Halloooo from Iowa :)

[Pajarita]

Lordy, lordy! Birds are easy to understand... humans, on the other hand, are very difficult. I really do not know what I said that you consider negative or unwelcoming. I commented on three points: the honeymoon stage, the plumage and the name changing. Now, the honeymoon stage is something that everybody who knows about parrots can tell you about and it doesn't imply any negativity toward you, it's just a fact that all rehomed parrots go through it and that they hardly ever bite or show their true colors during it -especially grays which are quite introspective birds. I always mention it when people say their newly rehomed parrot doesn't bite for the simple reason that, if they don't know about it, they are very disappointed when the parrot does two months after it came but, if they are aware of it, it doesn't catch them by surprise.

The changing of the name is the same. You are welcome to try and, if you do, I hope you succeed but it won't help the parrot to adjust to you or his new home - and helping birds is always my primary concern and the reason for my comments. Parrots are not hardwired for change, they live from birth to death surrounded by their family, living in the same territory, eating from the same sources, etc. so, to them, losing the home and humans they know is EXTREMELY traumatic and confusing and that's why it's always recommended that people keep the cage, diet, schedule and routines (even if completely inadequate!) exactly as they had them in the previous home at the beginning and change things very, very slowly and only at the bird's pace. Keeping the name they have is part of this. I don't know how much you know about parrots but they are not mentally hard-wired toward pleasing people, obeying or changing loyalties and they do have a sense of self which, in captivity, is screwed up by the imprinting trick we play on them so they cannot be regarded, cared for or treated the same way we treat other pets - and this is, basically, because they are not pets, they are companions.

Now, as to the plumage. I am not saying he is not in molt but, looking at the picture you provided, I see terciaries and secondaries on his right wing that are lacking integrity and, if I am not mistaken, there are quite a few of them that were barbered, too. When healthy birds molt, you don't really see a difference in their plumage except for, occasionally, a couple of down feathers that are almost completely loose and kind of stick out between contours. Aside from that, you just find the dropped feathers and feel/see the pins but there is no real difference in the way the parrot's plumage looks as a whole. When you see feathers that are not even and smooth around the edges, that you can see an open 'mesh' instead of a solid surface, that have little 'hairs' sticking out in profile, that don't end in a tapered point but in an inverted V, that have a 'chewed up' look, etc. you know there is something going on with the plumage that should not be. And your bird has all of these. Now, the reasons for the bad plumage don't show in blood work so you can take the bird to the vet, get perfectly good results and still have a problem. It's not a HUGE problem and it's easily solved but it needs to be taken into consideration.

I am not much for praise... I know that most people join birdsites and post mainly to get the pat in the back and the 'Your bird is beautiful and he is so lucky to have you' platitudes... and there are many, many birdsites that cater to this but it's not my thing. I love birds - all birds, not only my own. And I love them for what they are and not what they can do for me and want all of them to have the best possible life. And because I've had parrots for many years and have had a number of them under my care, I've learned a bit and, as my main concern and the reason why I post is to help them, I share what I know with other owners. So try not to read things I post in a derisive or negative tone because that is not the way they were meant. They were meant to state something that will help your bird in a succinct way.

[Luvss2ride]

I didn't expect praise or good job with my original post ... I was just introducing myself and Bird ...

Again ... we've only had him 7 days as of tonight.

So, yes... before I even joined, I had already taken him to the vet for a health check and done my research and was working on his diet change. The pellet had already been ordered .... because I can't get any locally.
I also started him on fruits and vegetables.
But, he's also been on seed mix from Walmart his whole life. I will not change this overnight... that is not good for him, either.

And ... as of yesterday ... instead of telling himself to Shut UP (which is what he mostly says ... "Shut Up Bird" and "Knock it off") .... he's singing Louis Louis and whistling to me!

When we got him, he was swearing, coughing, telling himself to shut up ... etc.

We're trying to change that ... yes ... change it. To happier, more confident things to say.
And.... it's working.
I do appreciate the input ....

Thank you

[Luvss2ride]

Evening Pajarita .... I didn't see your last reply until after I just posted mine (didn't see there was a page 2).
I will take a closer look at his feathers and such over the next few days and do some research on that as well.
I haven't seen any feathers at all on his cage floor (or anywhere, for that matter).
We also gave him a shower last night .... so maybe that was long over due?
I have no history on this fella .... the previous owner gave me nothing but 1 cup of walmart seed mix, the cage and the bird.
I also got him a bigger cage a few days ago.
So, I'm trying .... I just can't fix 12 years of mistakes in one week.

[Wolf]

No you can't but is sounds to me like you are off to a good start. At this stage of the relationship gaining his trust his the most important thing that you can do. It would also be a good time to watch what he picks to eat first as these will be his favorites and can be used as treats until he decides on new favorites with his improved diet. If he is not accustomed to fresh foods then you might want to consider nibbling on them in front of him while making sure to let him know how great you think they are before offering him a piece.
I don't know how experienced you are as of yet and don't want you to think that I am being condescending, when I just want to be helpful. I wish only the best for you and your Grey. They are very special birds in my opinion.

