When the last of the 5 eggs hatched on March 29th, I pulled the first two hatchlings to help Momma and Daddy Grey with the feeding of their hatchlings. Two weeks later I pulled the remaining chicks from the nest. The 5 chicks were huge, in fact the largest African Grey babies I have ever seen. I soon started calling them my big Mooses which later evolved into my Moose Team. 
At the same time that my Moose Team hatched, Jack and Jill, my White Bellied Caique pair hatched their baby whom I have named Sunny.
When Sunny was 11 days old, I had to pull him because he had a piece of nesting material stuck in his crop. I put him in the brooder with the two African Grey chicks. 
See them (photo to the right) in their 'baby basket' waiting for their formula? Soon the other 3 Greys joined the gang in the brooder and then all graduated to the Zoo Zone. In the Zoo Zone, Sunny and The Moose Team learned all about perching like the big birds and while their bodies learned to acclimate to "normal" room temperature.
The next stage of development, fledging, for Sunny and the Moose Team was soon upon us. I had 5 African Greys and a cute little Caique flying to me, landing on me trying to hitch a ride on the top of my head! They were all so cute and comical as they clumsily tested their wings.
Summer was ushered in by the end of Spring and now they all were going outside into the outdoor cages for some sun and water bathing. The Moose Team was growing, and growing, and growing, and, I had to put Sunny in his own outside cage. 
He really was put out by that turn of events and fussed and fussed to be with his buddies. As you can tell The Moose Team and Sunny are inseparable. As summer wore on, all the birds were spending a good portion of the day outside soaking in the sun and fresh air.
In June one of The Moose Team found her forever home and journeyed with her family to a wonderful new home in Michigan. Samoya settled right in and was right at the center of family life. She was soon playing with all the children and their friends. I could not have asked for a better family for one of my Moose Team.
On July 28, my worst nightmare began. It had been an especially hot, humid, sunny day and all the birds went out early in the morning for their daily sunbath. I turned the outdoor sprinkler on mist so they could cool off if they wanted to. Early afternoon I decided to bring them in and out of the heat. My heart stopped; the Moose Team's cage door was open and the cage was empty. I immediately looked around and found one of them on the patio. I quickly scooped up the escapee and put him into the bird room cage. I ran towards the road and found another, and put him into the cage with his buddy. I searched for the other two until nightfall. I was devastated not knowing where they were. Their wings were clipped enough so that they could glide into a landing should they decide to jump from their feeding and play stations. Could they gain enough height to get away from ground predators? Where could they be??? Did they fly up into the air only to be seized by a hawk? They were gone and I was in tears and I did not know what to do. I called the police and the fire station seeking help. I called the radio and television stations asking them to broadcast my loss in the hope that someone in their broadcast range may have found them. Only one of the services I called was willing to help me. The firefighters. They told me about a bird rescue organization in Garden City, Michigan. Late into the night I called the bird rescue, Rainbow Feathers in Garden City and Mary answered the phone. She listened patiently through my tears as I sobbed out my story, then she calmed me down and told me to go outside at dawn with familiar food and to call to them. Mary told me to never let them get outside of hearing distance. Early next morning with food in hand, I called over and over and over "Moose Team come home to mommy". Finally after what seemed like an eternity, they answered me! To my amazement, they were perched high up in a tree! Every time I would get close to them, they would fly off to another grove of trees. My greatest fear now was that The Moose Team would fly onto one of the many little islands on the chain of 7 lakes adjacent to my house and into the 60 and 70 foot high trees. Every time I approached them, they would fly to the next tree even higher than before. My heart sank as I saw them fly off to one of the islands and I felt that they were gone forever. In the wild, parrot parents teach their young to fly down from tree tops and to identify food and water sources. Although they were surrounded by water, The Lost Moose Team did not know it as a water source and they surely did not know that the tree leaves were a potential food source. They were slowly starving to death and dehydrating quickly in the summer heat. Day after day, from before sunrise to dusk I walked and walked calling to them over and over and over, "Moose Team please come to mommy. Mommy loves the Moose Team". 
