birdhouse

I'm pretty convinced that was the trigger w/Kura. She was the most cuddly bird I've ever met & it was mindless reflex half of the time. Even though I limited contact to head scratching, beak & feet rubs she still graduated to egg laying eventually. But she does limit her feather destruction to mating season. So, that's something, anyway.. If/when you back off w/Isaac, it might be good to move slowly & gradually toward your goal. Maybe start limiting where you pet him more than how much at first. He's gotten used to a level of physicality & he might develop new issues if you suddenly change that dynamic too much too fast. Good luck

"A couple of woods appear on safe lists that shouldn't or should be noted that there are problems with some species. Redwood has long been associated with rashes and the dust with lung and eye disorders. It contains high levels of volatile oils that are known toxins. Further exposure is believed to suppress the immune system... Cedar occasionally appears on safe lists. If Cedar is to be used, Red cedar should be avoided for the same reasons as redwood. Yellow and Sitka Cedar may be safe though." http://www.birdsafe.com/woods.htm Galvanizing is something to avoid as well. Galvanized & zinc plated are the same. Zinc is a heavy metal that birds can't get out of their systems. Stainless or nickel plated fittings are okay, though.

Welcome to you & Chappie, Deanne. Congratulations on your beautiful new baby! Looking forward to hearing more about your adventures together. Feel free to toss in a few local pics, too. Your country has such beautiful wild birds & it's been a while since we've heard from a member from down unda.

I wanted to see if I could find any back stories because I doubted that was scripted video. It was a very enjoyable bit of research.

Ow to the bruise!! Yay to the progress!! What about putting a dish towel across your shoulders. If she doesn't like sleeves (maybe because they make balancing more difficult because they slip?) , maybe she won't like that either?

I guess they must be adapted to it or they would have died out in that region. But all I can think looking at that pic is how harsh nature is.

I don't think I'm anyone special & I did it. Only I'd never had a-ny full sized parrot experience. And no support system. And Phenix wasn't *just* aggressive. There may not be any other greys in the group. But it is a "blended" family. A bunch of potentially natural born enemies living together. That takes a certain intuition, ability, gift, talent...? Whatever you'd call it, it's not usually species specific. Some people just "get" animals. Of course some people are bad owners w/multiple animals & some are hoarders. But I don't think this is the place to address that, either. I didn't offer specifics in my first post because OP said, "...before I fell in love with Cockatoos, an African Grey was my dream bird. I have done tons of research on them in the past, but want to know even more!" Doesn't sound like she's going in blind. It only sounds like she's looking to take advantage of a support group to help work w/GrayB. That sounds about right, too. We all know what Forrest Gump said about chocolates...? Ditto parrots. It's always about beating the odds anytime a parrot of any description gets a new home. Taking in GrayB is strictly speaking a gamble. But I think it sounds like a reasonable one. One of the major reasons being that Maddy has already shown some of the necessary commitment by honoring her promise to the previous owner. We all know how important commitment is in working w/any fid. There's one more important reason why I thought to support OP. Unlike GrayB's previous owner, I've never met Maddy. Odds are that puts her in a much better position to judge Maddy as a potential caretaker than I am since I "know" Maddy from two relatively small posts.

I heard you say that to all the girls. ")

W/the right combination of critters (humans incl) it's very doable. Around here at least the dogs & the parrots have a very special bond. The parrots have the up side of the power curve, of course. But there's still no argueing how much they love each other & no end to the fascination of watching them together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MOdS_XGZOk None of those were mine but they could be. Enjoy the whole thing if you like.by all means. But pay a little extra attention at about 30 sec in. 'Nuff said? ")

