laker4life24 Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 Hi, this is my first post on this website. I got a baby grey whose eyes are not open and he is just all pink and is about 3-3.5 inches long. Before you guys say anything, the reason I got one so young is because my grandfather, who I live with, has a lot of experience and has handraised several very young birds. I have no idea how old my bird he is, though. I just wanted to know if there was any way to tell his exact age. The person I got him from said he was 3 weeks, but I know this is not true. Also, I really wanted to know at what age the eyes open. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 Welcome, Glad you have a experienced person to help you. Are you keeping the baby in a brooder or fish tank at around 95 degrees? I guess your feeding the baby around 5 or 6 times a day. I hope your baby is at least 21 days old! What are you feeding him and how much? Is his crop filling and emptying? Some people think 105-109 is to hot, but that's the right temperature for they're formula....Jayd I hope Dave007 or Dan or Spinner reads you thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 Welcome. Their eyes on average start opening in the 3rd week. I assume your grandfather has a brooder or similar container to keep the warmth and humidity at the proper levels. This is actually very disturbing to me, but if your grandfather is a seasoned breeder with lots of experience, the baby should do well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spock Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 I'm sure your Grandfather has explained "Aspiration, crop impaction, crop burn, and there consequences, I know you know about proper mixing ratio's of formula and how much they should be fed. Please let us know his daily morning weight.....I've had them die in my hand and I have a little more experience then a few young birds. Jayd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 .....I've had them die in my hand and I have a little more experience then a few young birds. Jayd That is the sad part of rearing such young ones. Our breeder stopped breeding all Parrots and sold all pairs from Scarlet's down to the Hawk Heads. After 22 years of breeding, they just could not get used to the heart ache and pain. Even though, they knew there was nothing they could have done to stop it from happening in the odds of life. So, the point of my mentioning this, is that no matter how much experience you have, death still has a probability rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 Dan, as you and others on this Grey't forum know, that's why Maggie and I stop. You remember all the joy, but never forget the loss....... Jayd, Maggie, Spock and the Flock... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 (edited) Simply take a picture, post it and I'll tell you how old it is but I will tell you that a 3 1/2 inch bird who's still pink all over isn't 3 weeks old plus that bird should still be with the clutch AND you shouldn't have taken it. """Before you guys say anything, the reason I got one so young is because my grandfather, who I live with, has a lot of experience and has handraised several very young birds.""" Your grandfather has experience with this in the past and couldn't tell you how old the bird is? He's raised birds? Hmmm, that does sound very strange. Whether you wanna hear it or not, on this board we DO say something and I'll be polite-----If you got this bird from a person who bred them and allowed one of them to be sold or given away at that age, he doesn't deserve to be a breeder nor should he own parrots so how old that bird is isn't as important as knowing you're playing with fire by owning that bird. These are chicks who are 3/4 weeks old Edited May 2, 2010 by Dave007 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laker4life24 Posted May 3, 2010 Author Share Posted May 3, 2010 Dave 007, I don't think that is the answer to the question I asked. Next time just answer the question and keep your "polite" comments to yourself. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 Laker4life24 - Dave did answer your question.... Post a photo of your baby and He will tell you how old it is. How are things going with that baby? We have all asked if it is in a brooder, how it is being fed as in #x per day, hoe much, what etc. You will find we are a very caring and concerned group of people here that take owning a parrot very seriously and are only trying to help ensure all goes well with that precous life you have in your hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 (edited) I'll be polite, is this poor baby still alive? Could you please answer our questions so knowledgeable people like Dave who answered your question can answer it more to your liking. This worry's me, his simply answer "post a picture" you might not have understood? What else about keeping this poor creature alive might you not understand?????? Dan, Dave and all the rest know far more than you might guess, and deserve your respect, even jf you don't like the answer!!!When are you taking him to the vet for his checkup????It's due now!!!! Mr Jayd Sheppard!!! Can you read this? http://www.greyforums.