Char

He is begging.

Vitamins for a cold? Swelling indicates some kind of inflammation to me. Is this an avian vet? I would keep a very close eye on him and if not better soon, see another vet.<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/02/19 01:24

I used to worry about the same thing. I hardly ever see her drink water but I know she does cause the evidence in the poop. Also if she wasn't she would be dead by now. I guess they just don't need very much.

Glasgow, Kentucky?

At 6 months he is still a baby. Heck my gray didn't even wean until 4 months. It is hard to tell what is happening without seeing how you are holding the bird. My bird is too heavy for just my fingers I hold her with the entire side of my hand. If I tried to turn her up and she lost her balance she would grab on and this would seem like a bite. I find it unlikely that at that age he would purposely lose his balance. I just cannot believe the bird at 6 months old is devious enought to set you up for this bite. I could be wrong my bird is pretty laid back. Is he able to perch okay on his stand or does he fall forward there also. I would no leave the room as punishment as then he will think he did something wrong everytime you leave the room. If you do feel the need to discipline the bird this is what my vet recommends: Give the bird a 10 minute time out in a cage or carrier that is not their regular home cage. Their regular cage should always be a safe place of refuge and not a place of punishment. Also a bird will learn to bite you just because he wants to go back in the cage. Remember birds bite for 2 reasons. 1) Out of fear and 2) because we teach them to bite. If you think this is some kind of game he is playing then let him know that you don't want to play and put him in time out for 10 mins. Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/02/17 21:46 Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/02/17 21:59<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/02/17 22:01

Well last night I played with it in front of her and moved it 12 inches closer to her playstand. No freak out so far.:laugh:

Stock up on newspapers!:laugh: also vacuum cleaner bags!:laugh: You will be using a lot of them. Go through the house and get rid of poisonous plants, candles, non-stick cookware. Go shopping for stainless steel and cast iron. throw away all the things a family member might use when you are not there such as air freshners and sprays. Educate the other family members about cleaners such as bleach and ammonia. Make a list of non-safe stuff and post it on the refrigerator. Make sure everyone reads it and understands. It only takes one use of teflon by someone who thinks it really does not matter that much to KILL your bird. Oh and don't forget to get a pet carrier for taking the bird to the vet. You can put a hole in each side and insert a perch in it and your bird will be grateful.<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/02/17 15:08

Yeah I know. I told someone just the other day that the reason they are so cautious is because they are so smart. We all know that an idiot will rush in and grab anything without hesitation while while an intelligent being will consider all the aspects.<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/02/16 21:53

Oh I am not anxious. I was just venting a little frustration. You know how it is when you bring home a new toy for your kids you want to see them play with it. I just have to be patient.

Isn't it exciting! Soon he will be jabbering away.

Thanks guys for your input. Well I better go play with that snake, I mean boing.:laugh:

I love my bird. No, I ADORE her. She is the sweetest bird I have ever personally met but the one thing about Greys that drives me crazy is the new toy fear. Isn't it so frustrating to buy them something new and have to go through this ritual that takes weeks before they are convinced it is not a bird killer. Today I spent $40 dollars for a boing that is to complete her fancy new playstand that I am modifying and she freaks out when she sees it. I have put it on the other side of the room and will slowly move it closer as she tolerates but I already know it will take weeks. She is okay with the playstand as it has been in the room for months while I have planned and procrastinated. I love her I am just venting some of my frustration. They are a wonderful bird and this is just the downside of owning such a sensitive creature.<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/02/16 02:44

I am no expert but maybe the experts will come along shortly and elaborate. Whisper just went through her first major molt at about 13 months. It lasted over a month. She lost a lot of feathers including some big ones but she never really looked that shabby. The vet confirmed she was molting when she went for a checkup but it was pretty obvious. It has tapered off now to just a few feathers here and there. She has not molted her tail feathers yet but I wish she would as they look terrible and I feel it will be soon because they just look dead and dull. Birds do molt all year long but just a few feathers here and there and then have a major molt yearly (I think). It is my understanding from reading that if a bird is kept in temps that are too dry and warm. you know dry heat it will cause molts to be extended and too often. I am going out this week and get a humidifier of some kind. I was going to wait because I thought warm weather was here and I would not have the heat on so much but looks like we are in for some more cold weather so I might as well go ahead and get it. Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/02/16 02:19<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/02/16 02:20

