danmcq

Hi Dave - I would expect nothing else but rock solid facts and GreYt information from you as always. After all, if it were not for you, none of us on this forum would have known about red palm oil being such a critical need in an African Greys diet for optimum health. Not to mention using Aloe as well.

Oh yes, those peppers are hot and the residual powder can burn!!! I hope your lips are better this morning.

I am sorry to hear Luigi has injured his leg. An avian vets attention is certainly needed. I hope Luigi is at least stable today and look forward to hearing what the diagnosis and treatment is. I am with others on stopping the metacam until the avian is seen. It is widely used by vets and avian vets, but all creatures just like humans body react differently. It can cause internal bleeding and also internal organ failure amongst other issues.

Per Harrisons guidlines, we mix in the correct amount with eggs, veggies and drip a drop on each pellet mixed in with seed mix. We also get bags of Harrison's hot pepper birdie bread mix and stir RPO into it then bake as well. Harrison's Sunshine Factor Daily Bird Supplement boasts natural health benefits from oil extracted from the fruit of the red palm tree, Elaeis guineensis. This whole food source of carotenoids, Vitamin E (tocopherols and tocotrienols), coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and antioxidants helps support the health of your bird's eyes, skin, plumage, heart, and immune system. Sunshine Factor is a convenient source of natural nutrition. Offer directly or liquefy and mix with your bird's food. Great for all birds and may improve energy level particularly beneficial in geriatric, pediatric or weak patients. Created using sustainable agriculture practices. Harrison's Sunshine Factor Daily Bird Supplement is the perfect "secret ingredient" when making tasty Harrison's Bird Bread. Omega-3 Sunshine Factor contains 14.75% Omega-3 fatty acids to help balance the abundance of Omega-6s found in commercial animal diets. Suggested use: Administer orally 0.1-0.3 ml per 1 lb (.45 kg) body weight or 0.02-0.05 ml per 100 g body weight. Alternatively, mix 1 tsp liquefied Sunshine Factor with 1 lb of food.

Is she still sitting on your shoulder or interacting with you? It almost sounds like she is reguring for you??? Which of course in an act of love.

I believe that was me. When we brought Dayo home from the breeders, they would not let him go with out a clip. We were very good friends with them and yet even with all our plea's from the beginning that we did not ever want him clipped, they start insisted. They did do a "Light Clip" and he could still fly about 20 feet as he slowly lost altitude as he progressed. It sounds like Timber is building those breast muscles and they do when fledging by holding on and flapping like a mad man. Thats wonderful! You can also get a step-up, clamp their talons with your thumb and move them up and down encouraging them to flap. Note:This should be done with a happy attitude and excited voice so it is not a fearful experience for them. One other thing we did with Dayo was place T Stands and boings in locations just close enough that he soon learn if he launched and flapped like a mad man, he could make it from one to the other to get to where he wished to go from room to room. As his muscles built up, he could maintain altitude further and further. It was close to Dayo being two years old before the last pair of primaries molted out and then came in as full feathers. I suspect because it was a light clip, they never bothered or irritated him and thus just molted out in there appointed time.

It could certainly be that she had accidentally swallowed a whole nut and had to work it back up.

Thats wonderful news. You are learning different techniques to get Alfie in his cage.

Oh yes, a loud noise will certainly startle them if not expected when doing it on their own. Then they know the cause and effect.

Happy Birthday Chloe!!!

Wow, it sounds like things having gone very well for Romeo and you along with your family. It is always wonderful to hear of a relationship develop like this and a grey becoming considered as a family member, not a pet! The photos are wonderful. In regards flight, those primaries will slowly start molting out and full primaries coming in. As they do, lift will grow exponentially. Once he starts gaining distance, you will need to be careful with windows and mirrors by putting little stickies that are visible and introducing him to them if you have not already started.

As others have so rightly said. The only way to get a grey used to something new and fearful to them, is to place it say 6 to 10 feet away from where they are normally hanging out at. Over time they will either move closer to it for further inspection or you can move it a couple of feet closer to them until they finally get used to it and actually start going and touching. Every grey si different in how long this may take. It also depends on ow different ti looks to anything else they have ever seen or came in contact with. You will just need to place it in the area and wait. Believe me, once your grey gets used to it, she will love it.

