BMustee

I was reading up on Sugar gliders because I was thinking of getting a pair some day and in Florida there are some laws that are like German bird laws. I would have to get a permit to own it from the state and pay to renew every year, and if I owned an un-fixed male and female I would have to have a breeder/seller permit as well. Then if I was to sell the babies I would have to keep all transactions on record for X amount of years, and if I sold to a pet store I would have to get a copy of their permits to sell them as well. As for the German laws, I could see the logic on the large breeds like Macaws, Cockatoos, Greys, stuff like that due to illegal smuggling of wild birds, but breeds like Budgies and finches is pretty stupid. I breed finches and to tell you the truth those birds could really could care less is I had a permit or not...although my Owl finches still want to see some ID or something.:laugh:

one small step for man, one giant leap for SweetHeart!:laugh: So glad to hear your baby is starting to come around.B)

MrSpock really knows his stuff. I have also heard the same thing, but it's not 63% of all...from what I read the MALE will want to switch people, females not nearly as much. Like MrSpock said though, proper socializing is key. I deal with bird owners all day long at my pet store job and from what I have seen that 63% is probably due to a under-par upbringing when it comes to social skills.

Yeah, I voted on what age he is now.

I asked my breeder what the chances were that my baby would or would not talk and he told me that he has never heard of a grey that never said a word...they may not do it in front of you, but he believes that pretty much all will...and everyone I know that has an older grey (over a year) says their greys can at least say a few things if not more. I want to see the poll results...when will they be posted?

I can't wait to see the results. My grey is 7 1/2 and isn't talking yet...it sounds like he is trying though.

Yeah, my sun's feet did the same thing. I asked one of the girls at my work that has been raising parrots for as long as I have been alive and she thought it was just an aging thing too, but wasn't sure.

Not really. When they are babies you can tell by the eye color an approximant age and the black tips on the tail lets you know it has not yet molted. After that first molt and the eyes have changed there is really nothing that ages them. I have heard that when a grey hits sexual maturity the eyes will become more yellow, but that would only tell you if it was over 5 years. Unless you have reason to believe the seller was lying I would go by what they say.<br><br>Post edited by: BMustee, at: 2007/11/14 20:44

That is pretty nice...I might look into getting one of those one of these days. When I was still hand feeding my grey my hours at work got changed and I only had a day or two notice and I had to scramble to find a cage that I could keep at work. I ended up getting a dog crate for medium/small dogs.:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Yeah, a dim room will calm any bird. I would try sitting and talking to her with just enough light that you can see what is going on but not enough to see clearly.

My CAG is now 7 1/2 months old now and a few months ago I noticed his feet changing color and are much lighter than they used to be now. When I got him at 6 weeks his feet were pretty much all black...scales and skin. Now his scales are more grayish than black and the skin is more flesh toned. I feed him fruits, veggies (with red palm oil), pellets, and a mix of seeds and nuts on the side. I was thinking maybe it was a deficiency in some kind of mineral or something...IDK, just what came to mind. Does anyone else have a grey with lightening feet or know why they changed color?

I have yet to get a real bite, but my b/f got one the other day...he was trying to scratch his neck and I guess he wasn't in the mood. I got a toe under my eyelid the one time...the inside of my eyelid was scratched and it drove me nuts for a week.

I'm pretty sure I said this to you before but seeing as though your grey is dead set on flying even with the 5 cliped feathers, she will continue to try and fly with 7 cliped. My fear is that with 7 cliped she could drop like a rock and break her keel bone. It sounds like you have made a little progress with her...keep up the good work and she will come around on her time.

I second what Christina just said...don't buy a bird without finding out all the pros and cons to the breed. The guy next door from me has a DYNA and she is one mean, mean girl. He is only able to handle her for short times...like just enough to get her from her inside cage to the cage on the pool deck. Some of this behavior could be from his mother never really handling her (she passed away, thats why he has her). But it takes a big person to dump lots of time and money into a bird that would love nothing more than taking your finger off. She loves to get treats, sing, and talk your head off, but if you do something she don't like you better duck and cover cause she's lunging for ya'.

loviechick wrote: {Feel-good-0002006E} It sure is his Forte...I seen he was on a few days ago and I was all ready to read what he had to say after everything everyone had posted and rip into him again...but there was NOTHING...I was like...YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!! Can we call someone a d**chebag here...because thats what this guy is...

