judygram

JC has given you some good ideas, I never thought about external microphone, might just do the trick Heather, thanks JC.

I usually leave my birds with someone else if I am gone for more than one day but yes you can leave a timer to have a radio or tv come on to keep your fids company and to help drown out strange noises they may hear otherwise if you have someone coming in to feed and water them. I usually leave the radio on during the day while I am at work so they have background noise. I would advise you to have someone come in every day if possible for some birds do make a mess of their water and that would need changing at least once a day.

Di, has there been anything else that has changed or happened about the same time that may have triggered him to pluck his feathers? Sometimes they do break a feather or feathers when flying into something but they usually will pull it out or take care of it themselves if it annoys them but I wouldn't think he would continue to pluck his chest because of some broken wing feathers. You say he bathes in his water bowl, that may not be enough to get him wet thoroughly, would he accept going into the shower with you or allowing you to bathe him in the sink with several inches of water? It is important they get thoroughly wet when bathing to get to the skin and then be allowed to air dry, this help with dry skin which is sometimes the cause of plucking. Please read these links to threads concerning bathing our greys: http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?189753-Bathing-possible-method-1 http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?189752-Bathing-possible-method-2

See Issac is the same loving sweet bird he has always been but he is entering into the maturing process and he is asserting more of his independence but there is no denying the love you both share, yes you are truly blessed.

Congrats Bonnie on your new acquistion of a baby eclectus but we didn't have to guess as when I clicked on the pic to see it in a bigger frame it said eclectus pic but I wouldn't have known otherwise. We do have several members with eclectus parrots, namely one is Janet, aka Luvparrots. Be sure to indulge us in more pictures as you get them.

Greyt advice Val, I never thought of that but you have been right on top of giving ideas of how and where to look for Mino from the tip given, excellent.

Bonnie that was a great story about Rene demanding her almond from your friend and she got it too, good job Rene.

That is funny how she got her name especially since it was spelled so differently but it fits perfectly, thanks for sharing the story of how she came to be named Bodhi. Yes birds are addicting, they actually have a name for it, MBS which stands for Multiple Bird Syndrome and most of us have more than one bird, I started out with a sun conure then moved on to my grey, I had stopped there but I had a cockatiel land in my backyard this past summer and was unable to find it's owner so I kept her but I know my limit and that is the key to solving that dilemma. Thats great that you have her trained to poop on command but what happens when you have to go away for a day or two or even longer, will she obey that command when it comes from someone other than yourself, something to consider when you realize these birds have a long lifespan.

That is worth checking out and the homeless shelter is the first place to start, it is amazing how many leads you have been given to find out they are bogus, it seems to bring out the worst of the lot. I am glad to hear you are continuing to look for Mino, I have a feeling you are going to find him and soon, I will keep good thoughts that he be found soon.

Dave has given you some excellent advice and I can't add much except to maybe think about looking for another avain vet for if there are paint chips in their bodies then that is serious business, get a second opinion. If these two birds do not get along now I doubt they ever will, they are adult birds and know what they like and do not like and it seems to me by now they know their own minds. Please do keep us posted on how your greys are doing and what the checkup shows.

Hello Gail and welcome to our family, so glad you could join us and we look forward to hearing lots more about you and Bodhi. Thats an unusual name but I like it, does it have a special meaning? I think all greys are geniuses, some more so than others but she is doing great to be just 13 weeks old. They all start out with mimicing all sorts of sounds and whistles which progresses to actual words and phrases. Some do carry on conversations with their owners and though they may not know what the spoken word actually means they do understand more than what most people give them credit for. You won't have to do anything special to make her more talkative, just carry on a normal conversation with her, telling her what you are doing and using the same words for the same things so she associates that item with that word, we have had some members carry on some interesting talks with their grey that way. If you have any pictures of her besides the one in your avatar you would share with us we would love to see them, she is a beauty.

Its nice to see Anna Bella in action again, looks like she has a nice set up there to enjoy herself, thanks Heather for sharing that with us.

Poor Stephen, I knew this day was coming as it has always been so sweet and nice with Issac so far, it couldn't last, finally the terrible twos show their face and Issac is somewhat not his usual sweet self, like Dave said the honeymoon is over, you finally have a real parrot.

Whatever works and I hope it wasn't just a fluke, kudos for finding a way to get her wet.

Hello LucysMommy and welcome to our forum, Happy New Year to you too and why don't you tell us more about yourself and Lucy.

I think she has you trained pretty good.

Hello Morana and welcome to our family, you have one handsome fella there, Zakica is a gorgeous grey, thanks for sharing some pictures of him with us.

I have to agre with Val if there is any kind of veterinary college or equivalent in your area there would be where I would go for some advice, I usually go with what my avian vet recommends but then so many push for things you really don't need and your breeder says different and you need a second opinion about this procedure before you commit to it, research thoroughly before making your decision. If money is not an issue then seek another vet's opinion.

Thanks Lyn and Happy New Year to every member of greyforums and I hope this is the best year yet for all and their fids, may they stay healthy and happy.

Like Dave said your bird may just be a chronic plucker and it may not help to solve the plucking problem but if you want something to kind of help the bird feel warm since it has no feathers on the chest then by all means try it. I recently saw a cockatoo that was wearing one of those sock covers but it was home made one, it wore it to protect it from the cold and it didn't mind it very much at all.

Chris this is sad news and you will have a tough decision to make but get all the information you can get before you make the decision as to what to do about it.

Looks like Cocoa had a fantastic last day of the year for 2010, Happy New Year to you and yours Sanggay.

Ray, how ingenious an idea to encourage your birds to bathe, who would have thought a rabbit litter tray, thanks for the tip.

Of course by now you know of Karen and her new acquistion of a greenwing so you two can compare notes.