TinyTimneh

wow... geez... i've never had my grey go after me like that. how old is your bird? if he's is getting older, plus the fact that he loves 'daddy man' lol and not you, this could be the beginning of bonding-related aggression towards you and not necessarily because he was grumpy from lack of sleep. do be careful and read lots on the subject of bonding related aggression and how to prevnt/correct it so that his little tantrum doesn't repeat itself.

I do not think there is much you can do/give her in terms of pain. Trying to give her something could be more harmful than helpful because many things that are pain relievers for people are poisonous to animals. If she's still talknig and not all fluffled up and lethargic she should be okay. Just watch her and make sure she doesn't start picking at the wound, a lot of birds begin feather picking this way. Remove the grate from her cage and lower perches inside the cage so if she tumble it will be a soft landing and less risk of her reopening the wound. If the wound keeps bleeding and doesn't clot, you have to take her to the vet, birds don't have a lot of blood available to lose and thus get anemic etc quickly. If it clots don't worry. Keep the cage darker than usual, throw a towel over top so she can have a bit of privacy and rest, keep her warm and comortable. Regrowing flight featers does not, (or shouldn't) take years, greys to my understanding molt once or twice a year if in good health with good care. It may be beneficial to allow to her to become full flighted for a little while to let her learn to control her wings and body properly, but obviously only if this is safely possible in your home. Afterwards, you may clip her feathers. The fact that your grey plummets like this suggests the wing clip is too severe. A lot of people think a bird with clipped wings is supposed to plummet to the floor but this isn't true. When you decide to clip her again, clip only a bit of a feather each time, until she cannot gain altitude and only can gracefully flutter to the floor but not plummet like a rock. Also make sure your educate yourself on the proper method of clipping because sometimes when the edge is ragged etc. the clipped ends of feathers poke the bird and bother him leading him to chew them to try and remove them/ groom them back to what they should be, because obviously it is not natural for them to have a blunt end to their feathers.

I would think that if it is safe for you to drink you should be all right. As others have said if you are worried, buy some bottled water or get one of those filters for your tap. I would be wary of using reverse osmosis as it actually changed the chemical nature of your water, and does not necessarily rid it of chlorine (actually, most major cities use chloramine, combo of chlorine and ammonia, which slows down the evaporation of chlorine etc). Reverse osmosis actually takes all minerals out of your water and also reduces the PH of your water to at leat 5, it vaires with the source of water and system, but basically you end up with distilled water (but not necessarily without chlorine). I would be concerned that you might be removing minerals from the water the grey might need, and also could predispose him to problems should you ever have to give him non-reverse osmosis treated water. Reverse osmosis is used in fishkeeping to provide water similar in nature to blackwater rivers of south america and some parts of africa and asia (I've been keeping fish for five years and almost tried using thse reverse osmosis units, they're expensive). Most parts of africa have a high PH water with lots of minerals and 'salts' in the water, referred to as very hard and alkaline water. I seriously wouldn't worry at all about your water, as they say, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it) doing the whole 'special bottled water or reverse osmosis' is just one more thing for you to do and unescessary stress for you.

*Raises hand* guilty as charged, when I first got into thinking about owning a parrot I thought it would be neat to have a talking bird. Plus they seemed so energetic and goofy. I didn't actually want a grey till I met Jacko in that fateful basement. I fell in love with those little grey feathers and soulful little eyes and couldn't leave him there. Did I know a thing about parrots at that point? Pfft no way! But I took the plunge headfirst and haven't looked back since. Life with parrots is a constant lesson, but I couldn't imagine not waking up to a cheeky little grey bird yawning in imitation before he curiously inquires "'lo (never says first half of hello lol) what's up, Jacko (he seems to think if i'm not paying attention to him i've forgotten him so he likes to say his name to jog my memory it seems)?

