LisaM

Oooooh...I like Rocco! Such a cute baby! Missed out on the "baby eyes" myself so I love seeing all these pics! Lisa

She does have things like "add salt for flavor" and some of those types of things so I just ignore some of that. Happy cooking! :-)

My ultimate favorite - the Hyacinth Macaw! What year did importing wild-caught parrots become illegal in the US?

Griffin? What are the most sexually dimorphic parrots in the world?

Love the pictures on your profile on the blue towel. Absolutely adorable. I want them both!!! :-)

With all that going on it very well be that she was stressed out and still dealing with that. That's difficult because we can't avoid those things sometimes. Has her favorite human pet been freed up from his project? I would have hoped with things getting back to normal that it would stop or taper off, but you said it's getting worse. As far as the decorations by the cage, I was thinking of some sort of new picture or something. One of the folks here had a behavior change in her grey and realized it was because they had received some stuffed macaws and had them on a shelf by/above the grey's cage. That's what made me think of that. I still think that it could possibly be some vitamin deficiency or something though. One thing I have seen recommended often is to cook a hard-boiled egg and crunch it up shell and all and give them some (maybe 1/4 of the mixture)? It's something that may help if there's a calcium issue, but certainly won't hurt if it's not. Some common allergies for parrots are peanuts, corn and wheat. They can develop suddenly even for those who have been eating it. Try cutting those two things out for a week or so (something not harmful even if it doesn't work to correct problem). If you don't see any change you can add them back in. The first ingredient in Zupreem pellets is ground corn. You could try switching to a different brand of pellet without that as a main ingredient. Yeah, deciding on a vet trip (and the associated expense) is hard. It's the fact that it's getting worse and you haven't been able to isolate anything different that would lead me to the vet I think. I'm glad it's a great avian vet too. Some people don't have one anywhere near them. Here's an article about this topic written by Sally Blanchard (probably not anything new, but something might jump out at you): http://www.funnyfarmexotics.com/IAS/Blanchfp.htm Oh, and I almost forgot...if you haven't started giving her some Red Palm Oil, I'd definitely start that. If you search on the forums for it there is a ton of information on the benefits of it (and it's one of their primary foods in the wild). She's probably too young to be starting hormonal issues or to start her first major molt. I can't think of anything else. This one is a toughie because you don't want to do anything to effect the normal preening process. Yikes. I sure wish I could be more helpful but please know that I am hoping so badly that you find a resolution to this! Lisa

They will suffocate (they have to be able to expand their chests to breathe). What was the last known bird to go extinct?

Awesome Margie! What a fantastic feeling! I'm very happy for you. And for her to fall asleep...fantastic. Very trusting. Thanks for the update! Lisa

Welcome - I'm glad you found this site. It has been super helpful so many times for me. When you get a chance drop a note in the Welcome Room and tell us a bit more about you and Sarah. And we always love pictures! And actually that may help with this situation also if we could see where she is doing the damage. Did you get any new decorations for Christmas that are now displayed by her? Any burning of candles during the holidays or since? New pots/pans? Anything in the house that wasn't there before the holidays? Is she just chewing on the feathers or is she plucking them out also? Does she bite/pluck only while in her cage or does she do it anywhere she happens to be? Just trying to think through the questions I would be asking myself it it were happening with Kenya. Is the vet a specialized avian vet? As your visit was before the holidays, I would bring her back in to see them. I would definitely NOT give the benadryl unless your vet agrees with that approach. I'm sure someone with experience and knowledge will answer with some more ideas! Lisa

Your life will never be the same...it will be WAYYYY better! :-) Congrats. Lisa

Thanks. Jennifer hasn't been back for awhile so I hope she got resolution or found the info already (I didn't realize the post was several weeks old ) Lisa

Several names have been suggested for a little boy Amazon for another member in this thread: http://www.greyforums.net/forums/other-birds/114922-my-first-amazon.html Very cute babies!

