Shamelessmuse

Thanks...I have seen birds do similar...but she was just full on out of control...she seemed so upset, I was worried something was bothering her and afraid she was going to hurt herself, she was all over the place and it just kept going on and on!:blink:

It works!! Very cute!!

Do I ever!!! I'm in Atlanta too!! go to www.fancyfeathers.net it is just outside the perimeter. He sells cages cheaper than anything I have found. I believe he is open up till 3pm during the week and until noon on Saturday. He also carries Zupreem if you like it and many toys - again much cheaper than anywhere else. I also can give you three good avian vet references as well - depending where you are.

I just got home and Greyce has been a nut! First she was fanning her tail and flapping her wings. Now she keeps getting going in the water bolw and flapping her wings, then out and fanning her tail and flapping her wings...then back in the water dish and flapping her wings and fanning her tail. Then she slings water...back out flapping about and fanning her tail, general chaos around the cage, attacks the water bowl and then gets in, flapping, ect...I thought maybe she wanted a bath, she was not a fan of the water bottle. I put a bowl with water in the bottom, wasn't interested. She seems aggitated though...

lovemyGreys: I do, my vet highly recommended it. I divide it up into 2 (make half, then the other half later) She really seems to like it and you can add stuff to it like veggies, fruits, ect. I think next time I am going to take some of the dehydrated fruit or veggies in and see how that goes. Let me know if you have any other questions!! Here is the info, ingredients, directions, ect. Indications/Uses Provides a healthy alternative for bird owners who choose to prepare their own bird food or those who give regular treats to their birds Can be offered instead of table food to birds that like to eat at family mealtimes Can be used to assist in converting birds to a formulated diet Can be hidden as a foraging reward Can be used as a vehicle for administering liquid medications Provides an easy-to-use transition for hospitalized or boarding birds until acceptance of the appropriate formulated diet Can be moistened and offered to birds that are feeding chicks as a soft food Can be used as a weaning food to transition to a formulated diet Baking Directions Preheat oven to 350�F (177�C). Combine entire bag of mix with 2 whole organic eggs including the shell (remove yolk for less fat), 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) AVIx Sunshine Factor�® or other high quality organic vegetable oil, and 1 cup (235 ml) water. Fill greased bread pan or muffin tins and bake for 25-35 minutes. Do not bake in nonstick (PTFE-coated) cookware, as the fumes are toxic to birds. Serving Suggestions May make up to 30% of the daily diet. If prepared with the addition of fruits, vegetables or nuts, Bird Bread should be considered a treat and fed only in limited quantities (no more than 10% of the daily food allotment when combined with all other treats). Can be served warm. Some flavorings (vanilla, maple) or herbs can be added as long as they do not change the nutritional content. Storage & Shelf Life Because Bird Bread Mix contains not preservatives, some care is recommended for storage. If the bag is opened, the top can be zipped closed or rolled down and closed with a chip clip for 4-6 weeks. Bird Bread can be stored for 1 week in the refrigerator and 1 year in the freezer after baking. Baked Bird Bread can be divided into portions, wrapped in plastic wrap and placed back in the original Harrison's Bird Foods bag for storage in the freezer. Bird Bread should not be reheated in a plastic container. GUARANTEED ANALYSIS Crude protein (min.) 15%, crude fat (min.) 8%, crude fiber (max.) 6.5%, moisture (max.) 10% Ingredients Harrisons Bird Foods, Grey millet, *Safflower, *Sweet corn, Baking powder (aluminum-free) *CERTIFIED ORGANIC INGREDIENT

Last night Greyce got: Harrisons Bird Bread, Organic Bell Peppers and a bit of Kale. This morning she got: Organic Oatmeal made with unsweetened Apple Juice with bannana and apple pieces and some chopped up almonds. Tonight some bird bread, a smige of Almond butter and a veggie mix.

So great to hear!!