hmm.. well... see there's a lot of variables. food is a biggie, with different brands and such costing different prices. lets say minimum for pellets is 12 bucks a month (this doesn't include fresh foods or anything) toys... well... the more the better I know i can spend at least a hundred dollars in one trip. The cost of toys at the beginning will be monstrous, so you can have a good stock, but after that might be anywhere from 20-100+ dollars a month, probably more. then there's visits to the groomer/ buying grooming supplies... varies here too, depending on how frequently your grey needs to be seen, usually about 10 dollars every couple of months. harnesses, playgyms, perches... expect to spend a ton of cash here, though most are onetime purchases, expect to spend a few hundreds, maybe more. and then, dun dun dun.. the vet this could be as simple as 150$ for a checkup once a year to hundreds or thousands of dollars if your bird gets sick. thus to wrap up.. parrotkeeping, not for the faint of heart or the thin of pocketbook

oh and to answer you other question it is certainly possible to tame a grey 2 months after he's bought. In fact, the bird might need a couple weeks to become really settled in and start to bond to your family anyhow. The two birds you are considering are in different developmental stages, the TAG is fairly young and may take more work in terms of teaching independance, good eating habits, etc. but should be fairly mellow. the CAG is at 17 months rapidly approaching what is known in parrot lingo as the 'terible twos' or the developmental stage, which is exactly like what it is with children, they start testing and exploring and asserting indpendance, so may not be as cooperative as the baby TAG, but in contrast should be much less fragile, emotionally and physically as he already has lived life a little bit. So in the end, both birds preaent challenges, just depends on how much and what kind of work you want to put into them.

Again, please do not buy a grey so young. Both greys have the potential to be good pets. However your present living situation worries me a bit. Cats are often a large threat to birds, especially if not raised around them. One scratch or bite even if it doesn't break the skin IS FATAL unless immediately prescribed antibotics by a avian vet. The fearless two year old could also be a problem. Both bird and child must be taught to respect each other. Thus if the bird is giving very clear signals he does not want the toddler to touch him, respect those wishes. With a child on the way I also think no one in the family will have the time or energy to devote to a sensitive, fragile, demanding baby grey. The grey might wake the baby up, or learn to cry like the infant, also, some become jealous if they feel all the attention is given to another being and not themselves. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to the two different grey species. One Congo might be very mellow and love strangers, a Timneh might be very standoffish and snobby. Depends on the individual. That said, personal experience dictates the Timneh being a little more goofy. All the Congo's I've ever interacted with have been reserved. But again, nothing is written in stone. Ultimately comrs down to what you would prefer look, size snd colour wise. Although perhaps a larger bird like the Congo may be sturdier... or conversely a Timneh will be less imposing because of their smaller size.

Two months is way too young... still eating from their parents. Even for people experienced in handfeeding a baby parrot it is tricky, and there are many things that can go wrong. These things can leave permanent lasting effects on your bird's physical and emotional health, ESPECIALLY WITH GREY PARROTS. For people who haven't done it before, it is nearly impossible. Please do not buy a grey this young. It is a myth that older companion parrots will not learn and cannot adapt to their new owners. You could very well teach an older grey how you want it to behave. Also, the bonding and taming process is going to be rather difficult either way, you cannot apply all information to every parrot, they are unique individuals. While there are general guidelines, what works for one may not work for another. So there isn't really a way to learn all beforehand, it takes a little experience 'in the field' to handle parrots well. Older greys are usually a bit more stable, emotionally, physically, mentally. They all ready know how to do some of the important things, like bathe, eat, play and whatnot, with little babies like the one you are considering they are completely blank slates so there's a lot of room for error.

It's normal. There's no trust or anything between you two yet. As much as I hate to say this, really, the only real way to quiet your fears of being bitten is to be bitten. Or nipped, or nibbled, either way, let that beak come into contact with your hand. The reason you are so nervous is you don't know what it might feel like, once your hand touches the beak, or vice versa, you've experienced it, thus aren't half as scared. If you are really afraid, try slipping the sleeve of a sweatshirt over your hand and trying for a step-up, it will give oyu more confidence because you feel a little more invincible and through your (calm) confidence, the bird will be less nervous too.

i can't say i've ever flown long distance with any of my birds, but as far as I know, avoid the x-ray machine thing at security, don't pass the bird through, it is harmful. The noise of the plane might spook him, and obviously make sure you are flying with an airline that will allow you to bring him on as a carry-on, the cargo is no place for any animal IMHO, but especially not a bird, and especially not a sensitive little baby grey who's never experienced anything like that before, having to go through something like that could have major behavioural backlash. Just keep him reassured and as comfortable as possible throughout the flight, lots of familiar toys, foods, you know, the whole deal. If you get through that, the car ride will be a walk in the park. Good luck!

