danmcq

Hi Richardsmommy, Thanks for the great comments on posting etiquette and the idea to give the other poster the benefit of doubt, rather than taking something as hostile. :-) That is one of the reasons I absolutely hate :pinch: email at work. I avoid email conversations at all costs, if they can be handled face to face or via phone. The absence of tonal fluctuations and facial expressions :woohoo: makes reading how something was truly written almost impossible, with out the use of smileys, sad faces etc. :laugh: :woohoo: :side: Thanks for pointing all these points out!! Sorry to hear of you constant pain, you must be a strong person to deal with it day in day out and still find it in your heart to post as you do. I applaud you!! Karma to you!!B)<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2007/10/20 19:38

Welcome Dave and Ade!! Thanks for posting the great introduction here in the welcome room. :-) We'll look forward to hearing from you often.

Hi Lisa, The Powder coating coming off is one sign that you should consider replacing your cage in the near future. With the coating gone, rust will start occurring and can be hazardous to your Parrots health. Also, if any of the bars are spinnable by hand, it's time to re[place the cage. Stainless Cages are definitely the longest lasting cages, but you also pay dearly for them as you indicate. A well maintained Powder Coated cage can past decades if you maintain it properly.

LOL Talon - I'll bet you were surprised and overwhelmed with pride with the Birthday Song you enjoyed. :-) Can't wait to see the video of it!!

Hi Dave, You are a wonderful person for rescuing and taking on the responsibility of your Grey. I feel so saddened by your description of how he was maintained for 5 years...unbelievable!! With no feathers for balancing and probably never fledged properly to gain balance and confidence, falls are somewhat common a grey. I would make sure a complete blood work-up is done as others here already indicated, if the vet did not perform one when you took him in. Once you get his plucking stopped and feathers fully in place, you should let him remain flighted at least long enough to gain confidence in flight and balance. One other thought, are his claws possibly trimmed too short? That would cause him to lose his grip while perching or navigating about also. Just make sure you keep some towels or other type of padding if possible on the cage bottom to cushion the falls so he won't split open his chest from a fall. It's really good that he seemed to pick you and is less aggressive towards you than others. I am sure you are becoming his Hero, if not already. Also, get some Aloe Juice from a Walmart, Walgreens or a Health and Vitamin shop. Place it in a spray bottle and mist him down with it full strength everyday if possible. It will keep his skin supple and help promote feather growth. Keep us posted on your progress and any questions you may have. We have many experienced users here with decades of experience in rescuing Parrots and nursing them back to much loved companions for you to draw on there expertise.<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2007/10/20 17:34

Yes, I second Judy and we are all waiting apprehensively to hear that all is ok!!! :-) You know how we are on this forum...Your Grey is just as dear to us as if he were our own.

Welcome Lisa!! Sorry to hear of your experience regarding Katrina and not being allowed to take them with you. Animals, Birds and all living animals have the right to live also and it is hard to believe the way the Katrina hurricane was handled. I cannot imagine not only losing your home, job and loved pets as well. It's good to hear you have made a strong come-back and are thriving! :-) You would not be disappointed in ownership of a Grey. They are a wonderful and the most intelligent Parrot of all. Looking forward to hearing more from you.

Lisa - Dr. Friedmans course sounds interesting and it seems she tours and speaks at bird clubs etc. I love her comment: "When asked how she became interested in working with companion parrots in particular, Susan explains with a wink, "I have always loved working with juvenile delinquents!" So true!!

Welcome Lisa!! Sounds like you have done a wonderful act in rescuing those FIDs :-) I'll bet they have brought much joy to your home and vice versa. Looking forwards to hearing more from you and your adventures.

Never heard of a "King" African Grey. What you are describing sounds more like an African Grey with the "Red Factor". This is a mutation that causes red feathers to grow on their body in places other than the Tail. It is not a different species of Grey as this breeder is seemingly trying to imply. You can do a search for Red Factor here on the forum and find comments and photos of greys with this mutation.

Welcome Eddie!!! Your Grey sounds like a character, "whatever" I love that, true to Mozart's form :-) Thanks for joining the Forum. I'm sure you will find it fun and informative.

