danmcq

That is a GreYt photo of Charlie. Thanks for sharing it Sheila. :-)

Mistyparrot gives good advice. At 7 years old, he has fully matured, has his likes and dislikes and is now in a new home, flock he is not familiar with and surrounded by new furnishings. Believe it or not, him climbing out of his cage and crossing the floor to check you out is a HUGE step for him. It mean he had come to the conclusion that the surroundings out of the cage were safe for a quick jaunt to test the waters. He also found that your were ok, didnt try to molest him in any manner and behaved yourself in respecting his "Space" and his bubble of safety. Keep encouraging that behavior, have a treat that he likes like a peanut, sunflower seed, grape, apple piece etc. and offer it to him to come and get it. This will build the trust further. Do you know much of his background, how he was treated, whom he lived with and why he was given up? The background information will give you tons of good information to help you work out this new relationship for the two of you and understand what some of his baggage may be. Post often, ask tons of questions and keep us informed. We care immensely about these wonderful sentient beings and their owners. :-)

Shera36 - A baby TAGs eyes at 4 months old are still dark. They start lightening at around six months. It sounds like your is correctly aged by the breeder. Mollysmum - Your TAG is beartiful and definately older than 4 months, probably more around 6 or 7 months. Also, Molly is about as big as she is going to get at that age. She may put on a little more weight, but not grow much more structure.

Thanks for posting photos. :-) How are things with your new TAG?

Wow! Beautiful shot Lyric, thanks for sharing this. :-)

Geeez, I am very appreciative of the comments, little jabs I love from beloved members that have been here since the dinosaurs walked, like me, and all the kind words from all. Now I am speechless. :blush: NOT!!! :evil: Dave - Isn't that how we all get our Mates and Greys in line. ;-)

That article brought out many things observed in feedback it seems from a sample group of around 100, which is interesting. Thanks for posting this. :-) It would surely be interesting to see a full blown study in the wild, as the author suggested. It is truly disappointing that in all these years, one has not been conducted. She may be onto to something regarding the age at which they "Leave" the nest and mothering to joining the flock at different ages. Karma to you!! :-)

Well, it's 6:30 am here at work and thinking of putting my Grey Dayo in charge of Marketing. Revenue coming in has decreased and maybe if I can train Dayo to tuck his leg up and hop on the other with a tin cup, we will pick up some additional revenue. ;-) My Hat is off to Jen with the Idea of making your Grey a Key player in your business. :-)

I never did figure out why they were called "Flight Suits". They have nothing to do with flying and everything to do with holding poop like a baby diaper and getting all over the poor baby. :sick:

Is Molly flighted? If not, be confident in yourself and ball your hand up in a fist with the skin stretched tight across the back. Move your tightened fist in under her with the back of the fist facing her and just make her step up and take her to the cage. If she is flighted, that's another story and you will not have much control over the situation other than others advised to ensure all her foods are in her cage and perhaps try to bribe her back in with a treat. :-)

It appears that he is molting. Looking at the great photo you provided. It seems that the feathers have their tips that came out of the sockets, meaning they were not plucked, but molted out. None appeared to be chewed, unless you see some that I can not in the photo. It is a shock to see feathers all of a sudden though. :laugh:

Thanks for sharing that video clip of Sierra. "What Ya Doin" comes in loud and clear, but the only other thing I can here is I believe Rigel is saying "Sponge Bob"? :-) Exciting stuff, no? :-)

Hi Jen, Kitty^3 reference to "Blue" light is actually UVA and UVB. That is a different story entirely. They can see in the UV spectrum and it greatly enhances their visual world, remember seeing a Moth and how colorful it is when fluoresced with UV light? That's what your grey can see all the time if UV from natural sunlight or from a special full-spectrum UV lamp that many of us use. The "red" lamp is Infra-Red and produces heat and will not harm your Grey in any way, well unless he fell a sleep against it. ;-)

Awww, Coco just wants to be with you and where the action is. :-) Walking on the floor is perfectly normal. The only exception to that is if they feel unsafe there due to other critters like dogs or cats. As Gryphon pointed out, they do feed on the ground as most all bird do. You are doing absolutely nothing wrong. :-)

Welcome jhhuhma and Echo!! Cherish those baby chirps and panting that they do when with you. They are normal and Echo is letting you know he is one happy camper being with you. As long as Echo behaves himself on your shoulder, it is fine. I personally do not buy into the principal of a bird being higher makes them feel like they are dominating you. They are not Dogs and birds naturally do not have a "Leader" or seek to become one. They are a flock and all have the same rank in their eyes. The others have also given GreYt information. Looking forward to hearing more from you. :-)

Welcome Donna and Coco!! I love that video. I posted it here on the forum almost a year ago when I first found it and added to my favorites. Coco just loves that music and to dance. :-) I am sorry to hear about your cat. Looking forward to hearing more from you.

