Hello XXXXXX. You are definitely putting him in danger putting any kind of oil on him, especially a scented type. Anything at all like that is dangerous. You must stop immediately. To give you my best help, I'm going to need some more information.
How old was it when you got it or how long have you had it?
Is the bird totally unable to fly? If you aren't sure, don't just turn it loose from up high somewhere because it may be seriously injured in a fall. Set it on the floor and see if it's able to gain any altitude. I'm trying to determine if it was truly over clipped.
Are you seeing any actual bar spots on it's body anywhere?
Tell me all about it's diet and what did they tell you to feed it?
Thanks, Patricia
Okay XXXXXX, I appreciate the extra information. First off, they should have told you, if they didn't that you should continue with occasional hand feedings at home for as long as he wants them. But they must be like most pet stores and don't know much or they would never have clipped his wings at such a young age. He should have been allowed to be come a strong confident flier if it was ever to be done. If they are not allowed to do that as part of their growing up, they have confidence issues, they never feel steady and that's just one more thing that can lead to a plucking bird. Greys are one of the parrots that are must at risk of plucking anyway. It doesn't take much to get it started and once it does, it can be next to impossible to stop it. It's not a good idea to every clip a Greys wings anyway. And when an inexperienced person does it, they always go to far. That's why I asked about the flying ability. If he cannot fly upward, he is going to be in danger of falling and cutting his chest open, from the inside out. That is expensive surgery and very difficult to ever get it healed. If he cannot fly and glide for at least 15-20 feet, gradually losing altitude and control his landing, you are going to have to keep him confined to the cage when you are not right there and you can never let him get over any hard floors or other surfaces. A bad clip is probably the reason he is chewing at his feathers. Not only did they clip him too much, they left sharp edges on the feather shafts and they are irritating him. You are going to be very luck if you don't end up with a plucking parrot because of their lack of knowledge. I would urge you to take him in to see a very qualified Avian vet asap, have the wings looked at and see if there is anything they can do to correct any of the damage before it's too late. As for the aloe, yes that is fine but only if you are taking it straight from a plant. You must never use any kind of cosmetic type product on him. What ever you put on his feathers, he is going to swallow when he tries to clean it off. If he has had much at all on him, you may have already poisoned him with it to some degree. That's another thing that needs to be discussed with a vet so they can help you with that as well. When using aloe, it is not a cure for anything. But it can help soothe him until he gets past this bad brim. You want to keep aloe plants on hand. Cut an arm from the plant, slit it open and put the gooey center in his bath water. But don't allow him to have the rind. That causes stomach upset. He needs to have some good soaking bathes in plain water to get as much of that lavender oil off him as quickly as possible. The longer it's on his feathers, the sicker he is going to get. I imagine this all started as a combination of the bad clip and he was probably having his first adult molt. When you got upset about the feather loss and started putting the oil on him, it only made it worse. You didn't tell me about his diet so just in case they also didn't give you good information about that. be sure he gets lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and leafy greens every day. Give him safe nuts like walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and Brazil nuts. You may have to crack the Brazil nuts for him. He can have a small amount of a good seed mix, with no sunflower seeds in it and with a good brand of pellets mixed in. He should not be allowed any peanuts in the shell. They are grown underground and because of that, can have the fungus in them that causes aspergillosis. As for catching a cold from you, no, that is not possible. He is young and if you will get him in to a really good Avian vet early next week at the latest, they may be able to help you get him back in good shape before you let it go too far. I really hope the people at the store will not have caused you to ultimately end up with a naked bird, all because of their lack of knowledge. It's a good idea to never believe much of anything you hear from a pet store employee. They simply don't have the training and years of experience needed. I hope these hints and suggestions will help your guy out but if you have any more questions at all about any of his care, just let me know. My flock includes a Grey and I know just how special they can be when handled properly. I want to help you have a happy, healthy, and fully feathered bird so just let me know if you need anything else. I'm going to be giving you some links below to a lot of information about all the dangerous products you have in your home, (we all do) but you must never ever use them now that you have a bird in your home. I suggest you print them out and keep them handy. Best of luck with him. Patricia
Click here: Diet: Safe & Toxic Foods
Click here: More Birds Die as a Result of Air Fresheners: That Stinks!!
Click here: Alerts Dangers and Toxins for Pet Birds Parrots
Click here: Bird; Birds: Safe, Toxic Trees, Woods. Safe Tree Wood. Poisonous. Parrots.
Click here: Toxic and Safe Plants/Trees for Birds - Household Poisons
Click here: Birdsnways - Safe Plants & Trees for pet birds, pet parrots &exotic birds
Toronto Humane Society :: Common Poisonous Plants
Click here: Bird Proofing Your Home: Household Hazards for Birds
Click here: Bird Proofing Your Home - Avoid These Pet Bird Hazards
Parrot C&onsultant
Published author, free lance bird behaviorist, adviser to the parrots at Sarasota Jungle Gardens.