Dave007

I have to strongly disagree concerning the giving of medications to parrots who are chronic pluckers. I've rarely seen that habit go away because of medications. All medications are sedatives and will work temporarily but not permanently. Even your vet has finally come to the conclusion that the bird's plucking is physological which is just another word used to descibe a chronic plucker. Even your vet said that there's nothing that can be done medically to stop this habit. A person who suffers from depression may finally be given the right medication or combinations of medications to the problem but the problem comes right back when the person decides to change the dosage or even stop taking the medication. That's chronic depression. A person may assume that when bad things happen to their bird, the bird starts to pluck. Many of these things that are going on throughout the day may not even be noticable to the person around them. Chronic pluckers will also pluck when wonderful things are happening. A chronic plucker makes no distinsion between good and bad things. A bird may be given his or her favorite treat ( more than usual), eat it and start plucking again even though what has just happened was wonderful. The chronic plucker may stop for a while and begin again as soon as the area being plucked on has some new growth coming in. Or he or she may temporarily stop when distractions are around. The bird has to pay attention to those distractions and may again react by plucking or even nothing will be happening and the bird plucks. I say all of this so that you can understand the difference between chronic and acute plucking. I've dealt with chronic pluckers before. One of my birds was a chronic plucker but I had the advantage of knowing why it was happening. It took 3 yrs to change that habit. The advantage I had was that I knew the bird was doing this for one major reason--he was alone in a cage and in the house 10 hrs a day, 6 days a wk for 2 yrs. The owners had to work everyday.The cage was a bit too small and he had loads of toys. Because of the lack of room to manuver because of toys, his only target to work on was himself. It wasn't the owner's fault. They knew nothing about handling the problem.

Well, smelling clean is lots better than smelling bad. I really don't know about them giving off a scent. I don't believe it's anything to worry about though. After a long time of bathing birds, the most common thing that a person notices is the amount of dander that was on the feathers. That's especially true if the bird is put into a sink that has a few inches of water in it. Antways, my nasal passages are numb to their odor other than medical situations. The nose knows. In case your bird has a date, put on some Old Spice and he'll smell alluring and sexy to HER.

This is Tee. he's my TAG and he's 16yrs old today.

Hi and welcome to the board. Anticipation!!!! Ain't it great??? Hope you enjoy yourself here.

Hi new kid on the block. That aso goes for Gabby and TAG no name yet, YNA, half moon conure and your english budgie PLUS your husband. Enjoy yourself and try to post some oics of your whole family when you get a chance. Welcome aboard.

It's always a good idea when your bird starts nipping at the nozzle to stop the spraying and let him bite at it for 20 to 30 seconds and then continue. It lets your bird see that the enemy isn't that bad.

I don't know how many times it's gotta be said but I'll say it again for those who aren't familar with a certain ongoing problem here. For the longest time,myself, Dan and others have constantly told jamalbirdbiz ( I don't even wanna take the time to type out his name) to stop giving out loads of the craziest information about loads of subjects. He has absolutely no idea about what he's talking about. He has no qualms about giving out these types of idiotic statements and although many of the members who've been here a while already know about him, many new people don't know, which is the reason I type this out. Some new people might even think that what he says to do may be legitimate and that's definitely dangerous. The problem is that he has a brain the size of a walnut. He's told over and over to stop saying crazy things but it's extremely hard to penetrate the very hard shell of a walnut. So, take what he says with a grain of salt and remember that he's basically a mental midget.

Personality change? He's still a baby. Personality changes don't happen untill they're at least 6 to 8 mts old. I agree with Jayd and luvparrots. It may be checkup time. Sleeping on the bottom of the cage is not uncommon but it happens very sporadically. Of course it may be the heat or just boredom. If he's still playful through all of this then it's a good sign. """He jus wants to sleep on Chris shoulder r sofa and is just cuddly quiet which he's not been !!"""" As baby greys and other parrots settle in, they become more calm and relaxed. A shoulder is a nice place to relax but play it safe----either call or visit a vet.

Yes, it's fine.

There's no set amount of time when that'll happen. It'll depend on how much was clipped, how many flight feathers were dying and were near the point of naturally falling out or whether fresh or dying feathers were clipped at the same time. Some clipped feathers will fall out quicker than others. Those will be the first to get new feathers but other older feathers will remain and new ones will grow out later. It also depends upon the blood supply that each feather had before it was clipped. So all in all, it may be a short period or long period of time. Not to scare you but regrowing flight feathers has taken about 3 mts to 1 yr in some cases and it all has to do with what the stage was when those feathers were clipped. Eventually, they'll all match up but that make take a while. Of course you can try the *imping* process that's been talked about here but be prepared to spend a large amount of money and understand that the original feather that's still connected to the body that's getting an addon which is a dead feather,won't prevent the the feather that's connected to the body to not fall out when the time has arrived when the blood supply dries up and falls off. What that means is that the original clipped feather plus the dead feather that's connected to it will all fall off.

