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

[Kimamelia]

Alright, after some more research and debate with family members about to origin of the breeds I didn't know, you are correct about the Quaker!

Apparently Quakers were his grandmothers favorite type of bird and there was another one around that died at the age of 24 a few years after she did.

That Does present a problem for me since he has absolutely refused to allow the birds to go anywhere but within the family. I, in all honesty, may resort to deception, and tell him that I am keeping them, while finding them proper homes, be that with other family members, or with a sanctuary near by. My thoughts being... well, he is in his late 70's and I live over six hours away. Let him happily think someone is keeping them in the family. I visit him, not the other way around. It'll be best for the birds to find new homes and best for him to lessen the incredible burden of caring for them and cleaning after them.

I believe the green one with the red front to be a Mitred Conure? It's my best guess and looks the closest that I can find.

http://conurecommunity.com/mitred.htm

Other than the Quaker, and the Mitred Conure that he still has, he also has two Cockatiels, a Ring Neck Conure, and one other that is his personal companion, hand reared and never been in a cage. I am clueless as to the breed of that one and it doesn't hang around long enough for a picture. I did tell my boyfriend to try and get one while he is there though.

[Wolf]

I looked at the Kakariki as well but the beak was all wrong but I do believe you have it right with the Mitred Conure. Please be careful with the Quaker and if you rehome it try to make sure that it goes to someone out of state as they are illegal in Georgia, so you can't give it to a bird sanctuary or rescue. The state will step in and kill it. The only thing you are allowed to do in Georgia with a Quaker parrot is to pass through the state.

[Kimamelia]

I was reading about that. I feel like its a little absurd. But I can find a sanctuary in Alabama. They have one if the biggest bird shows I've ever seen there so I'm sure they have sanctuaries for the birds. I can't imagine why they are illegal. But they are in many states. I think its ridiculous considering they say there are a few wild flocks of then in the US.

[Wolf]

The few wild flocks and the fact that they build communal nests are part of the reason for this and to justify their action they make the claim that it is an agricultural pest. Also, why just them instead of all the other species that have feral populations? Because of all the parrot species that were imported these are the only ones that can go feral and survive in the temperate regions, although it would only fill the niche left by the Carolina Parakeet, which was hunted to extinction for its feathers.

[Pajarita]

It's because if a species is designated as an agricultural pest in the countries they originate from, the agricultural states in USA will also designate them as such, especially if the species can survive and procreate into feral flocks. And both conditions are fulfilled by quakers (the government back home used to pay a bit of money for each two feet you brought to them but I don't think they do this any longer although farmers do still knock down the nests). I don't like it but there it is.

[Kimamelia]

My conure, Conner, will absolutely not tolerate me touching him since the new members to our family came. He has always been more finicky with me ever since he met my boyfriend, whom he bonded with so quickly, but still allowed me to hold him, groom him, work with him with some training... if I even reach toward him now he flies off and will not allow me to hold him at all. If I get him onto my hand he flies off. He prefers his cage to me now and will hardly even come to get a treat from my hand anymore. He isn't acting out in any other ways at the moment though... No biting, no pulling at his feathers. He is behaving totally normal and happy except for refusing to let me handle him now. I don't know what to do?

[Wolf]

Although he bonded to your boyfriend and you are no longer his favorite, he may still be a little jealous or put out. when you brought in these new birds you upset the status quo of the existing flock dynamics and it will take, probably, at least a month for it to reset. So relax and just keep on with what you are doing and be patient while things sort themselves out and stabilize. You really can't do much more than that until it does.
By the way, how is Emmy taking all of this?

[Kimamelia]

Her behavior is stable. My father is retired and spends time slowly introducing her to things during the day. She's okay now with the curtains we have over the door and the fan in the room when we turn it on between 12-4. Sometimes not for that long but that's when the most sun is coming in through the window and it's warmer so I like to give them a breeze. She didn't freaked out when we pulled the curtain open in the morning for the past two days. Getting close to her cage is still iffy, but better if you move very slowly and talk to her and I have the best results when I give the others food first before I move on to her. Mostly, I am just avoiding anything I know that triggers her. She still knocks her beak against the bars when you are in the room for very long, but since I socialize with the others I don't avoid the room, just step carefully around her side. She hasn't eaten the pellets much that I've seen, Tops, and won't take treats from anyone but will chow on some fresh fruits and veggies in her bowl when no one looks. It's still iffy though because she doesn't like anyone near her cage so I have only been putting fresh foods in her cage once a day so I don't have to stress her by getting up in her territory multiple times a day. I found a few recipes where I mix the stuff with the seeds she's used too and she eats some of that.

They have appointments with the Avian Specialist in my area in two weeks so I am trying to figure out how best to transport and carry them for that. Travel cages are hella expensive and I'm just not that fat in the wallet area. I was thinking about doing the small kennel cage again for them but I really hate to, and since none of them willing step out of their cage yet with people close by I am stressing about forcing them out and into a carrier of any sort. But maybe in a few more weeks they'll take it easier.

Neither of the cockatoos willing step up onto anyone yet, though they will shyly take treats and lean out of the cage toward you and play on the tops. Their behavior seems stable and improving. They eat just about anything you give them. Shorty doesn't like veggies as much as fruits. All of them freaked out over the yellow squash and broccoli I made for dinner, I pulled some aside after I boiled it before I seasoned and pan fried it, mixed some seeds in and gave each of them about a table spoon full. They liked it a lot. Emmy picks the seeds out first. She's resistant toward the diet change I think.

The Bird Tricks cook book has a few preview that's two recipes, and I got one for veggie chips and fries which they say is even for birds with bad eating habits. I'm going to try those next. Maybe the foraging cups. I thought those were a great idea. Emmy in particular may like them. She shreds things.

[Wolf]

I don't know but, perhaps if you talk directly to the vet instead of the receptionist or assistant, you might be able to explain your situation and get the vet to make a house call for you once or twice while you are rehabilitating your new birds. Stranger things have happened.
Shredding things is also my Congo African Grey's passion. I had to resort to rolling up newspaper and wedging it in the bars of her cage to give her enough shredding material to keep her happy when she must be in her cage. I am glad that she is at least beginning to calm down, that is a good sign. It is going to take some time, but she will come around. Thank you for the update on her as well as the others.

[Pajarita]

Oven baked sweet potato fries are one of my birds favorite things in the world, try them and see if Emmy likes them (sweet potato is one of the most nutritious foods you can give them). Have you tried cooking whole grains like wheat, barley, brown rice, etc al dente for them? This is also something that most birds will go for even if they only ate seeds all their lives.

As to the GCC's switched allegiance, yes, it happens, and Wolf is right that the new birds arrival has also a lot to do with it. It has taken me up to a year to get the dynamics back on track in the birdroom when I get a new bird so hang in there.

You can use a cheap, small cage (you can get them in CL for next to nothing) as a transport cage (put a millet spray or loose seeds on the bottom). Just cover it so the bird doesn't see busy traffic and such.