Dave007

******but he is super quiet. I'm a little worried, because everything I read says that African greys are always making noises, and its almost impossible to quiet them down.******** Don't know where you heard that. If you're talking about yelling and screeching, well amongst parrots, african greys are known as one of the quietest in the parrot world. Almost all people are thrilled about that. Are you sure that the conversation was about greys?

Different vets charge different prices for certain tests. Some vets have a fee for each test. Other vets have a price for the whole package. This is your first visit so all was done and basically there were no problems. The problem may occur in the future by going to a vet for tests that might not be necessary. It doesn't matter whether your bird needs them or not. The vet will still do it. This doesn't apply to everyvet but this answer is just to make you understand things for the future. You would be doing yourself a big favor by reading the link below. http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?191683-Wow!!!-522.oo-at-vet-for-check-up-!!!!!

**Could it be a hormonal or sexual "acting-out" behavior? ** Yes, it possibly can be that but parrots do go through stages when they'll decide to be aggressive to some people in a house. Just the fact that you said that this behavior is only recent tells me that it's only temporary. This behavior happens with loads of greys. Many here will tell you that. It's best for her to not deal with him the way she's been doing throughout the years. It may be a time out that's needed. Foir all you know, in the near future, it might be you that the bird will be aggressive with for a while. Usually, a grey's attention to a person happens when the bird is not going through the same habits or routines for a while with that person. That'll include you. Let her give treats but not in a way that she can be bitten.

Pandora, Welcome to our perch. We always have plenty of room for any new flock members. By the way, your language is beautiful as is your country. Hope you enjoy yourself here.

It should be about 65 degrees or more. Greys can withstand lower temperatures but since you've not done this before, it's best to play it safe. Your bird should remain comfortable outside. You'll need to think about cold gusts of wind. A grey can put up with those winds if they're also roughly the same temperature. Use a harness.

If you're absolutely positive that he is truly a he, then you have nothing to worry about. If he is really a she, then you'll need to watch her closely and see if she lays more eggs. No matter what, remove any areas that may be nesting areas in the cage. Someone else on this board had a similar problem but the bird was a she and the problem is now over. Watch and see if your bird pays lots of attention to it such as sitting and covering the egg with it's body. A female will do that more than a male will.

They're okay as long as the bone is stripped clean of any food residue (meat on the bone---what the bone was cooked in--scrubbed thoroughly). If long slender pieces of the bone are lying around they need to be removed quickly because meat bones can't be broken up like chicken bones The slivers might lodge in the parrot's mouth. Chicken bones and meat bones are different. Chicken bones are very soft and can be crushed into dust. Meat bones can't.

MRSA is a staph infection. It's internal and the visual signs of it are when it rises from the internal to the external. Staph is a common cause of skin infections in the U.S. Usually, these are minor and don't need special treatment. Rarely, staph can cause serious problems like infected wounds or pneumonia. Those are special cases though. Parrots don't get staph infections. It never came from your bird. You can compare that large boil to a very large pimple. Both come from the inside of the person. Sometimes pimples have to be lanced too. Sometimes, staph spreads from patient to patient in hospitals. Very common.

With some greys, it blocks a little calcium. That doesn't mean that it applies to every single grey. But the word *some,* is enough reason for me to say to lessen the amount of bananas. My feelings, better safe than sorry. There are certain birds that are heavy fruit eaters and those birds need a high fruit diet such as amazons. In general, most fruit is acidic and with some birds, that's good and with others it isn't. That's why it's recommended here by me and others that when people wanna change the diet of their bird ( greys), fruits aren't as important than veggies, pellets, human foods. Fruit is generally acidic and has lots of sugar in it and greys don't need it. Not a lot of nourishment in fruit.

Bananas are fine but only in limited amounts-------1/8 to 1/4 inch slice-----at the most, 2x a week

Wait until the poop is dry. Pick up the clump. Use some Resolve, spray a small amount on the spot. It will foam a little bit. Wait 10 minutes, take a paper towel and wipe it it away. Instant clean. As far as the vacuum, I really forgot whether you're in the US or UK so that's why I told you that other brands are available and work just as well. If you're in the US, find Home Depot. Theirs costs about $30. Comes with accordian hose, 5 attachments, small holder to stand attachments in. Powerful?? Well, I don't know whether you're familar with a regular large wet/dry vac but if you are, I can tell you that the small versions are also extremely powerful. I have a large for the basement and a small for all over the place AND YES, it can also vacuum out water.

