Spock

Greetings...Joe here, we birds always know that you are always there for all of them and we thank you.

Greetings Pippin, Joe here....I understand the feelings of frustration and homesickness very well my new friend. Being thrust in a new place within the space/time continuum can be very unsettling to say the least. All the new sights, sounds, not to mention the new species that one must become accustomed to. (And they wonder why we are so cranky!) I was once where you were...I was a rescue from a terrible home. My baggage exceeded the flight limit (a little tongue-in-beak humor) and it took two earth years before I fully trusted these strange creatures we call human. All I can say is give them time...they will try to purchase your cooperation with treats. Take them as your due...open your mind to new experiences and your wings to new adventures. One of the most important things that my flock leaders did for me was the hours they spent just talking to me without expecting me to step up, reading to me and interacting with me by bringing other species over and introducing them to me so I was a little bit more familiar with them. They never pushed me to go at anything more than my own pace those first few months and as I got to know them, I began to venture out and interact with them too. Now, we play all day and I even stand up to that Greenie who can be the bane of my existence at times....like now...No! Salsa! I'm on.... Hola chiquita Pippin, Salsa here....welcome aboard! Did you really throw that cashew? I NEVER pass up food...although I may throw it away after I try it first...hehehe! Wait to see what they bribe you with...as you go along they will get more creative. Hold out for the good stuff...but then again, I'm not as stuffy or picky as you Greys as I am an Orange-wing Amazon. I'd watch out for those Quakers or Conures if I were you...our humans have a little Grey-cheek Conure that's meaner than a Jabanero pepper on the way out...oooohhh, can I say that? Well, I have to go...lunch and snacks are coming...I never pass up a free meal (and the other plates in the other cages are sooooo good!!) Talk to us soon....keep us up on the news! Adios!

Hi! Sorry I haven't been on for a while but my big "Goonie Bird" has been keeping me busy...."Okay, Okay, Salsa! Give me a second and I will pass the computer over to you...sheesh!!" Hola...Salsa here...I am in loooooove!!!!! I am an Orange-wing and proud of it! I strut my stuff all over the house. I found out that I have a little Double-yellow and Yellow-nape in my character and I don't talk much but boy, can I sing! AAAAAAA!!!!! That was my high note...pretty huh? Hola, Louie...you have to go to your mama...they looove for you to stick your toenails into their fingers! Just think of those fingers as branches and hang on while you play!!! WooHoo!!! When they yell, they like it!!!! Hola Kiki! Whass happenin???? I told you all the Greenies would rule someday...It may say the Grey Forum but I'm sure they just spelled green wrong. Mama had the "boob tube" (TV) on and it was all about South America. I, being an Amazon, found out my mama was a six foot tall blonde haired beauty that carried a bow and quiver...and the TV don't lie...because I heard Papa say "Look at those Amazon women!!!!" She had no feathers though???? Joe and Tango walk all over the floor but I like to walk on round things like my branches, like my cage, like Mama's fingers....Mama puts me down to explore new places and I hang on to her with one foot while I play and explore all over with the other...She likes this special time because she always says "Oooohhh Salsa..." I love to fly but I found out that I can just hang on to Mama's shirt and go all over the house, hanging on the hem, the collar, the front pocket, inside the shirt...and I found out that she has these straps under her shirt that she wears just for me so I can play forage and chew through her clothes...She may say Noooo but I know she means Yeeesss....Well, I've got to go...Mama wants her computer back.... Hi...Maggie here...Salsa has eased out of her Terrible Two's, Miserable Three's and is doing some molting...She is also in love with Jay...LOL...She had a spell a while back where she was just a terror...but this is normal. She has learned to make crying and sobbing sounds...so now, when she nips my neck, she starts sobbing and crying and waits for me to join in...she thinks it's cute! When she does something wrong and knows it, she will fly over to Jay, bend her neck and touch the tip of his nose with the top of her head...(Little con artist..LOL) A major change...if Joe was on Jay's shoulder, Salsa would fly over and shoo Joe off (a little jealousy). Now with Joe's new-found confidence, he holds his ground and nips back at her and she is the one who leaves. She doesn't quite understand that! Spock and her both played easy and rough, but Joe is more mature and mellow and does not play with her at all. So, when this happens, we give a little extra TLC to Salsa. More coming soon...as time permits...right now it is short supply..lol..Maggie