Sometimes aggression is caused by something physical; illness, injury, hormones. For that reason & to protect the rest of your flock, it might be good to start w/a trip to the vet. Otherwise I think aggression tends often to start out at least, as fear based. Whether or not we think it's justified. Generally parrots are quick to learn control, though. Threatening to take a chunk out of anyone who approaches is I think we'd all agree, relatively affective w/many people. Sounds like the last owner was pretty convinced whatever else. This will be a fresh start for this grey. Experienced owners who are less likely to inspire fear or be controlled by it. A whole flock of other fids which will be awesome helpful since greys learn by example (see ALEX studies). There's even a dog to train & I've yet to meet a parrot who wouldn't think that was pretty cool. It sounds like there's much more new & exciting going on than usual, here. Just be yourselves & I think the odds are in favor of some pretty good results. Try to ignore the aggressive rep & wait to see what actually happens at your house. Give him space enough to feel he's got control enough to feel safe & opportunities enough for him to want to become part of the new flock once he starts to get over the shock of being uprooted. And if you've got any questions, concerns, exciting moments to relay, **pictures** , etc, by all means, lpost them! We'd love to share this greyt adventure w/you. :cool: EDIT 2 things I forgot... There is a Rescue Bird Haven forum where you might post your adventures in the dark & twistier side of your grey's psyche, if it comes to it. Thought you might also read "Gilbert Is Home" or some of the threads posted by murfchck.

Awww Sounds like somebody's smitten. That's so sweet. She's certainly coming along pretty quickly, too. Pat may have taken a bit longer, but it sounds like he's coming around nicely, too. lol Good news all around!

I get a massive wave of warm fuzzies every single time I see this.

Living in the NE, it's easy to forget that somewhere at least, it's time for the birds to start nesting. Thanks for the reminder! I've been watching these birds raise their families on this other stream for years. It's so incredible to be able to watch up close like this!

