Spinner

It does look like fun. No doubt the ball is going to get quite the workout. It looks like you can take it apart and replace the ball - good thing, I think you'll need spares on hand I have no idea why it wouldn't be thought of as safe.

I would expect a grey to be fully weaned at 12-16 weeks. Of course, it varies by bird, but three non-solid feedings at that age seems very excessive. My opinion is that Rudy is simply enjoying the hand-feeding time, continuing to want more of her time with you. Have you tried moving from hand-feeding formula to feeding bits of solid food? I expect you'll see an immediate shift. Talk to your vet and get a plan together on how best to wean Rudy to solid food.

A quick update: [li]All four eggs are safe and in good care![/li] [li]Camilla is spending almost the entire day in the nest box tending the eggs.[/li] [li]Gonzo is becoming more and more aggressive, protecting his family with great vigor. At the same time, he continues to gently feed his mate like clockwork.[/li] [li]Camilla has plucked a considerable amount of feathers, as expected, to augment the nesting material we placed in the box.[/li] [li]Contact calls between the pair are interesting, ranging from gentle chatter to ear-splitting complaints.[/li] [li]A pool has started at work to pick the day for the first hatching. Proceeds will go to an avian charity.[/li] [li]The webcam carried record loading last week with an average of 190+ connections/day. Hopefully I'm still under my ISP's bandwidth radar.[/li] [li]Not to be outdone, Bonnie & Clyde are back in their nest box. In addition, their food consumption has increased considerably - a good indicator that they are preparing for their own clutch.[/li] [li]Meanwhile, Beaker has let us know he'll have none of this lovey-dovey stuff and expects to have his normal levels of exclusive attention, even if we are feeding little ones. He can often be heard saying "neener neener" to the other birds B) [/li] Enjoy!<br><br>Post edited by: Spinner, at: 2009/09/23 04:41

I've found the Yankee Candle reed diffusers to work very well in the bird room. I am currently using a sage and citrus, but have had good luck with all the others I've used. Reed diffusers are a bottle of light-scented liquid with about a dozen reeds stuck into the bottle. The liquid is pulled up in the hollow reeds and put out a small scent. They are not a spray, nor heavily scented like other Yankee Candle products. There are no particulates or atomized oils spraying around, just a subtle scent. I wouldn't say they are 'recommended' for bird use, but I've had good results.

LOL...love the shot! Spock sounds like he's coming along very nicely. This is a fun age for Greys, as they become more aware of their surroundings and really start to get their personality in full swing. The head movement, the eyes, the murmuring and sounds - these are all great signs of an inquisitive and learning Spock! What's his favorite object to simply look at with interest?

I have two-foot full spectrum lights mounted close to each cage. I can tell you they make a huge difference for our birds, not only in the vitamin intake, but also in their attitude. The natural lighting also shows off their feathers beautifully.

Oh...and to clarify....an open band is not exclusive to imported birds, whereas a closed ban is exclusive to a domestic-raised bird.

An open leg band is a split ring that is compressed closed (the ends meet) around the bird's legs. Compared to a closed band, which must be put on during a short window around 3 weeks of age when the leg/foot is small enough to slip on a closed band, open bands can be put on at any time during a bird's lifetime. Since a closed band must be put on while the bird is young, it is a relatively good indicator that the bird was from a domestic clutch. An open band that indicates the bird was imported through one of the quarantine stations doesn't provide any import information other than the station and sequence number. That information 'may' be tied to an importer, but likely not.

Sephora is refusing pellets because she's getting something else she likes more - the wonderful mash mixes. :cheer: Start mixing a few pellets into the mash just before serving it. This will get her used to seeing and eating some of them, while still getting the tasty mash. Each day, slowly increase the percentage of pellets until she is getting mostly pellets. Once you move to full pellets with no mash, then you can feed a meal with mash as desired. I don't care for the "feeding only pellets for a few days" method. This could be harmful if she refuses pellets altogether. I would also consider changing to Harrison's or Roudybush pellets.

Yeah....that's a Grey. It's perfectly normal for our Greys to totally destroy a toy. In fact, it's the usual activity. I wouldn't be concerned about any wood pieces left from my bird chewing. That said, if you think the pieces may be dangerous, do what you need to do to keep your bird safe. I must say, I'm impressed that your bird took to the toy so quickly - they are usually pretty shy about new stuff.

One question: Has this always been going on or is it recent? You could rephrase the question to; Has Sparky had this since birth? As others here have said, get some good chew toys - and LOTS of them. Mix up wood, plastic, and especially coconut chews. Find some where you can put food in them, requiring some chewing and foraging to get to them.

