Leaderboard

Snickers prefers the fruity pellets (Zupreem). I know there are healthier pelleted diets available, but since it's not his main meal - I just view them as treats (or something to snack on between healthier meals). I think it would be difficult to interest him in 'all-one-colour-healthier' pellets. I may be wrong. If his main diet was pelleted, I would probably mix pellet types. Hope your guy starts becoming more adventurous in trying new foods. Perhaps you could eat such stuff around him (like really in his personal space) and deliberately NOT share -- esp since they always want they can't have? Like a big production of eating around him, letting him have a sniff and then pulling dish back away from him? Force him to steal a bite? I dunno -- these greys are so smart, he might not fall for it anyway. lol

Alfie loves whistling and loves to learn new noises... but he's not a particularly big talker. In fact, he's a bit of closet talker, preferring to practice when he thinks I'm not around or not listening. It doesn't bother me that he doesn't talk much. It always amazes when I do see videos of very talkative birds- particularly those that clearly show an understanding of what to say and when. I always knew that Alfie might not be a big talker when I got him. He says a few words but he picks and chooses what he wants to learn, and how often he wants to use it. He has neglected some words and phrases which he used to say and no amount of repeating it or encouraging it will make him use them again. He has always favoured whistles and noises (the louder and more obnoxious, the better!) and that's ok with me.

Alfie is an awkward little bugger. He shows no interest whatsover in what I'm eating and will never venture over to see/steal what's on my plate. He's not particularly great at eating his veggies but will eat fresh fruit. He will eat dried/dehydrated veggies more often than fresh/cooked veggies. Pellets were an absolute no no. They got tipped or flung out of his bowl at high velocity. I have tried every make I can get my hands on to no avail... until recently when I tried him on tropican pellets.I got the really small ones which are yellow and green and have a very fruity smell to them. He will actually seek them out in his bowl. I mix these in with a seed, nut, dried fruit and dried veggie mix. It also has some larger tropican pellets/sticks in which I think he mostly eats round/avoids. In good news though, I'm seeing a lot less food wastage with this particular mix. I end up buying four or five different products and mixing them all in his food bin. It's working for now. I persevere with trying to get him to eat fresh foods but most of that gets tossed to one side!

Snickers is always a talker, but I have noticed he talks (or whistles) a LOT more when I leave the room. He needs me to answer back to him -- guess he just needs reassurance from his flock (me). It comforts him to hear me reply back and know that all is well even when I'm out of view. He also seems to know when I am out of the house, because I don't hear him calling as I return home. So he appears to know when I am within range, I suppose.

Post an update if you can, we'd all like to know your grey is OK, Nini.

I second what greytness said - parrots are very good at masking/hiding illnesses so a change in behaviour like that can sometimes indicate there is a problem. If it were my bird, I would get him to the vet ASAP.

If this is a change in behavior for him, then I would take him into the vets tomorrow. When they show signs of illness or lethargy, they are often pretty sick. Please don't wait.

There is always a wrapped gift that contains something something for the birdies. Today it was a container of popcorn, pretzels and little cookies mix. They each had a couple of cookies. GreycieMae helped rip the wrapping off cause she knows there's something good.

Breezy likes for me to carry him out and look at our tree when we turn the lights on. We did that tonight.

None for us, either, I'm afraid.

We don't exactly have a Christmas tradition with Timber, but he sure does enjoy tasting everything (or most things) I am cooking! I just gave him a boiled egg white from the deviled eggs I'm making.

That’s a cool Idea! I don’t have any holiday traditions for my parrots, just spoil them as always. Lol

Don't give up just yet Suzanne, we have some members who had much older greys that started talking at a later age, maybe Alex won't talk but my money is on him talking eventually, you know he is capable of it, hang in there as I feel you will be rewarded soon.

I'm worried about my grey today. He has been sleeping all day today and he never did this before. He's 1 1/2 years old. Weaned from a baby by me. He doesn't even want to eat or drink today. Just sleep. He went to bed at his usual time last night. Nothing has changed.