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Last night, I splurged and made fried shrimp for dinner. Since Jay has been home in hospice care, a lot of food choices are hit and miss since his taste and appetite has been also hit and miss….Well, to my unending surprise, Joe has added shrimp to his rising list of foods that he now, after 12 years, have decided to sample and add to his repertoire. By the way, this list now includes cooked broccoli, cooked cauliflower, spinach, peanut butter, and cream or wheat/Maltomeal. Now, when I make Shrimp, I must ensure that Joe has at least 4 for himself…. Sheesh! At this rate, he is going to have to get a Job to help with food costs. Talk about champagne tastes…lol Here are some photos….

Ha, soundslike life with Nilah!

Nice to see and hear from you Maggie. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I've had you and Jay on my mind. How is he faring? Thank you for sharing these adorable pics of Jay and Joe with us.

Life with an Amazon, especially for anyone who has the pleasure of being owned by one, is never dull or boring. From one moment to the next, I am never sure where I will find Salsa and what I will find her doing. Early this morning for example, while I was getting ready to take care of Jay, I heard a crash in the kitchen and an “Oh GOD!” from Joe…. (always a scary moment) LOL… I whipped around in time to see Salsa rise straight up (like a Phoenix out of the ashes) from my stack of clean dishes in the dishrack, turn sslloooowwwlly from side to side, and sink ssllooowwlly back down out of sight from between the dishes…. OMG! LMAO! After my first round of chores, I was getting ready for the nurse’s visit and I had placed a box of sterile gloves that we all use as part of the items that are needed for home visits out and turned around to reclean the floor after Joe dumped his box of dry spaghetti. I turned around in time to find Salsa picking one blue glove at a time out of the box and dropping it on the growing pile on the floor while watching each flutter down before grabbing another (like out of a Kleenex box)… Life is never dull (or clean) but worth it in laughs and entertainment…

Don't beat yourself up. Greys are very resilient. You should not have clipped the bird but they will recover. In the 90's the advice was to clip one wing. We're now at the point where clipping is detrimental no matter what. However, if you're bird learned to fly at some point, being clipped now won't be much of a hindrance once they get their flights back. Your biggest problem is fretting over it. They will sense this like you have a snack in your pocket. Just get over it, the feather wills molt out later and we'll all be back to normal.

I do feel for you Peggy. It's sometimes really difficult to know what to do because there are so many conflicting opinions about how to raise birds! I am always learning about Alfie and how to improve things for him at home and I've had him for 16 years! When I got him the internet wasn't as big and accessible as it is now so I relied on books- but these were usually difficult to find and sometimes had conflicting opinions. Trying to find a knowledgeable vet was also difficult as birds aren't as widely kept as dogs/cats etc. Thankfully things have come on a long way but I have made many mistakes along the way myself. So I understand where you're coming from and I can tell it's coming from a good place. The flight feathers should grow back eventually and Dixie will soon be up to airborne mischief again.

NEOOW, I really appreciate your kind advice. I am of course worried that it will be hard to undo the trust issues I created with Dixie by clipping her, I will definitely let her wings grow back out. She talks to me still and as I said still taking treats from me, I'm sure she is worried if I hold her I might take her out of the house again. Today is just day two from surgery and I have a long healing period ahead me, so every time I am able to get up i go and talk with her she is verythe t important to me and i will give her all me she needs to win her trust.

I really feel bad now. I had talked to my vet about it before I made the appointment and I have always trusted him, he has cared for all my animals. I'm not a mean pet owner I love my pets, I will let her wings grow out and not clip them again. I really want to care for Dixie for the rest of her life, I want her healthy and happy, I would never knowly harm any of my pets.

And careful about using advice from FB, there are a lot of parrots there that just repeat garbage they've read without any real thought about it. My favorite is the "how long do they live" and then the "80 years+" answers start rolling in. Anyway, if you would have asked here first, I would have suggested putting towels on your windows and mirrors until they get the lay of the land. That's a much better solution than clipping. All 8 of my birds are flighted. I will never clip a bird as they love the freedom to scoot around in the fashion birds do - through the air. Im' a little jealous actually. You just need to take precautions for escape exits and ceiling fans etc. Use the forum to ask, someone here knows.

Just take a step back and let her come to you in her own time. Keep talking to her and going about your daily business but don't try and get her to step up or offer head scritches unless she looks interested and seeks you out. Keep offering her tasty foods as a bribe - still saving the best treats as rewards for good/desirable behaviours. But again, just allow her to come to you to get the treat. If she looks like she's going to bite or if she does end up biting just quietly back away until you're at a distance where she's comfortable. Things need to progress at her pace so do be careful not to force her into anything she's not comfortable with. She's still figuring things out and finding her own way. She'll come round - but it'll be in her own time. Just keep giving her the time and space she needs to adapt and learn about her new environment and family. There are many arguments for and against wing clipping and the debate can get a little heated at times. I try not to judge too harshly either way. Alfie was clipped when he was very young but I allowed him to grow out his flight feathers because it gives him to the freedom to get around easier. I also figured if he ever did get out of the house I would want him to have the skill and confidence to fly away from threats rather than stay in harms way like a sitting duck. I made sure to show him where the windows are in the house by taking him up to them and tapping on them and letting him touch them with his beak. Some people place pillows and soft furnishings around the home to help if a bird does have an accident and bumps into something- at least then they have a soft landing. I have also seen people put stickers on or hang decorations around windows so it's obvious that it's not an open space to fly through. I have no doubt that you did what you thought was the right thing for Dixie and you were worried about her injuring herself. I'm sure she'll come round again soon - she just needs to get used to the changes. If she was already fully flighted and able to fly when you got her (which it sounds like she was) I personally would recommend letting her flight feathers grow out and letting her learn how to get around your house safely- and maybe look into having some pillows or soft things to hand for her to land on- just in case! There is the possibility that if she is kept clipped that she could get stressed about the fact she's no longer able to fly and this may potentially lead to behaviour issues such as plucking. They are sensitive little souls! When she trusts you enough to let you pick her up and hold her then it may be worth showing her other areas of the house so she can see them before trying to fly in them... obviously making sure that she is comfortable being with you and moving away from the cage. It may also be worth letting her explore smaller sections of your home by keeping some doors closed when she's out so she can get used to navigating around each area. Once she's happy and confident then let her explore the next room/area of your house (in her own time).

