Mistyparrot

https://www.change.org/petitions/drop-all-charges-against-miami-valley-bird-club-rescue-dr-brauer-and-jim-tinnell I have signed this petition. It relates to a threatened prosecution of a group of people who rescued a number of parrots from an intolerable situation from an allegedly cruel keeper. Steve and Mistyparrot

What a heartbreaking story. I wonder if wild birds think that a lone Grey might be a hawk of some kind. Their beaks have a similar hook shape.

IMHO except in cases where the parrot parent is unable to rear it's own babies , Greys should bring up greys. No breeder should sell an un-weened bird and they should stay with their parents for at least six months! Greys as a species have been doing the job for millions of years and they do know how to do it! It is the height of arrogance for us to assume we humans can do a better job! Some of us can't even to the job properly with our own kids! End of rant:mad: Steve n Misty

There are some rather mixed revues of this shop online. Some alleging overcrowded conditions and apparent neglect. Not all the revues are recent or bad and any establishment taking in rescue birds will seem to have neglected birds. I did a Google search in the address to find the revues. Do we have no Denver members who could check out the shop? Steve n Misty

Don't give up Magical. Never give up!

Does she do this when she is out of her cage?

I feel so bad for you and your wife. I don't want to imagine what you are going though. If it's any comfort feathers make wonderful insulation. Check out all the nearby trees if he has damaged flights he won't have gone far. Keep whistling his contact call. Aloud whistle will carry farther than voice calls and greys to have very good hearing. Lots and lots and lots of luck. Steve n Misty

I can do almost anything with Misty and he won't bite except if I try to fill or remove his water cup on his play tree when he is near it. Then I have to be careful. He also has his own draw next to my computer desk and if he is playing in that I dare not put my hand in or I risk a nip! Other wise rarely a problem. Even when I have to put him in his cage against his will all that happens is he "glues" himself to my hand! No nipping though! Best advice. always have sticking plasters to hand :-)

It's easy to tell. Male Greys are very opinionated and untidy. Female Greys talk a lot of nonsense and lay eggs. Steve n Misty

I was worried upsetting Misty when he was chipped. In fact Misty was fine. The vet did suggest that his nurse held Misty for the injection so he would not associate me with the "assault". In the event he took it all with no fuss. He is a parrot who generally gets on with everybody as long as they are respectful. Steve n Misty

I am in the UK and it cost £35.00 . The replacement was free including no charge from the vet (Who was not the vet that put in the original that failed). Steve n Misty

My singing voice could get me arrested for aural assault but Misty seems to like it! His preference though is whistling with me. If you can whistle and either repeat any whistle tune you hear from Gracie especially if it sound like it might be her contact call or teach her one, you will find it helps to form a good bond between you. Steve n Misty

It will always be a lottery as to what kind of person finds a lost parrot but a chipped bird stands an infinitely better chance of being returned than one with no I D.Perhaps I have more faith in human nature:D A ring may help but its main function is to show the bird has an owner and it can be an I D but it can also be removed! A properly registered chip is the best proof and a ring may help. We are not talking of dogs and cats but birds and it doesn't matter if chips were originally introduced to I D larger free roaming pets because they work very well in small animals as well. Steve n Misty

And Quakers are such quiet and peaceable folk

The micro chip used in birds and other pets is a passive device and is only active when it is interrogated by a scanner. To work with GPS it would need a power supply and an antenna to both receive and transmit to any practical distance so it would be difficult to make it small enough to be a practical longterm solution. It may be possible to make a device that coud "borrow" power from ambient wireless signals to call out intermittently but even then the antenna would be difficult to miniaturise to a practical size as that is dictated by the received and radiated wavelengths. So I would not hold your breath! One other point about microchips . I had Misty chipped a couple of years ago. Some time after I took him to the vet for a check up and we discovered his chip was not working or it was missing! The vet said that sometimes the injector can suck the chip out and leave it to close to the skin or just under the feathers so when the first vet did a test scan it worked as expected but may have dropped off or even been preened out later on! The vet who put it in was an experienced avian vet . It was replaced at no cost but the moral is if your birds are chipped have it tested once in a while! Steve n Misty

Definitely a female then Greys love to get a reaction from their talking so what ever you do don't raise your voice to her. Other noise in the room may set her off but you may find that talking gently back to her or whistling with her helps. It won't shut her up but she may not be so loud. They also like to run though their vocabulary and experiment with words at times. Of course you could try ear plugs Either way be grateful she is not a cockatoo or macaw.. they can make ears bleed and I don't mean by biting them! A silent bird may well be a sad bird. Steve n Misty

No your little lady is not old at all but many people get their birds from a breeder or pet shop when they are barely weened at a few weeks. Far to many people take on a baby without a clue of what a commitment it is and how to bring it into a family and then end up with a sad little parrot that they have to give up.Unfortunately there are also some who had the best of intentions but circumstances force them to re home their bird. People like you help to keep those birds from a poor home or rescue center. My Misty came to me at two years from a caring elderly owner who could no longer devote the time and attention a lively Grey demands. Steve n Misty

Well done on taking in an older Grey. It does sound like it has had a bad experience and it will take time love and lots of patience to bring back its trust in humans. As others have said, even what you think may be mild chastisement like beak tapping will be counter productive. Avoid doing things that you know will cause a biting reaction. Learn to read the signs. It takes time to get your birds confidence and with some birds may have less trust in one human gender compared to another. If you do get a nip try not to react with sudden movements. Most times its is simply letting you know you are being invasive. Be respectful if you want to earn respect. Don't give your Grey milk because parrots cannot digest lactose. Soya milk or lactose free milk is fine. Never give coffee or alcohol or avocados or chocolate. In the morning my Misty loves hot water with calcium and vitamin D3 in solution this is good for skin and feather condition. There is lots on the net about diets for Greys. Much of what you find healthy for yourself is fine for your bird but avoid salt and fatty foods. Make sure it has a variety of climbing perches and never never clip its wings. Talk you your bird and sing to it as well. Listen out for its own contact whistle. If you repeat it back to your parrot it will help with the bonding process. Lots and lots of luck, Steve n Misty Parrot Steve n Misty

I have had Misty since he was two years old, he is about nine now. I have never had to clip his nails because he has all kinds of tree branches of different sizes that he is always climbing on. The bars of most parrot cages are quite useless for talon trimming. If you let him climb around your arms with his sharp nails your skin will soon develop hard calluses and you won't notice after a while Of couse it is best to have an experienced vet do the trim because like his beak his nails have blood vessels that will bleed profusely if they are cut. Parrots do need their claws to grip but suitable climbing perches will keep them naturally trimmed

Why even take the risk? Is there no switch ?

I agree chezron . I think this is a good example of why clipping a parrot is a bad idea. Steve n Misty

My personal belief is that if you are living in a situation where you think you have to clip your parrots wings then it is time to re home it with a carer who can allow it freedom in the home without clipping. Parrots are flying birds and clipping them for the sake of convenience is heartless. Clipping puts a bird at risk of severe injury and mental stress. Steve n Misty

Indeed I have. The trick is to turn it into a printers block :-) Steve n Misty

Mock not ere the mocker be mocked