I understand your excitement and desire to get Harley home. One thing I've learned with Greys is to be very, very, patient. Harley will let you know when he's ready, and you'll love the results!

I was finally able to get an image captured. Here's Gonzo giving Camilla a break in tending the eggs. All four eggs are clearly visible.

So sorry to hear of Macey's passing. Our thoughts and prayers to you and your family.

Just when I was thinking it was going to be a three-egg clutch, four days after the last egg we find Camilla sitting on number 4! She's got them well covered right now, but we'll be watching to see if we can get some new images to post. Egg 1 - Monday morning, 9/7 Egg 2 - Wednesday morning, 9/9 Egg 3 - Friday evening, 9/11 Egg 4 - Tuesday morning, 9/15 It's going to be a crowded nest box if they all make it to hatching.

I don't have personal experience with this brand, but I have seen them. Well-known suppliers are carrying these cages, and they appear to have reasonable quality. If you are looking at this cage for three parrots at once, I would be somewhat concerned about crowding - especially if it's three greys.

As Char said, perfectly normal. One of my Greys actually hangs upside down and puts his head between his legs, hanging there and poking at various toys. It looks quite awkward to me, but he must like it. It's when they hang upside down from the bell or other toy and let out a happy screech that is just hilarious.

Michelle, I'm quite surprised that a vet would put that kind of assessment to a bird. That you never went back to that vet was the best thing. Purge your mind of the vet's unkind description. First off...there is always hope! As long as you are willing to stay in there and work with Sammy there is hope. It sounds like you've got a lot going on that may be factors in Sammy's reactions; You had a bad experience with the vet, you have new family members in the house, less time out of cage, you have a sensitive bird, etc. With all these things going on, it's really hard to say what may be causing changes in behaviour. You and Sammy need to reestablish some trust with each other, and reestablish some consistency. Get rid of the towel, get back to a training stick or step up/down command training (that will do both of you good). You have got to be able to handle Sammy with some confidence for both of you. Get some new toys. etc. Remember: Animals don't carry a grudge, the only react.

Both birds in the nest box with the clutch of eggs. Gonzo brings food into Camilla while she cares for the trio of eggs.

Thought she might be done with two eggs, as we didn't see anything new this morning. Fooled us! This evening, Camilla laid her third egg. Shortly after, both she and Gonzo were very vocal, announcing the new arrival to everyone. It must have been the beans and rice that did the trick!

Keep the updates coming! Good you have Macey in good hands. Best wishes for good healing (for both of you)!

Welcome! And honors to you for having Zooz pick you to take care of him. I'd suggest that your top priority would be to get him off the sunflower seeds - they are like candy to birds with a very high fat content. I noticed a remarkable improvement once I got my birds off the seeds. I'm sure you'll get other recommendations, but a high quality pellet like Roudybush and/or Harrison's will go a long way towards having a healthy bird that will be with you for a long time. Talk to you vet before making the switch so they can show you how to monitor weight, etc. One of my Greys dropped from 550 grams to a stable weight of 508 once converted. And, he looks brilliant! I would stay away from vitamin powders unless directed by a vet. Many here use palm oil supplements, which is very good. Too much of the wrong vitamin can send Greys into a tail spin. The scratching is a normal part of bird behaviour, but too much is not a good thing. Do you give Zooz baths? If not, do so. The skin will get irritated and dry. Regular bathing (2-3 times/week for my birds) helps feathers and skin. Get a big ceramic dog bowl and fill with warmish water. They'll make a big mess splashing about, and scream with joy. Have towels ready to clean up the mess Just my opinion, but you asked for it. I'm sure others will chime in. Oh, and pics of Zooz would be quite welcomed!

Yeah....that sounds like a grey! Terrible twos, threes, fours, fives..... Actually, not terrible, but a very playful bird. Make sure they have toys, even when out on the couch. It's amazing the different ways they find to get attention :dry:

Thanks all! Here's another image from the nest - you can clearly see both of the eggs in splendid condition. Gonzo is doing his job very well - he ran me off while I was attempting a brief cleaning.

Monday morning, we found Camilla tending a small orb in the nest box! We're very excited that Camilla has laid her first egg with us, and anxious to see how many this brood will bring us. She had been spending more and more time in the box after seeing her and Gonzo in a private moment (or two) about a week ago. This morning's web cam showed another egg in the box, making for two! You can see one of the eggs just under her left wing shoulder. The expected hatching is around the end of the month (the actual window is Sep 25 - Oct 2), and then the fun begins. It's been reported that Gonzo is rather proud :cheer: