chapala

I personally believe that the Harrison's Lifetime Formula is better suited for non-breeding Greys, because the protein and fat content in the High Potency formulas are higher than recommended for our pet Greys. The high potency is good for the large Macaws who do have higher protein and fat requirements than most other parrot species. Of course I also feed sprouted grains and legumes, fresh vegetables, and a little fruit, seed and nuts.

Until you have worked more with the step-up using lots of rewards (a treat he especially likes), I find bribery works wonders. Half a walnut or an almond put inside the cage gives him a tasty reward for going in. Hopefully, that will work with him! Reta

Any way you can buy or make a playstand he can't get off of? I'm assuming he's not flighted, otherwise it wouldn't matter and he could get off anything! My Grey can't get off the Parrot Tower. I have seen some great hanging playgyms too that birds can't climb down.

The evening meal around here is my cooked grain/lentil/sweet potato mix, fresh chopped vegetables (6 or more different kinds, several of which I grow in my garden), and sprouted grains/seeds.

Sounds like you have a nice baby Grey there! I mist Kali, and he bathes in the aviary water bowl. He does not like the human shower and I stopped trying that with him. What I did with misting is tell him how much fun it is in a happy voice - WOW, Shower!! Good shower!! etc. with a light mist falling down on him like rain. He likes it, and asks for showers now, fluffs his feathers out. Re the diet, an all seed diet is too high in fat and deficient in nutrients especially vit. A which is very important for parrots. So, I suggest you introduce nutritous fresh vegetables in the following way. First make up a grain/seed mix of at least 4 of the following: wheat/kamut/spelt berries, red/white millet, quinoa, amaranth, hulless barley, oat groats. You can include some hulled sunflower seeds (no more than 10% of the mix)since when they are soaked and begin to germinate, the nutrients increase while the fat decreases. Your bird should eat the mix pretty well since she is used to seeds. Scoop some of the dry mix out of the jar you've put it in (maybe 2 Tbs. for just one bird), place in a strainer, rinse well, and put in a cup or small bowl. Cover with water and leave overnight. In the morning, drain the mix into a strainer, rinse, then let drain over the cup. You can feed them in the morning (just overnight soaked which has already started the germination process), and continue to sprout the remaining mix by rinsing a few times during the day (still in the strainer). When you just see tiny tails or anytime before that, allow the sprouts to drain well (you want them not to be sopping wet, but not completely dry), and then store in a small covered container in the frig. They will keep for three days and you can feed them each morning. Don't offer your bird the dry seed mix you're feeding in the morning. As soon as your bird is eating the soaked/sprouted mix, you can begin adding in some VERY finely chopped vegetables, just a little at first, increasing as the bird gets used to it. Try for vegetables like kale, collard, mustard greens, carrot tops, dandelion greens, broccoli, bok choy. Other vegetables are fine too, but you want to make sure she's getting some of the nutrient dense ones. Just keep offering every single morning, and your bird will start to eat vegetables. You also can feed a little fruit maybe as an afternoon treat, but the vegetables are most important. Other food to introduce would be plain, cooked and mashed sweet potatoes. They can be mixed (just a little at first) with the soaked/sprouted mix also along with the fresh vegetables. Patience and consistently offering healthy foods is what will get your bird improving her diet. Show her that you eat these wonderful vegetables (or at least pretend to!). You may also want to think about a good pellet - mix them with a little of the seeds you're feeding and that can be the dry mix offered later in the day. Reta

No, no offense, of course not. Actually, many breeders say despite the various techniques of head shape, tail feather coloring, etc. in sexing Greys that the only sure way is DNA.* Reta *or surgical sexing.<br><br>Post edited by: chapala, at: 2008/02/05 02:44

Okay, finally got a photo of Kali posted to the Photo Album, on #1 when I checked. He is nearly 6 years old (possible changes in the white tipped feathers with molting?) and is dna'd male. No white tipped feathers on his wings. Reta

Just my opinion, sugar cane may be fine for a very occasional treat, but it is not nutritious and has the obvious ingredient, sugar! I might give it (though never have, and it's sold commonly here) once a month or less. It's fun to shred, but then so are bird-safe branches and greenery, and I prefer giving that to my birds. I often provide fresh cut bamboo, hibiscus, bottle brush, citrus branch, leafy guava branch, banana leaves or something on that order. The birds love to shred the natural branches. Reta

She is still a baby, and has to grow up. I'll bet she'll be playing soon enough Reta

Sounds like you might be interested in feeding the mash diet and doing some sprouting of grains, seeds and legumes. The mash diet is a mixture of sprouts, fresh vegetables, a little fruit, sometimes some cooked whole grains, legumes, and sweet potatoes. Check out Feeding Feathers, a Yahoo forum, for great diet information! Reta