Apple Cider Vinegar [ACV] is one of the safest disinfectants there is for veggies. Ii is great for your parrots, rinse there water bowl then add water, we put 2 drops in their water, rinse all vegges and feed them wet. White vinegar is used to clean and disinfect their cages, it's safe, you can do it with the parrot still on the cage, you can clean all hard toys and wipe their perches with it etc...Thanks Maggie

Hi, just regular fresh green bean, rinse them in apple cider vinegar and give them to your baby, don't be surprised if only the bean is eaten out of the pod and the rest is trashed...lol you can cook them lightly. Low sodium frozen String beans soaked to remove even more salt is a substitute. A big favorite is fresh Sugar snap peas, rinsed in ACV...Chick peas, very few and only a couple of times a week, cooked. They bond to calcium which in-turn can't be absorbed into their system... Thanks Maggie

Zon's love and sing Opera really well. Sing the scale to them, play it to them, Ava Maria, first line, example....or Mi Domini, [simon and Garfunkel] Thanks Maggie

Judys very wise....

LOL, Do it, the difference between 1 parrot and 2 is one more cage to clean, no biggie. Don't forget, Amazons, get along good with Greys [most of the time] at the least they co-exist. Visit the Amazon room, [ A Mans Bird, lol] Thanks Maggie

Val, thank you so much for this post! This serves as a timely reminder of what we should and shouldn't feed our fids...All God's Creatures are NOT created equal when it comes to diets...Maggie

Spock was truly the king....he controlled everyone...in the power void, Salsa tries to dislodge Tango as Queen but one look from her sends Salsa running...Joe just doesn't give a d---n...he knows he is right and the heck with anyone else...Thanks Ray!

All of our big birds are good eaters...I have to say however that Salsa is a big green eating machine...When I give her her morning and dinner plate, she will eat it and then go over it again to make sure that she didn't miss anything. Tango ('Too) is definitely a vegetarian. Twice a day, she eats more veggies than a human. She also eats her 1/2 slice of toast in the morning along with her favorite, Orzo pasta. They all love their cooked Orzo more than any other pasta. Joe's tastes changes day to day but it is amazing to see the changes in his diet over the last year. He chews everything 50 times before swallowing and he likes to look around the room and give kisses while he eats. He treats everything like it has a skin on it....he peels a macaroni, he peels a carrot, he peels a corn....etc. Salsa used to use a spoon while she ate...now she just picks up the plate and holds it to her mouth while she scarfs it down. Our birds all think they live in a Greek household....they all toss their plates on the floor when they are done eating...thank God for Corning-ware....lol....Maggie

Jay had asked me to post the reply, #11, because a question was asked by a member, Jay also stated that the best reference site he had was a site for human's not parrots. He wrote this post in good faith, supporting RPO and in a previous post supporting both Dave007 and Dan for their knowledge on the subject. When we stop asking questions and seeking answers, there would be no reason left for this forum. Dave and Dan truly are the experts on RPO, I just answered a question...Thanks Maggie

Here's part of a post my husband did recently on where it's grown.[with references] sorry, I meant to post this yesterday. "Elaeis guineensis" is the only true Red Palm Oil, There are many different kind of oil palms. There are a few small [smaller then most] plantations that still grow the Red Palm. Oil palms are grown in many different parts of the world, some even grow the Red Palm, but the quality is degraded due to the soil[?] It appears that the soil on these few small plantations differ the anywhere else in the world, they've tried everything with no luck to reproduce this specific Red Palm and Its quality. If you look at the chart you'll see the large amount of Omega 3, 6, and vitamin E. If you notice, all greys aren't privileged to enjoy this Greyt meal, Mana is the main diet of Greys, Red Palm Oil is the main diet of Hyacinthe parrots. This site is copyrighted so you'll have to visit it, it's both a human and commercial site buy the chemical analysis is correct...http://www.palmoiltruthfoundation.co...d=48&Itemid=78.

Hi, I would recommend at least 3 days or longer. Thats great you have some one to watch them. Depending on weather etc, it could take longer. If there is to much harmful fumes, it will kill a parrot in about 30 minutes...Thanks Jay and Maggie

Hi, Maggie writing for Jay.. Hi, the heat can affect them the same way as it does a human, after real hot peppers, check fo redness and possible blisters, if you want to feed a less hot pepper, no problem....Thanks Jay and Maggie.....

