BMustee

You could try Ebay...many sellers ship worldwide and may give a discount if you buy more then one item.

Here are a few links to places you can buy the Molt ease and other brands that have the same stuff in them. Lets hope it's just dry skin and not something like Aspergillosis or Gardia. http://cgi.ebay.com/KAYTEE-EZ-CARE-MOLT-EASE-SPRAY-FOR-BIRDS-8OZ_W0QQitemZ220097825952QQihZ012QQcategoryZ3211QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247 http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=6576 http://www.mybirdstore.com/Grooming_Supplies-Canopy_Molt_Ease_16oz_1.html

The only birds that need grit are doves, with the exception to Diamond doves. The whole idea behind grit is it hulls the seeds while in the crop, but as we all know from just looking at our floors our parrots are able to hulls seeds before they eat them. Some people just can't get it out of their heads that their smaller birds need grit so I tell them to use an oyster shell grit that is soluble so there is less risk of crop impaction.

When I'm not home Elmo isn't very active from what my family says. My step mom says that when I'm not home she never hears a peep out of him, but when it's around the time I normally get home he will start making some noise. I think when we are gone our greys use this as their quiet time, and when we get home they spring into action. I believe Elmo uses his time by himself to plot against me and come up with new diabolicle schemes.:evil:

Elmo is 1 year and 5 months now. She's been trying to talk sense she was about 6 months but I don't count that, she started talking clearly at about 11 months. Some of she speech is still gargly and I can't tell what exactly she is saying, but the "Elmo...come...here" was clear as a bell. :laugh: She knows when she is getting into something she shouldn't because I don't even have to scold her any more. All I have to do is point at her and give her the "evil eye" and she says "Don't you...Don't you do it". Hahahahaha, cracks me up every time! She yells at her toys like that too. She will be doing the crazy play thing and then I hear her yelling "STOOOOP IIIIT" and then lets out the grey scream and returns to the attack! She really is a hoot!

Congrats Siobhan!!! :laugh: :kiss:

Lately Elmo has really been using words in proper context and I don't think it's such a good thing!:laugh: The other day Paul (the bf) was over and Elmo was sitting on his shoulder facing his back. Paul turned his head and to mess with Elmo he blew on her tail. She turned around so fast and said in a VERY stern voice said "Don't You..":woohoo: We were laughing so hard because we both know she isn't a fan of her tail getting touched and she YELLED at him for blowing on it. Then, just tonight, Elmo was in her cage and I was on the bed on the computer. She was ringing like the phone because that is the noise she does to normally let me know she wants out but when I didn't get up and let her out she started barking "Come Here...Come here Elmo" at me. I looked up at her and as if she knew she got my attention she said really slow. "Elmo....come....here...." I don't know if I like this too much. Pretty soon she is going to start telling to clean my room and when to get out of bed.:woohoo: :laugh:

ohhhh yeah. It's scary how smart they are.

Very cute. Elmo LOVES grapes but she makes me hold them for her...spoiled is not the word for it. hahaha

Well, to get her used to the fact a baby will be in the house you may want to play the sound of a baby crying now and then. That way it's not a shock of all of a sudden a screaming banshee is sharing a home with her. As long as your time with Keywe isn't changed a whole lot I don't see there being a big issue with her ether. I would not recommend the baby have any hands on interaction with Keywe for a long time to come, but I have heard of many parrots enjoy watching a baby from a treestand near by. I don't think there will be any big issues with the new addition, as long as introduction is done a little bit at a time with the two of them. Congrats on the baby, and thank you for not being one of those people that say "well, we got a baby coming, better get rid of this parrot." {Characters-000200D2}{Holidays-000200D3}