Since he is so young, he is just starting to develop his food preferences. It's up to you to continue presenting healthy nutritious choices, not just high sugar fruits. Nothing wrong with a little of those, but they should come later in the day, and not very much of them. Present vegetables every single morning, whether or not he eats them. Show him how tasty they are by modeling for him (or at least pretending to!), MMMMMM! Try different sizes of cut vegetables from chunks to food processed. You may also want to introduce him to a mash diet at this age - check out the Yahoo forum, Feeding Feathers for great diet information in their files section. With patience and persistence on your part, he will be eating a healthy diet soon! Reta

Some birds are very confident and they don't mind their cages being re-arranged, new toys, etc. Sounds like you have one of those birds! Reta

"How old is Kali? Has he had his first molt?" Yes, Kali is way beyond his first molt - he is almost 6 years. Interestingly when I picked him out between two different young Greys, I thought he was female based on the head shape, rounder at that time than it is now, and in comparison with the other bird who had a flatter head. The breeder who had shipped him up to a place about 2 hours from us (he came from near Mexico City, one of the best breeders in Mexico) also thought Kali was female, "90% sure". So I called him "she" for quite awhile until the dna was done! Reta

When the product first came out, I read comments from quite a number of people who tried it out. A very high percentage of them said it didn't work at all. I haven't used it myself, so this is second hand information. Reta

I'm glad your bird is doing better in the new, smaller cage, and hope the feather shredding stops. They are all different, and what suits one may not suit another! I'm curious if you know anything about the breeder and the early socializing that was done. Many Greys that have been force-weaned at an early age tend to be less secure and have more of tendency to pluck than those who were abundance weaned and well socialized.

You are using the wooden spoon handle to move him, and still get bitten? You may want to use a stick perch with a shield to prevent bites. I think that is better than the glove. She is still biting whether you have the glove on or not, and the more she bites, the more she will bite. Better to avoid the biting behavior. Also, if the bird is biting this much, perhaps she is not ready for the amount of handling you're doing. Maybe backing off and taking it slower, letting her gain more confidence that this is a safe home, giving her a little more space, might give better long-term results. Reta

If you're going to give palm oil, be sure it is Red palm oil for more nutrition, not regular palm oil. 1/4 to 1/2 tsp a day is what is recommended for the average Grey (to 500 grams). While good fats are needed in the diet (red palm oil, flax seed), too much is not good for them. Reta<br><br>Post edited by: chapala, at: 2008/02/04 03:35

Is this a recipe for breeding birds? Pet birds do not need much animal protein, and about 1 tsp. a week of cooked egg is all that is recommended. They do best with lots of whole grains, some legumes, fresh vegetables, some fruit and a few nuts. Reta

I steam them and mash them. Sweet potatoes as you know are high in beta-carotenes which the body (bird or human) converts to the all important Vit. A as needed. It is not water soluble as are some other vitamins, so you don't need to worry about losing the good part by cooking. Most all other vegetables I feed raw, but cook sweet potatoes, and sometimes carrots. The beta-carotenes are actually more available after cooking than when raw. Reta

Marlene, good idea to check with your vet. Also, you may want to google articles on "abundance weaning", that give information on getting through this time with less stress for you and the bird! Reta

I like the play tops - Kali spends a lot of time up there. His first cage had a dome top, and this one works better for him. Also, depending on your bird, I think bigger is better if you have the room. Kali is in a 48x34, and uses the whole cage. Reta

I think we need to respect it if our birds want some quiet, alone time. Who knows what goes on in those grey heads, but they can be moody at times, and it's a good idea to pay attention to what the bird might be trying to tell you. Now if a behavior change lasts very long, you might want to have a vet check-up to make sure there's nothing physically wrong to make your Grey feel unwell. Reta

My Kali is DNA'd male, and he does not have the white scalloping on the wing feathers. He does have the more flattened head shape. I'll try to attach a photo. Reta P.S. Tried several ways to attach a photo with no luck! Sorry.<br><br>Post edited by: chapala, at: 2008/02/04 02:56

Yes, I agree on the window cleaner - not safe to use around the bird, and it should be rinsed off if you use it on the cage when the bird is elsewhere. I use half white vinegar, half water in a squirt bottle. That and paper towels do a pretty good job for regular cleaning. For a major cleaning, I take the cage out, hose it down (wish I had a pressure washer!), and take a scrub brush to it, cleaning it thoroughly, then letting dry in the sun. Reta

I don't see any problem, provided your husband is willing to give the bird some one-on-one attention every day, and you don't mind not being able to handle the bird. You can still feed her, make her toys, give her treats, and slowly try to establish a better relationship with her even if it's not close. Our Military Macaw (a rescue) bonded very quickly to my husband and would try to bite me or anyone else. We've had her six years, and she now will climb in my lap to get walnuts, quite a change from the early days. I can move her around, hand feed her treats, but not a lot more. That's fine with me since I have two who are bonded to me! Reta