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While I scream at my mom..another parrot wishes he had a mom.While I throw food on the floor..another parrot wishes it had food.While I cuddle with mom..another parrot wishes for the love of a human....While I scream at mom as she cleans my cage, another parrot wishes he had a clean cage.As I splash my water all over the place, another bird wishes it had clean water to drink.As I play with my toys a parrot wishes they had a toy.As I get Quaker hugs, another parrot wishes it had a mom to rub their face against.As I am let out to play another bird wishes they could come out.As I am taken to the vet for a check up another bird wishes they were healthy.As I got my parrots from a rescue, more rescue parrots wish for their forever home.As I get a loving scritch on my head, anther parrot wishes for loving, not cruel hands.As I take a bath another parrot wishes they were clean .As I won’t come in from the aviary another parrot wishes it had a big enough cage.As I get to go outside for fresh air play dates, some parrots just wish for clean air to breathe.As I have my nails and beak trimmed another bird wishes they could even perch but their nails are too long.As I sit on my perch another bird wishes for something besides cage bars to perch on.Please adopt a parrot from a rescue for that parrot would love the life that we lead.Composed by: Barb Chance Vagg, Fran Itzazu, Kim Batemn, Mary Ann Wise, Michelle Troup, Sheila Ambrose

Some older members will remember Blue.Sadley he passed yesterday aged approx 48 He took ill on Friday and was left unable to stand or walk most likely due to some neurological episode .We made the decision to end his suffering and he is now flying free.

Dee I dont get much chance at all to come on the forum,thats another story lol but I think of you lot daily and was sad to read how ill Kopi has been. I hope he continues on the road to recovery and rest assured,though I may not be around I will be think ing of you.

Charlie just loves his music Jukebox,it goes everywhere with him. Its like his comfort blanket.

All greys are individual. some more vocal than others. I would say Jack is behaving quite normal.

Thanks Janet. Early days though. I know its not a conventional way of dealing with this but all the conventional methods have failed.I dont want him getting another infection because of the plucking and becoming ill, so it has to be worth a try,dont know how I will squeeze another grey though lol,hope charlie chooses a small one if he does take a liking to one pmsl

Animals and birds included are very in tune with our feelings and moods. I have seen horses working with the riding for the disabled being so calm and patiant with disabled riders becomeng totally different animals when abled bodied people ride them.I have also noticed Charlie reacting to my moods.

well, I had a phone call this after noon and it seems Charlie is eating well,quite happy and showing no aggression towards the other greys. It is very early days though and at the first hint of problems he will be home.I never slept last night worrying ,imagining all sorts of horrors but is seems charlie had a better night than me. I have to say I am surprised.As I said in my first post medically charlie is fully fit so I now have to accept it is psycological. I now have to look at how to improve things for him at home. If he takes to one of Alans birds he has said it can come home with charlie. I am very wary of adding another bird to the home of a bird who already has problems but in this case it will be Charlie who decides if and who comes home with him.It is very early days though so I am not jumping the gun.

Thank you,It is so hard.I am posting a picture I took the other day to show how bad the problem has become

We went to the vets this afternoon for a check up after his hormone implant.Alan the vet said it has not worked.He has tested him for everything medical and he is as well as can be. His plucking is now officially psychological.I have known alan for many years and he has come up with a last hope of stopping his plucking. Alan has 6 greys in a very large indoor/outdoor aviary linked to his house,all are rescues.He has given me the option of letting Charlie stay with him for a couple of weeks to see if he socialises with his birds. he is hoping he will bond with one of his birds and I can then bring them both home,hopefully with a non plucking Charlie.I am very sceptical but have agreed to give it a try.I am hoping that charlie will be so distracted he lets all the pins grow through without pulling them out and then leaves them alone. I have spent the last few hours crying because I am so worried about him,how will he cope without me.Alan thinks he is too imprinted on me and is hoping to encourage independance. I hope I am doing the right thing.Alan will call me at the slightest problem to bring him home.All his birds have been tested for everything and quarantined as has charlie so no risk of any illness .He said he would only do this with a bird he knows.I am so upset and missing him like mad,he would normally be on the back of the couch with me.It is my last hope of curing him.If not he comes home and I accept him as a plucker and treat him acordingly. Alan also said I need the break as i have been nursing and medicating him since January ,trying one thing after another and becoming more and more dispondant as each thing fails.His feather follical infection has all cleared up so no medical reason for his plucking

Well look at the picture and judge for yourselves.I am astounded at the amount of pins on him,he is a bit grumpy and tetchy but so would I be. Is the implant working? I am quietly thinking it is.enlarge the picture and see the extent.