I strongly believe in well checks. I have seen many times where they have made a difference. I was a vet tech for a long time and often on a well check we found a problem. And, when you catch it before it is obvious you often take a problem that would not have been that expensive and turn it into something really experience. Also, I know with many of the avian vets in my area...they will allow you to call them durning closed hours if you are a regular client. So if I have a problem at 2am I can call versus if I am not an active problem I am going to the ER with a doc that rarely treats birds in an emergency. I personally for Greyce would prefer an Avian boarded or board eligible doc over a regular vet that sees some birds. The reason being is that Greys have some health issues that are unique to the breed that can quickly get out of hand. I do know one vet that isn't boarded, that I would use if she was still in the area...but she has done 50% birds with a high Grey and Cockatoo population for over 10 years. She should honestly go ahead and get boarded really. Anyway...my 2 cents!

Nychsa: Are you kidding? My Chihuahua has that position filled. Slight as she may be at 2.5 lbs...I can't leave my food anywhere, the little acrobat will get anywhere and gobble a whole dinner plate in 2.5 seconds and she will eat anything. Dakota, my Shepherd is the only one I can trust with my food!:lol:

I'm curious as well. While I am not planning on buying one, I think I would rather torture myself and build it. But, I haven't been exactly sure what the best shape, ect would be. I would like to hear what others think of them so if one stands out I can copy it

I know I've seen a number of people ask what kind of things we all feed our Greys. I thought it might be a good brainstorming source for people if we post our creative dinners and such. For example: Last night Greyce got steamed Broccoli, Caldiflower and Carrots seasoned with Cayenne and Cumin. She loved the Caldiflower and ate a good bit of her Broccoli and Carrots.

I do all sorts of things for Greyce. We do oatmeal and use organic unsweetened juice instead of water and cut up fruit and veggies in it. Last night I steamed Broccoli, Caldiflower and Carrots and seasoned them with Cayenne and Cumin...she loved them. She's doing much better in the food department than when I got her 2 weeks ago. At that time she would only eat seed and bannana and apples if I was eating it.

Lisa: There is a reason I am not a skinny girl anymore! :laugh: It's the love of food...and being southern that includes all things fried!! Cooking isn't so bad, you just have to learn to add things slowly and taste often. Let go a bit and you'll be amazed at the results. The first thing is to learn the basics...how long things cook, ect...then you can get wild! Woody: I grew up in a house where my parents never used a repair person for anything. It's come in handy since I live alone!! SMustee: Awe, I feel your back pain!! I have a spinal and nerve deformity...I just got my first cortisone epidural the day after Christmas...unfortunatly it has only helped a little. It messes up my IT bands too...Sometimes I want to rip them out!

I've talked to a number of behaviorist by e-mail and various bird rescue folks since I got Greyce (who will bite the tar out of me for just feeding her). As long as you get them used to the glove and they are not deathly afraid of the glove I think it's fine (and several have agreed with me, more than not) Here is why. When you know you are going to get bit, you are going to put off that vibe....especially when you know it's gonna hurt. I've been bitten by some big birds, even had a tendon stitched up in my hand due to the handy work of a Cockatoo. If you can get them not to be afraid of the glove, you aren't going to be afraid of the bite...and that is the first step to training the bite out. Greyce has been a whole lot better with some positive re-enforcement and with me being able to confidently put my hands near her or her cage and I wasn't even all that worried about the actual bite so much...as just knowing it was coming...with the glove I don't even think about it. But, keep in mind as Rita said to go slow and try to avoid the bites...let her set the pace...but I also don't see the harm in using a glove (short term) when you need to handle her. Good luck!!

Well, Greyce is doing better everyday. She still won't let me get her out. She is doing better at trying to eat me when I change out coop cups. I have found that if I tell her what a gird bird she is with a whole lot of glee:) when she is not being aggressive, when she starts toward me she isn't as forceful. And if when she starts to nip, I sweetly but firmly say Are you going to be a good girl, she goes from trying to nip to pretending she wasn't going to:lol: She also has gotten a bit bolder, which is great because she is becoming more comfortable. She keeps flying off her cage to the ground. The dogs have been awesome!! They don't bum-rush her, rather just kind of start toward slowly and stop when I tell them. She will let me pick her up from the ground with ease. So I've been whisking her off to another room and doing step ups and letting her hang out on my arm for a bit. She still won't let me touch her (scratches or the like) otherwise...but we are getting there!!

Way too much sugar and sodium for a bird baby! I would not let her have any of that. Look for some natural, unsweetened apple juice or the like. It's hard sometimes to deny them the things they like, but often times what is good for us isn't so good for the critters.

