BaileysPapa

I can only echo my colleagues advice. Sit by him, talk &/or read to him, sing to him. The words don't matter. What does is your expression, and voice emotions. Be happy & sound fun, upbeat. You'll peak his interest. Give him treats, through the bars, when he shows an interest in you. Do not force yourself on him. These are intelligent, sensitive creatures. He's probably got a lot of mistrust of people, and you are new to him. He's scared & confused. Somebody here recently told someone to put themselves in the birds little four toed shoes. And think of how they'd feel. Do that. He'll realize that he's now in a good place, but, you have to earn his trust first.

A trick that I learned long ago, in my job with Animal Rescue, is to blow in their face. If they won't let go, it takes their breath away for a second, and they let go. This has worked with birds, dogs, cats, and other animals. It does not work all the time, with very animal, but, it has worked for me many times.

There are many scams involving parrots because they are a high money item. NEVER send money without being absolute sure that you are dealing with a reputable person. I feel you should always be able to meet the bird first, and be sure of a good relationship. There are a number of honest breeders, etc. out there, who'll ship a bird to a client, sight unseen, and send you a good, healthy bird. But, I would never send money, or offer to take a bird that I cannot meet in person, first.

Although this doesn't involve a bite from a Grey, (thank goodness!), I thought everyone could learn a lesson from it. I was sitting in my recliner, watching TV, with my Cockatiel & Lovebird on my lap. I was wearing pajama pants and a T shirt. The birds were climbing all over me, as usual. All of a sudden, my 'tiel bites down on a place that no man would ever want to be bit, and no woman ever could be. I hope I'm not being too vague here. It was really just a nip, but, what a surprise! I guess this puts me in the "Bite Me Club", no? Though, I've been bitten many times, by many birds, before. Just never there.

Unless you take in a bird with a lot of issues, it should adjust to things as easily as other pets. It is honorable that you are so concerned, but, it is not necessary to overthink this. In over 45 years, I have rescued many birds, from various situations, without knowing their history, and putting them through more changes, and only a few "problem birds" suffered any from it. And those birds were psychically & emotionally damaged to begin with. As long as you are comforting and considerate, most birds will fare well through moving. As the guardian and flock leader, the bird will look to you for how it should react. If you're calm and comfortable, the bird will feel secure enough to handle a few changes. Your concern shows that you will be a good guardian, and can take a relatively well adjusted bird through whatever you, and it, have to deal with.

That's great! It doesn't matter to them what it looks like. Just so long as it's colorful, multi-dimensional, and most of all, destructible. If they can't destroy it, they won't enjoy it!

This really breaks my heart, which already has a soft spot for pluckers. How can they not understand that many of the birds in this condition are in a rescue because of that very issue?? I'm too far away, and my little mobile home is already full of too many birds. I've promised my wife that I wouldn't take in any more birds. For the hundredth (and last) time. Otherwise, I'd be there already! :mad:

I keep my birds from "contact calling" so much, by talking to them when they cannot see me. You can just speak out loud. Not necessarily to that specific bird. I also sing along with the radio, so they hear my voice. Give him time, he'll calm down. Like said above, you don't know what baggage he's brought with him. He may be afraid of being left alone again by someone else (you), or feel insecure in a new place. Also, birds live in a world of sound. And often when they squawk, or scream, people yell at them to be quiet. Now, they don't understand what the "Be Quiet" part means, but, they do know someone is making noise back to them. That reinforces the screaming, because they feel that a response has been given. And volume means little to them. They won't realize that you are yelling, and react like a dog. Be patient. Once he's secure that you won't go away forever, he'll curb the contact calls.

Though I've only been here a short time, I already know you can always count on Ray for a smile!

Hello & welcome. I know you from the Parrot Forums (there can't be too many Inaras out there). There I am Bill's Birds. This site is very good, with knowledgeable & friendly people also. I just adopted a baby TAG, Bailey. After losing a beloved CAG in the nineties, also.

Congrats! If we knew how much fun grandchildren were, we'd have had then first!

