dblhelix

Greyyyt news! Please do update us on the details when you have a moment of calm! Again, congrats on getting him back!! :)

wow, bummer. Glad to hear you are all "ok". I bet you will be sore for days/weeks ahead and some of it may come on in the next 48 hrs...scary. Tks for sharing. :ohmy: Hopefully you will not need ongoing medical attention for the pains...

Tiffani - My condolences to you and yours.

Voted!

Welcome coopersmom!!

Welcome Pam!! B)

Molecular biologist. I am the Operations Director of a biotec company performing Nucleic Acid Tests, Oncology marker screening, SNP testing and cytogenetics. We screen the majority of the US Plasma for viral markers (over 12 Million donoations/year) with FDA approved PCR assays and provide inividual patient testing in virology and oncology. In my free time (not much) I like to hang out with my wife and pets, surf, mtn bike and go camping. No kids yet...but new home owner!

In general, the more info you provide yourself the better. I have not read the "Well Behaved Parrot" book referenced. I can say that "For the Love of Greys" is very useful. I say go for both! :silly:<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2008/03/29 04:01

When we got Kip around 6 months she was 350g on the money. Over the course of the last year she has bounced around a bit but overall had a steady increase in weight. She seems to have stabilized off right at 400g (for now). The normal weight for CAGs is from 350g to over 500g. Some are less than 350 and some tip the scales at 600+. All the birds are different, just like us humans. The "normal" healthy weight for 1 bird may be quite different than another. Below is a useful link I have posted before about greys, size and geographic relationship that I still think is very informative http://www.africanature.com/Project%20Africa/wildgreys.htm<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2008/03/29 03:23

Welcome Thomas!

Nice shot!

Martix, I hope you see improvement soon. In any case, I would not provide calcium supplement unless recommended by an avain vet after confirmed blood work. Unecessary/excess calcium can cause severe problems as well. Most greys (males and females) will do perfectly fine their entire lives w/o any supplement provided they are on a balanced diet. Please keep us posted on the status.

Sounds normal to me but a vet visit for a new grey is a good idea in any case. Do you/have you owned other birds? I only ask because often "new" owners to the bird world will think the nare clearing is a sneeze (which it is not) and suspect illness when it may be completely normal. Keep us posted in any case. B)

Hi Lupa, Tough to tell for sure what you are observing w/o hearing or seeing it for ourselves. It is pretty normal for them to clear their nares several times a day. Sometimes they will do this more than others for various reasons. The nare clearing sounds very much like a sneeze as it is a quick burst of outward air. How many "sneezes" do you observe in a row? The nare clearing is usually 1 or 2 quick bursts and thats it for a bit (sometimes hours etc). How old is Shani? How long have you had her? My guess is that this is normal, but again w/o seeing or hearing its is difficult to assess. Are there any other signs of illness like lethargy, decreased appetite, labored breathing, weight loss etc? If you are very concerned there is no substitute for a vet visit even though more often than not it is unecessary. Hopefully others will weigh in with additional advice.

Congrats Judy!!! You are the heart and sole of this place with quick, helpful and fun responses to all. Keep them posts coming! :P B) B)

Chint, My condoleces to you and your family for this loss. It must be very difficult to deal with particularly given the unexpected nature. I agree with others that you should consider a necropsy. The information you may be able to obtain regarding the cause of death may be critical to the health of your remaining Grey and any other birds you may keep in the future. All the best to you in this difficult time. Please keep us posted.

For those of you that remember, I found a stray budgie late last August that we took in. Named her Macaroni. Here we are about 7 months later and yesterday, for the first time, she trusted me enough to stand on my hand...breakthrough? My wife caught a few quick pics. We will see how it goes in the next few weeks!

Greetings Nick, Whether you choose to keep you bird clipped or not the importance of allowing young greys to fledge and become fully flight profiient BEFORE clipping is irrefutable. If you have this option, work with the breeder or ensure you purchase an unclipped baby and allow fledging. Full fledging means the bird is completetly flight proficient and can hover, bank, fly up, down and land exactly where it intends to. Learning these motor skills at the natural age has profound developmental advantages with motor skills and other neuronal changes that can ultimately impact the birds personality as well. That is not to say many many birds are out there that did not have this opportunity. There are and many are perfectly happy/healthy. But if you have the choice, you should at least allow this learning period to take place before clipping, if you choose to do so. As others have indicated, this issue will probably be a sourse of debate amongnst bird owners for eternity! There are pros and cons to each approach. You need to research and determine what would be best for you and your pet given your living circumstances. Personally, I am a big supporter of keeping birds flighted as I beleive the advantages outweigh the challenges/risks. But there is not right or wrong per se. Please do read some of the lenghty posts on this forum about the topic. There is a lot of good information out there and if you have specific questions post away and people will share their thoughts! Keep us posted on your decision. B)

Kip helped herself to breakfast...muffin with cream cheese...

