chezron

Steve and Misty, That's awful and funny all at the same time. Thanks for the chuckle.

Zoom, Great responses from previous forum members! I just wanted to reiterate that it is best to let them work it out on their own. This is the quickest way to peace. They will establish the pecking order and it WILL get better. As for the individual private time that is a good idea too. Good luck!

Darwin is beautiful. What a set up he has in the window! I am sorry about your loss, but so happy that you found Darwin!

Have you met the two-year old? How did you get along? Also, do you know why the bird was given up?

From what I have experienced, what Dan said is right on, but I have never had a sneaky bird like Sondheim. Wait until your bird lefts his foot and that will definitely tell you he wants to be picked up. If he reacts to your step up offer with a fast head bow, he definitely DOES NOT want to be picked up. Doing so, will most certainly result in a bite. I have become much better with time at reading his face and body language. For example, when Brutus gets a "far-away" look he is up to no good. I can tell now, even though his face, as are all greys, looks basically expressionless, what he is thinking of doing. So I think it is a learning and trust building time for you both. You will often see progress, and then regression, but your relationship will slowly move to a better place.

Cheese works for Brutus too. He is used to the scale though, and most of the time will step right on. Getting him to stay still is another matter...

So funny our parrots different reactions. Chicken drumsticks are a overwhelming crowd favorite here. They positively quiver when i pull them out. Marrow is yummy and so good for them.

Nice job Nilah! Sorry Penny.

Hang in there Murfchick. Your BIG family needs you!

Nice to see you two are back and you are feeling better. Look forward to updates.

Gabby is so cute! Yes, I regularly flip Brutus on his back and rock him like a baby, so I guess he was a little used to the feeling already.

Have a good trip!

Brutus was helping Larry with the laundry. Brutus likes to help with all the chores. We usually have to toss him something to destroy, to occupy his time. Larry tossed him a sock on the bed and he flew to the sock and rolled over on his back to fight with it. He ROLLED on his back! Have you ever seen your grey do this? I couldn't get a picture in time to document it, but it was amazing.

Sweet! Great looking aviary!

My guys love Mexican too. (and Italian, Japanese, Chinese,... you get the picture) They really love food! Funny picture with the fork!

My guys love Mexican too. (and Italian, Japanese, Chinese,... you get the picture) They really love food!

So funny! Thanks for sharing.

Cary, Do you take your bird out into the sunshine? My bird had begun to barber his feathers,my vet suggested 15 minutes of outside sunlight on most days. Regular exposure to sunshine STOPPED my bird from continuing to barber. It also tempered his mood because of the increase of Vitamin D in his system. Vitamin D is a vitamin and also a hormone. I also supplement my parrot's diet with organic red palm oil which supplies valuable nutrients like Vitamin A. Once a week my parrots also get a cooked chicken drumstick bone. The marrow is an excellent source of many nutrients. They devour the bones! You might try some of these measures to help your bird. I have excerpted this from African Grey expert, Pamela Clark: "Several physical problems are coming to be recognized as typical to African Greys. Aside from infectious diseases common to their species, they also experience other maladies for which the cause is not as easily identifiable. Feather abusive behavior, seizure activity, blindness and cataracts are becoming more commonly seen. Calcium deficiencies and low vitamin A levels are frequently seen in older birds. Many adult Greys do not display the vibrant red tails, shiny black beaks, and gray feathers that have sheen to them that are all characteristic of a healthy African Grey. I have come to believe that many of the problems, both behavioral and physical, that Greys manifest in the domestic world are a result of inadequate nutrition. From what I’ve been able to determine, a lot of Greys just don’t feel really well as a result of poor diets. The types of problems that I described above suggest that Greys are not receiving adequate levels of vitamins D3 and A, the minerals calcium and selenium, and the essential fatty acids. In the last few years, there has grown to be an increased awareness of the benefits of full spectrum lighting, primarily because it allows parrots to manufacture vitamin D. However, there is also some confusion about whether full spectrum lighting is really necessary for parrots receiving vitamin D3 in their diets. If they are, they may not need full spectrum lighting. However, this line of reasoning assumes that most species can successfully absorb vitamin D from their digestive tracts. At the last PBR convention, Tammy Jenkins, DVM brought up an interesting point. Greys in the wild live close to the equator and get the maximum possible number of hours of sunlight each day. They have evolved a dark coloring to their feathers, much the same that dark skinned peoples have who live in these same geographical regions. This dark coloring is responsible for screening out much of the UV light which hits them. The hypothesis that might be drawn from these observations states that Greys may have evolved in such a way that they do not, in the wild, have to be as effective in absorbing vitamin D from their diets because they manufacture adequate amounts from their exposure to the sunlight. In other words, they may depend upon exposure to sunlight for their source of this vitamin, rather than diet. If true, this would suggest that it is critical for African Greys to receive either full spectrum lighting close to their cages, or have frequent access to an outdoor aviary to enjoy the benefits of natural sunshine. My own observations have lent credibility to this theory."

