What is the Best brand of pellet food for African Greys?

[Kimamelia]

I have rescued an African Grey with extreme behavioral and emotional problems. I have contacted bird sanctuaries in my area in order to speak with specialists but I can not have them waiting on me hand and foot and I am not the most experienced bird owner ever. I do however, have unbound amounts of patience and love for these birds and I spend hours a day on a near daily basis trying to learn everything I can.

I have been told to switch Emmy to a pellet diet as she has been fed exclusively a seed diet for the past six years or so and little if any other treats or fruits or veggies. I am having a very hard time finding good information on different pellet brands and considering the amount of trauma my poor darlings have gone through, I would very much like to start with the best instead of having to put her through changes over and over until I find the best.

Actually, any suggestions on things I can do for my rescues is much appreciated. The move was Very hard on them as I picked them up and had to drive them a solid six hours back to my home. All three were put in new cages as their cages were not in my opinion or the professionals opinion, fit for habitation, and they have had no toys for who knows how long before I got them. Probably around six years. I am the only person the cockatoos currently tolerate, though neither strike at my boyfriend, they won't step up onto him either. Or talk to him like they do with me.

The African Grey though, she is incredibly hostile and angry. She slams her face against the cage whenever anyone enters the room. Attempts to bite and grab at anyone nearby through the bars of her cage. Changing water and food is a difficult task that I have started doing with leather work gloves on as she has drawn blood twice already. I play music softly and I talk to them and open her cage and allow her to roam only while the others are in their cages as I am afraid she will be as hostile with the other birds as she is currently with people. I am the only one brave enough to try socializing with her at the moment. Hustling her back into her cage is also sometimes a serious chore. I do not react to the biting or screeching, even wearing ear plugs when I am doing anything near her as she will make the most angry noises and screeches until you back off, but I have read that reacting just encourages the behavior. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to slowly tame the anger and aggression? She was not always like this, and to my knowledge there was no physical abuse.

My rescues came from my boyfriends grandfathers house. His grandmother was a true bird lover. Her entire home was a custom environment for the birds. It was what she did all day every day. She died six years ago and his grandfather has grown too old and ill to care for them. Their cages were nasty filthy and their water bowls broke my heart. He isn't able to even clean his own area let alone care for the 11 birds he had left. Caring for this man and these birds has become my full time hobby. Ive learned how to make toys and do everything I can to save a dollar and care for them, I drive six hours one way to see him and care for the birds once every three weeks right now, and brought the cockatoos and african grey home just a few days ago. They were getting little to no attention, the Yellow Crested Cockatoo stills calls out my boyfriends grandmothers name in the evenings. It breaks my heart.

[cml]

How great of you to take the birds in, and care for the others. On a cellphone right now so short answer but the absolute best pellets are TOPS, Totally organic pellets!

[Kimamelia]

Would that brand of pellets also be good for the cockatoos? Because the more research I do the more information I come across about pellets being an important part of both species diet. And my Conure has a pellet diet as well. Substituted with grains and veggies and sometimes fruits. He doesn't seem to care for fruits much. I've noticed though that the brand I have my Conure on doesn't get a very good rep among the bird lovers. ZuPreem? Would that brand work for all of my birds as the pellet base in their diet?

[Wolf]

i can't help you much with your question concerning pellets as I don't use them for mine. Although they are convenient and easy to use, I just don't feel that they are the best why to go. There are plenty of people here that do use them and I will leave it to them to advise you about them.
My major concern at the moment is the rehabilitation of these birds and the Grey in particular. With the amount of anger and resentment that she is expressing, this could be a long process. I only hope that she is not too far over the edge to reach her so that the healing process can begin. If you could go into the room that she is in, just far enough that she begins to notice you, but not close enough to start her thrashing. Then stop and wait for a minute for her to calm herself, then just talk to her and try to reassure her that things are going to be better now. If she starts to act aggressive or hostile, calmly turn your back to her and wait it out. When she quiets back down, turn back around and continue to talk to her. Try three 15 minute sessions of this per day, and see if it will make any difference in this behavior. She is grieving, and angry, and afraid and alone and this is an intolerable place for her to be, but she needs you to be there for her in this impossible, to her, time.
All parrots bond to their human, some more deeply than others, but I don't believe that any other species bonds in the same way that a Grey does, and this is due to both their intelligence and to the highly sensitive emotional nature of the Grey. Please let me know of any changes in her behavior and I will try to help.

