Hi Amy,
Earl started plucking because she was jealous of the cockatoo. The plucking bare on the chest sounds like a definite insecurity issue because she became very jealous. Think about it. She's had a crummy life with the store. You come along and there's hope. Then you bring in a competitor. Just tell her how much you love her and will not let her go. The emotional lives for these guys is so tough because we don't understand them.
Another thing: instinctively, birds do NOT eat something they do not recognize as food. In nature, if they did, they may die. Birds eat what their parents teach them to eat. We humans tend to make mistakes....if I put it in a food bowl, of course they should see it as food. But with Greys, it does not work that way. For that reason, it would take some time for Earl to learn to like pellets. Going cold turkey doesn't work. You also have to get excited and teach her how to eat the pellets. See the following article that we JUST added today to the public board:
http://www.africangreys.com/articles/be ... kills.html
I disagree with your vet. A nutritional panel is NOT a waste of money. If there is an area that she lacks or has too much of, you can adjust supplements and foods. Do you like the vet? Are there other avian vets in your area to try?
The one thing I do not like about blood tests is what the birds have to go through in having the blood drawn. Some vets put the birds under anesthesia, which would make me nervous. So I don't like to have it done often at all. If you decide to do one, make sure the vet has done MANY bird blood tests because having the blood drawn is stressful on the bird. Some get so stressed that they've gone phobic....some have actually died. Forgive me for writing this. As you can see, I am conflicted about the idea of blood tests because of the enormous stress on the birds.
Back to better things.....I love Earl's name! I thought Merlin was a boy too....but SHE came up with the nickname of Merle.
I am honored that you purchased my book. I hope and pray that it is being used to help thousands of these precious creatures out there!
GREY'T Blessings,
Maggie-