Comments for African Grey Parrots http://african-grey.com/home ...Beautiful, Loyal and Intelligent Thu, 23 Feb 2012 23:08:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Comment on A Simple List of Foods For Your Grey by Dee http://african-grey.com/home/a-simple-list-of-foods-for-your-grey/comment-page-1/#comment-70 Dee Thu, 23 Feb 2012 23:08:47 +0000 http://african-grey.com/home/?p=313#comment-70 Hey Bob, While young birds are great, having rescued a bird (mine was found in a drug raid in a taped box, almost dead), if you have the patience, and the right enviroment... you will be surprised at how quickly they will bond... or more correctly run you and your household... Our African Grey Skully is at home with me (I run my office out of my house) all day ... it did take her a while to adjust, in fact the first six months she (and we are just guessing that she is a she) sat in the back of her cage almost in a constant state of fear... but 4 years later, she sits on her perch in the office, and will fly over on my desk if she does not think I am paying enough attention to her, to "help" me with my workload... the good thing is I never have to buy another shredder... Hey Bob,
While young birds are great, having rescued a bird (mine was found in a drug raid in a taped box, almost dead), if you have the patience, and the right enviroment… you will be surprised at how quickly they will bond… or more correctly run you and your household… Our African Grey Skully is at home with me (I run my office out of my house) all day … it did take her a while to adjust, in fact the first six months she (and we are just guessing that she is a she) sat in the back of her cage almost in a constant state of fear… but 4 years later, she sits on her perch in the office, and will fly over on my desk if she does not think I am paying enough attention to her, to “help” me with my workload… the good thing is I never have to buy another shredder…

]]> Comment on Care And Feeding Your Grey by Travis http://african-grey.com/home/care-and-feeding-your-grey/comment-page-1/#comment-67 Travis Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:21:50 +0000 http://african-grey.com/home/?p=35#comment-67 I have a 20 year old african grey who love me, and only me. How do I stop aggressive behavior with other family members? I also have a problem with food she has been on zupreem for ever, and all she does is kick it out of the cage. I don't know if she is eating anything other than the fruits and veggies I give her. I also give her pasta once a week. what should I do? I have a 20 year old african grey who love me, and only me. How do I stop aggressive behavior with other family members? I also have a problem with food she has been on zupreem for ever, and all she does is kick it out of the cage. I don’t know if she is eating anything other than the fruits and veggies I give her. I also give her pasta once a week. what should I do?

]]> Comment on Care And Feeding Your Grey by Bob http://african-grey.com/home/care-and-feeding-your-grey/comment-page-1/#comment-66 Bob Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:24:24 +0000 http://african-grey.com/home/?p=35#comment-66 Hi Marlene, I would say visit your vet depending on how uneven his beak is. If it hinders him from eating the foods he normally eats, it may be time for a beak trim. Some nuts are very difficult for greys to crack. Our male (who is quite large) can't get through a walnut shell, but he can make quick time of an almond in a shell, whereas our female can't even crack the almond shell. We crack the shell for her and then let her open it up. If your bird acts as if his beak is sensitive then yes, definitely take him to your vet to have him checked. Bob Hi Marlene,
I would say visit your vet depending on how uneven his beak is. If it hinders him from eating the foods he normally eats, it may be time for a beak trim. Some nuts are very difficult for greys to crack. Our male (who is quite large) can’t get through a walnut shell, but he can make quick time of an almond in a shell, whereas our female can’t even crack the almond shell. We crack the shell for her and then let her open it up. If your bird acts as if his beak is sensitive then yes, definitely take him to your vet to have him checked.
Bob

]]> Comment on Care And Feeding Your Grey by Marlene http://african-grey.com/home/care-and-feeding-your-grey/comment-page-1/#comment-65 Marlene Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:28:20 +0000 http://african-grey.com/home/?p=35#comment-65 I have an African Grey I have had for 15 years but I noticed his beak is uneven I feed him all the tings you suggest on here but he will not crack hard nuts, is the only solution the vet to file the beak? I have an African Grey I have had for 15 years but I noticed his beak is uneven I feed him all the tings you suggest on here but he will not crack hard nuts, is the only solution the vet to file the beak?