I truly wasnt trying to do anything mean or wrong. You get so much advice, you get yes and no's, I really only want to take good care of her, get her to love me as much as I love her and have companion for life.

Hi Peggy and welcome to the fourms! Thank you for taking in a rescue grey! First of all, these birds operated in what we call "grey time". This is the time it takes for an individual bird to accept changes in their environment- be it a new food, new toys, new people, new cage etc etc. Every bird is different and will accept changes at their own pace. Trying to force the issue will cause a fear response and will damage the relationship with your bird. So it is absolutely critical to observe the birds responses and start learning a bit about their body language. Body language in grey's is quite subtle at times and sometimes we don't always notice it. A bird can be trying to tell us a lot through their body language and we totally miss it, so the last resort is a bite to get their message across. Your bird has just had a massive change to their lifestyle. Did you know or interact with your bird at all before bringing her home? If not then absolutely everything in her life has been tipped upside down and she is probably still adjusting to changes. New home, new flock, new environment, new routines... it's a LOT to take in! She will need some time and space to adjust to all these changes. But she will get there and she will accept you as part of her flock. At two years old, she is still a very young bird so I have no doubt that given enough time you will build a wonderful bond with her. Do you know what her favourite treat is? If not, try offering her lots of different foods and treats until you find one or two she REALLY likes. So for example, if she really likes almonds, do not feed them as part of her daily diet- keep them as rewards. You can then use that favourite treat as a reward for good behaviour - this is positive reinforcement. So if she steps up, she gets a piece of almond (not a whole one - save whole ones for REALLY good work). Do not move away from the cage at this point- just get her stepping up regularly. Always let her go back to her cage or a perch if she wants to at this point. You can then start rewarding her for staying on your hand. Again, use a piece of almond not a whole one. If she's still comfortable and content on your hand for a few more moments, she gets another piece. If she's still doing really well and making no attempt to leave, maybe go ahead and give her a whole piece. Again, always give her the option of getting back to her cage. As she is clipped and maybe unable to fly then always give her the option to retreat back to her cage, as she doesn't have a flight option. Keep talking to her whilst she is on your hand - make it sound like a good thing and sound excited about it. Tell her about all the places she will be able to go with you if she stays on your hand rather than going back to the cage. Make it a fun and positive experience for her. Once she has mastered this (and it may take some time) then SLOWLY start moving her a little further away from her cage. Reward her for staying calm. If she bites, do not take it personally (even when it hurts!) and just calmly return her to her cage and back off. Keep using pieces of whatever her favourite treat is. Only reward with a whole treat occasionally. This helps to keep the bird motivated to work towards the big treat. Or if she has a couple of favourite treats, find out which she likes better and use that as the special treat. Keep these training sessions short to begin with. She might not have had much structured training so it might take her a little while to figure out what's going on. Get her to repeat the behaviour successfully a few times then stop. You can slowly extend this if she is willing- but as soon as she shows sign of boredom (or goes for a bite) then back off and let her return to where she is comfortable (a perch or her cage) Do keep us updated with any progress. We would also love to see photos of her if you are able to.

She will practice those sounds until she gets them down perfectly, it takes a while for them to become a master at it, so be careful of what you wish for and be careful of what you say, no bad words but sometimes its the tone of what is said more so than what is actually said that sparks their interest in talking, mine can mimic my laugh.

Greys LOVE Alexa! So many funny stories out there of greys 'ordering' stuff through Alexa.

I have a friend who takes in rescue parrots, mostly Macaws, but she has others. She takes in the ones that are unadoptable due to previous trauma that they dont ever get over. Some of them ( she has had them for many years) can' even be touched by her. She is a WONDERFUL parront. She dedicates her life to loving & caring for these parrots. Has made several bird rooms in here home where they are free to be, they have destroyed her doors, chewing holes in them, she has replaced many doors & frames , it's ongoing..., gives them the best possible life they could have considering . They mostly are parrots that were mentally & emotionally abused. She has no one, rescues don't want them because they can't be handled. After serious soul searching & talks with her avian vet over long periods of time, together they have decided (& it is in her will) that at the time of her death, the birds will be put to sleep so they don't suffer anymore from someone who couldn't possible take over her role. I know it sounds harsh...I personally have mixed feelings about this, my instinct it to say NO! that's terrible! But what is worse? putting them thru more emotional trauma from the only safe environment they have ever had, to yet another, who most likely won't want them under the conditions they are...& leave them locked up all the time because they are so difficult? Food for thought...

My preference would be my daughter however I don't like who she is with at the moment. I think children are best if they have a connection with the bird. I've read post after post on the other Grey groups of grown children who have adopted their parent's bird and are very attached to it because it either talks like the parent did or does things that remind them of their lost parent. That kind of ensures someone loves the bird and it won't get caught up in the used pet market hell. My daughter loves my GreycieMae and my other birds however if her situation doesn't right itself in time, I'm probably going to use the money she would have inherited and find one of the sanctuaries that I feel would best take care of them and right now I have one picked out.