[Pajarita]

I am glad we understand each other and that you are not offended. And I am even more glad to see that you are putting such an effort in improving his life and that you are going in the right direction. And, yes, you are absolutely right, 12 years of mistakes is not easily erased but slowly but surely, his life will improve 1000%!

Now, three more comments.
a) If you don't see feathers at the bottom of his cage, he is not in molt but I would not worry about this because, most likely, he was kept at a human light schedule and it will take a number of seasons for his endocrine system to get back in tune with the seasons.
2) Evening or night baths are not recommended. Birds external feathers (contours, primaries, secondaries, terciaries, coverts, etc) have a special oil on them that makes them dry up fast but the internal layer (down) doesn't so they kind of soak up the water easily and, because they are under the other ones, don't dry as fast so, when you bathe a bird in the evening, chances are the bird will go to sleep damp -and that's not good for them. Rule of thumb is baths with cold water (warm water strips the natural oils of the feathers and skin and could result in feather mutilation behavior) in the morning all the way up to noon in the winter (you can bathe them later during the long days of late spring and summer), no hair dryers (same thing, they strip the oils) but a nice warm room and, if at all possible, a perch in front of a window where they can get sunshine (they love to preen in the sunshine after a bath). Now, in your bird's case (because I noticed plumage issues), I would recommend you add a splash of aloe vera juice to the bath water (it's a very good natural moisturizer and great for the birds to consume internally so you get a double whammy benefit from it).
3) I would urge you to do more research on his diet. You mentioned pellets but you will find that most of us on this site don't think of them as the best dietary option for parrots and, if you would like to know what we have discovered on our research, we will be more than happy to share it with you.

[Luvss2ride]

Well we completely failed with the shower!
It was at night... it was lukewarm (more to cool than warm, though) ... and I did use a hair dryer on cool from a distance because I was afraid he'd get cold if he stayed wet too long.
:'(

Thank you for the information

[Wolf]

Sometimes you need to try several times and sometimes change the process that you use. For instance instead of trying to shower the bird, let him sit on the perch with the shower running or while you take a shower for a few times before attempting to get him wet. If you take him into the shower with you, you should be able to see some indication of when he is curious enough to want to try it himself and that is when you cool the water down enough for him and let him try it out. If it works fine, you are on your way. If it doesn't quite work out, don't give up try again with the next shower.
Also, I would not bathe the bird after 12 noon or 1 pm at the latest, I would not use a hair dryer and the water should be no more than lukewarm, or just warm enough to remove the chill from it. I hope that this will be helpful for you.

[Luvss2ride]

Well there's no question I need your expertise. I do apologize for my initial pouty behavior. I simply felt like I was being attacked for poor health when I had only had him a few days.
That being said ... I certainly don't want to make him any worse.
Also... most of the time I'm reading the replies on my phone and don't always remember all I read when I reply..... I only get on the computer maybe once a day.

There are about 5 or 6 very small white fluffy feathers on the cage floor. His feathers are definitely not all the same and smooth. His back and under his wings especially (seem to be a lot missing).
I've seen him preening when he's sitting with me ... I guess I thought that looked normal...

Will try different things for bath time (how often?)

Thanks for your patience ... and your help

[Pajarita]

Don't worry for one second about your initial reaction. We don't mind at all... and, unfortunately, we have gotten used to getting negative ones as most people don't like to be told they did something wrong -which, when it comes to parrot keeping, is the wrong way of approaching things because we all did and still do wrong things all the time. We appreciate the fact that you understood where we are coming from and started reading the replies in the tone they were written -namely, as recommendations or instruction, if you will.

Now, going by your description of the feathers, it appears that he is either plucking or molting down but, if he has naked spots under his wings, chances are he is plucking and not molting. Don't worry too much about this, just concentrate on good husbandry and he will get better. I can't promise he will stop because feather mutilation behavior is one of those things that, sometimes, we can't fix but I can promise you he will get better.

Grays are not great bathers. There are a few that have learned to like been misted but, of the six I've had under my care, not a single one of them did - quite the contrary, they hated it and as soon as they saw me coming into the birdroom with the bottle, they would make it a point to fly away from me. I have now two hens, a Congo and a Timneh and they both bathe on their own - not frequently and not well (HUGE production but few wet feathers ) I don't force the issue. They are always clean and have perfect plumage so, if it ain't broke, I don't fix it!

[Wolf]

My Grey likes to be misted with a spray bottle about once a week. She came to me plucking feathers as well as self mutilating with three big open sores from it. Today she is in near perfect feather. When she is ready for a good misting she will try to bathe in her water dish and so that is when I mist her.
The easiest time to misunderstand is at the beginning of any relationship and it is even easier when it is on a forum with only the printed word to go by as it is hard to read the tone of voice that we are thinking. I assure you that we do not mean to criticize any one especially when the bird is new to them as the birds condition and behavior is normally due to prior circumstances, but we often try to give suggestions intended to help the new birds and human to improve the birds well being as quickly as possible. We care about your bird and your relationship together as much as we do with the birds that are in our care. We can see that you care for this bird and like you want only the best for the two of you.