few questions for grey owners

[shalom]

hello I am new here, stay home mom has teenage daughter tow dog and M2 and conure and I have been reading on this web for long time. my question is about 1 1/2 mo. ago I have adopted congo male 1 1/2 year old name Apollo who has bad feather flucking problem, I have run all blood test with my certified avian vet, and It seems that he is in good health, my vet said that he's wing has been cliped little too much in a such early age to stree him out and it promoted for the flucking, and I am doing alot of other things for him for his feather flucking palm nuts,100% organic aloe vera juice for misting, activities diet etc, which it has been posted very much through this web sight to help does who needs it,my question is that when I adopted the Apollo from rescue group he was never in a cage, he sleept on the pirch or on a boing , she also state that previous owner had never put him in the cage as well,so long story short I left him on a pirch as well which he had being doing fine till last night, when I got up this morning he has bee down, I have tried put him in the cage few time before but he was going crazy in there I really didn't want him to hurt him self or he get so stresed out sart flucking again so I took him back out this morning I thought about getting sleep cage if that would help keep him safe during the night while I am asleep I was wondering if I can get some input from you

 

Post edited by: shalom, at: 2008/12/01 14:43

I was trying to up load picture but failed but I was able to upload at picture sections

Post edited by: shalom, at: 2008/12/01 14:44<br><br>Post edited by: shalom, at: 2008/12/01 14:50

[casper]

Hello Shalom,

 

Welcome to the forum, its great you could join us.

 

Do you know anymore about your greys background? Do you know how long he has been plucking for? Its good news that the tests have come back from your vet saying that your grey is healthy. I just wondered if we could trigger when exactly the plucking started!

 

You are doing all the right things and have obviously done a lot of research.

 

Did the vet blame the clipped wing as the cause of the plucking?

 

Since you had your grey has he always just slept on an open perch? he really should be in a cage for his own safety but this will be difficult to do if he is not used to ever being in one.

 

If you dont want him in a cage full time, i would just buy a small sleeping cage and see if you could get him to sleep in this.

 

Did he injure his self this morning when he fell? Or are you worried about future possible injuries?

 

I do hope you manage to get him to use some kind of cage, I think it will take time but will be a lot safer for him at night time.

 

Caroline.

[danmcq]

Hello Shalom and welcome!!

 

You certainly have done a fine job in rescuing and getting your Grey off to a good start with a vet check up and working with him for the last 1.5 months.

 

If he has never been caged in probably nothing smaller than a large Aviary, it is a big scary shock to him, to be placed in a more confining Area, namely a cage.

 

What size cage do you presently have?

 

Does he have any toys to play with?

 

Does he interact with you during the day when you are in the living area with him?

 

Where do you keep his food and water at, since he stays on a boing?

 

Plucking is a difficult issue to resolve and will take a long time. It sounds like you have started all the items normally advised such as using Aloe and Red Palm Oil or real palm fruit.

 

Looking forward to hearing more from you. :-)

[shalom]

well danmcq and thanks for the info you have provided.

Apoolo's cage is 36 x 48 and he has alot of other space beside the his cage I was trying to get the atteched but failed but I was able to put it on at photo section with Apollo name atteched and yes he has alot of toys and I to rotated them once week and remake the foot toys once a week as well. when he see me sitting on the couch he does come after me and I do play with him everyday an 1 hr or 2, he has his food in the cage which that is only time he would go in it left side I give pallots and some seeds right side for the fresh food other side of the cage is fresh water. and in the mornings I do hang fresh fruit and veggie around play area for him hnut and pasta for hime to crunch on, and don't worry I do take away fresh fruit befor the lunch time. and he doesn't just stay at boing at my home I had created space for him to play around in if you could just go look at the photo maybe that would answer some what of your question.<br><br>Post edited by: shalom, at: 2008/12/01 22:11

[shalom]

hello casper

it is kind of long stoy for Apollo's past but I will give it go.

the rescue lady told me he had bee come from very well known breeder and the previous owner didn't know anything about the bird she had took it to vet which I believe it's not certified I have no idea story behind it but she clip leg bend off of him herself and no one know who had clipped his wing I was told that lady was treating bird just like dog, she had given pallots for the bird and take it away an 1 hour later,no fresh food or veggies, the rescue lady said that is the reason he had pluck his feather and eate it to servive on, but my vet things that some one over cliped his wing, because he does not have very much flight feather left when you open his wing center part of hes wing feather is all missing just 3 to 4 tail feather left. oh ah He was on some type of drug which rescue lady said looks like he was little over dose the drugs, don't know what type that was.