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=213&catid=5&Itemid=4 Edited May 3, 2010 by Jayd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 We all hope all is ok! We all hope you'll answer our question? Jayd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Please do as Dave has asked, he only has your baby grey's best interests in mind. Dave isn't going to just throw out generic information without understanding what he is dealing with. Especially when a baby grey's life depends on it. We are all here because we love greys. You would not have asked your question if you didn't care about your baby grey. Please stop being defensive and supply the picture so you can be better advised for your grey's sake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JillyBeanz Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Dave 007, I don't think that is the answer to the question I asked. Next time just answer the question and keep your "polite" comments to yourself. Hi laker4life24. We here at GF aren't here to be impolite, merely offer help to people in a predicament. I would trust my grey's life with the chaps here who have offered you advice. They have asked very polite questions, and received no answer from you - other than the "bite back" at Dave007. Please take a deep breath, accept their offer of help. All the people here who have offered advice have done so out of their care, love and understanding of your situation. Unfortunately your posting comes over defensively from the outset - "before you guys say anything" - well, unfortunately, as an open forum and with lots of experienced breeders, they are going to say something. I can't offer any advice regarding the young ~ the only advice being, listen to these guys. They really are out to help you, not out to get you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Kindly explain where your grandfather is and all that experience, and how it is you have this bird and have questions? Pink is bearly hatched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinner Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 As others have said, if the eyes are still closed, the chick is probably under 2 weeks old. When I pull chicks from the nestbox at 21-24 days, their eyes are open. Post a pic and we can tell you with a little more certainty. I would be extremely careful as there is way too much that can happen to a young baby. As Jayd, Dave, Dan and others here relate, even under best conditions there is extreme danger to young birds, even with an experienced breeder. We may be blunt at times, but it's not to be rude or threatening. Rather, it's because we feel a strong sense of stewardship to parrots everywhere and want only the best for them. If you feel you don't have the knowledge to care for the chick, I'd invite you to find a vet, rescue or other breeder to care for it until it is fully weaned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 (edited) I think this is some kind of stunt to get the community riled up because the post makes no sense. How do you live with a breeder and have this going on? Why didn't he ask his grandfather this question? Edited May 5, 2010 by Talon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 For correctness, this young man stated that his grandfather has experience with young birds. It doesn't state what kind of birds. The way the young man worded the question, and seeking others advice was aware this baby could be problematic. I believe this to be legitimate. If not, it is a very sad joke. This young man just recently made a post "So happy I have my African Grey" and if you notice his avatar, it is an older Grey of which he just recently applied. I give you this plea...please respond to our deep concerns. If you do not wish to respond to me, Jayd, Dave007 or Danmcq, please respond to one of the others who have posted here and they can pm one or all of us and we can relay information back and forth that way. We are all willing to do anything to keep this young Grey alive and give you something that will last a lifetime. Sincerely, Jayd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtreme575 Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 Yes, please feel free to PM me and I am more than willing to contact the others with the experience that you need. Use me, not a problem, just do it for the sake of the baby parrot, that is the only concern here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JungleDreamz Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 Any news on your baby grey??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laker4life24 Posted May 5, 2010 Author Share Posted May 5, 2010 @ JungleDreamz, yeah he is doing really good. He is getting much bigger, more noisy, and a lot more active. I think his eyes will open soon becasue I can see little slits forming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laker4life24 Posted May 5, 2010 Author Share Posted May 5, 2010 He is a lot downier too, less pink, and kind of turning more greyish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 It's great to hear that your baby grey is doing okay. is your grey a Congo or a Timneh and what is your grey's name? On another note, I have to ask, does your Avatar name mean that you are a great Lakers' basketball fan?? I only ask as that is my son's favorite team. He is banned from getting to sit in the box seats at Trail Blazer games at the Memorial Coliseum because he roots for the Lakers when they are in town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laker4life24 Posted May 6, 2010 Author Share Posted May 6, 2010 @ luvparrots, yeah, I am a die hard laker fan and so are my brothers, parents, grandparents, aunt, uncles, and cousins. My grey is a Congo, and I named him Amigo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 How did you happen upon such a tiny baby grey? How are you takin care of the lil guy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laker4life24 Posted May 6, 2010 Author Share Posted May 6, 2010 I found him for sale on recycler.com. I am taking care of him because before I got a grey, I spent all my time by reading books, reading articles on the computer, reading threads on this website, watching videos of people handfeeding, watching actual people handfeeding, and talking to breeders. Also, I live with my grandfather who is an expert at taking care of very young parrots and raising them. He is guiding me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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