Elvenking

....and last night he pulls the few tummy feathers. I can't afford to keep up with the Pluck-No-More at 70 bucks every 2 weeks. He only does this at night. Preens hours all day with no feathers lost....only when covered at night sometime. It's only about 8-10...but that is all that comes in over the course of weeks and weeks....so maybe he doesn't even give them a chance. I don't know. All I know is that the only place I ever see fallen feathers is in the food cup under where he sleeps. The rest of his back, wings and all...are doing pretty good still. He's over 90% of the way there.

Thank you all for the great suggestions!!

I am under the impression it was either vitamin D deficiency and\or having the milk from my cereal. He had also never had baths or showers regularly. These I would guess are contributors...but my money is on sunlight.

Just an update. He is doing great!!! Pictures? Waaaiitt for it....waaaait for it! He's gonna be beautiful. Seems to take forever for the last bits to fill in. His tummy the longest...but I see new ones popping up from time to time. Go Isaac...go!!

Yeah....I usually get 25lb bags from the north county location. A 'Super Parrot Mix'.

I usually get Isaac a huge 25LB bag of seed mix from our local Parrot Haven. However, I wouldn't mind hearing from folks what seed mix their Grey really takes to. Please share a link to order if you can. I understand that it is typically the lesser part of their diet, but a continuous one at that...so I want to be sure I have done my best to find some good ones.

Ohh you don't have to tell me. When Isaac flew back to my hand after being out for 24 hours...I wailed like a basset hound and hugged him so much. Just thinking about it really chokes me up. When I read your post that you had found him, I felt that same relief. It made my weekend to know he would be safe.

By the way...very...very cute video....and certainly the very first time I have ever seen anything like that!

The clarification helps for sure. We all just really care for the birds over all else and wouldn't want a baby under any undue stress of performance. We jump to these conclusions, because many people do think that their greys should be performers and only focus on this. You will find that we have a high affinity for these lovely guys and focus on them first. To get to your point, I am sure they can be trained to do this...or you could try. I would focus just on building bonds first and letting them know that you have their back all the way...then you'll be surprised what they will do for you. Others can still chime in on actually doing this. I just thought I'd let you know who you are asking, we simply always err on the cautious side. We love these sentient little beings.

Yep, Isaac dislikes this as well. Sometimes I will have to cup him in my palm when he tries to use my arm as a jungle gym....but they do not like being on their backs for any reason. Certainly probably good to save the parlor tricks for later. 6 Weeks is very young.

Isaac is a sweet-hearted rascal. He is most like a child. Insistent on what he wants, but such a cuddle bug when he clams down. He has both to power to make me want to pinch his little butt, and in the next moment can rub his little head up the side of my face...or look at me and say, "Heeeyyyy boooyeee" and erase anything that may be bothering me. He is a member of the family. He has the whole gamut of moods. He has jungle mode like you say too...gets to playing and then gets that loud pterodactyl sound going on. Or he can make the sounds of the quietest things.....the faint little chirps of distant birds has gotta be the cutest. Or the almost inaudible sounds of the Harmony Remote for my TV. It can be hard to tell where sounds are coming from. In a nutshell, he's my best friend.

Oh how I loved those times. See my avatar.

I knew you would find him today. Yes!! It worked. The tears of joy! Stephen

I live in California too....oh my...you live in La Mesa.....fairly close. I am in San Diego\Rancho Bernardo area. If I wasn't so socked in with work right now, I'd come search with you. Maybe later, I'll have to see. I will get the word out though.

That is awesome. I am going to need full two way cam with Isaac if I ever go on vacation. One to see him, and one so he can see me and I can talk to him and let him know I'll be home soon. I'll probably end up paying someone to come live with my boy if I go away for more than a couple days.

