Trustdace

Thanks for all the advice you guys. All is well now. Like Dave says I don't think Congo likes or accepts the extract. But I heat it and spread it over her veggies and she's eating it whether she wants to or not.

Yeah I probably made things worse and I should've reacted differently:( It's just that Congo has always been such a sweet bird really. She is back to normal now and is actually eating the extract spread over her veggies. I am still wondering what would have made her act that way?? She was fine the whole day just until I gave her the evtract???:dry: :dry: :dry:

Here's the pic of my hand. It's not horrible but it did hurt.

Ok you guys I finally got what I have been looking for...African Palm Nut Extract!!!! Some of you know how badly I have wanted to get some of this stuff. I have read over and over again about how beneficial palm nuts are when we include them in our bird's diet. So after getting ripped off once before and another $40 later I got a jar of it and I will see how it goes. Now, I did notice something very strange when I offered it to Congo. I got some of the extract out with a spoon and grabbed a dab of it on my finger. It is oily and very runny I guess because it was sitting in my mailbox for 8 hours or so before I got it. It was a usual hot and humid Miami summer day that's why the extract was so liquid, I digress. Back to the point, I opened Congo's cage and let her taste the extract from my finger and she did not like it! She was acting spooked and skittish. I washed my hands off and I went back to her cage and I told her to step up but she didn't. I reached in to grab her and she bit the crap out of me drawing blood and all!! I will post a pic of the bite. She was halfway out of the cage and again I tried to get her to step up but she was hissing and lounging at me. My wife came over to see what the comotion was about and she was in shock to see how Congo was acting. At this point I wanted to calm her down and get her back in the cage so I took a few bites so I could try and grab her but I couldn't hamdle her she was agressive. Finally I took off my shirt threw it over her and I was able to grab her and stick her back in the cage. She's still acting weird and is very agressive. She has never EVER bit me or acted like she is right now. Is it the extract?? Please guys I need some help:(

My biggest concern would be pesticides and fertilizers in the soil.:ohmy: My advice is to b e cautious...better safe than sorry.

Yeah ernzzz let us know what's the real scoop on the food im curious to know. Thanks for the heads up.

That's a greyt looking chick you got there congrats!!!

lovethatgrey: I recently found a local aviary that carries harrison's 1 lb. for $11 and 5 lbs. for $38. The place is called Simbad's Bird House in Miami and they got some nice birds there but the prices are brutal!! In contrast, the bird food and supplies are very reasonably priced. I think they have a 25 lb. bag for $141. Tycos_mom: If your birds are eating Zupreem well then that's great. I have used Zupreem fruity like forever until now that I switched to Harrison's and my birds have done super well on it. Zupreem has a good variety of formula and their Avian Maintenance line is solid. The breeder I bought Congo from has been breeding birds for 27+ years and all types of birds from canaries and love birds to greys, macaws, and even Indonesian parrots and all he's ever used has been Zupreem!! On a side note, I think I almost got my hands on that African Palm Fruit Extract!!! I should be getting the package sometime next week from the UK. Hopefully I won't get ripped off this time around:unsure: .

lovethatgrey: I previously fed my grey Zupreem pellets and she ate them pretty well. Although she would eat the Zupreem the amount of wasted food on her cage bottom was too much so I thought to myself maybe she isn't eating them too well. I had heard about Harrison's and all the hype about the food but I was skeptical because I didn't want to spend my money on bird food that was going to end up on the cage floor. After hesitating for a very long time I finally ordered a 1 lb. bag of harrison's high potency coarse, I paid $15. But let me tell you that since I started giving her Harrioson's it has been an instant change exactly like you have noticed. She eats the Harrison's with virtually almost no waste and not only that her apetite for veggies and fruit has opened up as well! Her feather condition and beak has improved somewhat healthier. I have also noticed she is trying to vocalize a lot more often and her energy has skyrocketed. You did mention something else which I think is key "learning to read your grey". I feel that way too and that I can read her now more than before.

I always have pellets available in Congo's cage (Harrison's). That's what she eats all day long until I get back from work. The first thing I do when I get back is offer her micro-veggies and im constantly switching them up that way I can feed her a seven bean mix at least three times a week. As for fruit I offer them sporadically because she really does not eat them so well. The only thing she likes is papaya so that is the bulk fruit I give her along with melons, strawberries, and a few grapes. I usually give her fruits on the weekends early in the day. Then every evening I give her a good amount of seeds daily. I figure this way my grey is getting 100% nutrition and a diversified source of different foods.

The only thing Congo really goes crazy for is fresh cut ripe papaya chunks.

Nice trio of greys you got there.

sixwings wrote: Sounds good sixwings I will try that too. I got 2 lbs. of Zupreem that I will mix in with the Harrison until the Zupreem runs out. Then it will be strictly Harrison's from then.

chimaysmommy wrote: Yeah I must agree with you. Ever since I got Congo I always have pellets available for her 24/7 in the cage. I have heard her eat at night often. The breeder I got her from told me that although I should offer fruits and veggies daily it is highly beneficial that pellets should be the staple food and the major food source that she consumes. Even Harrison's says that their food should not be supplemented and that veggies and fruit should not consist of more than 10% of a grey's diet. Initially I thought 10% is a very little amount percentage wise but then again, "What's the use of a super premium food if your bird does not consume a substantial amount or volume of it?" It makes sense to me. I don't have too much time during the day like most of us here, so about 85% of the veggies I feed Congo are frozen. Frozen vegetables do not contain the same amount of nutrients than fresh ones. So why would I opt to feed my grey something with an inferior nutritional value in contrast to something 100% nutritious like the Harrison's pellets. I do feed way over 10% veggies and fruit though about 30% of her diet but I make sure that Congo eats her fair share of pellets first early during the day.

Dan what an excellent post. Like always I enjoy all your thread, posts, and replies. The best part about reading your stuff is that I become more educated and informed. Thank you; you are truly an asset to us in this comunity.