Alex) is a bird who starts plucking at a somewhat early age, is comfortable with the plucking, has no desire to stop plucking, includes plucking in it's daily life and nothing can stop the bird's habit or personality for doing this. The bird is perfectly content. An acute plucker is a bird that has bouts of plucking, will stop plucking, will respond to different medications or bird plucking items and there's a very good chance of the bird outgrowing the habit. Sometimes, the bird will have a minor relapse. Some acute plucking happens when different things happen such as moving, new environments, new people, new family habits. The bird becomes nervous and plucks. A chronic plucker will simply pluck no matter what's going on. In the human form, you have chronic nail biters and acute nail biters

As far as Alex, he was a chronic plucker before she got him. He never had a full set of wings. She got him when he was 3 yrs old. ***I mean... no one likes studying/learning 24/7.**** Training consisted of 4 to 5 sessions a day, 5 to 6 days a week and each session lasting 20 minutes. Most of the day was spent siocializing with the lab techs that worked there. She's only recently gotten Griffon and he also plucks at times but his plucking isn't chronic. Alex was a chronic plucker.

First of all, that parrot or any parrot shouldn't be on the washing machine or other places that can attract a bird to grab unsafe items.. That in itself is allowing the bird to learn that he/she can get away with things. The bird shouldn't be walking around a sink with all types of utensils and other items sitting in it. The person in the video is losing control because no disapline has been set up. The bird could have grabbed something dangerois In the video, the bird has found a very appealing Item --dish rack and wants to pick at it. The owner is upset and smacks the counter quite a few times. The bird trns around and warns the person that he wants to be left alone to pick at the item. Again, a lack of disapline on the owner's part is allowing that bird to do as it pleases. The person is now leery. The bird knows it. There were electric wires around and that bird could have been fast enough to go over and bite it.The bird isn't really interested in behaving or stopping because she's smacking the counter. It's only causing anger. A bird's personality doesn't register that, especially a grey who's main enjoyment is chewing things hard or soft. It's what they do best. All of the sounds the bird was making were simply mimicing a million things that's stored in the brain. It may have sounded sweet but the bird was definitely looking to bite again as seen in the video The same goes for that macaw. It's shouldn't be in those types of places and the only reason it's done is because the owner finds it to be fun and appealing. Actually, the best Story ending in that video would have been the grey giving her a good bite. She's irresponsible and the bird is in control. A person needs to first train themselves to say no before they try it on a creature who's only doing what comes naturally. PS---One other thing-----just looking at the posture, pinning eyes, feathers extremely tight to the body of that bird, 2 inches closer and the bird would have succeeded and it would've been a serious bite.

It's hard to say what happened. Usually, a person includes a close up photo or photos of any problem areas that exist. I can tell you that parrots don't get sunburned. parrots are wild and usually live in harsh weather conditions. There's a very slight chance that this has to do with molting but I doubt it. Greys have no feathers in the white areas of the face. Diet isn't related to the present problems your bird is having. Many greys, not all have slight color changes on the feet and legs as they get older ( light to dark and visa versa). The flight, tail and outer back feathers are all waterproof. They usually stay that way throughout their lives. The different things that are quickly happening right now warrant a visit to a vet so the face can be examined for bruising. Inspection of the outer feathers is needed. Make sure it's an avian vet because he/she will be more familar with the bird's situation There's a possibility that your bird's face was somehow bruised or scratched.

If she's a TAG, the color won't change. Her tail color is the standard for TAGs. Many TAGs have touches of red ijn them, some more than others, some less. I have a TAG and his tail feathers are completely dark ash ( almost black) gray color. No red at all, not even marroon. Molting--first time--9 to 12 mts depending on dryness of living area, in the future it could be 11 to 13 mts. Flight and tail feathers will molt all year long in no particular time frame. All parrots do that.

Of course that's what the forum is about. I was just joking with you. Trying to make you feel more relaxed. Sorry if I offended you.