Dave does put things in perspective and gave great answers. As he said, they are sound machines pretty much and use them to communicate. I can only offer my perspective based on how you described your interactions with kirby over the years. It sounds very similar to how my wife and I have interacted with ours, from the time we met him at 5 weeks old at the breeders until now 6 years later. That is constant conversations, some whistles on my part (wife can't whistle) like andy griffith and returning dayo's contact calls. This is whether he is in his cage or out flying around or perched somewhere. When we leave a room out of his sight he will whistle, talk or make sounds he has picked up over the years. This seems to be similar to how you have interacted with kirby. This type of natural social behavior of contact calling and vocal interactions with the flock really cannot be stopped. It can though be lessened to some extent using a replace methodology that works to some extent. When we leave a room whether he can still see us or not, we tell him where we are going and what we are going to so. I work at home full time doing software engineering support and use a bedroom converted to an office. I am in and out through the day. My wife is disabled now for the last year and so she is home all day long. So the dynamics changed here and dayo would contact call loudly for long periods of time and I actually had to sound proof my office as best I could so customers would not hear those contact call whistles and sound effects. It took a few months for him to get used to it, but I always would tell him "I have to go work on the computer and talk on the phone". He still whistles sometimes, but ,most the time since he knows where I'm at and what I am doing he will just wait because he knows I won't be back in the general living area for at lest an hour. Now, when my wife leaves his view, the same but more intense contact calls take place, she is his love muffin and he is always exasperated over where she is at all times when not present. She has worked really hard as well on telling him exactly where she is going and what she is doing. he can either join her or stay where he is. As I said he is flighted and can go anywhere in the house he wishes and most the time will fly to her shoulder and ride along. Many times he elects to just stay on his T- stand or hang out on other favorite perch/play areas. He now most the time will just say where she is and what she is doing once out of sight like "Mommies in the bedroom folding clothes". This has replaced the contact calls for the most part, except if she is gone past whatever time period he has in his mind it should take. Then he will start a few loud contact calls and she will respond with "I hear you, just a minute". Then he will quiet down for a little more knowing she is still in range and acknowledged his call. I must say, this has taken a year to get to this point and the loud contact calls still happen, but to a much lesser degree. I hope this helps give you some ideas of what to try.

Hi Maggie - Looking forward to more videos.