[Kimamelia]

So do you think it's best, for the time being, to limit her contact with people down to just the 15 minute sessions a day? Or should I continue to try and let her out and attempt to stand and talk and play?
I'm getting a great deal of contradicting information with the more people I talk to and I'm starting to view the situation like she is a child and these specialists are all child specialized psychologists. It helps me when I disagree with some of the information. My parents did foster care my entire child life so I am familiar with kids that have problems and the patience required. I am not the most experienced person as far as birds go, my Conure was only my second, and these babies are my first rescues, but I am prepared to do what ever I have to. You have to start somewhere for everything and everyone was so desperate to keep these birds in the family and yet there are no other bird lovers around to care for them like their owner did. Just my boyfriend, and myself. Initially one of the things we bonded over.
Emmy, the Grey, was a family bird in my boyfriends family and he remembers a point in time when he was her favorite person and she would choose to spend time with him above others. Much like my Conure does now. He is too afraid to try and work with her right now though, I've thought it might be beneficial for him specifically to work with her since she may remember him. But with his grandmother dying around 6 year ago, he hadn't seen her in about 7-8 years so I'm not sure. And since I've read they read facial expressions and his is one of fear, I've told him not to worry for now.
I would like to get her plucking under control before it gets out of hand. She has only one small bare spot on her shoulder blade despite the bad behavior. One of the Cockatoos shreds her feathers, but doesn't pluck them. So I've been looking for different things to do to distract from that behavior as well, any suggestions?

[Pajarita]

First of all, thank you so much for taking these birds in but I hope that you realize the kind of commitment you've made and the HUGE amount of work and learning you will have to do for the next couple of years (at the very least).

As to diet, same as Wolf here, I also don't think that pellets are the best dietary option for parrots for many reasons (dryness that affects their kidneys, the fact that it's 'dead' food with no phytonutrients, lab-made vitamins instead of food-derived ones, blandness of taste, lower quality ingredients, unknown protein intake, etc). I think they are better than an all-seed diet but that they leave a lot to be desired as a staple diet for parrots. I feed mine gloop (dish made of cooked whole grains, pulses and chopped veggies) with fresh produce and a small, measured amount of a seed mix for smaller birds (it has less oil seeds and more cereals) with a nut added for the larger species. But, if I had to recommend one pellet, it would be TOP's (never, ever Zupreem)

Now, as to the gray's problems... yes, he/she (do you know the gender?) can be brought back. No doubt about it. It will take a lot of time and a lot of work but a bird that bonded with a human once, will bond with another as long as this bird has not been severely abused for a long time (I am not talking neglect bordering abuse but actually hurting the bird on purpose).

I would leave her alone for the first three or four days and just do your cleaning from the outside of the cage (I don't know why you need to put your hand inside the cage, most cages have little doors for the food and water bowl so there is actually no need to 'intrude'). Gloves are NOT a good idea, they are scary to birds and make things worse when the bird is aggressive. The most important thing is to establish a super steady routine for the bird: wake up with sunrise, once the sky is completely lit, turn the overhead lights on, breakfast, interaction, noon rest, interaction, turn lights off, dinner with sunset, sleep undisturbed by noise or light. This schedule has to be faithfully followed every single day until the bird feels 100% comfortable in your house - afterward, you can take a little liberty here and there but nothing major unless it's an emergency. Parrots live in a completely democratic social group where there are no leaders so each individual has the capacity and right to make decisions on their own - this right disappears in captivity because we, as owners, make all the decisions for them. Establishing a schedule that mimics their natural biorhythms in the wild gives them the 'impression' of control over their lives because they can tell what is going to happen and when. It also gives them time parameters they can follow (parrots have a sense of past, current and future time) and a sense of security (very important because it reduces stress).