Meadsy4742 wrote: No need to worry. sometimes they raise one foot and sometimes they do not. It could be that on the back of the chair he feels like he has more grip with both feet down. They raise that foot to rest it so maybe sometimes it is just not tired. Now a different scenario: If he was sitting around all fluffed up ALL the time, not very active and NEVER putting one of the feet up then I would worry.<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/02/15 15:38

Brett, I would advise that the next time your bird is at the vet for the yearly check-up that you have a DNA done. It is not that expensive. I was not going to do one in the beginning just to satisfy my curiosity but the vet said their are medical reasons to know if the bird is male or female. For example,egg binding is very dangerous for birds and would be quicker to suspect or rule out in a medical situation if you knew the sex of the bird.

When Whisper tries to play with my ears I just say "no, stop that", if she does not stop then I remove her from my shoulders. If you do allow the bird on your shoulder, do not do or play anything that will get them too excited. This is not a time for tug of war with a toy as they can become to excited and bite you. When Whisper is on my shoulder it is very calm cuddly time with head scratches. Lots and lot of head scratches. While on my shoulder she will say "give me a kiss" and "want a scratch?" If I don't comply she will peck me on the cheek until I do.

Whisper has her own room with her cage in it. She is in there while I am at work and to sleep at night. Whenever I am home she is on her play stand in the living room which is in the center of the house or on my shoulder. During the day While I am at work I don't even shut the cage just close the door to the room. There is nothing else in the room she can get into. I think this helps her to not feel so confined since she can climb all over the cage and come and go out of it as she pleases On the weekends I will usually take her to her cage for a little while in the afternoon for a nap.<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/02/15 02:50

Whisper is a quiet bird. She has her chatty time twice a day morning and evening. She chirps pitifully whenever I go out of the room. That can be pretty loud sometimes. She will start that whenever she sees me put on my coat also. Other than that she is pretty quiet. If I turn on music she will start talking. Once I put her in her cage at night, cover her up and turn off the light I never hear a sound until I uncover her the next morning.

Very funny. She really is a doll. Have you tried using the down command. Just like step up but when you want them to step off you say down. Sometimes Whisper will hang on like that until I say "down". You have to train them just like for step up but when you set them down say "down".

No, she was on her cage just acting silly while I cleaned her room. She was probably telling me to go ahead and clean it but I will just mess it up again when I "go poop".:laugh: Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/02/14 17:45<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/02/14 17:46

Whisper cracked me up this morning. She keeps saying "Go Poop, go Poop". It is just so funny when THEY say it.:laugh: I have been potty training her but this is the first time she has said it.

Happy hatchday Keeko. You are truly a beautiful bird.

Hi and welcome to the forum. If you do some reading around the forum you will find that all Greys are not the same and have different personalities. As a rule they are great talkers but some don't. They tend to be shy birds so most of your friends will not even believe they talk.:laugh: Mine will talk some in front of strangers but some others don't. They need a lot of attention and time out of the cage or they can become pluckers and mutilate themselves. Mine only gets 2-3 hrs a day out of the cage and is doing fine but some don't. They need a lot of toys and stimulation to keep from getting bored. I have the t.v on for mine with a timer so it is only morning hrs and lets her rest in the afternoon. I have it tuned to a childrens channel. She seems to enjoy it. If you read through the posts you will find that some owners get bitten and some don't. Mine has never bitten me but some do. You will find that some have Greys that like to cuddle and some don't. Mine is kind of in between. She spends a lot of time on my shoulder demanding head scratches. They are generally a quiet bird when compared to an Amazon or Cockatoo. Like I said they have their own personalities and some of it depends on their environment. Hope this helps some and good luck.<br><br>Post edited by: Char, at: 2009/02/14 01:37

I didn't write it! I just thought some people might be able to identity with it. I am sure the person who wrote it did it tongue in cheek.:laugh:

That is so sweet. And great peace of mind for them to know Sunny would be taken care of by someone he knows.