New to Greys

[tet024]

Hi All,

 

Last week we just got a new grey and we are new to the hobby. Apparently I was sold a stressed out grey because he was plucking his feathers. When I was told this I was going to return the grey to the shop but after 2 days we got effected to it and we didn't want it to go to someone else and not taking care of it. I should have been hand raised but it was aggressive at first biting us etc Now after alot of patience the grey finally has faith in us and he isn't afraid of us any longer.

 

I have a couple of questions which i would like to ask.

 

1. I was told that the grey was 6 - 9 months old but when i showed it to a breeder he told me he is much older then that. I have a pic of his eye maybe you could help me determine his age range.

 

 

 

2. The grey i plucking out feathers, and i was told that it could be stressed. It was already plucking feathers when I got it and i'm afraid that it could become worse. The VET should be coming next Tuesday but as I explained on the phone he told me to give it half a tablet of Biotin the thing is that i dind't manage to find at the petpharmacy they should be getting next week. Till next week I found this product federkur which also has Biotin in it and I'm giving it to him.

 

 

 

Yesterday I took it for a DNA test to check out if its a male of female. Now I was thinking to getting another grey for him as a company. If I get another would you think that they eventually breed thought the years?

 

Thanks,

Et

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

No new grey! You have to develop your relationship with the grey you have! Age doesn't really matter in my opinion. Nancy

[tet024]

Hi Nancy,

 

I think you misunderstood me ... I'm new to the hobby and this is our first grey for us its new :-D

 

Et

[ShaneO]

Hi All,

 

Now I was thinking to getting another grey for him as a company. If I get another would you think that they eventually breed thought the years?

 

Thanks,

Et

 

 

I think this is what she is talking about.

[ShaneO]

How big is the cage he is in? That could be adding to the plucking. Mine is a plucker and she needs a million things to do and will still pluck.

[Dave007]

Hi All,

 

Last week we just got a new grey and we are new to the hobby. Apparently I was sold a stressed out grey because he was plucking his feathers. When I was told this I was going to return the grey to the shop but after 2 days we got effected to it and we didn't want it to go to someone else and not taking care of it. I should have been hand raised but it was aggressive at first biting us etc Now after alot of patience the grey finally has faith in us and he isn't afraid of us any longer.

 

I have a couple of questions which i would like to ask.

 

1. I was told that the grey was 6 - 9 months old but when i showed it to a breeder he told me he is much older then that. I have a pic of his eye maybe you could help me determine his age range.

 

 

 

2. The grey i plucking out feathers, and i was told that it could be stressed. It was already plucking feathers when I got it and i'm afraid that it could become worse. The VET should be coming next Tuesday but as I explained on the phone he told me to give it half a tablet of Biotin the thing is that i dind't manage to find at the petpharmacy they should be getting next week. Till next week I found this product federkur which also has Biotin in it and I'm giving it to him.

 

 

 

Yesterday I took it for a DNA test to check out if its a male of female. Now I was thinking to getting another grey for him as a company. If I get another would you think that they eventually breed thought the years?

 

Thanks,

Et

 

Age===11 to 16 mts

 

Plucking----that's a case of plucking combined with the loss of down feathers. My personal opinion is not to give medication like what was recommended until the bird is physically examined. The plucking may be from very dry skin. There's products that are sold that have no possible side effects. ALOE VERA JUICE for spraying on the bird's body and feathers and ALOE VERA GEL which is used as an anti-irritant for skin conditions like wounds, over scratching, minor cuts and bruises. Everyone should have aloe gel for emergencies. Plucking takes a while to clear up if it's acute plucking. If it's chronic plucking, the plucking won't stop. Only time is gonna tell you what the answer will be.

 

Since you're new to owning a very complex bird such as a grey, it's gonna take lots of time learn about it. Your main job here is to build up a bond with you and whoever lives with you. It's gonna become a family member. African Greys are wild animals. Yes, I said wild because no matter how long you have the grey, it will always remain in that classification. You've got a long way to go concerning what your grey is all about. 100s and 100s of threads here have lots of info concerning this.

 

Second bird=====You're gonna have a hard time ahead of concerning knowledge of your bird. Having a second bird will be a problem or possibly a disaster for a person who hasn't picked up lots of facts concerning greys.

 

Also, concerning knowledge -----pet greys aren't used for breeding. Only birds that have a bond with a mate are used. Those birds have no bonds with human beings. If you did eventually get another grey, that would mean another cage because greys need their own home which is their cage. They design it and don't appreciate intruders. Many people here who have more than 1 or 2 greys will also say that personalities are different and won't socialize with each other at times. That rule can vary though.

 

I'm not a vet so I won't say "give that medication". That's the vet's responsibility but I can say that people have learned that there's lots of different opinions concerning vets. Some are more knowledgable. I only say that because vet recommended something over the phone without looking at the bird. Make sure you only deal with Avian Vets.

 

Remember something, you've only had the bird for 1 week.

Edited March 3, 2015 by Dave007

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

tet024... Develop the relationship with your new grey... adding another grey for company is a bad idea! They will fight for leadership, your grey you are adopting right now has to develop trust in you, and themself.

The goal for a new grey whether a baby or rescue, is to trust and love the family.LOVE themself! Sophie LOVES herself first, then loves us. She loves us all for different reasons...she is a princess! While all her needs are satisfied, and she LOVES herself,loves all the family that have been involved in her life since age two, she now can be empathetic, and cares more about us, rather than herself.She is over the top actually, and knows when any of us are injured. I recently had a head injury, my son took care of me, sent him back to school. Sophie decided she needed to sleep in my room...it was soooo annoying! Nancy

[Chappie]

The fact that you only got your grey a week ago and have done quite a bit to seek help for her, including joining the forum tells me you will go far and I hope you're persistent and patient as it's not always easy to deal with problem existing birds. Keep it up I say! looking forward to hearing the progress.