bird was place at very close to floor where cat and the dog was able to get to him on a very thin metals I guess kind of like you would use to hang flower basket outside,he's self confidents very low and he is very jumpy so I always try to move very slow around him. vet kept telling her he have to have pallots and she was just following.

that was some part of the his past life

Apollo has very horrible past his feather has has stree mark all the to tip.

he alway slep on the top of the cage doors which I da not close.

and he is just fine this morning I didn't think hes got enough sleep last night. and yes I am worried about future injury at night I don't know if I get little sleep cage for him what size because none of my bird needs this they play out of ther cage all day when I tell them good night they will go in the cage.

[casper]

Shalom,

 

I understand more of Apollos past now, thankyou for taking the time to explain. Bye the way, I just looked at the picyure on your profile and that is a wonderful set up you have there for you grey.

 

When Apollo is hungry, does he willingly go into his cage for the food and seem at ease when he goes in there or is he nervous going in the cage at all?

 

I think its going to be an issue to get Apollo to stay in his cage, he sounds like he associates it maybe with a bad experience, who knows as we dont know any more about his past.

 

We need to think of a way of making the cage appealing and a friendly space for your grey to go, does he ever go in the cage at all to play with any toys or is it just to eat?

 

Sorry for asking so many questions its just the more information we get,we can get to thinking about different solutions.

 

Will he go into a large carrier if you have one? What is he like in the carrier? Does he freak out in there?

I only ask as some people do use a large carrier for their grey to sleep in as well and wondered about the possibility of doing this.

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Caroline.

[shalom]

that is fine casper he does go in play it little but he doesn't stay there very long and I have try to close the door on him once just see his reaction he when crazy trying to get out.

I did towel him in the carrier when I took him to vet.

 

Post edited by: shalom, at: 2008/12/01 22:13<br><br>Post edited by: shalom, at: 2008/12/01 22:15

[Dave007]

If your main worry is about your bird not wanting to live or stay in that cage for long periods of time...the bird came to you with certain likes, dislikes, habits. One of those concerns cages.

 

There are birds that are called *cage bound*. These birds were never allowed out of their cage from when they were extremely young. After a while, the birds actually get used to their cage and have no desire to come out. Every time they're taken out, they get wild, will thrash about and sometimes will bite. Everything to make the bird happy is put into that cage making the bird not want to come out even more. As time goes on, they stay *cage bound* for good.

The situation with your bird isreversed. He was never kept in a cage, was given everything he needed out of the cage including food and toys. He has no desire to go to an area that doesn't allow him to do the same things that an aviary setting provides. You're doing the same thing with your bird---feeding him out of the cage, building very natural type surroundings which all parrots wouldfind enjoyable. You also put food in his cage and he goes there and eats and leaves. In his eyes, that cage is one large food/water feeding area. I also looked at your picture. If I was a bird and I had the choice of the area that you built and a cage nearby, the cage would lose out very quickly. You just may have a bird that has developed a permanent liking for an aviary setting and that's not unusual. There's people that have many birds and keep those birds in large bird rooms designed just for birds. There's usually cages in the room but rarely will you see any of those birds in the cages all at the same time. Some may sleep in them and others won't. Some will eat in them and others won't. Most of the time, these people provide a central area in the room where the birds can get food and water without having to go to a cage. You can't make the bird like a small enclosure and getting an even smaller enclosure ( sleeping cage) just makes the situation worse. If you were used to living in a big house with a big backyard and small swimming pool and sundeck, would you like moving into a 2 room apartment? This just might be a situation you'll have to live with. Simply put, he wants the freedom that he's alwways had.

 

PS--your bird falling down--greys are clumsy birds who will periodically fall off their perches for different reasons. Rarely do they hurt themselves. They're more surprised than hurt and when that happens you should allow the bird to walk over tio whatever it wants and do what it wants such as climbing up a pole, playstand or whatever he fell off of.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2008/12/01 22:53

[shalom]

thank you for the great advice Dave,that makes me feel so much better now. I guess I had little panic attack. long is he's fine where he is I am fine with that as well.

[danmcq]

Dave is the "man" and always hits the nail on the head. Great advice that just makes sense when you think about it. :-)