Well, it won't warm up the room too much. Remember, they're used for babies too. BUT, since you're very worried, go with the warm machine because african greys live in humid warm areas in the wild and the birds can't be hurt by it. If I'm not mistaken, all of those machines have a setting to shut off the cool or warm feature leaving it to run at room temperature. You can also look at other pharmacies or department stores for different models. BUT, you've got to collect your thoughts and relax a bit. Have some tea. Add a crumpet to that. See what the king and queen are up to. Check out the new princess and her new fashion designs. My dear, live life to the fullest.

Basically, you refill it when it's almost empty. As far as how long it'll run on 1 gallon, well that depends on what setting it's on, how long you run it etc etc. 1 gallon will give approx 10 to 13 hrs but that varies. It's how you use it. It's no big deal.

The one here is about 6 yrs old. I have 3 of them. I use one in 1 bird area and 1 in another bird area. The third one is in my closet. Vicks plus other companies make the item. They all look alike and basically, they're all do the same thing. As far as design, every year the companie's designs change but the mechanics and functions remain the same. Just make sure that the one you get has a 1 gallon well for the water. You can buy a buyer version ( bigger well) but they're more expensive and usually, 1 gallon of water lasts a long time because these machines all have strength settings.

I use plain room temperature water. You can buy the warm version if you want. They also sell the same type of thing that doesn't need a temperature setting. Below is one that I use. It's the same type in your link. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/DaveVP/DSCN0090.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/DaveVP/DSCN0091.jpg

Dan isn't here right now to answer your question so I;ll give my opinion-- Both are ok but if it's humidity that you want, The first link is the best The cleaning element in the second one, even though it works doesn't have the ability to clean out a bird room that has parrots who are giving off dander. The first one is just like the ones I mentioned a long time ago in this thread. They can be gotten from well known pharmacies and they're inexpensive. I use it all the time--24/7

The board below deals with budgies and possible problems. http://talkbudgies.com/faq.php?faq=vb3_board_faq

*****To my biggest surprise today My 7.5 weeks old CAG ate about 100cc of Kaytee hand feeding formula. I dont how hungry he was just bcz i fed him an hour late than the schedule. I was taken aback when he was begging for more after about 10 mins when i stopped out of fear.***** Well, you wanted to know what abundance feeding was and you just saw an example of it. I don't know what you feared but your bird was doing exactly what every other chick does when it's hungry. Just remember that the only way to over feed a chick is by trying to stuff formula down it's throat after he's shown that he absolutely doesn't want more. If your bird is obviously asking for more than simply give it to him. When he's finished he'll refuse anything extra. The chart here is for basic amounts but that doesn't mean that every chick will be satisfied with that amount. You've got to do things according to what the chick is saying, not what a standard chart is saying. If he wants more at each feeding simply give it to him. Let the bird tell you to lessen the amount. PS---you deleted your post while I was typing. Don't know why though.

Looks fine to me. More than likely, it's the waterproof wing feathers that are gleaming. They do that outdoors especially after getting a bath. Most of the outer feathers are darker in general.

********As a couple weeks went by she still wouldn't eat any pellets. So I went back to inquire further about what we could do. The pet store then said to just stop feeding her everything BUT the pellets and she would start eating whhen she got hungry. We did this, but several days later she still wouldn't eat them. These were not a new variety either - these are the same kind she was always given. We felt after several days of not eating we had no choice but to give her other things.****** A parrot should have food present 24/7 because they don't eat like people. There is no breakfast , lunch or supper. Starving a people in order to get the bird to eat a certain item is cruel. Anyway, many people here will tell you that their birds never liked pellets from day 1 and all of those birds are surviving very well. Don't believe everything you hear or read. Anyway, good luck trying to find those special pellets.