]]> Comment on Care And Feeding Your Grey by Allison from South Africa http://african-grey.com/home/care-and-feeding-your-grey/comment-page-1/#comment-64 Allison from South Africa Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:11:11 +0000 http://african-grey.com/home/?p=35#comment-64 Hi Bob, Thanks so much for all the info...I will keep you posted on her progress. I do spray her although not daily but will purchase the Aloe Vera and start with that today. She has certainly brought us all great joy..and my only wish for her is to look beautiful with a lovely covering of grey feathers not just down and feathers together. Cheers from a very hot sunny Johannesburg. Allison Hi Bob,
Thanks so much for all the info…I will keep you posted on her progress. I do spray her although not daily but will purchase the Aloe Vera and start with that today. She has certainly brought us all great joy..and my only wish for her is to look beautiful with a lovely covering of grey feathers not just down and feathers together.

Cheers from a very hot sunny Johannesburg.

Allison

]]> Comment on Care And Feeding Your Grey by Bob http://african-grey.com/home/care-and-feeding-your-grey/comment-page-1/#comment-63 Bob Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:14:29 +0000 http://african-grey.com/home/?p=35#comment-63 Hi Allison. We're happy you find our site useful and congratulations on a great job with Malibu! It sounds as if she is very happy now. I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending a product to replace Tums for calcium, BUT you could always increase her calcium intake with certain calcium rich foods that you may have available in your area. Calcium rich foods could include broccoli, kale, turnip greens, cooked spinach, cooked navy beans, pintos, garbanzos, limas, lentils, peas, corn, cooked salmon fish, raw walnuts, almonds and sunflower seeds to give you some ideas. You might also try some small pieces of cheese. Our guys love cheddar cheese which has calcium in it. The white dust you mention is called dander...bird dander. African greys are noted for having high levels of this dander. Try misting her daily with filtered water using a spray bottle. Add a few tablespoons of pure aloe vera juice to the water if you have some. Soak her down well and that will help control a dander problem. The quills you mention are actually a sheath that protects the new feather as it begins to appear and grow. This is normal. She will nibble at the sheath as the feathers grow and eventually the sheath will break and the new feather will pop out. All quite normal. My guess is, they probably itch a bit as the feathers develop and the water/aloe combo will help with that too. Thanks for your comments and many happy years to you and Malibu. Bob Hi Allison. We’re happy you find our site useful and congratulations on a great job with Malibu! It sounds as if she is very happy now.

I wouldn’t feel comfortable recommending a product to replace Tums for calcium, BUT you could always increase her calcium intake with certain calcium rich foods that you may have available in your area. Calcium rich foods could include broccoli, kale, turnip greens, cooked spinach, cooked navy beans, pintos, garbanzos, limas, lentils, peas, corn, cooked salmon fish, raw walnuts, almonds and sunflower seeds to give you some ideas. You might also try some small pieces of cheese. Our guys love cheddar cheese which has calcium in it.

The white dust you mention is called dander…bird dander. African greys are noted for having high levels of this dander. Try misting her daily with filtered water using a spray bottle. Add a few tablespoons of pure aloe vera juice to the water if you have some. Soak her down well and that will help control a dander problem.

The quills you mention are actually a sheath that protects the new feather as it begins to appear and grow. This is normal. She will nibble at the sheath as the feathers grow and eventually the sheath will break and the new feather will pop out. All quite normal. My guess is, they probably itch a bit as the feathers develop and the water/aloe combo will help with that too.