I've listed below some of the top reasons for non-behavioral related plucking and ways to remidy them, I think they might be useful for you. First - Dry skin Having dry skin can cause the skin to begin to itch and/or hurt when new feathers come in. To resolve this issue you can increase the humidity in the room the parrot is in the most. Increase baths and use aloe products ether instead of water or use after a normal water bath…that’s what I do with Elmo because she hates baths so much it’s easier to dunk her and then spray. I have also read that not enough essential fatty acids can cause skin issues. Going to a base diet of seed and supplementing with pellets is one way to increase the fat in the diet. Not to the point of your bird getting fat of coarse. Adding Red Palm Oil to soft food is also a great way to improve not only skin condition but also the feather condition. The feathers of parrots fed Red Palm with their veggies are softer, glossier, and more supple. While on the topic of nutrition, adding calcium to the diet is also something that could help with plucking. Abba makes a great powder sup. and is easily mixed into veggies. Second - Parasites Gardia is a parasite found is water and infects the intestinal track. Birds infected with Gardia usually pick the chest, underside of the wings, the thighs, and the lower back. You bird has a few of these picking patterns so you may want to get him tested for it. Third - Infection Some research has found that birds that pick in weird patterns are actually picking over the locations of infected air sacs, with aspergillosis being one of the main infections leading to this. Fourth - Toxins Zinc poisoning is a big cause of feather destruction, but it is normally along side with depression and intestinal issues. Other toxins in the air could also cause feather destruction, but you seem to be in the class of parrot owners that know the “no no’s” around birds so I don’t think that toxins are really an issue, but if all else is clear it wouldn’t hurt to check into it. There are a few more reasons for plucking like allergies, primary skin infections, and hormones, but these are not leading causes and your bird is still young.<br><br>Post edited by: BMustee, at: 2008/08/14 06:46

My dad just repainted the kitchen and back hall and Elmo and the finches did great. It's "Sherwin Williams Duration Home Green Wise" and there were almost no fumes. The smell I could smell was very light and it wasn't really a chemical smell. I opened my bedroom window where the birds all are and it was like nothing was being used in the house.

{Characters-0002005F} I SEE YOU LURKERS!!!!!!!

I was just thinking too...TAGs are not know to be pluckers like the CAGs for emotional reasons. I'm betting there is some kind of skin issue due to your TAG just picking at small spots.

I would only recommend going to collars when the plucking becomes all out mutalation and there are serious health issues of infection in the skin. Once plucking becomes a habbit it's kind of like a drug addiction. You can put a crack head in rehab but if the crack head doesn't want to quit using as soon as they are out they will go right back to smoking crack. The collar is like rehab, and as soon as it's off there is a very good chance that the bird will go right back to plucking, because it was not the birds choice to stop. I would go to a different vet...even if they are out of town. If all things health wise check out you may want to try a behaviorist before the collar. Collars are very restrictive and would greatly affect his ability to play, move about the cage, and maybe eat. Plus, it's only a few small spots you said he is plucking at...not the full naked chest. Try aloe juice or the spray they sell with the preen oil in it like "molt Ease".<br><br>Post edited by: BMustee, at: 2008/08/14 03:41

Elmo does a laser beem noise and will not do it in front of anyone but me. I tell everyone how funny the noise is but no one has heard it but me.

here is a link to a really cool video clip...check it out. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.maniacworld.com/animated-optical-illusion.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.maniacworld.com/animated-optical-illusion.html&h=271&w=369&sz=16&hl=en&start=130&um=1&tbnid=wRjzE6_MX5_DWM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=122&prev=/images%3Fq%3Doptical%2Billusions%26start%3D126%26ndsp%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

good and evil...:evil: here is a cool one

{Feel-good-0002006E} Yep...one nice arm...hahahahahaha

Hahahaha! Here is a female member of the USA swim team...well, her arm anyway!:laugh: :silly: :laugh:

I would say if there is a noteable change in behavior she should be seen by an avian vet. Has anything changed in the house at all? Sometimes changes in the enviroment or flock can cause behavior changes...but to be sure I would still go to the vet as soon as you can. Birds always hide their illness so any change in behavial, eating habbits, voice...anything...should not be treated lightly. By the time a bird looks all out sick it can be too late to do anything. Catching things early when there is only small indications of illness always has a higher rate of treatments woring.

They do seem to help with grip, so I bet they would be great for birds missing toes. They come in a number of sizes so their is a twisty perch for all.

Thought I would add a few more premo pics... Phelps in Vouge mag Here's Phelps at a swim clinic for the Special Olympics

very cute. I love how the little blue/grey baby is holding on to dear life to keep the millit spray in the second pic.:laugh:

5 GOLDS!!!!!!!!!!! 5 GOLDS!!!!!!!!!!! 5 GOLDS!!!!!!!!!!! PHELPS IS A MACHINE!!!