chezron

Great toy! What is it called? Emma is a beautiful bird!

Great advice from seasoned pros. You are lucky to have such a wonderful resource. I know I am! Good luck with Loki!

I get discarded newspapers at school for lining the cages. Plus they make good compost when covered in discarded food and droppings!

I am so glad everything turned out okay! I know it must have been scary for awhile.

How fun! Congratulations to you and Leo!

Girltron, As an experiment you could try taking him out in the sunshine for at least 15 minutes a day for a few days, and see if it makes a difference...

Fascinating information Dan and a great thread!

Check out this post http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?189970-Jacques-Feather-Update&p=199181#post199181 to see an improvement for Jacques.

Cute video. I voted for him.

Congratulations on helping to raise a good citizen! You should be so proud!

How awful! I hope you get him back soon.

I am so happy for you and Emma! A happy ending, yeah!

How sad to lose such a sweet little friend! Condolences to your brother on his loss.

Great post Dan! Brutus is definitely in his terrible twos! He is in constant motion and exploration. I have developed eyes on the back of my head.

Brutus says a couple of things that give me pause. I don't know how the first one started except he is observant, if I accidentally drop something in the kitchen, he says "Sorry." Also, we usually go outside, around midmorning. Brutus reminds me by saying, "Wanna go outside?" Plus, at 7 pm we watch Wheel of Fortune on TV. When it is around 6:30 pm or so, he starts saying, "Wanna watch Wheel of Fortune, tonight?" This stuff totally cracks me up and amazes me! Thanks for the thread. Anybody but a "Grey Person" would have a difficult time believing the appropriate words that come from our Greys.

It is not too late to change his routine and introduce him to new people. We got a backpack/ travel cage and we take our guy to an outdoor coffee shop to see other people. Maybe you can invite people over just to get him used to seeing other folks? He is still a wee one and moldable. It would be beneficial for him to know more people and have more experiences, so he doesn't get nervous and phobic as an older bird.

Hi Girltron, Brutus also had a borderline low reading and had a light near his cage. I guess the light was not enough in his case.

I am so happy for you and Jacques! Boy did sunshine work for my guy too! Please keep us updated with photos of his continued improvement.

Hi Ladytron, I would like to share my experience with my bird. He, too, was showing some sexual signs, and I figured he was frustrated which caused the chewing, but I was wrong. This worked for me- After a visit to the vet we found out Brutus' calcium was low. It turns out they need sunlight to turn Vitamin D3 into D which helps with taking in calcium. Plus this process is closely tied to hormone regulation which could explain his recent nervous feather shredding. Well since the vet visit we have done two things 1) He gets put into a small cage and brought into the shower every Sunday (the vet says no more than once a week for a shower.) Brutus HATES showers and this is the only way I can get him wet. 2) Brutus comes outside with me into the sun for about an hour (or less) every day. The vet says at least 15 minutes a day. We set up a dog crate outside and we put his small cage in it, so there is a good foot above and around him. Even though I sit right there with him I still worry about hawks. The good news is he is totally back to his old self- goofy and fun-loving. He has not hurt his feathers since we started taking him out, and I feel the sunlight (especially) changed his physiology! I cannot tell how happy I am for him. I am so glad he is obviously feeling better and is happier. Try the sun and shower thing and see if it works for Francis! Please let us know how he is doing.

Good point, that is what my husband says as well. He ducks and Brutus doesn't try to land on his head as often now. The problem is the little quaker is relentless and sticks like glue. Also, most of the time I am sitting at my desk and cannot avoid being an easy target. I guess I should have ducked from the start, but I was afraid of hurting his feelings. I realize now that Brutus is not nearly so sensitive.

Have you seen a horse pick his foot up when they are comfortable? It is the same kinda deal with greys. Just know that when they are in the leg raised position they are happy and content. Also, if they are grinding their beak too, then they are EXTRA happy and content!

Congratulations on your new grey! I love that my grey is fully flighted. It has been a real joy to watch him master the intricacies of maneuvering in the air. Sometimes he accomplishes a real tricky landing, or joyfully tears over the whole length of the house and he visibly seems proud of his flying skills. It makes me so happy to see him puff up and stick his chest out! When he flies he truly seems his most happiest. I really recommend keeping your bird flighted just for this experience.

I am so happy for you! That is just terrific! Nice to have a happy ending.

Talon, Thanks for all you do! You have personally helped me in a speedly and timely manner and I appreciate it!

Congratulations on your new arrival. Lots of help here on the forum if you need it. It is nice to know some of us have the answer you might be looking for, when a situation arises. Don't hesitate to come here for advice or support. Have fun with the little one!