Sounds like you are making great progress! Regarding car trips, you need to exercise the same precautions you would if you leave a child or dog in the car regarding potential for overheating (weather dependent). You need to have a travel type cage with food and water. I would not recommend keeping them in the car unattended for extended periods, but a short stop at the store or for a bite to eat on a road trip should be no problem.<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2008/03/19 01:49

Kristin, Sorry to hear of this and glad it seems to be improving. This must be distressing. I would caution you to be mindful of your response to this situation. If you fuss, fret and provide more attention as a result of this behavior you may actually be reinforcing the very thing you are concerned about. I realize this is waay easier said than done, but you do need to be aware of this possibility. Next time Makena is not happy he'll repeat the behavior if that gets him the attention he wants. You may also want to make a plan (nothing immediate) to get Makena more used to a routine where he actually spends more time in the cage while you are home and not only when you are out. This may sound harsh, but the truth is that he needs to be comfortable with time in the cage as it is unlikely you will be able to have him out as often as you may now in the years ahead. Things change and you need to try and get him on a well rounded routine. Of course they want to be out and we all need to ensure we provide enough bonding time every day, but it should not be every minute of every day! So, stuff to think about for the long run. For now I would focus on stopping the behaviour, but really give some thought for gradual changes you may be able to work on now that will pay dividends in the future. Please keep us posted (I know you will). I hope for continued improvement on this!! B)

Sorry to hear of this. For the flights to come copletely back in may take a year or more. Each clipped feather must completely molt out and this happens gradually. In general Greys are heavy bodied birds and if you keep them clipped they should have a "custom" clip, based on the birds size, flight determination etc. Most only should have 4-5 primaries clipped. In any case, you wil need to take some extra precautions now to prevent injury and phobia until your bird learns that it no longer can fly. A few bad falls can really scare your bird and make it distrust its own body, it does not understand why it cannot fly...try to keep the bird from high places and pad floor/areas around where it hangs out so if a fall does happen potential for injury is reduced. Keep us posted on the status. All should be fine with some envt changes, but this will take time and patience now.

I use and really like "Leach Hookbill" seed mix. It has all kinds of goodies, dried fruit, star anise, safflower, papaya, peanuts, almonds, cocunut flakes, cinnamon sticks, peas, carrots and I am sure other good stuff I am forgetting. Kip really likes it. She always has access to that and gets a big bowl of fresh stuff every day plus harrisons pellets. I believe that with a good and varied diets a good seed mix offered is a must... B)

Hi Lucy and welcome. Sounds like you are doing a great thing to give this bird in need a new home. Keep in mind this will take some time for the bird to adjust to its new home, you, new living conditions, new routines etc. The bird is most certainly scared right now and unsure. It does not know that you intend to give it a great new home, a good diet, more interaction, toys etc that it will ultimately like. I would not introduce new toys at this time, unless the bird is known to take well to that. They will usually become relatively adjusted to a new place in about a month. It is rarely faster than that and commonly longer. If the bird did not have much interaction, toys, attention etc in its routine with the last owner you need to be careful not to overwhelm the bird. Put yourself in its place...it is most cerainly scared and uncertain. I would think a vet visit is a good idea. Is it eating well? On a varied diet with fresh veggies, fruits etc or just on a seed diet? Is the bird clipped or can it fly? Regarding getting the bird used to you and surroundings, take it slow. Offer treats through cage. Let the bird see you, smell you, hear your voice. Talk to it through the cage and if it seems engaged you can try more interaction. Many people have good luck leaving the cage door open and if the bird feels comfortable it will climb out of the cage. Again, time will be your best friend here. Assuming the bird is relatively healthy there is a great chance it will indeed become a valuable member of your family. B) However, it may take a year of more for the bird to really settle in to you and its new home. I would be careful not to overwhelm it with toys etc, particularly if it did not have many previously as this can be stressful to them. Every bird is different, but greys are often rather suspicious and spooked by new things at first. The degree of sensitivity has a lot to do with what and when in their lives they were exposed to diversity. So, I am not sure I answered your questions. Suffice it to say that with patience and consistent positive interaction you can build a great relationship this animal. Do not expect change overnite. If healthy they are long lived animals (50-60yrs avg) and as such things take time! I am sure other members here will provide additional guidance. Please keep us posted on the status, cruise around and read threads here (there is lots of good info) and do not be afraid to ask/post questions! B)

Kip is saying lots of stuff and learning all the time. Her newest, as of yesterday, is saying "Popcorn!". We gave her some the other day and said that to her as we offered it, so of course now she is repeating it!