Yes I agree. The vet has given him antihistamines to help with the pins. The other week he was pulling them out as soon as he could grip them but only the odd one now. I am also putting him to bed a bit earlier and trying a bit of clicker training with him. Clicking after he has left the feathers alone after plucking and giving a treat. That's not going too well though lol.

Charlie is doing really well. The first week or so I could not see any change at all and then if anything an increase in his plucking and he was very agitated. The last few days have Been wonderful. He seems to be a lot more settled and his plucking is vertually nil. He looks lime a right scruff and has loads of pins coming through. I M a lot happier about him at the moment. But it is very early days. Thanks everyone for your help and support. I will keep you all up to date.

Tarm Thank you so much for the information.my vet had mentioned most of what you found.He also mentioned,the vet you named and said he has had good results. It is a case of fingers crossed in charlies case. I have just had his culture results back and the initial infection of his feather folicals has cleared which is brilliant.I do realise I have no guarantee using this method but as we have been fighting this battle since January It is worth a try. Thank you every one for your help and support over the months,I know I can count on my friends here xxx. I will keep you all up to date.

Please be warned ,you need tissues handy. I am posting this to raisw awareness .Please think hard . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDa5B63v-j0&feature=fvw

Tarm. The implant is called suplolorin.I had a bad night with him last night.He was so anxious and un settled.I was quite upset but today he seems a lot calmer . I have just rang the vet to see if the results of the feather cultures are back but they have not arrived yet.The implant disolves after a few months . I cant find a lot on it at all on the internet and vertually nothing on it being used on birds. The vet has used it on many animals including greys with some success but it is just a waiting game.

Thank you Dan and Judy. I agree with you both. I think when you are so desperate to help you tend to overlook the obvious. I needed the reminders and I appreciate them. That was just what I needed. I will give the implants a few weeks and then make another appointment. I forgot to say that the vet also sent cultures away to check his original infection has cleared.

Here is the link on herbal treatments. Please let me know what you all think? http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww24eii.htm

The vet called me on Thursday and we had a good chat about the hormone implant.Although the vet offers no guarantee it will work he thinks it is worth a try. So on Friday afternoon I took Charlie to the vet surgery and he was given a short anasthetic and the implant inserted at the top of his back. He came round very fast and I was able to bring him home almost right away. It may take a couple of weeks before I notice any change in his plucking but I have noticed no adverse problems due to the procedure. He is happy,eating and talking as normal. I am also going to have a go at a herbal approach and start him on passion flower. I will provide a link to an artical I read and was impressed with. I will keep you all up to date on any progress or lack of it lol .

The vet has a grey who is having similar problems to Charlie and he actually used an implant on his bird last week,he is asking me to contact him again in a week or so to see what success it is having with his bird

As you know Charlie has had a feather folical infection that the vet thinks has now cleared. Charlie is still pllucking and the wet now wants to try a hormone implant. I am having a think over the next few weeks about this and then having a good chat with the vet before I go ahead with it. Has anyone any knowledge of this treatment or know of any success rate or if it is usefull at all.I also need to know about side affects . I cant find an awfull lot of info on the internet. I am having doubts about it and need to learn all I can first....Thanks Sheila.

Well Charlie has taken a liking to sitting on his stand in the kitchen,he is here now,just watching and resting one foot.He would sit here all day if he could,well for half an hour anyway lol. His latest trick is crying like a baby when I go upstairs,dont ask me where that came from I just dont know.

Janet I am so glad to here Deno is coming on well.

He loves his music juke box and picked this tune specially for his American friends

Beautiful Pictures,thanks for posting.Regarding the issue of Grey's and snakes,I have to say It is not a combination I would advise. Birds are prey animals and a snake is a predator. I fear a Grey would feel very vulnerable with a large boa in the house which would not be good. If you do get a snake ensure it is as far from the bird in the house a possible and is contained at all times.