Zooman, Do you take your bird out into the sunshine? My bird had begun to barber his feathers,my vet suggested 15 minutes of outside sunlight on most days. Regular exposure to sunshine STOPPED my bird from continuing to barber. It also tempered his mood because of the increase of Vitamin D in his system. Vitamin D is a vitamin and also a hormone. I also supplement my parrot's diet with organic red palm oil which supplies valuable nutrients like Vitamin A. Once a week my parrots also get a cooked chicken drumstick bone. The marrow is an excellent source of many nutrients. They devour the bones! You might try some of these measures to help your bird. I have excerpted this from African Grey expert, Pamela Clark: "Several physical problems are coming to be recognized as typical to African Greys. Aside from infectious diseases common to their species, they also experience other maladies for which the cause is not as easily identifiable. Feather abusive behavior, seizure activity, blindness and cataracts are becoming more commonly seen. Calcium deficiencies and low vitamin A levels are frequently seen in older birds. Many adult Greys do not display the vibrant red tails, shiny black beaks, and gray feathers that have sheen to them that are all characteristic of a healthy African Grey. I have come to believe that many of the problems, both behavioral and physical, that Greys manifest in the domestic world are a result of inadequate nutrition. From what I’ve been able to determine, a lot of Greys just don’t feel really well as a result of poor diets. The types of problems that I described above suggest that Greys are not receiving adequate levels of vitamins D3 and A, the minerals calcium and selenium, and the essential fatty acids. In the last few years, there has grown to be an increased awareness of the benefits of full spectrum lighting, primarily because it allows parrots to manufacture vitamin D. However, there is also some confusion about whether full spectrum lighting is really necessary for parrots receiving vitamin D3 in their diets. If they are, they may not need full spectrum lighting. However, this line of reasoning assumes that most species can successfully absorb vitamin D from their digestive tracts. At the last PBR convention, Tammy Jenkins, DVM brought up an interesting point. Greys in the wild live close to the equator and get the maximum possible number of hours of sunlight each day. They have evolved a dark coloring to their feathers, much the same that dark skinned peoples have who live in these same geographical regions. This dark coloring is responsible for screening out much of the UV light which hits them. The hypothesis that might be drawn from these observations states that Greys may have evolved in such a way that they do not, in the wild, have to be as effective in absorbing vitamin D from their diets because they manufacture adequate amounts from their exposure to the sunlight. In other words, they may depend upon exposure to sunlight for their source of this vitamin, rather than diet. If true, this would suggest that it is critical for African Greys to receive either full spectrum lighting close to their cages, or have frequent access to an outdoor aviary to enjoy the benefits of natural sunshine. My own observations have lent credibility to this theory."

I dunno my guy NEVER naps. I am a little nervous hearing this description of behavior. Is your new bird thoroughly checked out by a vet? I am just suggesting this because I am cautious.

Sounds like she is fitting right in. I am so glad she found a home as good as yours!

Brutus waits until i take him out of the cage and put him on his stand before he wiggles his butt and lets loose. If he is in his cage for an extended time he will potty in his cage, although, that is not his first choice.

Fun to hear Gracie's progress.

Have you seen the Oliver videos? He is a great talker! he is owned by the Lang's of Texas. When I first considered getting an African Grey i watched his videos all the time. Actually, probably over a year before I purchased Brutus.

Nice to see you take her outside. Doesn't she just love it? How do you take a walk? Do you have a carrier?