i can't really find good pics of my cage ANYWHERE, however, the locks are very distintive, (reminding me very much of the latches common on bathroom stalls or dressing rooms, the one where you push the bolt till it clicks and locks with a button to press for release) they are copper coloured inscribed with asian calligraphy of some sort (i don't know which language) here's the best close-up pic i could find (you can also zoom in further) http://www.petfrenzy.com/details/prodid/535.html

Umm.. hmm.. i don't honestly know but i know the recommend UV light exposure is something like eight hours a day.. that's a long time in a window. as for blue spectrum lamps... i don't know about them, but you could use specifically formulated UV lamps/bulbs for birds (can be pricey) or pick up ones made for reptiles.

personal experience is when you're just starting your relationship with your bird, forget about inside the cage step-ups, at this point, it's just not going to happen. the bird doesn't trust you, and the step-up command isn't entrenched enough so that it is automatic, so really, reaching into the safe domain of his cage right now isn't going to work. when he's really, really, really attached to you and looks forward to being out and about with you, then maybe you can step him up from inside his cage. right now, let him come out on his own, and just hang out, work on the step-ups. when he gets to a point where he loves you, loves being out and about, and knows the step-up very well, then you can introduce a little routine that will put you in charge of the flock, plus reinforce stepping up as a good thing. step one is to stop letting your bird out on his own, if he wishes to come out, make sure he knows he must step-up to leave his cage, do not let him just clamber out of his cage on his own anymore. wait for a time where he's really eager to come out and play, offer your hand and if he steps up, give him lots of praise and then perhaps you can start practing inside the cage step ups daily after that. if he doesn't step up, close the cage, walk away and give him a few minutes, then try again. he'll soon catch on that to come out and play he must step up on your hand from in his cage. but you are not at that point yet, so don't worry about it. good luck.

That's right folks, mr. murphy of the proverbial mr. murphy's law has struck. Juust when I have no time or money to handle a situation properly and the store in mind is closed, things break. more specfically the locking mechanism on Jacko's cage. Ugh. Nothing like that sinking feeling when you go to open the latch and springs pop off... it was definetly one of those ah &*$! (insert preferred expletive here). here's the kicker ladies and gents, I don't have one of those brand name cages... no siree bob... and I'm not about to sell the cage because I won't get anywhere what I paid for it, especially since the top cage is unusable. so yours truly must run around to store wherein i purchased this cage tomorrow like chicken with head cut off and pray to the supreme being of your choice that they in fact know the manufacturer of these cages and can order me new parts or give me contacts to call, either way. ARRGH LOL!! I HATE MR. MURPHY Barring that, anyone know how to construct a locking mechanism for a cage (yes for a decorative point of view, matching locks would be nice but hey, i just want something effective and safe)

Lol, Altair tough? not so much . even when he's really, really angry he just looks and sounds like an angry chicken or something, just sits there and beep beep beeps in a huffy tone lol. he's so funny.

Well, I think that in the long run making sure that step-up/step-down routine is entrenched in her brain, that she excepts being weighed on a scale (personally i have a specific command 'scale' for when i ask my birds to step down onto a scale) and to except being toweled and having wings etc lifted briefly. Basically there's nothing in the short term you can do before tomorrow's vet visit but alot you can do to make future visits less stressful. Also, when your bird is undergoing something particularly stressful (towelling, blood samples or whatnot) LEAVE the room and wait outside the door. This way, the grey will not see you there while this is happening and will not associate you with it. After it is all over, come back into the room and 'rescue' your bird, give her lots of reassurance and snuggles, so you come off looking like the knight in shining armor to your bird, her 'brave rescuer' from the 'awful' thing that just happened. good luck tomorrow at the vet.

new updte on the little guy (girl?0, he steps up from outside his cage pretty good and is slowly calming down inisde his cage if i put my hand in. he eats from my fingers when off of his cage and just tonight ate from my fingers.. inside his cage!! i'm so happy, the little guy is finally starting to tame down. he loves to sit on my shoulder in my hair and just look around, also will sit in my lap for skritches occaisionally, YAAAY!