Hello Etienne. Welcome to Greyforums & Congratulations on your new fid! Unfortunately for parronts, avian vet medicine is still pretty much in it's infancy. Sadly, one of the biggest proofs of this is in the challenge of birds who self mutilate. Because vets are still kind of bumping around in the dark, it's very important that a fid only be treated by a certified avian vet. And because a decent avian vet is so hard to come by, it's important that parronts do their homework about a vet's reputation & credentials as well as the treatments & diagnosis recommended for their fids. No good vet should have problems w/being questioned or even challenged about their recommended treatments. And, imho, no parront should be afraid to leave any vet if they "don't feel right". A bird's metabolism is so "fragile" & they mask their symptoms to such a point that it's even more important than normal to get the correct diagnosis for any issue. So as a start point, if you haven't already found it, here's some information about the Biotin your vet's prescribed for the feather picking. "BIOTIN, D-BIOTIN AND BIOTIN PREMIX Also known as Vitamin B7 and sometimes vitamin H, it is active in the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and protein, and the formation of fatty acids. It promotes normal health of sweat glands, nerve tissue, bone marrow, blood cells, skin, and hair. It is essential for growth and well-being. Biotin is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin that helps the body make hormones and to break down protein and carbohydrates. Biotin is made by intestinal bacteria and parrot safe foods it is found in are yeast, soybeans, nuts, bananas, and watermelon. It is also found in raw egg yolks (not recommended for parrot diets since there is too much potential for salmonella) and grapefruit (too acidic to feed to parrots often.) The biotin in corn is readily available, which is not true of many grains. I have tried to research the difference between biotin and d-biotin and find the information too scientific for my understanding. The manufactured diets that list biotin, D-biotin, and biotin premix are Lafebers, Hagen Tropican, Nutriberries, Roudybush, Roudybush Careline Rice Diet, ZuPreem Natural, Brown’s Zoo Vital Daily Diet, Kaytee Organic, all Pretty Bird Foods, Abba 2500 Nuggets, Harrisons, Purina’s Mazuri Parrot Maintenance and Breeder’s Blend." https://companionparrotonline.com/Diet_Ingredients_Parrots.html "Biotin - is widely distributed in foods in low concentrations. It may be absorbed from bacteria production in the large bowel. Biotin is stored in the liver but is slow to be mobilised if needed. Mycotoxins / fungal toxins in the diet affect Biotin up-take. Deficiencies are as per Pantothenic acid." "Pantothenic Acid Deficiencies produce: dermatitis on the face and feet decreased growth decreased feathering uncoordination Cinnamon/Pied (h) & Whiteface-Pearl-Pied (h) & Young Wihteface © Cockatiels, Nymphicus hollandicus Photograph by & courtesy of Michael & Robyn Ashton, Brisbane Cockatiels raised on a diet deficient in Pantothenic Acid failed to grow contour feathers on chest and back and died at 3 weeks of age." http://www.parrotsociety.org.au/articles/avian-nutrition I hope the vet explained that feather picking (or barbering) & plucking are not uncommon among companion parrots, particularly certain species. Greys being one of the higher risks. Sometimes a process of trial & error eventually corrects the underlying issue(s). But some fids can still continue long after there is no longer any other reason than it's become an ingrained habit. You need to make a decision now whether you can love a scruffy even semi-nude fid, if that's what yours is going to turn out to be. Many of us have at least one. Mine is a seasonally hormonal Eclectus. W/w/o perfect plumage, she's my beautiful girl & I wouldn't give her up for anything. But I won't pretend that I wouldn't rather she stopped for her own sake. So, I keep trying to find the magic formula. "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing & expecting a different outcome" ...but damned if that isn't exactly how it works w/so many parrot behavior issues lots of times! Here are a couple of threads that I hope might jump start your research. There are a lot of different suggestions here. There's also an honest dialogue in real time about the joys & frustration involved. http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?200925-Isaac-Is-Taking-Out-Tummy-Feathers http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?201262-Isaac-Update-Feathers-Coming-Back I'm also wondering if your fid's cage could have been at least part of the problem before now. If a parrot's cage is too small & lacking activity, they will turn to feather destruction out of boredom & the stress of being so confined. A grey who has several hours of freedom per day should have a cage w/a living space that's at *least* 32" L x 23" D x 36" H (recommend 3/4" bar spacing). 36" L x 24" D x 44+" H would be better. It should also have many & varied types of branches, perches as well as toys which are rotated thru as frequently as the fid will allow. I'd recommend at least 3 "big" toys & however many smaller toys work w/the cage space. Activity takes precedence. A fid that lives in a cage stuffed w/fun things to get into is happiest. Usually, the best parrot toy is the one that's going to be destroyed the quickest. These activity books will allow you to provide your new baby w/a whole bunch of customized fun for comparably little money. You might want to download & save these because they do tend to move to different websites semi-often. https://featheredangels.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/theparrotenrichmentactivitybookversion1-0.pdf https://featheredangels.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/theparrotenrichmentactivitybookversion2-0.pdf

See now, if you lived just a 1000 miles or so farther north, it wouldn't have taken you 3 guesses to figure out what Miss G was talking about. ") Apparently, she's not a fan, either. See how smart they are...!?! lol

Around here any straw is awesome. I think it's the only source of amusement they all agree on. There's a salvage place that has institution sized boxes of the really big ones w/paper wrapping sometimes. Those are the absolute best'est. One at a time is a foot toy. Sometimes woven through the cage bars or hidden in perches. I just grab a few for them to munch on if they're hanging out on me. Don't know if you've seen this before. But Garcia might like the different presentation Our fav diy version is a big handful & a quick link ( not zinc plated, though ) zip tied together. Three minutes that is always very well received. Kura actually stole this one before I got a chance to hang it in one of the other guy's cages. Phenix got this for Xmas & it's his current obsession. Partly because I just keep finding ways to make it fun. First of all, it's got a bell so right there it gets the points. But it's also huge. I can put pretty much any fruits & veggie in whatever form in it. Sometime I make him work for it. Which is apparently fine by him. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EOOQCH8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Also, I stuff it full of coffee filters. Very cheap from the dollar store, Sam's Club etc. I wrap some things like legos/duplos, pony beads, nuts in their shell, cut up Popsicle sticks or straws (again), wood &/or plastic shapes, whatever. Some I don't wrap, just stick in between the filters & then I stuff the ball so full I can hardly screw it shut. He really has to work at it to get the stuff out. And some stuff is deliberately too big so it's never going to get pulled out. But he'll keep trying for hours. Partly because that's just who he is & partly because he wants to ring the bell. He loves his bells! It's a real nice foraging toy to keep his little mind active. It changes up because it can be used w/w/o the bell, on a chain or stick, w/misc stuffing or food stuff. It is washable. It certainly looks unbreakable. Even the undestructabell which he can't actually get at!! ") Very worth the investment imho.