{Feel-good-0002006E} That’s funny...scared of his own reflection!

This article was written by Margaret A. Wissman, D.V.M., D.A.B.V.P. and posted on ExoticPetVet.net Studies by dentists and dental researchers in recent years have helped clarify the role of various microscopic organisms in the development of dental cavities (technically called caries). Specific microorganisms as well as combinations of them have been studied. Many of these organisms are responsible for causing disease (caries, periodontal disease, abscesses) and have also been diagnosed as causing disease in psittacines. Although we often think that most bacterial infections are usually caused by Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria also cause disease on occasion. Gram-positive cocci (bacteria) in the Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Enterococcus groups are often found in the gum and periodontal tissues of humans, and are also responsible for causing disease in birds. Although these bacteria may normally be found on the skin and mucous membranes, they may be responsible for causing disease if cultured from other sites. These organisms may produce toxins and pathogenicity factors that can make a bird ill. They may also be considered to be secondary invaders. If these bacteria get into the bloodstream, they may cause clot-inducing infections, joint and bone lesions or heart problems. If Staph gets into the bloodstream, it may cross into the central nervous system, resulting in tremors and abnormal head posture. Staph can also cause bumblefoot, or necrotizing abscesses on the bottom surface of the foot of infected birds. It may also cause dermatitis, which may turn gangrenous. In baby birds, Staph may cause an infection in the bellybutton (umbilicus) if the yolk sac is not absorbed normally. Both Strep and Enterococcus can be pathogenic, although some strains generally have a low level of ability to cause disease. They may cause the same kinds of disease as Staph can. Gram-positive rods are also found in the mouth of humans, in the gum tissue or in periodontal pockets. Corynebacterium is usually recovered from clinically normal, healthy birds. Another Gram-positive rod found in the human mouth is Lactobacillus. Most of you have probably heard of this bacteria; it is often prescribed for birds after antibiotic therapy, and it is considered one of the good bacteria. Some Gram-negative rods are also found in the gums and periodontal pockets of humans. Of the most common ones, Campylobacter is the one most likely to cause disease in birds. It may cause liver disease and vague signs of lethargy, decreased appetite, diarrhea (often with yellowish-staining feces) and emaciation. Bacteroides and Fusobacterium are other Gram-negative rods found in the human mouth, but their ability to cause disease in birds is not well documented. Another group of bacteria, the spirochetes, have been found in the human mouth and also are sometimes found in psittacines and passerines. They may include Borrelia, Treponema, and some larger spirochetes. Most commonly, spirochetes have been implicated as a cause of infection in cockatiels, but they have also been seen in other species of birds, such as lovebirds. Those are the bacteria that are found in the human mouth that can cause disease in birds; however, there are probably other bacteria that can be found in humans that do not cause dental caries. For example, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis, Mycobacterium, can be found in the sputum, and therefore the mouth, of some infected people. Yeast can sometimes be found in the mouth of some humans, and it may cause disease in birds. Yeast is in the fungal family and is not a bacterium. This is far from a complete list of the organisms that can be found in the human mouth, but hopefully it is enough to make you keep your birds from doing any dental work on you and to keep you from allowing your birds to eat out of your mouths.

I have a "Feather Tether" harness for my grey and I take him with me when I go to the pet stores that let you bring your animals in and I took him into 7-11 a few times too...lots of fun for the both of us.

He is sooo cute! I'm so happy for you!