Thanks for your comments and many happy years to you and Malibu.
Bob

]]> Comment on Care And Feeding Your Grey by Allison from South Africa http://african-grey.com/home/care-and-feeding-your-grey/comment-page-1/#comment-62 Allison from South Africa Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:06:38 +0000 http://african-grey.com/home/?p=35#comment-62 Hi, I love your website and vist here frequently. I took over a female African Grey in June 2011. Her owners committed sucide and she plucked all her feather and had not had feathers for 15 years. She picked me if I can say that and I was the only one who could touch her. Her diet at the time I got her was pellets only and she looked terrible. I took her to my vet to make sure that she was not suffering from anything other than incorrect diet and stress hence the feather plucking. I changed her diet completely giving her almost everything you have suggested and more. Her feathers are growing back and she even has about 10 or more red tail feathers which she has never had!!! the other feathers are slower they grow and she pulls some whole or breaks them and not others. However she has far more than when I got her some downy some normal feathers and she has wing feathers too. She talks and whisltes and mimics bird calls and now barks like my dogs. I think though from bad diet she lacks calcium. We do not get Tums here but tums are Calicium Carbonate. Could I buy her the equivelant here and give them to her and how many? She also has like a dust/flakes of white is this normal? lastley her quills where the feathers come out seem to be very brittle she preans and breaks them as the feathers come out. Malibu is a true joy to us and I am so very happy that I have been given this opportunity to give her a happy and fullfilled life. Thanks kindly for helping me. Allison Hi, I love your website and vist here frequently. I took over a female African Grey in June 2011. Her owners committed sucide and she plucked all her feather and had not had feathers for 15 years. She picked me if I can say that and I was the only one who could touch her. Her diet at the time I got her was pellets only and she looked terrible. I took her to my vet to make sure that she was not suffering from anything other than incorrect diet and stress hence the feather plucking. I changed her diet completely giving her almost everything you have suggested and more. Her feathers are growing back and she even has about 10 or more red tail feathers which she has never had!!! the other feathers are slower they grow and she pulls some whole or breaks them and not others. However she has far more than when I got her some downy some normal feathers and she has wing feathers too. She talks and whisltes and mimics bird calls and now barks like my dogs.
I think though from bad diet she lacks calcium. We do not get Tums here but tums are Calicium Carbonate. Could I buy her the equivelant here and give them to her and how many? She also has like a dust/flakes of white is this normal? lastley her quills where the feathers come out seem to be very brittle she preans and breaks them as the feathers come out.
Malibu is a true joy to us and I am so very happy that I have been given this opportunity to give her a happy and fullfilled life.

Thanks kindly for helping me.
Allison

]]> Comment on A Simple List of Foods For Your Grey by Bob http://african-grey.com/home/a-simple-list-of-foods-for-your-grey/comment-page-1/#comment-61 Bob Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:30:00 +0000 http://african-grey.com/home/?p=313#comment-61 Hi Tracy. Yes, older birds will certainly bond with a human (a rescue bird for example), but it can take a lot longer and there may be issues with behavior or health from their previous life, making the bonding process even more difficult. Older birds have also developed a personality, their social skills or lack thereof and some sense of a routine that may or may not fit in with yours. An older bird can make for a fine companion, but it can just take longer for the both of you to develop the bond and trust. Personally, I think the best age to consider would be a young, hand-fed bird who has been weaned onto solid food...usually around a few months old...say under 6 months of age. These birds will handle well, will usually bond very quickly and they will get use to a routine in a very short period of time. Hi Tracy. Yes, older birds will certainly bond with a human (a rescue bird for example), but it can take a lot longer and there may be issues with behavior or health from their previous life, making the bonding process even more difficult. Older birds have also developed a personality, their social skills or lack thereof and some sense of a routine that may or may not fit in with yours. An older bird can make for a fine companion, but it can just take longer for the both of you to develop the bond and trust. Personally, I think the best age to consider would be a young, hand-fed bird who has been weaned onto solid food…usually around a few months old…say under 6 months of age. These birds will handle well, will usually bond very quickly and they will get use to a routine in a very short period of time.

]]> Comment on A Simple List of Foods For Your Grey by tracy http://african-grey.com/home/a-simple-list-of-foods-for-your-grey/comment-page-1/#comment-60 tracy Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:55:23 +0000 http://african-grey.com/home/?p=313#comment-60 what is the best age to get a grey . you covered so much but not age only young birds will older bird bond with another person what is the best age to get a grey . you covered so much but not age only young birds will older bird bond with another person

