Acappella

I share your frustration trying to buy large bird supplies in a Canadian store. The best thing that's sort of in my area is a PJ's in Pickering, and even their bird section is very limited because they have to cover all size and types of birds with 3 1/2 aisles. I've been thinking about driving out to the store in Mississauga that Sevi mentioned, but it would be about 1 hour and 1/2 one way and with the price of gas, is that really going to be cheaper than ordering from the internet and paying shipping? Opening a 'brick and mortar' store these days is a risky business, but if you could combine it with an internet business like they do . . . Is there a local bird club that could give you an idea of how many bird owners may live within an hour drive of your location?

If Nicky's vocalizations are starting too early in the morning, you might consider putting a smaller cage in a room that can be quiet and dark until it's time to get up in the morning. Some members here use sleep cages like this with good results. If that's not an option, look into a cage cover. Just introduce it slowly. I'm lucky. My litle chatterbox's main cage is in a room that's dark and quiet at night. He talks constantly all day, with a few naps interspersed between sessions, but he doesn't start talking until I open the door and turn on the lights in the morning.

Sending some positive energy your way. I hope your baby continues to improve, your amazons' tests come backwith good news, and that you can work something out with your vet. We're here for support.

The hardest part about extinguishing a sound is training the humans:P If you, or anyone else in Midnight's flock, responds to her after she's been making the noise for 20 minutes, you've just taught her to do it for at least that long. Like Berna said, 'trying' to ignore it can make it worse fast. Everyone has to be 100% on board with how to deal with this, even visitors to your home. Also, every time you hear her make a sound you like, respond, and make your response over the top with lots of praise and happy sounds, maybe even a treat if you have time to get it to her before she reverts to the squawk. Try modeling better behaviour with other members of the family. Chose a 'contact' sound, and let her see and hear others make it to get attention or company. The behaviour may get worse before it gets better, but don't despair, you have a few things working in your favour. First, greys are very smart and she will figure out that when she's making that noise she's alone, when she's not, her flock sticks around. Second, many grey parronts, including me, have been through this and come out the other end sane, (relatively). Third, you can find those cheap foam earplugs today in many dollar stores:P Good luck.

Don't forget to walk away after saying No Bite like Dan said. It just has to be for a couple minutes. They want the company of their flock, so it's important that he associates being left alone/ignored with biting. Here' hoping your career as a chew toy is a short one:)

Dorian has one of those big bells to, but it's powder coated blue. I've watched him try to get to the ringer and he definately can't. He also likes to attack it. He screams at it, hangs from it, bangs it against the cage, just for the racket it makes I think. He also rings it quietly if he hears me up in the morning and feels I'm not getting to him fast enough, or if he wants me to go to him. Like a room service bell. We really are their servants, aren't we? Of course in that situation if the bell doesn't work, the volume and calls get louder very fast!

I still haven't got Dorian's papers from when he was purchased (my friend is hopelessly dis-organized), but I suspect Dorian was never allowed to fledge because he has never done the flapping thing just for exercise, only when he's startled by something and struggling to hang on to the cage or perch. He's pretty good at gliding down to the ground, but still needs to work on his landings:P

OK, don't think I'm nuts. I read this in one of my parrot books. After you take the towel off Rio let her see you beat up the towel. Kick it around, say 'bad towel' in a deep, sad/mad voice, leave it in a corner, cover it up. Then turn back to Rio being all lovey and happy, celebrating, like you just won the battle over her mortal enemy. They have a similar psychology as a young child, so you're trying to get her to associate or direct her anger at an object, instead of at the person holding the object. You might feel a little foolish, but if it helps . . .

So, did Fergie get off Tyco's boing, or just hang there and taunt him?

Good solution. I've heard that scream once and I don't care to ever hear it again. In Dorian's case he got a talon caught in some rope fibers (this was in the store, before I got him). I know some birds have lost toes getting caught like this when their owners weren't around. p.s Monty is adorable!

I'd also caution you about taking him outside without a harness. Read Andrew's story about Tui and you'll see that any bird, no matter how bonded to you, can be lost in an instant. You obviously love Gandalf, and I'd hate to read a post here one day that he was startled off a perch and lost. Lots of people here take their bird out, either in a portable carrier like an Adventure Pack, or with the harness you have. I takes some birds longer than others to get used to it, but after all, what are a few hours in the life of a grey and its' humans;) btw, great pictures of a very wet bird!

