danmcq

GreYt post on your thoughts and comments Dave. With your decades of experience, it carries a ton of weight in my opinion.

GreYt comments and thoughts Dave.

I do believe he wants to go outside REALLY BAD this morning...

LOL! True enough, that is his name and he knows it.

Greys will get "Winded" sometimes when they are in chill mode and then go from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye. Their Air sacks are not filled and ready for that adrenalin rush and muscle use that direly needed oxygen all of a sudden. Even though day fly's around all the time, he gets winded if startled while he's been relaxing and then rockets around the room for a few laps. When he is playing and active flapping here and there, there is no hard breathing at all. It's all about getting those air sacks filled and plenty of oxygen in their system. I agree with wingy, try various things to entice him to fly more often and no I don't mean scarring him... Offer a nice tempting Neck shot several times a day.

Hoping for the best and prayers your way.

That does work! I wouldn't change his name.

Dayo eats all the safflower seeds as well. In watching him and jakes eating habits over the years, the various seeds and nut quantities consumed and type change depending on whether that are molting or not. Instinct is a powerful driving factor in all birds. They both consume more sunflower seeds and nuts like almonds, walnuts and dry roasted non-salted peanuts when they are molting. The same is true of fruits and veggies they consume more of depending on the time of year.

The flip flop of emotions is understandable on her part. At least that means she cared for Cotay. There is no doubt Cotay is better off and happier at your home. I'm with you on the thought that money for the vacation and the time away from Cotay will close the deal.

Hoping for the best on that white blood cell count. It's good to hear he is starting to calm down after that horrifying event. I am horrified every time I go to the doctor as well. Maybe next time I'll bite them and see if they make the next visit less painful.

Sounds like a GreYt roomy to have, with the stamp of approval by Marco.

Welcome Evie and thanks for this post. I posted several times about the nutrition values at various times on this forum when it comes up. They are not "Evil Food". I agree with you wholeheartedly. My grey and conure has sunflower seeds mixed in with their birdseed and harrison's pellets mixed each day when I prepare the seed and veggy bowls. Most the time many sunflower seeds are left untouched, somedays maybe a quarter or half are eaten.

I hope that cute and loving peach front conure is reunited to it's owner. Thanks for posting this. Perhaps a member or two here in that area know others in that community that will pass the word and so on and so on until they are found. Jake our peach front conure was found eating in the back yard at a bird feeder and let one of their children get a step up and take him in to their home.

Just ONE neck pinch? A few hiccups are expected. But, with your and hubby's loving care that fear is slowly melting away. All creatures crave a sense of love and belonging. Your starting to win your hearts desires because you are providing that since day one.

It is disturbing to hear they kill them. I would imagine the flocks numbering in the hundreds or maybe thousands could destroy a large crop rather quickly. Here in our area where fruits, vegetables and grains are grown in enormous quantities they use air blast canons that go off every 2 or 3 minutes which keeps the birds away. I have also seen some crops surrounded by party steamers made of 2 foot long shiny silver, red and blue hanging from a suspended wire about 15 feet off the ground and as a slight breeze blows they move and flash. There are numerous ways to keep birds away these days without killing them.

I have no doubt you are, the head cook, bottle washer, carpet cleaner, take care of account payable, do the shopping and make certain everything is maintained in tip top shape.

Poor guy, that hurts. The tip of their top beak is very sensitive, thus the chip is painful when used right now. He will be ok and the vet may prescribe a pain killer. Soft foods will be the food items he will eat until it heals. I look forward to an update after the vet visit today.

It's good to hear you have a good avian vet there that has given some good insight in to Sukei and the tests are good. I am looking forward to updates on how all this pans out.

It is good to hear Gracie has gone in to a more calm period. I swear they are just like raising a very young human child that goes through emotional swings.

It's good you spent the time to figure this out. That look of just tolerating it with wings and feathers all closed is very familiar to me.

Wingy is spot on. Gracie is only limited in the sense of what she is exposed to. Start counting out how many walnuts, peanuts or other items you give her that are favorites. You can give her flowers like tulips or other safe varieties of different colors and name those colors. She will soon pick up for example that she wants a purple, orange or yellow flower depending on her taste preference. The sky is the limit on what you can expose her to and teach the various aspects of them. The most important thing is consistency, time and patience. I counted out various items to dayo for a few years until he got it right. he will tell me how many pistachios he wants, or make 3 kiss sounds and tell me " Three Kisses". So you can apply counting to not only visible items, but sounds for example. They will pick up the concept of anything can be counted. You will see those wheels turning while she listens, looks and processes what you are trying to convey to her. But. I will say the more complex concepts take much more time for them to master and use.

LOL, great story of Isaac's manipulating you. He is so full of character and always has been. I always enjoy reading of his antics and watching his video's. You've been missed!