]]> Comment on Care And Feeding Your Grey by Bob http://african-grey.com/home/care-and-feeding-your-grey/comment-page-1/#comment-59 Bob Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:00:14 +0000 http://african-grey.com/home/?p=35#comment-59 Hi Susan, Our take on house plants is...all are off limits. If you want a specific list, you can do a google search for 'house plants toxic to parrots'...there are many plants out there that can be dangerous to pet birds. We do have house plants but our guys stay away from them as we never leave our birds unattended when they are out. Bob Hi Susan,
Our take on house plants is…all are off limits. If you want a specific list, you can do a google search for ‘house plants toxic to parrots’…there are many plants out there that can be dangerous to pet birds. We do have house plants but our guys stay away from them as we never leave our birds unattended when they are out. Bob

]]> Comment on Care And Feeding Your Grey by susan http://african-grey.com/home/care-and-feeding-your-grey/comment-page-1/#comment-58 susan Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:06:02 +0000 http://african-grey.com/home/?p=35#comment-58 hello i will be picking up my African Gray Parrot in 4 days. it will require 4xs a day siringe feedings. this will be all new to me and any advise would be great. i do not work so i will be able to give lots of time and love to my bird.however im worried about makeing the right choice. i have a few house plants and have read plants can harm birds,but i can't seem to find any info on which plants. would really love some feed back thank you hello i will be picking up my African Gray Parrot in 4 days. it will require 4xs a day siringe feedings. this will be all new to me and any advise would be great. i do not work so i will be able to give lots of time and love to my bird.however im worried about makeing the right choice. i have a few house plants and have read plants can harm birds,but i can’t seem to find any info on which plants.
would really love some feed back thank you

]]> Comment on Care And Feeding Your Grey by Bob http://african-grey.com/home/care-and-feeding-your-grey/comment-page-1/#comment-57 Bob Sat, 14 Jan 2012 10:38:30 +0000 http://african-grey.com/home/?p=35#comment-57 Hi Lisa, and thanks for the kind words! As you probably know many factors can cause feather plucking; environment, behavior issues, temperament, feather lice, diet and the list goes on. Greys are notorious pluckers unfortunately so it can be difficult to nail down the exact cause. Sounds as if your grey has a great environment, toys, space, parrot stand, etc so that probably can be ruled out. Based on what you have said, I would suspect his diet may be a problem if he is rejecting fruits and veggies. A high quality parrot kibble made for greys can help with that a bit. You might consider occasionally feeding some raw almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts and some cooked salmon, all of which provides important oils that can improve feather production. Also make sure the humidity in the area where he stays is above about 40% especially in the winter. A dry environment can prompt itching and feather plucking. We run a humidifier in the winter to help with that. Daily misting with distilled water (soak his feathers) can also help. Finally, yes I do recommend the aloe/water suggestion, but only use distilled water as the chlorine in tap water can dry them out too. Since he is rejecting fresh fruits and veggies, you might try some dried fruit. Our guys love dried banana chips, apples, cranberries, grapes etc...try to find a brand without added sugar if you can. You might also try the 'Birdie Bread' recipe found in the above article...that way you can slip in some veggies (from the baby food) without him knowing ;) Hope that helps a bit. All best, Bob Hi Lisa, and thanks for the kind words!

As you probably know many factors can cause feather plucking; environment, behavior issues, temperament, feather lice, diet and the list goes on. Greys are notorious pluckers unfortunately so it can be difficult to nail down the exact cause. Sounds as if your grey has a great environment, toys, space, parrot stand, etc so that probably can be ruled out. Based on what you have said, I would suspect his diet may be a problem if he is rejecting fruits and veggies. A high quality parrot kibble made for greys can help with that a bit. You might consider occasionally feeding some raw almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts and some cooked salmon, all of which provides important oils that can improve feather production. Also make sure the humidity in the area where he stays is above about 40% especially in the winter. A dry environment can prompt itching and feather plucking. We run a humidifier in the winter to help with that. Daily misting with distilled water (soak his feathers) can also help.

Finally, yes I do recommend the aloe/water suggestion, but only use distilled water as the chlorine in tap water can dry them out too.

Since he is rejecting fresh fruits and veggies, you might try some dried fruit. Our guys love dried banana chips, apples, cranberries, grapes etc…try to find a brand without added sugar if you can. You might also try the ‘Birdie Bread’ recipe found in the above article…that way you can slip in some veggies (from the baby food) without him knowing ;)

Hope that helps a bit.
All best,
Bob

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