Unless it's sprayed with pesticide, fungicide, etc., it should be fine. What could be better than homegrown, fresh from the garden food?

What a beautiful family! I love the play area by the window.

My guys love corn. Fresh &/or frozen corn in their food mixes. Dried cob corn seems to be more of a plaything. They pick it off of the cob, drop it on the floor, and get me to play fetch and pick it up. Or laugh when I step on a kernel in my socks, and dance around. I give them the dried cob corn as a "foraging toy" that keeps them occupied for a while. They love those miniature Indian corn ears. And, of course, popcorn is a big favorite.

After losing a few birds to egg binding issues, I worried about a female. Though I'd be happy with either male or female. So, no cigars, but, Nutri-Berries for everyone!! Boys rule! Girls drool!

I meant on a day to day basis. After feeding her several different kinds of things. And getting more of a feel for what her normal droppings look like. Yes, birds do poop a lot! They have a very fast metabolism, plus heartbeat and respiration.

Mine also eat pellets right out of the bag. If you have trouble with birds eating pellets, you can grind them up and add the powder to anything they will eat. Or you could add natural fruit juice to moisten them. I give my guys moistened pellets, as a treat, now & then. Any natural fruit juice is good, stay away from sweetened juice or orange juice.

Their poop can change color because of whet they eat. What color is whatever she has eaten in the last few days? Also, stress will make their poop runny, like people who get diarrhea when they're nervous. Many factors will change their droppings each day. They should be somewhat consistent, but, minor variations are not a reason for worry. You've had her only 3 days. She's nervous, and you haven't seen too many of her droppings to compare. I wouldn't worry right now. Keep an eye on it though.

My Bailey is a BOY! Avian Biotech did the test.

Welcome to another person with MBS (Multiple Bird Syndrome) from a fellow Parrotnoiac.

Nobody but other bird people can understand how these featherheads can work their way into our hearts. I share your grief and pain, having lost birds myself. I like to think that God needed one of His angels back for some reason, and He chose yours. Be strong, and think of Ceasar now flying free with all the other angels who've left us.

I see it's been a while since anyone posted here, but, I thought this was humorous...Remember when we had Steve Jobs, Johnny Cash and Bob Hope? Now, we have No Jobs, No Cash, and No Hope!

I think some of the neediness of parrots comes from the food chain. They live in close flocks, so, they can watch out for predators. Dogs & cats, even wild, don't need to be quite so vigilant. They ARE predators. Of course, they can also be prey. But, a bird is prey, period. Another thing that endears parrots to us is that they are the ONLY animal that can speak to us in our own language. The domestic/wild thing also comes into play. Dogs & cats have been with us for many thousands of years. Birds were not kept close to us that far back. We ate birds long after we stopped eating dogs & cats. We still do. I think all of these things contribute to the dynamics of our relationships with these creatures.

There is caffeine in chocolate. Bad for birds. And the toxic effects accumulate in their bodies, like arsenic does. A small bit won't hurt, but, over time, will be a problem. My friend's Conure, accidently ate some chocolate muffin, when she turned away for a second. She was frantic! Called her vet, and was told that he'd be okay, but, should never eat any more. He's fine to this day. But, she was so upset, that she never brings chocolate into the house anymore. I had a dog, as a child, who loved chocolate. He used to sneak & grab Hershey Kisses. We know, because, there was often poop in the yard with silver foil in it! (ouch!) It is not good for dogs. He probably did okay because he was a large dog, and didn't eat so very much.

I have been making bird toys for many years. I use common household things like; paper cups, paper plates, wooden spoons, wine corks, natural rawhide laces, small cardboard boxes, cardboard squares, natural loofah bath sponges (must be natural.no soap etc.), cotton rope, sisal cord, plastic beads, plastic drinking straws, wooden spools (hard to find these days), wooden coffee stirrers, and all kinds of things like that. Most of which you can get cheaply in dollar stores, craft stores, etc. Once you start thinking "Bird Toys", you find things everywhere! Just make sure they are not dyed, treated chemically, or anything but natural.