chezron

What temperature range is ideal for Greys? Specifically, how warm does it have to be for me to take my grey outside?

Every chicken drumstick I have given him breaks into fairly large pieces of bone and marrow, that he scrapes off. I have never seen an alarmingly sharp piece of bone yet. I mean, if they were in the wild they would eat animal protein in the form of insects on oil palm seeds. I think they need it to function properly.

I think I would get a second opinion about the weight. My grey is close to 500 gms, at 470, and the vet thinks he's fine. I sure don't think 509 is too much. Is she flighted?

Tamara, These birds NEED light! If not real sunlight outside, a light inside. Way cheaper to take the time to bring them outside for 15 minutes most days of the week. If they don't get light they cannot make vitamin D and they become deficient in calcium with all kinds of problems associated with that. Plus, vitamin D acts as a hormone, and many Greys turn to self-destructive behavior when not getting adequate levels of light. You must remember they come from equatorial Africa where sunlight is intense and long-lasting.

Big mess! I often clean up branchlets. BTW Babalu is a hysterical name! Perfect for a grey!

We stuck branches from a fast-growing willow tree into a bucket of sand for a pseudo-tree. Brutus loves it! The branches move with his weight and he strips the leaves off while swaying. Fun!

I have plastic toys meant for human babies, but they do not have the ability to shred them like a grey. I do not think they are tested for the amount of destruction a grey is capable of inflicting.

Good luck with your bird. I wonder if the barking dog is upsetting your grey. They are very sensitive and need to feel safe before they can be handled. Dogs barking really puts my bird on alert and he gets visibly shaken by the noise and activity.

Is her liver function good? I don't know if African Greys can get fatty liver disease, but one symptom is the appearance of unusual hunger. A long time ago my quaker parrot acted unusually ravenous and it turned out to be fatty liver. I stopped feeding him fatty foods like egg yolks, and seeds, and switched to fruits and veggies and organic pellets. He got some medicine and he is fine now.

Good luck in your search and welcome!

Best wishes for your Aunt. This is a great forum, do not hesitate to ask any question here. I am so glad Brody has a loving home--Congratulations!

Definitely read product reviews before buying an air filtration system. You definitely get what you pay for. The good ones are very expensive. Another possibility, have you talked to you allergist about desensitizing shots? I was allergic to nearly everything, but after taking desensitizing shots for awhile, I am practically allergy free! I hope you figure this problem out. For the outdoor allergies, you might try eating LOCAL organic honey as it will also gradually desensitize you because it contains minute amounts of different pollens from your area. A spoonful a day is all it takes.

Unless they are right next to the light (and don't try to destroy it) they will not be getting sufficient fs light. We take Brutus outside almost everyday for at least 15 minutes when it is sunny. Although, if you live in a colder place this might not be possible. Taking him outside made ALL the difference in his calcium levels and mood. Even though Brutus gets an extremely good diet his calcium was low. A Grey cannot assimilate calcium without sufficient Vitamin D. I, personally do not think supplements are adequate, although I have no proof of that. Vitamin D is a hormone, as well as a vitamin. Feather-plucking can definitely improve with the addition of REAL sunlight. Plus, knowing that Greys come from equatorial regions in Africa where the sunlight is intense, it just makes sense that they have evolved to benefit from it.

Brutus has one big cage that we cover at night.

Welcome! My advice is let the bird pick you. Do not rush your decision, and look at lots of birds. After seeing many it will be more apparent if there is a good fit. I remember meeting Brutus. He stepped right up, and seemed at peace on my hand. I knew it was right. I have a male CAG and he is awesome! He is more like a golden retriever- goofy and happy. Good luck with your search!

Hi Forum, Brutus loves to shred plastic toys, and to remove plastic screw tops from plastic bottles. I was wondering if I should allow this? He seems to spit out the pieces, but I do not know if he spits out ALL of them. So many bird toys are made of plastic. I worry about Bisphenyl A. What do you think?

I will keep you in my thoughts, and hope for Shanti's return. Please keep us posted.

Hi Birdhouse, We have a chandelier hanging with toys, a "tree" with branches, an area in the kitchen with toys, and he has free run on top of the kitchen cabinets. In fact, one of his favorite thing to do is dropping his heavier toys into whatever I am cooking. The tree is actually several branches from a fast-growing willow stuffed into a bucket of sand. He sometimes strips twigs and leaves off. Fun. We rotate the toys, but he just seems to be tired of them. Plus, he has a huge cage filled with toys and a play top. His grip is amazing! I call him "Velcro-Boy." He can land and stick to any surface that has even a little texture. He hangs by one toenail on window frames. On the odd day he feeling particularly invincible he will fly past us and bonk us on the head with his feet. If he could laugh, I know the action would be accompanied by peals of laughter.

Thanks for your replies I really appreciate them!

Brutus is 2 1/2 years old. Just to be clear, we love him to pieces and would never consider getting rid of him. He is a teenager in full effect. On the plus side he talks up a storm, flies energetically, impresses us with his gymnastic abilities, and is totally alive and enthusiastic. He probably says at least 50 phrases clearly. Amazing to listen to him! On the negative side, he has learned to fly so well that he can land on any molding around doors, windows, cabinets, and hang by a toenail and splinter the wood. We are pretty much okay with that- we realize it might be the small cost associated with a healthy bird. He is also on the lookout for ANYTHING he can destroy at anytime. He will land on ANYTHING if it looks like it is chewable, sometimes with disastrous results. I know he is demonstrating his fitness and virility by being destructive, but it is tiring watching him so closely ALL the time! Unfortunately, the hundreds of dollars of toys we bought are now largely ignored. I try every day to call him from room to room to make him fly and to wear him out. I fly him so much he pants, but he loves it! He lets out joyful noises as he flies from room to room. He is mostly congenial with my husband, but in the evening he will bite him if he sits on the couch with me. He lets Larry handle him, gives him kisses, and even lets him scratch him most of the time, but he definitely prefers me. I just want to know from anyone who has experience with living through this period with a grey what we can expect from now on? He is joyful and hormonal, and we just love him!

My vet says it is important for Brutus to get sufficient calcium, so I give him a chicken drumstick bone with most of the meat gone. He LOVES breaking it apart and eating the marrow. Since he started eating one drumstick a week his feathers have gotten really beautiful.

I do not play "peek-a-boo" so to speak, but "Come here." I have two parrots: one an African Grey and the other, a Quaker. When I notice they are rambunctious I go from room to room and call out "fly in the kitchen" or "fly in the bedroom" or "fly in the living room!" They will compete to fly over to where I am the fastest. Way fun for all of us!

Tweedle, Thank you for giving us a glimpse into the vet's world of the Grey. Fascinating!

I love reading your stories of rescues. Thank you for sharing your adventures with us.

I am so glad Joey found you guys! Touching story- Thanks!