Wolf's advice on doing short 'interaction' sessions several times a day is a good one as is the one about observing his/her body language for signs of distress and stopping right then and there. Parrots are not naturally aggressive animals, they simply don't have the genetic trait for it because they are not predators or live in a hierarchical society, so, when they exhibit an aggressive behavior is always because they are scared, very upset or overly hormonal (the sunrise to sunset schedule will take care of the hormones in time). Talk in a sweet voice using praise phrases, sing a simple tune (like a children's song), offer a treat every now and then and, once you see that he/she no longer react negatively to your approach, start letting him/her out of her cage in the late afternoon so you can put his/her dinner (seeds or pellets) in his/her food bowl when the sun is low on the horizon and he/she will go into the cage by him/herself (which will not happen if you give it seeds or pellets for breakfast). Eliminating any 'force' (gloves, toweling, netting, etc) is imperative with birds that have 'lost' the bond with humans. These are highly intelligent animals which reason and come up with 4 from adding 2 + 2 so you want to establish from the very beginning a relationship of respect, patience and love and that means not imposing YOUR will over them but allowing them to make the decision to become your friend. Trust is of the outmost importance.

By the way, you can do all these things with all the birds. It works for all species.

One last thing, you need to take them to an avian vet to make sure they are OK because an all seed diet for years has medical consequences (avitaminosis, liver and kidney damage, high cholesterol, etc). And, if I were you, I would add liquid, non-alcoholi milk thistle and dandelion root extracts as well as aloe vera juice to their water asap.

PS Just read your reply, yes, limit her exposure to just the two of you. Any drastic change is something that they need to work out on their own and adding people will just make it worse. She will remember your boyfriend (they have long memories) so he should talk to her and keep her company at distance where she feels comfortable (don't approach her straight on, walk here and there and observe her out of the corner of your eye -only predators stare and go in a straight line, you will be able to do this in time but not right now, not until she trusts you 100%)

[Wolf]

I would by all means limit her exposure to other people, just you and your boyfriend and it may be a good idea for him to attempt to work with her. If Emily was bonding to him at one point she may very well remember him and that could speed up the process especially if they had a good relationship in the past. time out of the cage is going to be essential for her, but as Pajarita has said give her a few days to adjust to her new surroundings. If You have been letting her out already then I would continue to do so. I would try to remain in the room with her at these times if she is not too aggressive for you to do so safely. I would time the time out of the cage so that feeding time and time to return to the cage are about the same time because you can make sure that she sees you put her dinner in her cage and she may well go back in on her own if given a little time to do so.
The key to this is simply trust and the more time that she is exposed to you without any demands placed on her, the more opportunity she has to understand that nothing bad is happening to her and she will begin to trust you a little more each time. this increase in trust may not be apparent for some time, it depends on Emily, but it will still be there.
And yes, she is very much like a small angry and terrified little girl who speaks a different language than you do, who is also desperate for love. It takes a lot of patience to bring her back from the edge, but it can be done, but it can only be accomplished at her pace, so take your time and try to never force anything on her.
This is the only method that I use with any of my birds and the only birds that I have were abused before I got them. This method works on all species of parrot and on most other animals as well. I do try to be nice to people but my real concern is for the bird, only the bird. I only tell you this because sometimes I may be a little too blunt and have no desire to offend.
All parrots read facial expressions and more precisely the are experts in body language. But Greys are almost empathic and often will pick up on emotion from a person long before the person is even aware of them themselves. This is one of the reasons that I was so concerned, especially for her. I have a long history of working with distraught and abused animals and as aware of my emotions as I am, I am still sometimes taken aback at how quickly my Grey picks up and responds to me and my emotional states.
One last thing about this way of working with Emily. Concerning the time spent with her, the reason for the 15 minute sessions is that a higher number of short sessions has a larger and longer lasting effect than does one or two longer sessions, so if you want to do one or two additional sessions you can, just keep them to 15 minutes or less.

EDIT-- I am sorry I kept saying Emily when I should have been saying Emmy.