An hour of sunlight outdoors a day is much better than zero. Then add a good avian light like a Avian Sun 5.0 over there cage to provide good lighting the rest of the day. If it's not too hot, we keep our birds out for around 4 hours until it becomes too hot. As we being fall, we will have them outdoors up to 8 hours. Of course optimal, would be a grey outdoors from dawn to dusk just as they are in the wild.

I love this story. Nature for the most part, are protective of young humans and sometimes even adults. http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/08/world/asia/kangaroo-saves-lost-boy/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2#cnn-disqus-area

Here are some short snippets from various bird food manufacturers on diets and what the bird community is coming to know about diets. They have come a long way, but all are still on a learning curve, just as we are. “It is true that we are at the early stage of understanding the nutritional and behavioral needs of captive birds. Based on the research studies conducted at the Hagen Avicultural Research Institute, HARI, an example of the quantities necessary to fulfill the dietary requirements for a healthy double yellow-headed Amazon on a daily basis would be approximately: 30 grams of Tropican Extruded Formulated Granules, 3 tablespoons of Tropimix Low Fat, and a total of 3 tablespoons of various fruits and veggies, pasta etc.” --Mark Hagen, M.Ag. director of the research Hagen Avicultural Research Institute, Rolf C. Hagen, Inc. www.hagen.com/hari/welcome.html “Eighty percent of what a pet bird eats every day should be highly nutritious, extruded nuggets to provide the correct balance of quality ingredients necessary for good health. The nuggets should be fed free choice. The remaining 20 percent of the bird’s diet may be a combination of vegetables, fruits and seeds, depending on the pet owner’s preference.” --Darlia A. Morris, DVM, director of technical and veterinary affairs at ZuPreem www.zupreem.com “The jungle is rich with available food sources and parrots, being foraging animals, expect food to always be available. If a bird has no food available, its stress level increases, along with the probability of problem behaviors. We give our birds an array of foods, including a choice of fruits, veggies, Nutri-berries, Avi-cakes and pellets. When combining various foods, it is important to provide enough food for the entire day, taking into consideration the fact that a healthy parrot will enthusiastically toss approximately 50 percent of its food.” --Dr. Ted Lafeber, president & CEO of Lafeber Company www.lafeber.com “Our research finds that, on average, a Congo African grey only consumes about 30 grams of extruded diet daily, which is only a 1/4 cup of food, and a cockatiel only consumes about 11 grams of food daily. If we control the amount of food we are feeding our pet birds, we will help them live a longer, happier life and also help keep their cage and surroundings free from some debris.” --Michelle Goodman, avian research center manager for Central Garden & Pet’s avian & small animal business unit including the Kaytee brand www.central.com “We recommend feeding the appropriate Harrison’s Bird Foods product as 90 percent of the total diet. The remaining 10 percent should consist of certified organic vegetables and fruits - specifically dark yellow meaty or dark green leafy items, such as sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, winter squash, broccoli, parsley, spinach, mango or papaya.” --Dr. Greg J. Harrison, founder and president of Harrison’s Bird Foods www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/ “Obesity can occur in pet birds when energy (caloric) intake exceeds energy outflow. In these situations, limiting high-caloric foods, providing activity-related treats and toys and ensuring regular exercise are the best means to monitor food consumption and control weight.” --Ronald Reid, Zoologist/Nutritionist, director technical services for Sun Seed Company www.sunseed.com “Sunflowers are considered the most complete vegetable protein known. Sunflower’s nutritional profiles reflect high levels of essential fatty acids linolenic and linoleic, plus oils leic, oleic, palmitic and stearic. Sunflowers are also high in lecithin and vitamin E. Sunflowers are a high-energy food and need to be fed in moderation, unless of course, your bird receives good exercise.” --Edward J. Schmitt, president of Goldenfeast, Inc. www.goldenfeast.net “An Amazon needs a lower fat diet, while a macaw or a grey can use more fat. To me, more fat means a few healthful nuts a day, such as almonds or walnuts, etc. I literally count out my pellets for my smaller birds like Amazons or mini macaws. I can measure a little more by 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup for a larger bird.” --Adriane Chernus, owner of ParrotNutz parrot Treats, LLC http://parrotnutz.com/ “Hiding fruit bits and nuts in toys, hanging wet greens from the top of the cage, providing a wide variety of fresh and dry foods and, most of all, making sure our birds aren’t allowed to choose one food to the exclusion of all others is the job of a responsible bird owner.” --Deborah Droke, president of Peck n Coo Bird Treats www.peckncoo.com/ “Birds require a variety of vegetables and greens on a daily basis. Kale, collard, chard, mustard, turnip, beet and dandelion are safe to feed to your bird on daily basis without a reverse affect. All cabbages and bok choy can be served daily. Broccoli and sweet potatoes are to be given daily.” --Donna Jensen, founder of Winged Flowers www.wingedflowers.net