That's nice to hear. I'll tell ya, you're saving a bundle of cash. A gold star for your vet is in order.

Craftsman 6 gal. Wet/Dry Vac The Craftsman 6 gallon wet/dry vac is compact in size, ideal for household jobs. Its motor has the power to clean up kitchen spills, other household dirt, and your automobile. No user ratings [rate this item] + Add to Shopping List | See More Like This Kmart:$40 Sears:$40 Very powerful. Works like the big models This type of vacuum can be purchased in loads of places. It really doesn't have to be that brand name but Sears sells good quality stuff.

I'm not trying to judge you but because you have an unweaned bird, all areas need to be covered. As far as the seller, I told you to put it in the past. I didn't linger concerning him. I think I've responded to just about anything concerning food----formula, weaning, soft foods, harder foods, types of foods, when to start adding regular type foods, and the age to start all of this. When I say agree or disagree, I'm referring to you and your bird, not other people. You've read that people wanna talk all about whether the seller did the right thing and not get to the info you're looking for. I simply meant that the incident was in the past and nothing can change that. No sense dwelling on it. So if you think I was insulting or judging you, what I said here should clear that up.

The New Supermarket --------------------------- The new, very modern, Supermarket near our house has an automatic water mister to keep the produce fresh. Just before it goes on, you hear the sound of a thunderstorm and the smell of fresh rain. When you approach the milk cases, you hear cows mooing and witness the scent of fresh butter fat. When you approach the egg case, you hear hens cackle and the air is filled with the pleasing aroma of eggs frying. Thus far I've been too afraid to go down the toilet paper aisle.

****Getting to my questions.... I have noticed since yesterday that he is quite reluctant to eat. As per the Pet Shop Owner's instructions I feed him twice a day and if he doesn't eat a lot in the morning I give him a little in the afternoon to get him through to the next feeding. I hope I am doing the right thing. I has been very very hot here the last two days and I am not sure if he is just not that hungry due to the heat or if he is weaning.***** A parrot will lessen the amount of feedings of formula as it gets older whether you agree or disagree with the bird. The bird's internal system is regulating that.Feeding formula should stop when the bird absolutely refuses to take anyThat's the time to have more solid food around. That should be veggies, parrot seed, some pellets, a very small amount of fruit. It's a new experience for him and he'll find it interesting. Actually, more solid varied foods should have already been introduced. Now is the time that you'll be introducing foods to find out what he does or doesn't like. All parrots are different and they don't like the same things. Now is the time to get ready to waste money on different things including food, treats and toys. ****Do I add it to his porridge or do I fill one of the bowls in the cage? """"" That may contaminate the new foods. Your bird is old enough to use the beak to eat various things without it being mushy Pet Shop Owner---- yes, he shouldn't have sold you an unweaned bird. Many things can possibly go wrong or maybe not but that's now in the past. Pellets---yes you can feed pellets dampened or dry but not soaked. If your bird likes them, he'll eat them. Reading Material--yes, it's good that you're taking the time to read up on them but the book you purchased isn't exactly the type of book to read. You need more personalized info which can be gotten from various African grey books. Going to your vet to give him an update is fine but all the info here is basic, standard facts about African greys.

Divorce vs Murder --------------- A nice, calm, and respectable lady went into the pharmacy, walked up to the pharmacist, looked straight into his eyes, and said, "I would like to buy some cyanide." The pharmacist asked, "Why in the world do you need cyanide?" The lady replied, "I need it to poison my husband." The pharmacist's eyes got big and he explained, "Lord have mercy! I can't give you cyanide to kill your husband, that's against the law!! I'll lose my license! They'll throw both of us in jail! All kinds of bad things will happen. Absolutely not! You CANNOT have any cyanide!" The lady reached into her purse and pulled out a picture of her husband in bed with the pharmacist's wife. The pharmacist looked at the picture and replied, "You didn't tell me you had a prescription."