Thought I would share Red Palm oil facts from Harrison's. I hope this helps in everyone understanding it's importance in your Greys diet. Sunshine Factor - Here are the Facts CLAIM 1: Sunshine Factor is simple palm oil. FACT-CHECK: Incorrect. Sunshine Factor is made from red palm FRUIT oil. There is a very significant difference, and there are many commercially available sources of simple palm oil, but few of red palm fruit oil. Palm fruit oil is a cholesterol-free member of the vegetable oil family. It has been erroneously grouped together with coconut oil and palm kernel oil under the "tropical oil family," which are known as high-cholesterol or trans-fat oils. Palm fruit oil is one of the most nutritionally filled vegetable oils currently on the market. Red palm fruit oil originates from the flesh of the fruit from the palm tree Elaeis guineensis. This oil is not hydrogenated or processed and contains no trans-fats. It has a dark orange to red color. Palm fruit oil is naturally semi-solid at room temperature and does not require hydrogenation. It is an excellent replacement for partially hydrogenated fats for many reasons. Like other edible fats and oils, palm fruit oil is easily digested, absorbed and used to maintain a healthy metabolism. Read more about the differences of red palm oils. CLAIM 2: Use of Sunshine Factor results in high LDL cholesterol, clogs arteries, causes heart disease due to high levels of saturated fats and varying other negative claims. FACT-CHECK: Incorrect. In human studies, the general properties of red palm fruit oil include the following: decreased incidence of arteriosclerosis, lowered blood cholesterol, decreased occurrence of blood clots by increasing vasodilatation, lowered incidence of strokes and heart attacks and improved immune function. Red palm fruit oil has also been reported as a “chemopreventative drug,” because it has been shown to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells and improve the effectiveness of tamoxifen therapy. Red palm fruit oil is considered to be one of the richest natural sources of carotenoids. The benefits of carotenoids in humans include their antioxidant and anticancer effects. These antioxidants scavenge free radicals. The accumulation of free radicals in human medicine has been associated with heart disease, cellular aging, cancer, arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease. Carotenoids are needed for the growth and repair of body tissues, the formation of bones and teeth, the resistance to infection, the development of healthy eye tissues and proper cellular function and differentiation. Red palm fruit oil contains beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lycopene and phytoene. Beta-carotene can be converted to vitamin A as required by the body. Alpha-carotene may also be converted to vitamin A and has been found in human medicine to be superior in the inhibition of some forms of cancer in cell-culture studies. Red palm fruit oil is rich in multiple forms of vitamin E. Although it is often assumed that there is only one type of vitamin E, there are actually eight different forms. These include four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta). Most diets only contain alpha-tocopherol; however, the tocotrienols are considered to be far superior in their antioxidant effects. The general properties of the tocopherols and tocotrienols in human medicine include the following: inhibit the enzyme that controls the rate of cholesterol synthesis, decrease LDL and triglycerides, raise HDL, increase immune function, have anticancerogenic properties, lower risk of cataract formation and modulate the formation of prostaglandins controlling a component of the inflammatory cascade. Palm fruit oils are the richest natural source of antioxidants, such as tocotrienols, which may exhibit activity against tumor promotion and, in turn, inhibit certain types of cancer. Tocotrienols may also have the ability to reverse blockage of the carotid artery and platelet aggregation, which reduces the risk of stroke, arteriosclerosis and heart disease. In one human study, 31 subjects took a palm fruit oil supplement every day for 30 days. No other changes were made to their diets. They continued to eat whatever they desired. The results showed that palm fruit oil supplementation lowered both total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol in all volunteers. The magnitude of reduction of total cholesterol ranged from 5 to 35.9 percent and the reduction of LDL cholesterol ranged from 0.9 to 37 percent. What was even more important was the effect the palm fruit oil had on the cholesterol ratio. The cholesterol ratio was reduced in 78 percent of the subjects, demonstrating a highly significant and favorable response to supplementation (Tan, 1991). CLAIM 3: Sunshine Factor is associated with deforestation and the devastating loss of natural orangutan environments in Malaysia and other areas in the South Pacific. FACT-CHECK: Incorrect. Sunshine Factor is made using Brazilian farmed red palm fruit oil. Sunshine Factor is a sustainable agricultural product grown on long established farms. It is not harvested from tropical rainforests in locations where burning for new plantations continues to add to the destruction of tropical rainforests and threaten endangered wildlife. Our farms are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). CLAIM 4: Red palm oil is loaded with beta carotenes, which convert to vitamin A in the body. But so are carrots, winter squashes, peppers, dark leafy greens, apricots, mangoes. If your pet is deficient in vitamin A, doesn't it make more sense to improve the diet than to use a supplement? FACT-CHECK: Incorrect. In order for the body to convert carotenes (precursors) into vitamin A, the diet must contain fat, which would be found in the oil portion of Sunshine Factor. Most other fruits and vegetables do not contain fat essential for the conversion process, and most contain only the beta-carotene precursor. On the other hand, Sunshine Factor not only contains beta carotene, but also has high levels of alpha-carotene and 20 other carotenes in a concentrated form. An animal would have to eat 300 times more carrots, for example, to reach just the beta-carotene level found in Sunshine Factor. ______________________ Changes of note seen in usage of Sunshine Factor in birds, reptiles, dogs, cats, and other small mammals: - Improvement in coats/plumage - Improvement in skin quality - Increased and more consistent energy levels particularly in senior patients - Decreased usage of arthritis medications - Lowered blood cholesterol levels - Improved weight gain and health in pediatric patients - Increased the effectiveness of antihistamines for allergy patients