This was one of those rare days when I had the camera handy. Same thing. Dorian spontaneously started the bath so I grabbed the spray bottle and helped him. Enjoy.

This is touching on a pet peeve of mine. Good handwashing practices and common courtesy, like not coughing or sneezing in other people's faces, can stop a lot. Since the SARS outbreak in Toronto you see those handwashing stations in a lot of places but I think they have the potential to do more harm than good. Some of the reasons have been stated by others. I also wonder if some believe it's a substitute for washing your hands. It's only meant for situations where there's no way to wash your hands in the spirit of 'something is better than nothing' As far as Dorian goes, I always wash my hands when coming in from the 'outside' world, changing the cat litter, gardening etc..., and I have a bottle of moisturizer at every sink. Also, I've always made sure the moisturizer was well absorbed into my skin before I let his little beak anywhere near my hands.

I third the pet sitter option, with the next best choice being taking the cage he's in now to his father's place and not letting him out for the week. Just set it up like it is at home. The only problem with the cage in the attic is then the bird would be dealing with the trip, the new place and person, and a new cage. That's a lot for it to adjust to.

My cat/bird fears are eased a little by the fact that my cat is the biggest mamma's boy and coward in the world. If I leave the room, he has to be right on my heels, so I don't worry about him being in the room alone with Dorian. He's such a chicken his nickname is 'the white streak of fear'. I have friends who have been here several times and never seen him. He and Dorian have gotten close to each other a few times. I'd love to get a picture of them together, but I'm always watching both of their body language so closely at these moments I don't want to be distrated by trying to take a picture, so here's a picture of my chicken, the cat:P

Used to be a budgie call, at 3 x's the volume, because he came from a pet store. Truly eardrum piercing! Now he pretty much just runs through his favourite sounds when I leave the room. Sort of like he's saying 'listen to how adorable I am, How can you stand to be away from me!':silly:

I've got to pitch my reality show idea again. "Animal Planet presents 'Bella and Jiggy, un-rehearsed' "

All agreement here. I think it's time for a vet visit. Glad the aloe is working for you.

There are lots of threads about sexing greys here, but from what I've read DNA is the only way to know for sure, except of course if it lays an egg:P

I guess you could call this an advantage to having a bird that's basically cage-bound. I can leave the room for a few minutes and all he'll do is move to the part of the cage where he has the best view of the door. I say 'be right back" and he seems to have figured out that means I'm just leaving for a couple minutes. It's also one of his favorite phrases! I'm hoping that one day his curiosity will get the better of him and I'll turn around to see him following me. I'd gladly put a perch in every room of the house if he'd come exploring with me!

Be careful what you wish for. If he choses a very strident sound as his 'come here and get me know' demand, you may be nostalgic for the old scratching days!

I found a toy by this company at a yard sale and looked them up on the web before deciding to add it to Dorian's toy chest. I read their mission statement and they seem very focused on saftey. Plus they're a Canadian company! Here's their web site. www.educo.ca Now, if I could only convince Dorian it's not out to do him harm we'd be in good shape:P

Are either of you prone to allergies? What about specifically to nuts? This only pops into my head because Dorian recently had a visit from my brother's wife's step nephew (is that complicated enough?) and he's so allergic to peanuts he had to just stand in the door a few feet from the cage and just talk to Dorian. Herby may not like being plopped in a tub with water up to his chest, but he'd like losing his family less, right? Problem is, we can't explain that to our birds! We just have to receive the "how could you do this to me" looks, knowing it's in their best interest. If you're in the market for an air filter, look for one with filters you can wipe clean, not ones you have to replace. They cost a bit more up-front, but with the amount of dust a grey produces the money you'll save not buying filters every couple of months will soon make up for it. Just do a search here for 'aloe juice' Lots of info from previous posts. I'm pulling for you keeping your flock together.

The floating walnut shells are a new development. His water dish actually is on the opposite side of his cage. He has to take the walnut and carry it under his swing all the way to the water dish. I'm hoping the novelty of this will wear off soon. I know the water's only coloured because of the shell, but it just looks so disgusting:sick: No self respecting pirate would sail those waters! p.s. sorry I've screwed up this post with my huge picture. It was supposed to be message board sized, but they must mean message boards in the land of the giants:P