[Kimamelia]

Thank you guys so much for the excellent information on how to start acclimating her to her new environment. I have so many questions and it's so nice to know there as so many people who care and are willing to take the time to address my questions and help. When I first saw them I felt like I had stepped into what I thought was just a puddle, like caring for my own conure. I quickly found myself drowning.

I have found a vet near by with an Excellent reputation within the state and two exotic pet specialists one that focuses solely on Avians. The prices aren't too outrageous and I'll be taking all three of them for a check up within probably two-three weeks. Three birds are a bit pricey to be seen. Hah.

I've been compiling a notebook of recipes from this site as well as a few others and even found a few different cook books for birds. Should I attempt to feed them pellets at all or simply go for a natural food diet with a small bit of seeds?

This one is important. I fell on hard times some months ago and myself and my boyfriend live in my parents house. Our room has a massive window in it that my conure Loves. It's a bright sunny room with great light and pastel colors and it's well cooled though for the hot summer afternoons I have a nice fan that rotates and he loves to get right in it's path and clean himself so the fan blows his dust away. With the three additions to the family, space is suddenly a massive issue. My boyfriend and I are moving our bedroom to the garage. (It's nice, no worries, it has it's own access door as well as windows) and I am leaving all the birds in the front room. Should I leave the cockatoos in the front room and bring Emmy out into our new bedroom? I can place her cage in front of the window or beside it and limit her exposure to other people as well as the other birds. My boyfriend is worried that Conner, the conure, will pick up some bad behavior from her during her rehabilitation process. He Is very impressionable. My little sister is moving home for a few months and will be sleeping on the futon in that front room with the birds. So, those being the current factors, would our new bedroom be the best place to put her?

In a few months time, we hope to have our screened in back porch converted into a glassed in room. It's climate controlled. That is our goal for the birds. For the time being though... what is the best placement?

[Wolf]

If it were any other bird than the Grey, this answer would be easier, but it is not. I really think that limiting her contact with other humans at this time is the best way to go. Once enough trust has been established that Emmy is no longer in attack mode at the sight of a human then it may be possible to allow limited contact with other family members provided that we are not speaking of more than just a couple of them. I hesitate on the idea of removing her from the companionship with all of the birds though. Despite the aggressiveness that she is exhibiting, she still should not be totally isolated as that could also prolong her aggression, and she does need the company. No parrot was ever intended to be alone at any time in its life, they are hardwired to be surrounded at all times by members of their family, either siblings, offspring or the extended family of their flock. Being alone will only intensify her feelings of fear, which is the primary factor to her aggressiveness.
I understand your concern that some of the other birds might pick up on her aggressive behavior, but actually I think that if the other birds are calmer and more at ease that this would help Emmy to feel more secure and help her to let go of her fear, thereby reducing her aggressiveness. By the way, I would also not use gloves around Emmy as they in all likelihood will only scare her further. As you can see this is not the easiest of choices to make given the nature of Emmy's problems. I really don't see where Emmy's exposure to the other birds or their exposure to her is a problem and given their nature it is not likely that they will become aggressive due to being around her.
I think that I would watch Emmy's behavior very closely while doing her taming sessions and when you get moved into your new room, move her and at least one other bird in there and watch to see if she improves or if she gets worse. If she gets worse then move her back to where the other birds are.
It can be difficult to balance Emmy's human problems against her needs for companionship, and it is even made more difficult because, due to having been bonded to a human, that is also the companionship that she is actually wanting and is angry about. It is a conflict that her mind was never meant to have to contend with.

[Pajarita]

No, do not separate her from the other birds. She knows them and is used to their company and isolating her will make things worse. She lost her home, her known human and her cage, don't take the only familiar thing remaining in her life. People used to do this with aggressive birds to force them to accept the human but it's a form of flooding and not recommended.

The conure will not pick up bad habits from her. Quite the contrary, it will be very beneficial to Emmy to see another bird behaving stress free and not scared around humans. But be careful never to leave one out of its cage while the others are in unsupervised. They tend to fly to the other's cage and fight through the bars (beaks and toes have been lost this way).