Hi, Maggie and Jay here... A safe alternative to a Dremel is a emery board..You can also use a diamond nail file, please remember to have Styptic power and check your trim for up to 8 hr's after for bleeding... Jay and Maggie....

Hi, Maggie is typing for Jay...Hi, I've been trying to find some posts on our forum but i can't seem to find them. #1: A while back I checked with some paint manufacturers. No paint is safe including child-safe paint. (LOL) Child-safe paint is safe after it dries as long as you don't chew on it, lick it, bite off chunks and eat it, pick at it, etc. LOL...Best scenario, it takes ten days or more for toxicity to evaporate from fresh paint. Paint dries from the outside in. So...move the birds as far as possible, put towels or blankets on the cracks of the door to keep out fumes, run fans blowing the air toward outside windows. It is better to paint two thin coats and let dry 24 hrs between painting than one heavy coat. These drying fans need to be run 24/7. When you can no longer smell any odor, allow three more days before you introduce your birds to the room. What I like to do is take a few days before introducing the birds, with everything shut up, burn a few beeswax candles. Whether that works or not, I don't know. Just burning off particles in the air. Remember, a bird's sense of smell is far more sensitive and acute than a human's so the longer you can keep them away or do not expose them to a newly painted area, the better. As far as window sills, ledges, anywhere where a bird might land and chew, it might be better not to paint them at all. Thanks, Jayd and Maggie

Hi, Maggie writing for Jay...Judy is 100% right. RPO is full of your Omega3 acids,, beta carotene, Vitamin A ETC.... I did a report a few months ago on African/Asian etc palm oil, there is a major difference, only buy African... Ask Dave007/Danmcq what brand and where to get it, as well as other members..... Thanks Jay and Maggie

Hi, nutmeg is the bad one, no thanksgiving pumpkin pie. When you make your pie, feed your fids the seed, guts and all, then rinses some and air dry, don't heat, it destroys the nutrients...they can have the pumpkin to, just bake it a little, experiment, mix in some low fat yogurt, or ginger, sesame seeds, etc...Thanks Maggie

You are 100% correct, We only feed the mild pepper.... lol...Thanks Maggie

Hi, Take a sweet potato, or summer squash, yam, cauliflower, boil till soft, mash, serve warm, you can add a pinch of cinnamon, or ginger, dab of low sodium organic peanut-butter, VOILA, baby food.... Concerning trust etc, a lot of people do not put enough concern into what affects and doesn't affect our Greys. A while back a person we were helping, her baby refused to go to her , it took a while but Jay figured out it was because the lady changed her hand soap...On another occasion, a man put track lighting in the Greys room, the Grey became violent and scared, biting his owner, the owner couldn't approach his Grey finally figured it out, it took a while to repair that trust. From experience, a vets visit can be very traumatic to or fids, don't assume. Jay

Beautiful, Thanks Maggie http://www.avianweb.com/hahnsmacaw.html

[Maggie for Jay] Thank you, Treat all you fids as a flock[family] Like Ray said, oldest has priority, By doing it openly, all your fids we'll see this as a positive act....All our parrots, even though their still wild animals pick up on human love and affections, they observe it in their surroundings, your doing a Greyt job... Thanks Jay and Maggie..

Yes a parrot can feel heat from hot food, the differance is a parrot only has about 400 taste buds compared to a humans thousand's. Don't feed them anything hotter than your willing to eat.....Maggie

Dave's post #8 is very correct...As I read it, the baby was both chipped and clipped at the same time. This is a trust-related issue. There was some physical pain and the fact that the bird was clipped which causes a psychological reaction....my feelings only is it is not regression, but a lack of trust. That is one of the reasons that we do not clip and during vet visits, we limit any actions to our fids to one action at a time per visit. Regarding full clip, light clip....there are many posts on this forum explaining that birds with these altered wings can still fly and be lost. Think about it....a lightly clipped bird that can fly level in your home, outside with a slight breeze would have no problem flying miles. A lightly clipped bird is a waste of money and also trauma to the bird. If a person must clip their bird, a proper clip is that a bird, leaving from the top of his cage (approx. 6') can only fly down 8-10' on an angle away and down from his cage, slowing the descent with no lift. Thanks for listening...Jayd (we personally do not condone clipping of any kind. Example: if you have ceiling fans, don't use them. If you have to use them, don't have a bird.)