New african grey mom

[pittiepride]

Hi there, I just got a congo african grey from my dad who is a bit of a parrot hoarder (ok a lot) and we haven't been able to convince him to get rid of many birds but he has agreed that the worst two (pluckers) could be rehomed with me and my sister.

So, I have a 20-30 year old grey, 4th owner. She was miserable in a house full of parrots, had cage aggression and plucked her chest and shoulders.
She has settled in very well, it's been only 24 hrs since we officially met, she is not aggressive, doesn't bite, lunge or scream even. She is the nicest bird and talks up a storm. Only issue is she is a seed fanatic and I want to get her onto pellets and raw fruit and veg as it's healthier.

I am an animal lover, not a lot of experience with birds, only what my dad has rubbed off on me. So I am learning as we go. Dolly will be ok, she has feather nubs and soft down, so I think they will all grow back without issue.

Our house has 3 dogs, two cats, 1 bird and two people.

kj

 

[suebee]

personally i'd start with introducing new food stuffs for her, and reduce the seeds you leave in her cage

ok nut hates her pellets, but i now leave a bowl of just pellets outside her cage, and through out day she will have a nibble at them, as she cant be bothered to get into the cage for the good stuff lol

if nut finds pellets mixed in with her other foods she'll pick it out, even outta mash potatoe!

i use harrisons super fine, power treats, lafebers thought the lafebers are very seedy, but nut likes them as the small balls are great for me to put into her toys so she can forage

welcome to the forum and pics of all the furry and feathered ones

 

[Spiritbird]

Good for you in taking in this bird. AG are fantastic birds. Is the bird a CAG or TAG? (congo/timneh) Part of the reason for plucking may be the seed diet. It can take a while to get them used to new food as they need to know it is safe to eat and the best way to show that is to invite her to your table at meal time and the bird watches you eat. I strongly suggest you take the bird to an avain vet for a baseline exam. It is something that should be one on a yearly basis. The doc will examine the bird, droppings and if needed draw labs to see if there is organ damage from poor nutrition. Calcium is usually low in seed junkies and the bird may need supplements for a while. I would concentrate on the calcium rich foods such as almonds, broccoli, hard cooked eggs, figs, oats, kale, sesame seeds (still in husk), tofu and carrots. My bird will not eat raw vegies so I cook them and mix into a mash using a food processor. The red pigment foods are so important for Vit. A. When consumed, helps to increase calcium absorption via beta carotene. Other needs are grains (brown rice), fruit, legumes, protein and if organic it is a bonus. Greys love chicken. I give my Rosie a chicken wing every so often and she eats almost the entire small bone, including the marrow. Bathing is important, especially if plucking. You might want to look into red palm oil for feather health.
You can add a few drops of aloe to the bath or spray water for the birds comfort. Give your bird long hours of sleep at night, about 10 to 12 with no human noises such as TV or music. They also need out of cage time with you for socialization and bonding and enrichment. Good luck and if you run into any bumps in the road we are here for you.
http://www.wild-bird-watching.com/Birds-Mate-Life.html

https://companionparrotonline.com/Member_Articles.html Here are two very good sites for educational reading. The vet will most likely suggesf Harrisons high potency pellets as they are fully organic and loaded with vitamins.

 

[nofearengineer]

Spiritbird is so right.

When I got my new CAG, she was pretty pitiful looking. She was not a plucker, but her feathers were just very shabby looking. All frayed, and her tail feathers were simply pathetic.

The vet told me her blood work was good, except she was low in protein, a sure sign of a seed diet.

I dedicated myself to providing her a great diet.

Sounds easy, but switching her was like trying to take candy from a screaming baby. She wanted to eat sunflower seeds...and that was it. She turned her nose up at pellets. It took a while, but she came around.

I can now happily say she hasn't had a sunflower seed for a couple of months (nothing against them as treats, but if they're happy and healthy without them, great!). She has a new drug...banana. She loves banana above all other things in life. I try to keep her diet varied though.

She eats steamed veggies (sweet potatoes, corn, peas, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, peppers, broccoli), fruit (bananas, no-sugar-added raisins, apple, oranges, grapes, peaches), as well as nuts (brazil nuts, pecans, almonds, filberts), as well as red palm oil (thanks SB!) as a supplement (When we eat whole wheat bagels or toast, I get a shmear of cream cheese, she gets the red palm oil...she LOVES IT!).

Although is was kind of creepy to see her eating a chicken leg bone, King Henry the 8th style, I have to admit, she stripped it bare. I also feed her plain tuna some times.

She eats all of this in combination with Zupreem Fruitblend, which I leave in her cage all day when I'm not home. I think it's the foundation of a healthy diet, and a good source of everyday calories.

I must say she has shown a marked improvement in her appearance, and I can't wait to see what she's like after all of her old, damaged feathers are molted out.

Another thing...if you feed your parrot better, I'd bet you'll start eating better too. You almost can't avoid it. Sharing some steamed veggies with your fid is a lot of fun, and a great bonding tool.

Anyways, congratulations on your new bird, and kudos to you for taking on the responsibility.