I've never had a problem with Jacko getting aggressive towards me when he's on my shoulder but he never seems to be able to get a good grip on my shoulder and just ends up flapping and trying to not fall so i don't bother, also, he's aggressive towards other animals and if i hapepn to walk by another bird's cage he will sometimes dive off my shoulder to go after them. I've heard that PVC isn't good for their feet so i'm hesitant, plus it is slippery so I really don't want Jacko getting spooked and then slipping and falling, especially from a hanging gym.

Lol well, Jacko isn't afraid of bugs, he actually likes to chase the flies that get in during the summer (not quuite as funny as the dog doing it, but still worth a couple giggles) but yeah, i think i'm just gonna scrap the bug idea, plus i dunno how many of those 'mealworm eating thru the crop stories' are true but... yeesh... just makes me shiver thinking about it..

i'm sure it'll look great once it's finished but watch the bottom of the stand, it looks very easy to climb down.

well, in my present geographic location we're blessed in that we don't get earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, tornadoes or anything of the sort, so I don't really have much to worry about except for harsh winter weather and the occasisional power outtage. However, i keep enough food, water, paper for cleaning and cage liners etc for at least three days, usually about a week. i store them in a big bag right next to all my birds' carriers (which are right next to my cages) just in case. A recent issue of birdtalk had a good article on having an evacuation kit and what you should put in it, but unfortunately they haven't put it up on the website yet (it's the one with the AG on the cover), keep your eyes peeled and read the article when they do.

Your fid is still just little so it's not too bad if she only wants to cuddle, but you do gradually want to start cutting down on the cuddling and play games with her or else she'll fail to develop independance and only want to be cuddled and do nothing else when she's older. Birds still need lots of cuddles for bonding and reassurance but that can't be all they do. she won't start learning how to be a 'big birdie' if you still treat treat her like a little bird all the time. but again, your bird is still really little so just keep on trying.

okay ,okay, i know sounds like a stupid question. but really, what constitues a good playstand, what do i put on it and how to i get my TAG to use it? he'd spend a lot more time out with me if i knew how to just get him to sit and play (instead of 45 minutes or so of us just sitting together he could have skritches time for let's say 30 minutes and then out time for at least 3 hours), without the usual result of him just sitting there and plucking furiously because i'm not paying attention or something, despite me giving him all kinds of toys and things to do beside me. I cannot continue the nightly hour of one on one time like that, i've work to do so he really needs to learn to just hang out and play by himself in my presence. how do i build a good playstand and teach him to use it, also, being that all of my birds are clipped and probably unfortubately will remain that way if i had the small birds waaaay on the other side of the room on a hanging gym or something and the TAG all the other way across the room on another hanging gym is this advisable? Is it safe? I don't want anyone to get hurt but it would be the optimal way for everyone to get the few hours they deserve.

I was actuslly wondering about gardia, because the patterns do fit and I do have a tiel who are known to be usual carriers of it and she also has issues with her poop, which can sometimes be a symptom. The chronic form of aspergillosis was the other disease i was thinking it might be. darn I hope not though... i know both diseases are tough to cure. as for the molt ease i was gonna pick up today... no luck, apparently they've stopped carrying it. darn, although i will be purchasing an aloe vera plant on tomorrow. geez, if it is gardia or aspergillosis this is gonna be one expensive vet visit...

wow, they actually have 'molt ease' at the local petshop, i'm heading out tomorrow as it is to pick up some quik-stop (finally putting together a birdie first aid kit and emergency kit) and order the aviator harness and those nifty organic pellets i found online. i never knew there was aloe in the molt ease, also, i've tried looking for aloe plants but strangely no luck yet, i'll look for some more florists. lol... never thought of Jacko as a crack head but i guess it's a pretty accurate comparision. i know i started another topic specifically to ask this queston but while i'm at it bmustee for a grey picking under his wings and down the side of his back/neck area and occaisionally a feather or two from the chest and legs what diseases could it be and what tests should i have done?