When Isaac flew away, I thought I'd never see him again. I walked around the neighborhood whistling for him through dusk when he left at dinner time that afternoon. We drove around and walked as I whistled for him incessantly. My lips could barely form a whistle by the end of the evening which in the summer was around 8PM. As I was closing the nights search, I head a call back from the trees in my apartment complex. He was in the trees, but it was night and there was no way to even see him. I went and got drunk that night so I could sleep and got up early the next morning around 6 to go find him. I located him in about an hour that morning. Preening super high in a tree. I proceeded to call him and he was just watching me. Took all day to coax him out of the trees and I had lost him multiple times during the day. However, he did fly back to my hand eventually. I recommend driving\or walking the local streets making sounds that elicit a response from him. You have the most influence to find him. If there are things that typically make him come flying to you, say or do those things. I would tell Isaac, "Wanna eat?" and he would come flying. Mostly...I just had a whistle I would do, and when he would hear that....he would let out a loud 'beep'. I was just listening for that beep. It found my boy and I called him down to my hand from the trees with his favorite cup in my hand. I continue to have the best hope for you and Brutus.

I will second that. I work about 8 hours a day and have regular time away from Isaac. The thing is to maintain a good routine for him. If yer gone regularly, they get used to the time and definitely wait for you to come home, but they don't sit there and pine for you all day. When I get home....I worship the little guy...especially for the first few minutes being home. I praise him for being my loving little parrot and let him know how beautiful he is and what a wonderful thing he is in my life. The important thing to remember is that they are sentient beings and need love and attention just like any other sentient being. We have to be sensitive to the fact that we have displaced them from nature, and need to replace everything they get in nature in some way or another. Isaac is not with a flock...and he is a flock bird.....this always KILLS me to know. However, I know that I have become his 'flock' and his life-mate. I can never give up or fail my little guy. I often sacrifice doing things away from home to make absolutely sure that I am home with Isaac and letting him have some out time for at least 4 hours a day...and I try to be home at least 6 hours of every day. They want to be loved and feel like they are a part of your life. Make absolutely sure you can provide them with good company and dedication. Please just realize the magnitude of the commitment and be ready to share your life with your new friend. It is a huge responsibility. I have had Isaac for...holy crap.....almost 5 years now!! I didn't even know.

Oh my heart. I am a practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism, I will chant for your reunion with deep sincerity.

That's Awesome!!!

Wow...thanks for this!! Sorry for the late response...somehow I have overlooked this post. With the help I get from you all. Isaac has access now to crazy amounts of food! I am heating up special parrot rice mixes, he gets 4-6 different veggies and one fruit in the morning...after having some eggs or whole grain noodles with red palm. Then I come home and make some Volkman's Soak and Serve for him. Sometimes I'll try the birdie bread again...but I don't think he is into it.....but he took to a surprising amount of foods. I feel like he has a pretty good diet...I'll mix up the order all the time and sometimes add other things. Like...he will sit and eat chicken with wild rice with me a couple times a week...he loves my oven baked chicken. (I do too actually) I let him sip some almond milk from my cereal bowl before I dig in too. Totally stopped any of that kaytee formula...been over 6 weeks without that I think now. No more dairy of any sort. This is one healthy bird. He does get some time out on my patio. He has his avian lamp during the 8-9 hours of the day I am at work. I had to hold off on getting the cage I wanted for outdoors in favor of improving his diet first. But I am getting him a larger outdoor cage so he doesn't need to be out there in a travel cage.

Thank you!

(Whispers) He's still doing really good. Shhhh.... I don't want him to hear me say. Actually, I tell him how proud I am of him every day. I am also careful not to touch him other than on his little head and neck scratches. Go lil boy.

Thanks for even more well-wishes for my best friend. I'll tell him that you are all hopeful for him.

Ohh yes...who could forget. I have lost every last glass including a new one my parents tried to give me just this morning...which pretty much once again does it for glass in my house. It's impossible. Especially since Isaac is so "into" cups and such. One stray glass left for only a moment, will see Isaac doing a fly-by dump of it...and crash if it is glass. I am so numb to spills now....it's just an emotionless background task to clean em up now.

Thanks everyone! I'll be hoping to post the pictures we will all want to see soon....but I don't want to jinx it. Cheers.