It seema that what's on your mind most of all is pellets. Many birds will eat pellets for a while and then stop. Pellets aren't the greatest thing in the world if you're looking for food that's packed with vitamins and other essentials. They're man made and recent studies have shown that pellets can contain different things that birds don't benefit from. For years parrots have survived very well without pellets. Pellets don't exist in the wild. *** She doesn't like anything that is wet or gummy. She shakes her beak and wipes it off.*** Very common with loads of parrots of all species. It's nothing to worry about. ****They also told us that they feed their Greys anything and everything - it just so happened they had gotten Taco Bell that day - with meat and everything in it - and a Grey was on the counter eating it with the owner - chowing down. Since then I have seen them feeding Greys McDonalds fries, hamburgers, coke to drink - everything. I started to worry at this point.**** Reputable dealer????? I doubt that very very much!!!!!!! At the least, a hard kick in the arse is a nice thought . All of those foods that they're feeding have fried ingredients that can cause liver damage and digestive problems. That's a proven fact. *****She has no interest when I give her treats when out of the cage and just throws them.***** That's not something you should worry about. After all, it doesn't provide anything important. That's why it's called treat and people don't give them constantly ****She now eats dry cheese, lots of nuts, seeds, dried out carrots, celery, banana chips, and some other various stuff. She asks for food and peanuts constantly and just throws the pellets out of her dish on the floor of the cage at this point.*** For a parrot who dislikes the things you're talking about, the present diet is quite satisfactory. Fruit doesn't really provide the greatest of things but it can't hurt either. You should give varieties of nuts----almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts besides peanuts. The peanuts should be the type that are roasted and can be eaten by people and not too many should be given. You can try giving veggies in different ways--raw. cooked, steamed, very cold or room temp. Maybe that'll work, maybe not. I would suggest one thing--Vit A and Vit E are very important to greys. So, if you can get some red palm oil ( also called virgin oil) and put a little on the present food she eats, she'll benefit from it. Type in SwansonsVitamins.com Stay away from all fried foods. I don't think your problem is as bad as you think but I do think that you've seen and heard bad things in the past from a so called !!!!Reputable Dealer!!!! He shouldn't be in business in he's gonna give out that insane advice.

You'll need to show us a closeup photo of that area

I don't know how long you've had these pairs but as far as buying them, there's different classifications. Proven, bonded---which means that there's a posibility that past matings were unsuccessful even though they're bonded. Proven, bonded --has had 1 or 2 clutches in the past---proof is usually supplied buy the seller. I have no idea what you know about your pairs but if the birds won't mate or if the female has eggs which are infertile, that means that the male didn't do his thing. One other possiblity is whether your birds may have been pets in the past. Many birds that have been pets in the past turn out to be bad breeders. You have absolute proof that all three pairs had fertile eggs in the past where chicks were actually hatched???? Another thing has to do with age. You say that they're breeders but do you know the actual age of these birds? There's nothing you can do to make the males interested. The birds aren't mechanical and you can try again in the future but there's no guarantees about things and no one can tell you how to stimulate the males or females because these birds are all different from each other.

A brooder isn't a nest. It's an area that the bird goes into after he/she leaves the clutch----You would need an old 10 gal. fish tank. The picture of that area where the bird is being fed is fine for feeding only. The tank would need a soft towel and if possible, a heating pad put under the tank on the low setting. The heating pad would also have a towel covering it. This keeps the tank relatively at the same constant temp. On the top of the tank, you would need a soft towel to cover only half of the top to prevent drafts. In that tank you would need a very soft type of item such a teddy bear so the bird can snuggle against it when sleeping. After being fully fed, a bird usually goes to sleep shortly afterward. It's too bad that you can't bring the bird back to the breeder but anyway, abundance feeding has to do with letting the bird eat as much as it wants even though you may think the bird is finally weaned. The bird will accept the food and eventually refuse it when it wants to.. In other words, the bird is telling you when to stop the feeding. There's not set time when a bird is weaned. You shouldn't set a time. Let the bird do it even if it's much more than you'd like. Some take 14 weeks and some take 16 to 18 to 20 weeks or even more and also applies to present feeeding. Abundance feeding produces a less nervous bired in the future.If your bird is squawking after you finished, he obviously wants more and you should give it to him. Give him all he wants. When he doesn't want more, he'll refuse to take it or spit up what doesn't want. That applies to all feedings. As far as decreasing a feeding, the bird will also tell when it's time to stop a certain feeding. He simply won't take it. That';s the time to have soft veggies around with some hard cereal like plain cheerios laying a round he won't eat them but he'll push them around. As far as your hand feeding method------I'll explain it in a different way. If you were to go to a doctor and he has to give you an injection of something, he would fill the syringe and then point the needle up in the air and slightly push the plunger until only fluid comes out. What he's done is to remove all the air in the syringe before sticking you with it. If he didn't do it, he would be pushing air into your body which will cause problems. In you video, the syringe has a lot of air in it which can cause problems so you have to do what a doctor does. ******Feeding - I am sticking to the feeding schedule given at the Nursery section. He begs for more even after 45cc of feeding which is the higher number according to the table given in the nursery section. Should i give him more untill he refuses or do i stick to the table?****** That thread is a basic chart and doesn't speak of abundance feeding because it's up to a person to do it. Some do, some don't. Make sure the bird is fed at the same time everyday. ****3. Can i take him out of the nest and place him on a towel for feeding?***** I already answered that. Continue to read our handfeeding thread because comparing medium/large sized parrots to budgies and other tiny birds is totally different.