Poor buggar! Giardia is not a fun thing to have! I've had it! Yuck!! Now that she is on the meds she should get better pretty quickly. Just make sure that she stays well hydrated. As far as the sun goes, you could supplement this with a bird light. Dr. Foster and Smith have one the cheaper set ups I've found. Some regular lamps will also hold the bulbs. This will help her with her vitamin D and thus calcium. Good luck to you in your own medical issues. I am sure Lulu will be fine!

Awesome, this is one of the better articles on plucking. It covers the many diffrent reason's birds pluck...many are often accidently overlooked by veterinarians. I have met many really good avian vets that would not look at all these options with a Grey. They often just chalk it up to a Grey.

Awe, sweetie you didn't fail!! You can't blame yourself for your baby's issues. She's obviously has some things to over come. Just keep learning all you can so you can help her. Oh, and what are they currently eating...a number of feather pluckers have issues due to food additives and pestacides and such

1. I am single, never married, no human kids...hopefully that will change before time runs out! 2. I do pottery in my spare time, clay is one of my biggest loves. 3. I trained dogs for 10 years and still do some behavior consults. 4. I am hopefully going back to college in the next two years to finish my BFA and then Masters in Ceramics. 5. I can fix my car, fix my plumbing and just about anything else....just not electricity and gas...that stuff scares me. 6. I have a benign, slow growing pituitary tumor in my brain (some of my friends think that it explains a lot) 7. I too cry at some commercials, though you will rarely catch me crying in front of anyone...I get really embarassed when I cry. 8. I am terrified of spiders...it's better now, it's a phobic reaction after a brown recluse bite. 9. I've had two facial reconstructive surgeries after having broken my nose 8 times... 10. I'm a huge foodie!! I love food!! I love coming up with new recipes and such.

Hot water and distilled vinegar...though I am curious about the poop off stuff.

Terri, Sounds good! Time is such a precious thing isn't it?? Well, once a name is settled, acronyms, ect. Let me know and I will start on a logo type thing. We'll need a slogan, catch phrase that will be striking. I am utterly open to ideas and such! And of course, if I can't come up with a pretty enough logo I will so con one of my artist friends into it.

I have to quit to!! I made a bargin with myself years ago that if I ever got a Grey I would quit smoking! So, I started with cutting back (down to under 10 a day!!) and I am looking into the new drug Chantix. It's the one that blocks the nicotine receptors in your brain so you get nothing from smoking. I have two friends that have quit recently with it with good success. I'm ready to at this point, while I like it...I don't want it anymore. My mom is an ex smoker (cold turkey) and she keeps going on and on about how great it will make you feel. She used carrots as a low cal oral fixation crutch, that and sugar free lollies.

This is great!! Well, I am a natural blonde (don't let the red fool you) with a sense of humor. My father always sends me blonde jokes, this is one of my favorite ones! Alligator shoes A young blonde woman was driving through the Florida Everglades while on vacation. She wanted to take home a pair of genuine alligator shoes in the worst way, but was very reluctant to pay the high prices the local vendors were asking. After becoming very frustrated with the attitude of one of the shopkeepers, the young Blonde declared, "Well then, maybe I'll just go out and catch my own alligator and get a pair of shoes for free!" The shopkeeper said with a sly smile, "Well little lady, why don't you go on and give it a try?" The blonde headed off to the swamp, determined to catch an alligator. Later in the day, as the shopkeeper is driving home, he spots the same young woman standing waist deep in the murky water, shotgun in hand. As he brings his car to a stop, he sees a huge 9-foot gator swimming rapidly toward her. With lightning reflexes, the Blonde takes aim, shoots the creature and hauls it up onto the slippery bank. Nearby were 7 more dead gators, all lying belly up. The shopkeeper stood on the bank, watching in silent amazement. The blonde struggles mightily and manages to flip the gator onto its back. Rolling her eyes heavenward, she screams in frustration, "DAMN IT this one is barefoot too!!

Terri. While I don't have a ton of free time (work, critter time and studio time as I am a potter in my spare time) I would be happy to help start things out. Dependent on how time consuming it would be, I would be happy to serve on the board. I'm also not bad on the creative end. I've done logos, ect and I have a ton of artist friends as well.