Hi Judo, You can order it from here and it is a great price. http://www.swansonvitamins.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10051&SourceCode=INT999&productId=16591&R=12729&healthConcernDropBox=null&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&Ntt=red+palm&keyword=red+palm&N=4294967182&brandDropBox=null&productDropBox=null&Ntk=Level1

Makena!!! Your always posting great content and the laughs you provide are always welcome too. :-)

Hi Heather, The only thing I can think of is possibly something has changed or been added to that room or perhaps something scared her severely recently? The other possibility of course is an underlying health issue, but I would first consider the above questions. :-)

Beccy gives great advice. The introductions and play times will just need to be done in a safe, controlled and closely supervised environment to ensure all are safe from damage. :-)

Hi Stephan, I think you should keep the Cage due to it being the only safe familiar place of safety he knows, as you indicated. Just watch the Cat - Grey interaction and referee it. You do not want one Cat scratch on your Grey, it could be lethal from the Bacteria contained in those claws that just scratched around in the litter box. :-) Many use the "Bountiful Weaning" method. Offer him all types of veggies, fruits, bean mixes etc. through out the day. It will encourage him to try and find various items he likes and then you can capitalize on those in nursing his weight along.

Hi TinyTimneh , You should try a local Health/Vitamin stores. That was the only place I could find Aloe Juice. It was at a store simply named "The Vitamin Store". Walmart nor any of the drugs store chains such as walgreens or rite-aid had it here. If all else fails, order it online. :-)

LOL Cyard, I feel Ya :-) I went through the same waiting anxiety myself three months ago. But, the wait is almost over and all the fun and adventure begins!!! :woohoo:

Hi Acappella, It sounds like you have a lot to do in a compressed amount of time now. One thing though, is I would not worry about the teaching him to step up and transport to a sleeping cage being shortened so drastically. You will find that since Dorian will be with you 24/7 now and no longer living in the crazy and ever changing people and noises of the Pet Store that he will know with out a doubt you and him are bonded and companions forever. :-) The living room where you and all the activity takes p[lace is the best place for the Cage location. Greys love being a part of all thats goes on in THEIR flock and know how the flock acts and communicates. As others have said, the fumes will be gone due to your taking all the right step to ensure it. Good luck!! :-)

Oh Boy, Dayo's not burping so far, but neither Kim or I Burp loudly if ever. Now I do have one Grandson Son that Belches louder than most grown-ups. I am going to talk to him about NOT doing that around Dayo's earshot ;-) Dayo Yawns when tired, but I can get him to yawn if I act like I'm yawning. It must be infectious to them as it is to us humans. :-)

Good point Beccy. :-) I don't ever take Karma either. As you stated, ti would be nice if anyone taking would say why. If it's merely a difference of opinion, it is not a reason to do so. Now if you just don't like how someone looks, thats completely understandable. ;-)

Well said Joe :-) It's a little cool here this morning at 48, but supposed to be 72 this afternoon. There is also some Fog starting to form now after the recent rains and will only get worse as winter arrives. We have several days of zero visibility here in the San Joaquin valley in the winter that spans 100's of miles......I hate driving in it, but must to get to San Jose. There is always big multiple car pile ups out here in the winter on the Freeways.

These links both provide a good understanding of this disease, how it is spread and species/age susceptibility. The one element I find most important is controlling it in aviaries and contact with other birds. It seems for example our Grey could be a carrier and spread it to a breeders aviary if we visited them with our Grey in hand for just a nice chat. Which could result in a severe outbreak in the babies through out the aviary. This is rather eye opening when speaking of the importance of quarantine. Now I am wondering about the visits we have paid to our breeders home. Which I know she has had no instances of this disease, but still, that risk is always there. Thanks for bringing this to light, so we can all make sound decisions of where and when it is appropriate to visit with other Parrot owners, I am going to do some more reading on this to come to a clearer understanding of it.

So, this bird walks into a store and.... A seagull in Scotland has developed the habit of stealing chips from a neighborhood shop. The seagull waits until the shopkeeper isn't looking, and then walks into the store and grabs a snack-size bag of cheese Doritos. Once outside, the bag gets ripped open and shared by other birds. The seagull's shoplifting started early this month when he first swooped into the store in Aberdeen, Scotland, and helped himself to a bag of chips. Since then, he's become a regular. He always takes the same type of chips. Customers have begun paying for the seagull's stolen bags of chips because they think it's so funny.<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2007/10/17 18:01

We use the Aviator on Dayo, it works great and comes with a dvd to help you properly introduce the harness to them. But, if you looking for a poop-catcher, the flight suit would be the way to go for now. :-)