A common item that's used for birds who poop in their water or food bowls. Pet stores have them. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/DaveVP/Crockset2.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/DaveVP/Crockset1.jpg

Dan says ****Those bowls are too close to each other. This must be a pretty small cage for that to be possible? If there is a bowl holder on the other side of the cage, place one of the bowls there, which will stop this issue. If a holder is not built into the cage on the other side, purchase one you can bolt on the other side. **** Which is probably the best answer you're gonna get concerning a simple problem that 1000s of parrots do all the time. Pet shops sell all different types of bowls with all types of holders and loads of people simply move one bowl to another area so he can't step from one bowl to another. You'll never figure out why he does it. When buying a cage (any cage), the one thing the manufactor won't say is that his design will prevent a bird from doing what yours is doing. Just go get another bowl if you can't move one to another spot.

1 inch spacing is much to big for a TAG. The biggest should be no more than 3/4 inch. A small bird such as a TAG can stick it's head through 1 inch and may not be able to pull it back out. Another reason why it's too big has to do with the feet/talons. A bird should be able to grip 2 of those bars at the same time without having to stretch it's foot out to it's limit. The more the stretch, the less the gripping power. Parrots don't walk on one bar. They need 2 to strongly grip it. One inch is stretching it out too much.

Aviator Harness CAG----medium TAG----small

I never said anything about frequency. I don't know why you think that 1x a week isn't enough. A bird can be misted in order for the exterior feathers to get wet and the bird shakes off the water and dust. That can be done whenever you feel like it. A bird can't be encouraged to bathe. They do that when they want to. You can leave a bowl there or spray him or both. It's up to you. Dander is natural feather protection. It can't be kept in control. Greys will have dander throughout their whole lives. It's dusty and greys shake and flap it off and other areas get dusty. People get annoyed at that dustiness. It's not the bird's fault. Vacuuming is sometimes needed. If you leave water dishes there, the water will get dirty. It's up to you. I doubt very much that your bird will take a bath everyday. Greys don't need to be bathed every day. No bird does. The bird will bathe when nature tells the bird that it needs to bathe. It may be in a dish, a water bowl, a puddle or in just about anything that's around.

There's 2 species of birds that give off heavy dander---cockatoos, greys. If your bird takes regular baths, you really don't need to use aloe juice. When a bird bathes through it's own choice, the skin will get extremely wet as well as all other feathers. Birds simply know how to naturally bathe where they'll get the full benefits of the bath. Many other greys don't like bathing, spraying, misting or showers. For those birds, the skin gets itchy and flaky and will throw off more dander. A person is then given different methods to get the bird soaked down. A person can't bathe a bird as properly as a bird can bathe itself. So for dry, flaky skin, spraying with wather and spraying with the juice helps to ease the dryness of the skin. Right now, from what you say, it doesn't sound like your bird needs it but it's always a good thing to use the juice. The juice is not a medication. It simply does good things to a bird's skin but I should tell you that neither juice or water will do any good if it's not sprayed in the incorrect areas. All external feathers are waterproof so any fluid you use just runs off the bird's feathers and really doesn't do much good. It's the skin that must be soaked and the bird needs to drip dry on it's own. The longer they stay wet, the better the skin and preening is more effective--no towels, no hair dryers. As far as the product in your site, it seems to be good but what I can't tell you about is the price or amount of your product compared to US. In the US, 1 gallon of aloe vera juice costs approx $9.