I didn't think that this was in any way a good indication of sex, to tell you the truth I had never heard of it before my manager said something about it and was just wondering if anyone else had heard of it too and what the gaps were on other birds that had a DNA test done. As for hurting the bird I just gently ran my finger over it and could feel the spacing...I'm not jamming my index finger between the bone. Although I do see your point...if you don't know where the pelvic bone is don't be poking your bird in the butt to find out.:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: When I felt my grey he gave me this look like "What in Gods green earth are you doing?!?!":blink:<br><br>Post edited by: BMustee, at: 2007/11/08 15:25

siobha9 wrote: They didn't...apple trees don't grow in the tropical regions of the world where parrots are native. Apples are a human introduced part to the companion parrots diet. Things that are toxic to one animal but not the other is normally an evolutionary thing...not just a few exposures and your immune. Toxins and Bacteria are in a whole different ballpark than Viruses and Disease. Bacteria growth in the body causes infections...for example an ear infection. If you get an ear infection once or twice you do not get immune to it and never get one again...you get one every time the bacteria growth takes over and then you need antibiotics to clear it. If you get the flu...lets say you get the H3N2 stain and your body fights it off. You build and immunity to it when fighting it and you can never get sick from it again until the stain mutates and the immunity is no longer effective. As for needed scientific proof of the dangers to our birds, isn't knowing that birds have died enough to make any of us not want to put our grey babies in harms way? Does anyone have a documented scientific study that shows why Anti-freeze shouldn't be drunk? I mean, it tastes like Kool-Aid, so what's the harm? We all know there are toxic chemicals in Anti-freeze that will kill you or your pet, but we don't question it and don't need it in writing by a major university study. We don't let our children play in the street; a car could hit them. Would you really ask the county for pedestrian involved accident statistics on your street because you don't have proof that someone could get hit or because you have gone into the street plenty of times without getting hit? Call me a believer in a flat world, but I only want the best for my feathered best friend and will believe anything that an avian vet tells me is bad for my bird without needing proof.

Yeah, be sure to let me know what Josey's spacing is. B)

Here is a few things I found on a quick Google search... "The toxic principle in avocado is persin and leaves, fruit, bark, and seeds of the avocado have been reported to be toxic to birds and various other species. Several varieties of avocado are available, but not all varieties appear to be equally toxic. In birds, clinical effects seen with avocado poisoning include respiratory distress, generalized congestion, and death. Onset of clinical signs usually occurs after 12 hours of ingestion with death occurring within 1-2 days of the time of exposure. Small birds such as canaries and budgies as well as African species are considered to be more susceptible, however, clinical signs have been observed in other species." http://www.2ndchance.info/parrothazard.htm

As for the Saliva, all animals carry bacteria in the mouth that is safe...even beneficial...but can be deadly to another animal. For example, if a cat bites a rabbit or bird and the saliva gets into the cut the animal can/will be dead within 48 hours from the bacteria in the system...not the bite itself. Parrots are very sensitive and when they ingest our spit they get the bacteria in their systems. I don't believe it is as toxic as a cat bite but they can/will develop an infection. There are a couple people here on the site that had to give their birds meds for this very same thing. The Avocado is toxic...that is why you should never feed it to your bird. It's not the fat content, or else Sunflower seeds would be on the "Do Not Feed" list. The pit and skin has a toxin in it that the flesh absorbs...so no part is safe. Apple seeds, grape seeds, cherry pits...everything like that has this toxin in it as well but the flesh isn't tainted...that is why they are safe for them to eat as long as they are cored/pitted. These things are not Myths, they are fact, and many birds have died from them.<br><br>Post edited by: BMustee, at: 2007/11/07 15:19

Yesterday I was talking with the manager at my second job at the pet store and we were talking about these 2 sibling baby B&Gs (5 months-old) and how different they are. One is such a snuggle bunny and loves to be cradled in your arms and touched everywhere. The other does not like to be touched at all except for the rare head scratch. She said that she thought the snuggle bunny was a boy and the other was a girl. I asked her why she thought that and she said because of the way the pelvic bones were spaced. On the snuggler the bones touch and the other has a good quarter inch gap. When I got home I felt my grey's pelvic bone and was very surprised to find a pretty good-sized gap. Now, my question is if this is really a reliable way of sexing a bird. I don't really think it is because why would you go through blood and surgical sexing if all you have to do is feel the pelvis. Has anyone else heard of this? Also, everyone with a DNA sexed bird...I would love to hear what kind of spacing your grey has and what sex it is.<br><br>Post edited by: BMustee, at: 2007/11/07 14:48