a new owner of a beautiful african grey

[roy]

Hi im roy and own a 3 year old african grey she talks wristles comes on my hand and sits on my sholder for as long as i let her. Her old own use to let her out all day but i carnt as i work so i get her out as and when i can she has pulled a few feathers ive only had her for 6 days im worried about that i would like someone to tell me what mites can they get and what to do about them do i have to watch her weight and what should it be and should i put a mirror in her cage i was told no as it will stop her talking is this the truth thankyou for any help oh the best pet ive ever owned shes so loving and beautiful thanks

[liz]

Welcome to the forum. I really don't know about greys but someone who does will get back to you.

[parrot mommy]

i keep an eye on all my birds weight, weighing them at least once a week. sudden weight drop could signal disease before the bird shows any sign that its ill.
mirrors are bad because a bird could grow attached to the "other bird" in the mirror and not want to have anything to do with its humans.
cant help with your other questions.
good luck and congrats on your new gray.

[roy]

Thankyou for getting back to me do know whats the best weight or is it just what reggie is at the time and that is what i thought about the mirror thankyou for your help

[parrot mommy]

you need a scale that weighs in grams to monitor the weight. i got mine at bed bath and beyond. its a kitchen scale used for weighing meats. not sure where you live. im in the US.

it would help if you had access to any old vet records to your bird from the previous owner.

a congo should weigh between 400-650 grams.

a timneh should be between 275-400 grams.

not sure which you have.

best to keep a close eye on the weight right now. the stress from the move and new house for your baby may have it losing weight.

i dont have a gray myself but i have a cape, which is very similar in personality.

[pfinarffle]

Congrats on your new bird! Regarding the feather plucking, nothing substitutes for a good avian vet visit. They can answer your question about mites etc. Your Grey might also pluck out of boredom. If you're at work most of the day, have a very large cage for your bird to get exercise and engage in foraging. Hide food or treats in various toys for them to explore while you're away. It could cut down on feather plucking. You might have to teach them how to forage at first. Our Sennie was also rehomed and seems to have spent a lot of one on one time with previous owners which we unfortunately can't give. But he has a huge cage to forage in. It took him a while before he understood where we can hide food etc, but now it keeps him occupied for hours each day.

[Mona]

She could also be molting. This is the time of year for a feather molt.
My greys are all going through a molt. If that's the case, perfectly normal and don't worry about it too much.
If you have a new bird, however, it is always a good idea to take it to a qualified avian vet for the first "Well bird visit" to get a baseline and also, have somebody look at the bird to make sure everything is okay.

Thx

Mona