The only time I was not searching and calling to them was to come in and handfeed my pair of Ekkie babies and the rest of my flock. Every once in a while my lost Moose Team would answer me and I could hear weakness creeping into their contact calls. They had not had water or food now for 4 days. I had food stations out for them everywhere, but not knowing how to fly down, The Moose Team could not get to the food. I put the 2 Moose Team, recovered that first day, outside with their cage doors double padlocked, hoping that they would lure the escapees back across the lake to me. After days of walking my feet were raw and sore with blisters and my voice was almost gone from calling and calling to them. I was at wit's end as to what to do. I sat down and thought about how my Greys pick up on emotions. I decided to change my attitude from despair and hopelessness, to one more positive and upbeat hoping to convince them to come home to me. I sat outside, played with The Home Moose Team, and, cheerfully called to The Lost Moose Team. Around 6 that evening, one of the Lost Moose came down from this huge Oak tree to a smaller tree in my yard. I called to him just like I would when they were fledging and he flew towards me landing on the patio roof. I quickly put The Home Team away, brought The Moose Team's "hand feeding baby basket" out with me, climbed the ladder and said, "Moose Team, mommy loves you, please get in your basket so mommy can feed you." To my surprise and elation, The Moose climbed right into the "baby basket." I gently grabbed him, ran indoors and gave him weaning formula mixed with pedialyte. When he was finished eating, I settled him into the brooder for warmth and security.
I went back outside hoping to soon find the other baby. I called and called, but, there was no answer. He had to be out there somewhere. He just had to. I kept contact calling until dusk, but he never answered me. I thought I would never, never see him again.
I was feeding my Ekkie babies when my husband frantically called to me from outside. I went outside and Ed said that he heard the Moose Team calling to me from the back of the house. He said you keep calling while I go get my flashlight. I went to the back of the house, calling and calling to my lost baby. Ed came running with flashlight in hand. We spied him halfway up in one of the trees in the backyard. Ed shined the ray of light from the flashlight directly into the eyes of the baby, stunning him, causing him to fall out of the tree. I ran and picked him up, took him inside and immediately gave him weaning formula mixed with pedialyte. 
That night I gave the runaways pedialyte every hour, round the clock. First thing the next morning, we went to our Avian Veterinarian Dr. Tim England. Dr. Tim checked them out and told me to continue with my method of nursing and nurturing and that they would be fine. These babies were only 20 weeks old when they escaped on July 28. They were gone for 4 days. Photo on the right was taken 2 days after being recovered.
Today they are 7 months old. The Moose Team are in wonderful weight and in excellent health. They do not seem to have suffered in anyway psychologically from their ordeal.
I can't thank Mary of Rainbow Feathers enough for her endless support and encouragement during those 4 days. Mary gave me the best advice in getting my Moose Team back and I would like to share it now with you. She told me don't let them ever get out of hearing distance from you and NEVER GIVE UP.
Miracles really do happen.
Rainbow Feathers is located at 33431 Leona Street in Garden City, Michigan.
Please feel free to write me if you have any questions about my flock, my feeding regimen or the availability of fully weaned chicks ready for a forever home.
Check these web sites out for more information
Tips for Recovering Missing Birds by Jean Pattison the African Queen
Recovering Lost Parrots at Indonesian Project
African Grey Variations by Jean Pattison the African Queen
Anatomy of birds, wing clipping, and illnesses
Use Vinegar to kill mold, bacteria, and germs
Psittaculturist - Parrot Breeding and Links
Toxic and Safe Plants for Parrots
Dr. D's Avi-Sci Pellets. Highly recommended by my flock
Orchard Tree Exotics carries Quickon Multivitamin and is highly recommended by my flock
| Navigation Links at top of page |
 |