"""""Alan has 6 greys in a very large indoor/outdoor aviary linked to his house,all are rescues.He has given me the option of letting Charlie stay with him for a couple of weeks to see if he socialises with his birds. he is hoping he will bond with one of his birds and I can then bring them both home,hopefully with a non plucking Charlie.I am very sceptical but have agreed to give it a try.I am hoping that charlie will be so distracted he lets all the pins grow through without pulling them out and then leaves them alone."""""" I'd like to give a bit of information to you about birds are classified a chronic pluckers--It's really not a good idea to put a chronic plucker in with birds with the intention of changing behavior. Other birds can't alter a chronic plucker's habits concerning plucking. Your bird just may get the idea to try it out things with the other birds and there may be a serious accident which often happens to chronic pluckers who have exposed areas. There even may be an increase in the plucking when and if the bird gets nervous. Usually, the person needs to accept the diagnosis of the bird and provide a different way of dealing with a bird at home that has a problem such as chronic plucking. I doubt that being with other birds will alter that behavior. Be happy that he came back with a clean bill of health but even a clean bill of health won't alter a chronic plucker's habits. Even avian vets have nothing at their disposal that will change those habits.

There's no set amount of time when that'll happen. It'll depend on how much was clipped, how many flight feathers were dying and were near the point of naturally falling out or whether fresh or dying feathers were clipped at the same time. Some clipped feathers will fall out quicker than others. Those will be the first to get new feathers but other older feathers will remain and new ones will grow out later. It also depends upon the blood supply that each feather had before it was clipped. So all in all, it may be a short period or long period of time. Not to scare you but regrowing flight feathers has taken about 3 mts to 1 yr in some cases and it all has to do with what the stage was when those feathers were clipped. Eventually, they'll all match up but that make take a while. Of course you can try the *imping* process that's been talked about here but be prepared to spend a large amount of money and understand that the original feather that's still connected to the body that's getting an addon which is a dead feather,won't prevent the the feather that's connected to the body to not fall out when the time has arrived when the blood supply dries up and falls off. What that means is that the original clipped feather plus the dead feather that's connected to it will all fall off.

Actually, you should have changed the cage when you first got him. Many bad habits disappear when a bird is taken from an area that he knows very well. That was an area in which he was more comfortable in and was allowed to continue those habits ( if he had any, such as distrusting people or nippiness). A new cage allows the bird to learn about something new. He doesn't have the savvy to do things like he did. That learning would have been--new cage--new people--new envirnment--new household habits etc. This is especially true with older greys who use their home ( which is the cage) as a fort. Will the move bother him? hard to say. Birds are affected in different ways. I really don't know how your will react but usually, the problems associated with moving eventually subside. Bonding won't happen because of any move. That happens when the owner spends lots of time with a bird in a permanent location such as your new address. Bonding and moving have nothing to do with each other. """"So, should i wait for him to trust me in all of this and then upgrade his cage, """"" Well, if it hasn't yet happened since January, I doubt it's gonna happen just because you're moving. If you cant handle the bird now, you'll need another person to help you out when you relocate. Look at this way----If your bird had to go to a vet that was far away, would you wait until the bird trusted you before going or would you have another person help you out to get the bird to the vet? Just make sure that the bird is covered when moving so he doesn't see all the intense actions going on.

Let this also be a lesson to everyone but in a different way-- It's something which I've said over and over to people but many don't believe it. Always keep in mind that the african grey grows up and displays traits and actions which may shock so many people, biting in particular when it's least expected and people take it personally and blame themselves. The cuddly stage of a grey is gradually disappearing as the bird gets older and starts to do things which were never done before--biting, being aloof, obstinent, not wanting all the cuddliness and touching that he/she was getting, wanting to be more independent etc etc This is the natural well known personality of an African grey be it a Congo or Timneh. The adult african grey is not a *cuddle* bird when adolescence and adulthood arrives. It doesn't happen to every single grey but it does happen often enough with loads of greys that it seriously alarms people again and again. Some other species are just the opposite and other species are neither but we're talking about the african grey.

