Well Tinker is home. (Sad update post #865)

[Lodah]

Great update! Glad things are working out!

 

[BertAllen]

Sounds like things are going well. Sif loves her shower perch. Idk if you have one for Tinker but it might help to ease him in.

Have you weighed him lately? I’m sure he’s probably continuing to grow.

Glad all is good with your shoulder. Best wishes.

I'm going to get a shower perch and when I get both arms working I will see if I can entice him into the shower.

I just tried to weigh him now but it's near noon and he thinks I will but him in his cage so won't come over even for a piece of walnut.
Last week he was 425 grams, he seems to be staying at that range even though he is a good eater.
He will be 10 months old March 3rd and is very active when out as he loves to fly around at full speed.

 

[BertAllen]

Well Tinker has been a little odd this morning. he has turned his nose up at his mash and a hot pepper for breakfast.
He will take a sunflower seed from my fingers but will not use his foraging bowl that has a few in it. He eventually flew to his day stand and ate a bit from his seed & grains but that was it.
At 12 I put him in his cage and he did open a walnut and eat that but nothing else.

He has been chattering away and flying about. Hope he is just having a bad day.

 

[Kodigirl210]

That doesn’t sound like Tinker at all. I don’t know if it was asked but has he started molting yet? My vet said around 9-10 months with the floofies starting at 5-6 months.
How does his poop look? Okay? If he’s not eating a lot and it’s digestive - that should be one of the first place it pops up.
If he’s molting he may be a little moody and not as hungry.
I hope he gets back to his normal chompy self shortly.

 

[KatelynDeanne]

Hopefully its just a phase or something. I do know however that greys can be picky eaters. At least Lucy is. She eats very few fruits and veggies, not as picky about grains though. Like Kodigirl said, may be getting ready to molt. Lucy is molting right now so shes had a few off days too. Wish you well!

 

[BertAllen]

That doesn’t sound like Tinker at all. I don’t know if it was asked but has he started molting yet? My vet said around 9-10 months with the floofies starting at 5-6 months.
How does his poop look? Okay? If he’s not eating a lot and it’s digestive - that should be one of the first place it pops up.
If he’s molting he may be a little moody and not as hungry.
I hope he gets back to his normal chompy self shortly.

Hopefully its just a phase or something. I do know however that greys can be picky eaters. At least Lucy is. She eats very few fruits and veggies, not as picky about grains though. Like Kodigirl said, may be getting ready to molt. Lucy is molting right now so shes had a few off days too. Wish you well!

He has been molting now for over a month. Poop is normal.
He played well in his cage this afternoon and chattered a lot. After supper he ate his birdie bread and a few softened pellets.

Will see how he is tomorrow.

 

[Kodigirl210]

Ugh! Unfortunately molting is not a quick process. I used to think that like the cartoons, they just kinda dropped a bunch of feathers with new ones just popping in. Hearing from the vet that it takes a few months was just like whhhaaaaatt?

 

[KatelynDeanne]

Ugh! Unfortunately molting is not a quick process. I used to think that like the cartoons, they just kinda dropped a bunch of feathers with new ones just popping in. Hearing from the vet that it takes a few months was just like whhhaaaaatt?

Omgsh! My vaccumm cant take any more. LOL Ive been saving her larger feathers for keepsake and also my mom said she wanted to make me something out of them.

 

[Begone]

Hormonal was my thirst thought.
They can act strange, eating more or less. Get anguish and more worried. And some sadly even aggressive.

If he is molting alot make sure he gets what he needs. Hemp seeds are perfect now.
If you can find Wheat germ oil, that is good too.
And he will need vit B.

 

[BertAllen]

Fluffies have tapered off now and he has lost one flight feather and 2/3 of his tail feathers.
Tail has new one's showing.
He has been losing contour feathers this last two weeks as well.

He ate a little of his breakfast this morning and then started to fly around and chatter like an old fool. He still is wary of one armed me though and it's impossible for me to put him away. If I'm bent over cleaning up he will sometimes land on my back and grab my belt. I can most times then back into his cage door opening and he will climb off.

Right now he is sitting on the fridge doing a careful preening and talking real quiet.

When he goes to bed I give him some soft pellets a piece of birdie bread and a walnut. Yesterday and today it was 90% gone. Might be why he has slowed down on his chop. I'll cut that back tonight.

While I'm typing this he came over and is digging into his chop like he's starved.

Maybe I'm worrying to much.

 

[Begone]

Maybe I'm worrying to much.

Worrying is caring for me.
And never ignore unnatural behavior.

 

[Kodigirl210]

You can never worry too much and for him it’s probably been strange with your arm slinged up and you not doing your usual thing either.

I’m glad he’s like his old self. I think most of our stress comes from the little mischief makers throwing wrenches in our routines when we don’t feel they are behaving as they should and they are probably thinking the same thing-that the hoomans aren’t doing their thing lol.

Anyways, I’d rather worry too much and it be nothing then not worry and it’s something. Glad that both of you are getting back to normal

 

[BertAllen]

What can I say.

 

[Begone]

 

[BertAllen]

Here we are a few days later.
The other day I took my sling off and Tinker was a different bird towards me. I think he thought I was sick and has avoided me all along.
He has certainly bonded more with Teresa this last few weeks and avoided me. Today he sat on my lap and played again for about 20 minutes and then went to Teresa.

We still have problems with getting him back into his cage when we need to go away or go to bed but the biting has for the most part stopped by blowing into his face when we pick him up.
We have also stopped having food available after his morning feed except in his cage. He has started to go into his cage when he needs a feed.
I have never closed his door while he does this but I will get him to step up as he sits on the threshold then return him and close the door. This seems to work as he never complains.

He's not 11 months old so I'm hoping he will get used to this routine and make life easier for both of us.

 

[Kodigirl210]

Tinker is a very smart boy. I’m sure he will learn it quickly. I don’t think he will ever make life easy tho. He has to keep life interesting.

 

[Hawk12237]

That doesn’t sound like Tinker at all. I don’t know if it was asked but has he started molting yet? My vet said around 9-10 months with the floofies starting at 5-6 months.
How does his poop look? Okay? If he’s not eating a lot and it’s digestive - that should be one of the first place it pops up.
If he’s molting he may be a little moody and not as hungry.
I hope he gets back to his normal chompy self shortly.

Grey's can be a bit picky with food. What they like and enjoyed one day, they won't want or care for the next. So, I tend to change off, one day they get certain variety of food, next day totally different. My Zon will either day " I like it" or say "yeck" or more like ick!!! So yea, they can be fussy.

 

[BertAllen]

Hormonal was my thirst thought.
They can act strange, eating more or less. Get anguish and more worried. And some sadly even aggressive.

If he is molting alot make sure he gets what he needs. Hemp seeds are perfect now.
If you can find Wheat germ oil, that is good too.
And he will need vit B.

I got a few Hemp seeds today at the bulk barn. How do you feed them?

 

[Kodigirl210]

I think just regularly @BertAllen. My bird mix comes with hemp already in it

 

[BertAllen]

View attachment 298633 I think just regularly @BertAllen. My bird mix comes with hemp already in it

I would be lucky to even find that up here. At 40lbs from California I expect it will be triple the product cost.
Many small US companies try to make more from shipping than their product I find. I'll look on amazon as I can't find anything with hemp seed from the big chains up here.