Oh Jan, those blind side bites certainly catch all us off guard! It does sound like the combination of things like just opened the cage, the change of normal routine with you going to the tank then walking past with arms help in an unusual position while hurriedly walking past Tobie instigated the quick bite. It is good to hear Tobie realized he had hurt you in his knee jerk reaction, based on your comments. The addition of not being "Cleaned up and Dressed" as you normally are probably added to the abnormality of that morning. I know sometimes when I am being lazy on a weekend and am not cleaned up before I uncover the cages, dayo gives me the oddest looks sometimes with hair mussed up, sleepy eyes and all. He sometimes fluffs up as if to say "Ok, what did you do with my REAL daddy?" It is those quick shots we never see coming that truly alarm us. I get them every once in a while as well and they are normally when I am at his cage doing something. Those are the ones that you realize you are experiencing severe pain from somewhere on an appendage and then look to see and then know you have been or are being bitten....OUCH!!!!

Hi Beth, great to hear from you! Happy hatch day to Hawkins. I am sorry to hear of your health issues. I have no doubt having Hawkins with you is therapeutic. I do hope to hear from you more often. I'll bet you have a ton to share.

Hi Jan! I loved this story and it certainly shows just how much goes on in Tobie's mind in analyzing your statement and then his perfect response. You do know "There can be only One" wild bird in your home. It's always a pleasure to read your posts and hear of Tobie's conversations with you. I hope to hear of many more!

LOL - Sounds like one of them saying in a soft voice Step Up and Good a long with a few other chirps and joe nodding his head as in Ditto I'll step up.

The others have given great advice and comments. I can only imagine how good it feels for Rita to be able to go where and when she wants. I could only liken this to being confined to a wheelchair for the beginning years of ones life, then one day a doctor comes along with a "Fix". I would go every where I had always just sat and watched from a distance and inspect, feel, smell, taste etc. everything I could not previously enjoy due to the limitations. Now liken this to Rita, she can now reach places when and where she wishes. One can certainly understand the joy and wonder of it all to her. She has no idea which places or things are ok and which are off limits. Thats what Dave and Janet are talking about. It does take time to figure out ways to keep them away from an item or area you do not want them in. As mentioned, stuffed toys with eyes will keep a grey away from an item or area until they get used to it, then you will need to get a different looking stuffed toy. In regards her wanting to be with you or your husband when watching tv or whatever. This will continue even with a T-Stand or hanging boing in the room. They do enjoy the one on one time. We do have a T-Stand in every room or hanging boing. The T-Stand has food cups on each side and stands around 4 feet high with a tray underneath. Our birds will hang out with us on the couch and get scratches or just sit and chill or when they decide thats enough one on one time, they will fly to the stand, eat some food and just chill there. All these new dynamics and experiences for both you and Rita will be a time of trial and error until you get figured out what works for you guys and her. But, I will say we have 4foot by 6 foot fleece blankets we place on the couch and us for when we are all hanging out in the living room watching tv or a movie. It keeps poop and food off the couch and you can just throw them in the wash for quick cleaning when needed or just remove them when company is over. These are all things you will figure out as you go. Good luck and as you have already seen here, there are plenty of us with flighted birds you can ask for help from.

I believe one inch would be too large. You do not want your TAG to be able to get it's head between the bars and outside the cage. I am uncertain of where you are looking at cages at. I have a macaw size 5.5 feet tall by 4 feet wide and it is 3/4 inch bar spacing.

Congratulations on the first anniversary Murfchck and Bongo!!! Ringing the Bell symbolizes the "Ringing in of the New Year".

Thats good news. They sure do keep an attitude when they believe we wronged them in some way.

Congrats! It seems since Sophie did not develop the neural synapses for flight when young and clipped, that she just did not have the mental attitude that she could do advanced flight maneuvers. But through the inspiration of watching Kiki do something she truly wished to do, she tried and succeeded. It does bring joy to our hearts when we see or winged wonders perform these "Firsts". Thanks for sharing this. I'll bet Sophie was doing the happy dance when she made the landing.

UGH!!! Your right. people just do not have a clue in helping a grey and their owner in need of help to ensure a quality life with a person with at least experience with a grey that needs tlc and a handler that knows when to back off and give space and just share the room while they acclimatize to their new home and flock of humans and maybe another parrot.