eeny meeny mini mo.. help pick the grey pls

[supershaji]

hi all

 

finally got my hands on two CAG chicks.

 

the shop owner says that they're approx 4 month olds. pls see pics.

 

both of them seem to be eating on their own, esp sunflower seeds.

 

they're still being hand fed though.

 

one of them (one on the right in the pic) is more hungry than the other coz he plunges to the hand feed mix more than the other, theo other one (on the left) has to be fed.

 

im not sure which one to pic. the one thats more active and always hungry, or the more content one (who i suppose is eating well on his own)?

 

whats the best way to hand feed them? they really pinch really hard when they sit on my hand though.

[judygram]

Decisions, decisions, its hard to pick, maybe one of them is more receptive to you, sometimes thats a good way to choose when you have more than one to pick from.

I would leave the handfeeding to the ones who know best how and not take your baby home until it is fully weaned.

They all beak everything including fingers but when they do that just put them down for a bit then go back but they are just exploring right now, later you can let him know that hard pressure is not welcome.

[Dave007]

Judy's right. Let the pet shop owner finish the hand feeding and then get your bird. You have no experience handfeeding them and now is not the time to try and learn how to do it. At 4 mts, those 2 birds are almost ready to leave with new owners. Different birds have different ways of doing things including the eating of food. When you get your bird home, the main thing you should be concentrating on is feeding a well rounded diet. All parrots love sunflower seeds but feeding different things is important. The pet shop owner should be telling you all about these things. I don't understand something you're saying here. Maybe you can be more clear?----""he plunges to the hand feed mix more than the other, theo other one (on the left) has to be fed."""Where is this food located and how does he plunge into it and what does the food look like and how is it being given to those birds?

As far as pinching, I assume that you mean that the claws are pinching you when the bird is holding onto you. All baby parrots have claws that can feel like needles. They become more blunt as soon as the bird is surrounded by different kinds of toys and perches.

[Jayd]

Judy and Dave,gave you the best advice on both counts, Let the breeder wean them!.Some Greys are small, some are large, and they all eat differently. Sunflowers seeds aren't enough, a ayear old bird should have no more than 1/2 teaspoon of them a day! Besides formula, what else are they being fed? There's a lot of great posts on feeding baby's. If theses guys Aren't eating a variety of food's, you can't imagine the feeding problems you could have! Thanks Jayd

Abundent Feeding!

 

Abundant feeding, is exactly what the name apply, To have enough food available for your growing baby that they'll never have to search or worry about food. The change from "Rapid weaning" to "Abundant Feeding came about in the early "90's". A study of wild and hand raised Hyacinth Macaws showed that hand raised H macaw's of the time were stunted, smaller, and out of proportion. At the time, rapid weaning was in favor, hand feeding would be cut to force the birds to wean and eat solid food sooner. Through these studies, Abundant feeding came about.

What is Abundant feeding? At all times you have more food available then is needed for the babies, yes some food is wasted, but you have a healthy bird...Have plenty of pellets and seed's available at all times, fresh veggies through-out the day, and most important, hand-feeding as long as the baby wants it, no exceptions.

[pearllyn]

As far as choosing goes, that should really be done by the bird! You should be taking the bird who wants to go with you. As for the pinching, if you're not keen on it now, you really wont like it when you get a bite from an older bird, and the probability of that is fairly high. Just something to think about. The advice the others gave you about the rest is spot on . Good luck.

Edited June 29, 2010 by pearllyn

[Luvparrots]

Well, which grey likes you the best??? That's how I chose my grey, or shall I say my grey chose me. You think two is hard to choose from, try four!!!! I was going to take the baby home, had already names it. Sweetpea. Because that was the one the breeder considered the sweetest. I had never seen the babies until I went to pick up my new grey who was 3 hours away. Well "Sweetpea" nipped at me and wanted to go back inside her cage! The one who chose me was the oldest, my Ana Grey. So the breeder, my grandson and I decided the choice had been made and I have never regretted it. Ana Grey chose the right way, she chose me.

 

I agree with the others, let the breeder/pet shop wean the greys completely. I believe it is hogwash about if you feed the babies formula you will bond better with them. Nonsense, my grey is my friend and she trusts me totally. Frankly I hear a little reluctance in your post about handling the baby greys. Greys do nip/bite, they do scratch with their claws so if this is going to be a problem with you, perhaps you should think twice about becoming a grey owner. They bite, they scratch, they are messy eaters and they do poop a lot. So if I wasn't confident in being able to handle any of these habits then I would just walk away from becoming a parrot owner.

 

You have a beautiful cat on your shoulders in your Avatar. Cats and birds are not natural friends, please think about that before you bring a parrot home. I don't mean to be negative its that there are a lot of things to consider before become a bird owner. I see that you have been a member of the Grey Forums for a very long time, I commend you for joining to learn about greys. There is a lot of information in the threads here that can help you in so many ways to become a great parront.

[supershaji]

thank you all for all your wonderful advice. It has provoked new thoughts in me and I can assure you, I sure do want to be a grey owner soon!

 

I am still reading a lot but there's no knowledge better than practical knowledge, hence my silly questions

 

Im making preparations to bring one of em in soon and once I do, you guys will be hearing a lot from me.

 

Luvparrots, the cat on my shoulders is no longer a threat to anyone, he dwells in Heaven with the rest of the creatures who beat us to it!

[Georgiesmum]

Do you know the sex of the greys? If you did that might help you make up your mind depending on whether you'd like a male or female? Lucky you getting a new baby tho Im so jealous!

[Acappella]

No silly question here. We're thrilled you're here educating yourself and asking questions, so never hesitate. You won't find a better, more experienced, more supportive group of people than you'll find here.

 

I rescued my Dorian as an adult, but if you're bringing a baby into your life, trust the experience of Dave, Jay and all the others with baby bird experience. Don't worry about bonding. DohDoh and I met when he was 4 and he couldn't be more bonded to me. I've been a member here long enough to have read lots of stories of things going wrong when someone was sold a baby when it was too young. I would never consider bringing an un-weaned baby home. I do have some concerns, however, on how they're being weaned. It sounds like the shop owner is giving them a seed diet, which is easy for the human, but not ideal for the parrot. Abundance weaning is the way to go. Almost all birds love sunflower seeds, they way toddlers love McDonalds french frys. When you do bring your baby home really focus on presenting a variety of healthy foods, maybe saving the sunflower seeds as treats or rewards.

 

As far as choosing, if you do prefer either a boy or girl ask the shop owner if he'll have them sexed. Are you able to sit with them both and see if one of them is more interested in you than the other is? Do they react to toys differently? Trust your gut feeling and pick the baby that 'calls' you. Which ever one you pick, you're going to have to get used to beak and talon marks as your baby explores its' world. In another thread a while ago here someone said you know you're a parrot owner when your hand looks like you're a member of fight club!!!

 

Sorry about the loss of your cat, he was gorgeous. When we open our hearts to animals some pain is part of the deal, but it's a small price to pay for the love and joy they bring to us. Good luck with your new baby birdy.

[Jayd]

If I may, Abundance weaning as Acappella spoke of, is very important to not only the fids physical well being, but as much to his psychological. Greys, both in the wild and captivity, who have a lack of abundance of food,[in the wild, and captive breed, Grey parents apply Abundance feeding] sometimes develop a phobia of "Where will my next meal come from?", which can become devastating, especially in captive breed young.

Thanks

Jayd

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?189769-Abundent-Feeding!