Just Saying Hello!

[kats9137]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to both, the Grey Play Round Table and being a Grey Owner. My new baby's name is "Max". I don't know if he is a she or she is a he. I tend to feel he is a HE! Anyway, everything has been great so far. He is extremely well adjusted and social. He'll go to anyone and he especially loves giving kisses and especially loves to cuddle. I brought him home on July 19th and he was only 12 weeks old. So far he only says a few things, like "Max" and "Up". The other day I thought I heard him say "Come here Max, Up!" Which is a common phrase I say to him when I take him out of his cage. I did some research on Grey's prior to bringing him home, however, I never imagined how enjoyable it can really be! My only problem is this.. he doesn't seem to have a favorite treat.. and he is also not interested in being weaned.. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Guest]

What do you mean by not being interested in being weaned? Are you still giving him baby formula? If so, let me know how much. You would need to gradually cut it down and then teach him to eat the veggies/fruits and some pellets. Do you have my book? If not, please get it. You can get an autographed copy from this site or regular copy from Amazon or most bird stores: African Grey Parrots: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual.

Also, please go to the Helpful Hints section on this site for ideas on how to teach Max to eat veggies and fruits and so on. Basically, you need to teach him. You have to sit by the cage and eat some yourself and get really excited and into it.

If you want to start cutting down the formula, you may want to start cutting out the number of times you feed. I usually recommend that people give their chicks the veggies/fruits/pellets and so on in the morning and in the evening, supplement with formula until the chick is ready to let it go. You can also start spoon feeding. I spoon fed my "girls" for 2/3 times a week for a few years: pureed foods, such as sweet potato, butternut squash and so on. I gave them no more than one or two spoonfuls so it did not interfere with their eating on their own.

Hoping this helps,
Maggie-

[kats9137]

Actually, I only feed him "baby food" once every 2 days... mostly in the morning. It's at night time he's more inclined to snack on anything from fruits & veggies... especially if i'm eating it first. I feel I'm giving him a balanced diet but sometimes it seems Max is "looking" for his "baby food". I also find that he prefers his fresh veggies to be "blanched" first to take some of the crunchy out of them. Can you tell me why it is they cannot eat avacado??? Also, I've noticed he's loosing some feathers (not from plucking).. is that normal??

Max is really a gem and I never imagined that owning a Grey would be this wonderful. He even has my husband wrapped around his tail feathers!

Thank you for all your tips and advice.

Kathy

[Guest]

Kathy,

Do you have a bird scale? That will help in determining how he is weight wise and if you need to feed him more. They tend to take in less food when eating the veggies/fruits versus the regurgitated foods (or baby formula for domestic breds). That is why our companion birds can tend to lose weight when they are weaning. A carrot is a lot less in calories than the formula, for example. Do you think Max eats enough of the fruits/veggies?

In the wild, parents continue to "feed" their chicks while they are learning to eat on their own. That's why I recommend that we continue a spoon feeding for much of the first year to supplement while they are learning to eat on their own. But it also is important not to overdo it and make the bird fat...and/or not want to eat on their own. So, you have a fine line there. You may want to experiment a little. If you serve the baby food in the AM, Max will be sufficiently full for most of the day and not have a need to get into the veggies. Then a night feeding to supplement at night makes him feel comforted and sleep well.

The key is that you know your bird. So, it is up to you if you are willing to see if another type of schedule works better and can help him wean off of feedings over time.

Avocados are toxic to them and can kill them immediately. A GPR reader lost her Grey because he got into her avocado omellette. Blanched veggies are FINE! I tried every possible way before settling in on the MASH diet for my girls. Please check out Helpful Hints on the free part of this site. There is a section with ideas for serving veggies.

It is normal to lose some feathers.

You sound SO happy with Max! I am pleased!!!
Maggie-

[kats9137]

I'm going to try the schedule you suggest. Usually I'd give him his veggies & fruits while we were eating dinner. Sometimes he helps himself to my veggies while I'm eating. You schedule makes much more sense. I'll keep you posted on how he's doing. As far as Avacado, which has always been one of my favorite foods.. has now become extinct in my diet! Max is worth way more than the momentary enjoyment of an avacado!

Thanks for ALL your advice!

Kathy

[Guest]

You're welcome. I love avocados too and am VERY careful about them.

Please keep me posted,
Maggie-

[Lucysmom]

Wow, I didn't know avocadoes were that toxic- we knew we shouldn't give them to Lucy but we eat them sometimes ourselves- will have to be extra careful. Anyway, Kathy, you might try different sizes/shapes of fruits & veggies- when Lucy was being weaned, I used to chop up the fruits & veggies but she wouldn't touch them. I found out that when I would give her chunks that she could hold in her foot, she would eat them that way- like baby carrots, small brussel sprouts, whole pea pods, etc. Also, I would mash some banana & spoon feed her w/an iced tea spoon- she loved it. So you have to experiment until you find just what your bird likes. Am still discovering new foods- like fresh cranberries at Thanksgiving.

[Guest]

That's right. There are so many different ways to experiment. Again, please check out the Helpful Hints section of the magazine part of this www.africangreys.com site.
Maggie-