Timbersmom

There is a vet about 20 minutes from me (as opposed to the 2 hours to the avian vet) who has experience with birds. She does my nail trimming and that kind of thing. As brat birds said, you might check around your area and see if there are any regular vets who see birds. Then looking at neoow's experience, you might want to try to get some reference or talk to other bird owner's in the area. If Timber is actually sick, we would go the two hours to the avian vet. For an injury, I would probably try the local first and go from there.

Very nice! Kilaya seems like such a happy, well adjusted bird.

The nearest avain certified vet to me is almost 2 hours away, so it isn't as uncommon as you'd think!

If he is getting a variety of foods, as Greywings suggested, you don't need to supplement. Variety is the key. You might also consider sprouting. It improves the nutritional profile of seed.

I would make another thread. Just my opinion!

Go get 'em Neoow!

I took the easy route, though not the cheap one, on sprouting. I ordered the easy sprouter and the big bird mix from sprout people. I followed the instructions carefully and haven't had a failure yet!

That's great! So please to hear things are going well

LOL Timber would have to quarterback or kick! At 276 grams he needs protection

Timber always has a good quality seed mix available. Each day he gets a variety of fresh food, like peas in the pod, broccoli, carrots, cooked sweet potato, chicken or lean beef, sometimes boiled egg (whites only are better some say), etc. Not all at the same time, I rotate stuff. I also give him Nutriberries. He is a thin, picky eater, so you might say he gets whatever he will eat ha. He will almost always eat a rice mix made by Higgins (Worldly Cuisine Mundo Brazil). That is a cook and serve. I sprout seeds for him (I get them from sproutpeople.org - big bird mix). He also eats some of whatever we are eating for dinner. I'm sure I've missed something, but that's basically it. I think the key is variety. They need a variety of foods, not just the same pellets or whatever all the time. Timber, FYI, would waste away before he would eat a pellet, and I've tried them all!

It often takes Timber a few weeks to "warm up" to a new perch. He has a stages he goes through. First, he avoids the new perch like it will kill him. Then he ignores it (if I don't look it can't hurt me), then he starts looking at it and will touch it with his beak, then he starts using it. As to the rope perch, he loves it but chews on it constantly. His boing is on the "replace regularly" list. When I hang a new boing it takes him a couple of weeks to get on it, even if it looks identical to the one I replaced! Love to know what is going on in those little heads...

Hello and welcome to you and Roux! It sounds as though she has adapted very well to your home and her new environment. I rehomed Timber at 5 years also. He is not a plucker though, so I can't help there. Others will be along to answer those questions. As to talking, most here agree that you never know about that. They are never too old to learn speech or to start using it, so she could surprise you any time. On the other hand there are greys who will mimic sounds, whistle, etc. but don't say words. My Timber is a closet talker. He rarely uses words when I am in the room. If he doesn't now I'm around or if I am not coming downstairs quickly enough for him, he has a pretty extensive vocabulary. I didn't know how many words he could actually say until I put a cam on him and watched him from work. He would just chatter away. Good luck and God bless!

Hello and welcome! You wouldn't be the only one, including me, to have a grey as your first bird. You are already doing your research. Good luck and God bless

Haaaaaa Truth!

Beautiful!

We do the same thing with Timber. My husband always says, "Timber, your great great great great great great great grandpa was a Velociraptor."

LOL! Echo knows her duty when you are away. Guarding the homestead

Timber is too thin, but after over 3 years the vet says "that must just be his natural weight." Wish I were so lucky! I have to towel him to get him on the scale, even with a perch, so his weighing is not as often as it should be.

I'm right with the other PO'd prime members SterlingSL! Were are the torches and pitchforks... talk about overhyped!

LOL That's priceless!

Happy Rikki Day! What a good idea. I've been trying to decide on a "special" day for Timber since I have no idea when his hatch day is. I rehomed him on June 5, so I will go with that date. Thanks for the idea!

That's what I liked, the titles!

I love a happy ending!

That's just awful

Timber learned to accept wrapping paper after I started giving him the cardboard rolls they came on. He can subdue and shred those.