I think it's personal choice. Which do you like better and can afford. Don't sacrifice space in a cage for the material though. Get the largest cage you have space for and then decide if you want to go powdercoated or stainless. The stainless steel supposedly last pretty much forever so in the long run may be a good buy. You can buy a LOT of toys for the difference in cost, but I personally LOVE the look of SS. If I ever go back to wire cages, I will probably try to save for the SS. Happy cage hunting!

He probably says it the minute you walk out the door and can't hear him anymore... Or, like our Kenya, she just decides what she wants and the more we want her to say something, it seems the less likely she'll actually ever say it. :-) The little stinkers. :-)

The Healthy Bird Cookbook by Robin Deutsch There are TONS of great recipes in here for breads/muffins/veggies/treats/wraps/egg bakes/etc. She does list Kaytee pellets in many of them and I just use my Harrisons instead. I substitute out other items as I feel like also. some of these things are so good the humans in your flock may eat them also! :-) There is a section in the front about nutrition but it's not species-specific and is probably what we all already know anyway, but might be good for someone nevertheless. If nothing else it can trigger more creative cooking for you and your birds! :-) (I can sometimes get stuck in repeating the same things over and over and over...just ask my kids!). It's on Amazon.com right at around $16 USD. You can read the reviews there also. P.S. Be prepared to get some jokes from your friends about a cookbook with a parrot on it...but make sure they don't say them within earshot of the birds!

Definitely. The training goes both ways! LOL :laugh: Especially the tilt-the-head, lift-the-foot, come-pick-me-up look. Kenya almost always gets her desired response to that one! All that nonsense about "puppy dog eyes" ...they've got nothing on our Greys! :-)

Maybe if you name him Figaro you can get him to sing this... It would be his "theme song"! :-)

I, too, have almost stepped on one of my parrots when they were by my feet and I didn't know it. Not to mention the kids running around. The only time my Grey leaves her cage or playstand is if she is startled by something. We're still working on my Ekkies though, but we keep on trying. One thing that seems to work is though we're continuously talking to them and looking at them while they're on the playstand, we will walk over and drop a "treat" in the bowl, trying to reinforce them staying there. Good luck!

"Hi Babe"...love it!

Mine LOVES bananas also. As a matter of fact, they are a great way for me to get medicine in I have found. I only give mine a slice about 1/4 inch thick when I do give it. I use it more like a treat than regular food (I don't know if it's bad though as part of their regular food...many many mixes have dried bananans in them!) Lisa

Yes, he has clearly made the connection between you having the broom and the comment "messy bird". Now just wait until you spill something sometime and go to clean it up and he calls YOU a "messy bird"! :-) They are quite amazing how they learn situations and appropriate comments and then will somehow connect the saying to different, but still appropriate, situations. Some people spend a ton of time "training" their birds but I have found that just generally talking to them throughout the day and doing a variety of things with them will bring about an enormous amount of learning. And 7 months old...that's pretty awesome! Lisa

Maybe it's not guaranteed because the results aren't all in from the testing so he can't be sure he has a bacterial infection? Dry beak is a good sign. Maybe he just had breathed in something that caused some irritation and has now sneezed it out. Keep us posted on his status! Lisa

Oooooh, Pepsi wouldn't work in our home. My husband is a diehard Diet Coke fan...! :-) It is a cute name though. I didn't like our male ekkie's name when I got him (Max), but it has grown on me. When he gets all riled up we call him Mad Max (he's so cute when he's ticked off and growling)!

Jennifer - Thanks for providing the name and Dan, thanks for asking for it. I found this on aboutus.org: Busy Bird, Inc. PO Box 491 Bradenton Florida United States 34206 (941)749-5120 Hopefully someone answers the phone! Let us know how it works out.

Yes She! I hate bridges also. It's a bummer when I go to my dad's in the Florida Keys because we have to drive over the 7 MILE bridge...I have to do it at night so I can't see the water below. Also, once when I had to drive over the super scary bridge to Coronado Island in San Diego, I let out a huge sigh (I think I was holding my breath the entire way) and my arms hurt from holding the steering wheel so tightly. I have to go on a Sweden/Finland trip soon for work and I've heard that there is a big bridge we're going to have to go over there also (I don't know which country it's in). It's the one thing I'm not looking forward to at all! Lisa