Your own personal Alfred Hitchcock movie. Sounds like that must have left a mark or two.

Awww! I never had a baby, so I love it whenever you guys share these moments. ") Thanks for posting this!

Said w/love big guy, but if that's so then I think we should all be afraid. Very afraid!! lol

Thank you; that was hysterical!

"I like her because she eats everything I give her and gives me a Mmmm when she puts her face in the bowl" There you go! Take all the time you need w/everything else. lol She's so young & apparently doing so well bonding w/you. Hopefully this will be the magical combination for a rapid transition to "normal". Also, by now, you've gotten so much experience reading & handling these guys that she may even seem easy.

Phenix splinters wood to itty bitty bits like that. But w/ paper, everyone just goes crazy & flings huge chunks around. Inara's right, I think. You could hire Dorian out for professional shredding!

That's someone to avoid if you don't want a headache. Why can't these people regurgitate their bright ideas in a form real people might actually understand..? Just sayin. "The British stage magician Nevil Maskelyne wrote in 1908: "It is an experience common to all men to find that, on any special occasion, such as the production of a magical effect for the first time in public, everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Whether we must attribute this to the malignity of matter or to the total depravity of inanimate things, whether the exciting cause is hurry, worry, or what not, the fact remains.[4] The contemporary form of Murphy's law goes back as far as 1952, as an epigraph to a mountaineering book by John Sack, who described it as an "ancient mountaineering adage": Anything that can possibly go wrong, does." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy%27s_law Like the man said or at least I think he said, it's all been said before at one time or another, in some form or another. 'It's not easy to improvise, it's the most difficult thing to do. Even when one improvises in front of a camera or microphone, one ventriloquizes or leaves another to speak in one's place the schemas and languages that are already there. There are already a great number of prescriptions that are prescribed in our memory and in our culture. All the names are already preprogrammed. It's already the names that inhibit our ability to ever really improvise. One can't say what ever one wants, one is obliged more or less to reproduce the stereotypical discourse. And so I believe in improvisation and I fight for improvisation. But always with the belief that it's impossible. And there where there is improvisation I am not able to see myself. I am blind to myself. And it's what I will see, no, I won't see it. It's for others to see. The one who is improvised here, no I won't ever see him.' JACQUES DERRIDA UNPUBLISHED INTERVIEW, 1982 http://www.derridathemovie.com/readings.html Whereas Dave... now he just throws these things out there to see what happens. Then sits back & laughs. Truly brilliant!

How did this work out? Did you get them all home & figure out where to put them for the time being?

I don't know about the Betadine. I'd be a little worried that it might actually cause it's own problems if it's used for more than a day or two. There is no obvious damage or irritation in the pic. If the bird has no other symptoms, I'd start w/aloe because it has no bad side effects. I'd either treat the area w/some leaf "gel" or 100% organic juice. It is a mild analgesic(numbing) & effective antimicrobial (fungus) & antibacterial (germs). Very good for conditioning the feathers & skin even when totally healthy. Also, if used in spray form, would be good to bathe the bird which could also help if the bird is reacting to lack of humid. Hopefully, it's something as simple as winter itch & a few baths will make him feel comfortable. But if it gets worse, there are online vets. I don't know how you would know the good ones from the bad. But that's just like any vets anywhere, I suppose.