Your bird may need more humidity and less time near areas where sun comes through. It may be too hot in his area. It should be about 65 to 72 degrees. It could be from feathers pinching him especially if he was clipped in the past. There's a good chance that he's also plucking those areas because they were irritated when the plucking got worse and the best thing to do right now is to put a soothing salve in his skin where you see the plucking---not on the feathers, on the skin. The skin may be itchy causing the plucking. Baths don't necessarily remedy that situation. Aloe vera juice won't remedy extreme plucking either. Go to a drug store and purchase a bottle of 100% ALOE VERA GEL. Either you or your boyfriend should hold the bird and the gel should be rubbed into the skin. It's not toxic and it sinks in very quickly. Repeat this 2 or 3 times a week depending upon how intense he is about the plucking. The breast and surrounding soft feathers can get irritated and inflamed quickly. I may be wrong here because the photo isn't clear but if his tail only has 1/2 length, the bird is chewing on it, not plucking. It really doesn't look as drastic as you think but now is the time for treatment. """""The vet said it could have been dehydration from pooping so much. But what could have caused that? He hasn't done it since then but it was scarey and we were really worried. """"" No one knows your bird like you. It wouldn't be a good idea to diagnose what happened. You spoke to the vet, he gave an opinion, your bird is not doing it anymore. Nervousness causes a bird to do that but that's all I'll say about it. There may have been other reasons but they were obviosly temporary.

It has to do with natural instinct that's built in to them. All parrots will do that. They'll even sometimes do that immediately after getting a thorough bath as long as the bowl water is colder. It really has nothing to do with the size of the bowl or whether they get very wet or not.

Basic First Aid Kits. Used for possible minor problems that happen from time to time. Thin strips of gauze toothpicks Ice cream popsical sticks cotton balls needlenose pliers ( may be needed to use in an emergency ) Quik Stop or other type of blood stopper. Aloe vera gel 1% cortizone cream thin strips of bandages and First aid tape ( preferably clear) small strips of thin towels 1 sock with the foot area totally cut off. Make sure it's roughly the same size as your grey. Length should be 6/7 inches. 1 small bottle of purified or spring water to be used at room temperature An addon complements of Spinner (Dave) 1 - A roll of vet wrap is an essential item - it is a simple way to wrap the bird to restrain an injured wing. Remember, not tight - just loosely wrapped. Have a couple 12-18 lengths pre-cut. A sock is another method, but I find the vet wrap to be easier to put on when dealing with an injury. 2 - A couple of towels - one a soft bath towel, the other a thinner kitchen towel.

That's something you'll have to ask the medical/ science labratories that deeply deal into that type of subject of the animal brain. I've never seen a bird with OCD or ADD

My opinion is that it's a waste of money. It's just another item on the market that manufacturers advertise the benefits of such an item. Think about the 1000s of birds both indoors and outdoors who never used a *thermal perch* for many years. There's plenty of items that are sold for birds, dogs, cats and other pet creatures that are also a waste of money. A simple type of advertising that appeals to people who are trying to do the right thing for their pets. Loads of people simply go out and buy a concrete perch which the bird perches on and many times it keeps the claws short or blunt and also for scraping beaks. PLUS, your bird may not even like it.

Your english is perfect. Water--I guarantee you that he's drinking water. You may not see a lot gone but they don't drink such a large amount that you'd notice. Simply give fresh water everyday. Your bird has been with you for an extremely short time and there's loads of things that you'll eventually see that will be new to you. That includes food, behavior, acceptance of others, getting used to a new environment. These things take quite a while to happen. Food---There's many things that you can feed right now but I would stay away from a lot of fruits. They're acidic and a bird doesn't benefit from a large amount. As far as feeding veggies, you may have to prepare them in different ways until they appeal to him. never expect him to like all the different types of veggies that you offer. You'll eventually see his preferences. Although some people may disagree, it's my opinion that you should buy a decent type of parrot mix along with a decent type of pellets and feed that. Use separate bowls and don't use large quantities. You see, your bird will eventually get hungry. I guarantee that too. Along with paerrot mix, pellets, veggies should be also given. The darker the better. You'll need to experiment and that takes a while. Right now, your bird is just getting comfortable with all the new things around him.