**How many birds does an avian vet see daily? Fewer, I bet, which increases the avian vets' overall cost per patient.** He/ she sees enough birds that tell the secretary on the phone to tell the customer that he/she has to wait and make an appointment 1 week in advance. Either he's overloaded with birds or he's simply on vacation for a week in the Bahamas. And then, he makes loads of money simply because you have a wild animal. ******While it's not right to pad the bill, the avian vet needs to be able to stay in practice. ****** Rarely are there avian vets that establish practices near each other so there's plenty of money to go around and heaven forbid, one isn't as good as the next one. Another 50 mile drive is ahead. The main thing here is about unnessary tests that are performed on wild birds and most unknowing customers are at the vet's mercy. The vet says it has to be done, the person does it. Avian vets deal with wild animals. Parrots are wild animals. Regular vets deal with domestic animals. I've seen that happen quite often and other experienced people who've dealt with many types parrots for many years will often say the same thing.

The snows of life can be used when a person is inside their castle and can meditate about the spirituality of man. Universal atoms of the soul can be reignited in transdential glows of the lifting clouds. Deep thoughts and connections to the everyday meanings of the outer workings of loving whiteness will make the mind comminicate with the planets of the outer galaxies that surround our magestic planet that is part of spacial bursts of light and reality that connect with the currents of outer thoughts being a part of the floating atmospheres of our permanency in our minds. Mankind will make the connection and we'll realize that we're not alone in our endless journey to the inner infinity of life.

8 yrs old? 2 in one cage? If you see any signs of extra affection between the two, it may be that the bird is pulling out feathers in preparation of using it as nesting material even though there's no nest around. Both males and females do this. You should contact the other owner to see if they've ever tried to breed. A male and female that old in one cage for a long period of time promotes that. 6 yrs and older is the prime time for males and females to get interested in each other. Since they're both friendly with each other, I'm surprised that he or she hasn't made any advances towards the other. You have any proof positive that they're male and female?

If she's already had 5 infertile eggs, it's time to go to the vet to be checked out. She's still an adolescent bird and she needs the vet to look at her. It's important that you do that now. 5 eggs are way over the limit for a grey to normally have. Her internal system might get damaged.

Hi there. Nice to meet you. Betcha you're really happy now. Get ready for a new experience. Hope you have fun here and if you can, post a picture or two of your new family member.

We here in the US wouldn't have any names or places to adopt or foster parrots in Albania. Different rules, different regulations, different laws. Your best bet is to look up *parrots for sale* or *rehomed parrots* or *fostering parrots* in your country. Owners that have birds here in the US that are up for adoption or for sale aren't allowed to export birds to other countries.

Periodically, this can happen because of the balance he's left with. I looked at your pics and really can't tell whether the lower feathers were clipped at one time. Some clippers leave about 3 to 4 flight feathers so the bird can look good. Anyway, that feather that's sticking out is a blood feather, it's in a place that's a bit painful because the lower end is pricking him. many birds will go full steam ahead in trying to remove it and in doing so, they will pull out or chew the surrounding feathers near the good feather/feathers. Well, if you don'tknow what to do and there's a risk of it bleeding or the others bleeding, it's best to have that feather removed if he can't. Being ornery? Totally understandable because it's very irritating. ***He is sort of dull gray, not bright and shiny like some of the pictures of your birds that I see. *** That has nothing to do with the problem. Birds are either that color or turn to that color until it's been bathed. There may be a layer of dander on his body. Night frights---if he's covered at night and can't see anything, then take the cover off at night if he's not covered at night and can see many things, cover him. Either situation can cause night frights and eventually, a bird will fall to the tray. *****They never break completely off they crack and break and then I have to put him in a towel and cut it off the rest of the way. ***** That's a bad idea. Cutting them off will only make him pick at those cut areas. Compare those areas you cut the same way a bird's feathers look when a bird has been chewing them. A bird will go after those feathers until they're out. ****His beak is rougher looking and has white grooves in them because he rubs it on one of his perches all the time.*** Also has nothing to do with the situation. As a bird gets older, they scrape the beaks, make them look rough with lots of lines in them. As far as clipping nails, if he really needs them clipped, have a vet tech do it but I won't say that your bird needs a nail clipping because I can't see or feel the bird on my hand. Only you know if he needs to be clipped. Ps--if he's constantly fall off his perches while he's having this problem, it may be a good idea to lower his pershes closer to the grating.