The age sounds about right. Here is an image showing Dayo's eyes at 6 months:

A general rule of thumb is if your comfortable without a coat, your bird will be ok. They acclimate to temperatures as they naturally cool off and heat up over days and weeks with the seasons.<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2008/11/17 14:58

They do not fall off their perches when sleeping normally. Their Talons actually lock in place mechanically and require mental thought to release them. Your Grey may be moving and slip perhaps? If not moving and slipping, there could be a health issue causing this and you may want to visit your vet. One other thing it could be is a smooth perch and improperly clipped nails that do not hold to the perch well enough.

LOL Pixie, great photo, thanks for sharing it. :-)

Crock pots are fine. Covered with their lids. They do not put off any harmful vapors like you would expect from teflon coated pots and pans. Sounds good, whats for dinner. :-)

Hello and welcome JRenegar!! No, you can not leave any pet alone for 1 or 2 days with just food and water hoping it will last, not become contaminated by poop, food items scattered or dipped in it etc. That would be a health hazard and cruel to leave them alone with no one checking in to ensure they are ok, give them some attention and assure them all is well and they have not been abandoned. You can leave non-perishable foods in the cage all the time such as pellets, nuts, seeds, birdy bread etc. Do not leave fruits and veggies in the cage which start growing bacteria and become rancid after a few hours. Please have a friend or family check on your birds and any other pets each day you are gone, give fresh water and food, interact with them etc.

Hello PipJulLor and welcome to the forum!! If I'm calculating all this correctly he was flighted at around 12 weeks old, allowed to fledge for four weeks, received a modified clip, the a hack job that left him completely flightless and falling like a rock. That is a terrible thing for him to have experienced at an age I would estimate to be around 20 weeks ( 5 months) old. Now a year and a half later, at the age of two, he is combative, experiencing extreme discomfort from his mutilated feathers that have continued to be broken and plucked by him due to the constant pain and irritation he continually experiences. Put the maturing process on top of that, the terrible two's and exercising his right to decide if he wants to step-up or come out of his cage on top of that. Then experiencing an extrication from his cage when he wishes not to at that time along with your frustration and anticipation of a fight and I see a disaster and bad experience every time. One word I have not read, is Veterinarian, Avian specifically. You mentioned he could not afford to lose anymore weight. What does this mean? Has he always been under weight or did he slowly start losing weight some time period ago? Weight loss is generally attributed to illness and thus my asking where the Avian Vet is in all this? The first thing you need to do is get your Grey to a Vet and have tests run for possible illness and the vets opinion of the condition of his feathers and plucking issue. The second thing you need to do, is open the cage door and let him decide when and if he wishes to come out, with no drama that well exacerbate his frustration. The third thing to do is start misting him atleast 2x a week with 100% Aloe Juice from a spay bottle until he is soaked. This will help relieve some of the irritation from the prickly feathers and dry irritated skin. The fourth thing you need to do is make sure he has plenty of play and foraging toys in his cage to keep him mentally challenged and entertained. The fifth thing you need to do is evaluate his diet and ensure he is getting proper nutrition by a well balanced diet of pellets, some nuts and seeds, veggies and fruits. Also, Red Palm Oil which you can purchase online from a health food store such as Swansons should be added by dripping 10 - 15 drops of it melted on his pellets, mixed in with oat meal, eggs etc. Most importantly is to be relaxed, he can pick up on your anxiety and will reflect it back to you. Be calm, be patient and allow him to basically come and go as he pleases while offering treats and encouraging him to come over and visit you for a while with no conditions. Looking forward to hearing more of how this progresses.

Welcome Kimberly!! Wow, what a nice introduction. Rescuing is a wonderful thing to do and it sounds like you and family have really done your homework on African Greys. It sounds like that Timneh will have a virtual Parrot Paradise by the time December 6th gets here. Enjoy the time at the classes and at the rescue as the chance to interact with that Timneh presents itself. I'm praying that MacKensie has FOUND her forever home. ;-) :-)

Welcome Mollysmum and Congratulations on getting your TAG!! Looking forward to hearing more. :-)