It's a combination of peeling and scraping. I can see that the bird is young so that happens often with a soft beak. It doesn't look like anything to worry about. Two things---- 1---You'll eventually see what looks like a crack going from left to right on the beak. The beak isn't cracking. New growth is coming in and replacing the softer top layer. 2---As your grey gets older, he'll lose all of that nice shiny black color on the beak and it'll be replaced by a scratchy greyish color. That happens after a long time of rubbing the beak on different things. Enjoy the nice and shiny and smooth beak while you can. Forget that red line on the face--it was for something else

Because your bird is in that *inbetween * stage, which is actually a bird that's slowly going from a clipped situation to an unclipped situation, adjustments have to be made. Your room is a nice size even if you don't think so. You keep your bird confined which is normal. You're worried about the kids so as far as the kids approaching your bird when going in, you should train your kids to make some noise before going in which is basically talking to each other. That lets the bird know that there's people around, near by and they're gonna come in. Before coming in the bird becomes alert and watches the area where they're gonna come from. It's not uncommon to do that. Sometimes it's actually necessary. An example---my 3 pairs of breeders. They're enclosed ( door closed) and very intent on whatever they're doing. There comes those times when I need to feed and water them, check out their physical condition, look for any odd things that need to be fixed or corrected, cages needing to be cleaned,needing to see general behavior. So, when I'm going towards the door, I make sure that all of them first hear me talking so there's no surprises. I have to do this even though I've had the birds for years and all of them know me and my wife. Sometimes, there comes that time when not only the bird has to be trained but also the kids. Kids will be kids.

If your cage has wheels, roll the cage in. Put a cover on the cage. Give him treats when doing this. If you can't do that, put a light towel around him and bring him in and put him on the floor. It's up to you. People use the towel method to clip their bird's claws or to examine certain parts of their body when something is wrong. People also use towels to put their bird in a carrying case to go to a vet. people also use towels to get their bird back into a cage if the bird can't be retrieved. When that happens, many people start some sort of stepping up training so the bird won't zoom all over the place. If your bird is extremely nervous with you right now, you may have to put the whole process on hold until he's calmer with you. For some people it wouldn't be a hard thing to do. With others, there may be difficulties.

Find an empty or at least not cluttered room that has a door that can be closed. The reason concerning cluttered is that your bird will definitely fly and you really don't want him high up so he can't be retrieved. That defeats the whole purpose. Make sure it's generally quiet in the room and the door is closed. Put your bird on the floor and let him get used to you and him being alone together. Have a couple of different sized perches with you. Have a toy on the floor. Let him investigate toy. Practice getting closer and closer to your hand or the perches. At first use the longest perch. Constantly talk to your bird repeating * step up now* Put perches or your hand very low ( by the floor) and and just above the feet/claws. Have your bird get used to your hand or perches. This process won't be immediately successful. Your bird will probably fly away. Eventually, your bird will settle down because of repitition and will investigate the perch or your hand and eventually will step up on it. When that happens, you should remain sitting on the floor and let the bird get off. NO Pressure, just relaxation. Do this a few times daily and give many treats throughout the process. Nuts are good if he really likes. If not, use something else which he loves. Don't worry about the amount you give him. Eventually, stand up with the bird on the perch and go back to the cage or stand. Repeat this about 2x a day and try to do it daily. Work your way down to the smallest perch. Eventuallly, substitute your hand. He'll be much less nervous after lots of practice and involvement with you. Expect to get nipped at when you start using the hand. I say this so you won't be shocked. It's a natural thing that some do. Make sure door stays closed and even more important, try to tell people to stay away when you're training. Explain to them why this has to be done. Notice that I use the word* eventually* . The reason is that your bird may take a longer or shorter time to accept the whole process. All birds are different. One other important thing----put no time limits on this whole training process. As I said, it'll take time but eventually, your bird will consistently step up on your hand when he's in his bird area no matter who's around.

You're right. The only reason that the band numbers are almost identical is because the birds came from the same breeder. A breeder in another part of town can put something else that's different on the band that's totally different so ID wouldn't be the same. Most of the time, markings only apply to a band which has codes and you would have to ask that breeder exactly what the code means. It may be identification of a bird or maybe not. """"I was under the impression that rings were only put on captive bred birds. """" Birds who are bred by private breeders are privately bred chicks. Birds who are bred for the purpose of selling in a pet store are commercially bred chicks. None of the chicks are captured. What you're referring to is wild caught adults, not chicks and the practice of importing wild adults has been against the law since 1992 here in the US and other countries have similar laws. There is another type of band called *open band* which can be taken off or put on a bird and that bird can be any age. It looks like a closed band but has a slit in it and it can be pried open or clamped shut over and over. Any type of markings can also be put on an open band.