Muse

I know this is an old post, but for anyone else who might be wondering about this: when we got our birds, we disposed of several hundred dollars worth of nearly brand new Calphalon because they had the Teflon coating. I did a lot of research, and found the Green Gourmet line from Cuisinart. I emailed them directly and asked them and got a very nice email answer assuring me they were safe for the birds. Almost 2 years later and birds are fine and cookware is holding up well. No problems. So for anyone else with this question, I would say the answer is yes.

It should scare people. Truly, you have to completely rethink your lifestyle. You have to make a lot of sacrifices. I remember fostering three cockatiels (from different owners) who all were given up because they were "noisy" - well duh? We need more articles like this that people can read BEFORE they bring a bird home.

I realize this is an extremely late reply, but as I have just found the forums, I hope you will understand. Your touching narrative of your baby's early days brought tears to my eyes. I hope you did not let the naysayers convince you not to continue, as I enjoyed every word. Bah to the 'scientists' and their version of how things should be. My babies, all of them, have often proved the 'experts' wrong. Ever day when I interact with the Greybies, they continue to awe and amaze me. Marden with his gentle but persistent stubborness, and Megan with her amazing communication skills. I don't read their minds either, but I have gotten pretty good at second guessing what they're thinking - as they have also done with me. I'd love to hear more about your experiences with your friend Dayo, and your take on his perspective is adorable.

Congratulations! It's always good to see birds of different types and sizes getting along. Best of luck with Jazz. I think you will continue to see improvement.

Another great post. I am going to save the permalink to share with new or prospective new bird owners I meet. I really think the lack of this knowledge is what blind-sides people. That adorable cuddly baby goes away, and then they don't know what to do, or aren't prepared to deal with a pound of attitude that can fly and has a beak like a can opener and sharp talons. I think if more people read this article BEFORE getting a bird, it might deter those who shouldn't be Parrot Parents, and prepare those who should but need to know what to expect. It's well written, and covers a lot of things that I am some bird owners were never prepared for. I'm so glad you promote flighted birds. All nine of our babies are flighted, with the youngest three never having been clipped. I understand there are those who feel it is 'safer' to clip. I suppose in some ways it is. But in other ways, it is not. It is my view that keeping my birds clipped would be like cutting my human child's legs off at the knees to keep them 'safe' and out of trouble. That being said, I also acknowledge that others have a right to raise theirs in a way they see fit. It's not for me, but I understand why some people do it.

Great post. I found the SHORT time out is the best recourse. We *never* cover cages. We have a fleece blanket that goes over Megan's cage when the little birds are having out time, if she climbs to the top and tries to be aggressive. She does not like the cover and has pretty much given up on messing with the birds and actually lets them perch atop her cage now without any signs of aggression. This told me a cage cover would be something she would view as negative. As for giving a time out - we just put them back in the cage and turn our backs on them. And they KNOW - they are VERY intelligent creatures. As soon as they go in time out, the cute gets turned on at 100% trying to get back in mommy or daddy's good graces. But to be effective, the time out has to be short. Ten minutes tops for a very serious offense and shorter for less serious, seems to be the most effective. And it is most effective if you remain in the room but divert your attention elsewhere, strongly making the point that they are without interaction for that time out. It did not take ours long to realize they don't like being ignored, and now, just like with the human children I have raised, just the mention of "Do you want to go in time out?" is often enough to stop the unwanted behavior cold. After time out, we follow with lots of love, and admonitions to be 'good bird.' I basically have raised ours the same way I raised human kids, and I think they are pretty well-behaved for the most part (hormonal behavior aside - all bets are off when hormones go crazy!).

Thanks! Yes, it is a houseful. We also have four cats and a little dog. It makes for some interesting dynamics at times.

Thank you! They do keep us busy, but they are so well worth it! I am going to try my best to get some pictures online.

Thank you! We moved from Texas to NC to escape the heat. I love it here! I have family here, not far from where we live, as well. I am looking forward to getting to know everyone here as well!

Thanks, and yes. Especially during breakfast time in the morning, and at free flight times. LOTS of (good) noise. I LOVE the sounds of birds. I love your sig line. Sometimes I'd suggest Megan was more demon than angel, when she's having one of 'those days' where everything she sees looks like something to chew or bite. Hehe.

Thank you! My husband came up with the "Greybies" as these truly are our babies. We can't have human children, so we have feathered and furred ones. Yes, the house is a riot in the morning when it's "Ready for BREAKfast. EEEEEEat your breakfast" time (per Megan). The GCC's don't talk much and when they do it sounds like they are whispering. However they all except the 'tiel and budgie do a GREAT Sun Conure imitation. That two note scream Sun Conures are so famous for? I have that it surround sound. LOL. I will try to get some pics up very soon.

It looks like you have a lovely flock. The one at the end looks like she's not flighted, though.

Thank you. Wow, twelve times in fifteen years! I couldn't imagine that. After the last one I swore no more, but the climate in Texas was way too hot for me. Hopefully *crossing fingers* this will the last move!

Thanks! I will try to find some time to get some pictures uploaded.

Thanks! I look forward to learning a lot from other parents of Greys.

Thanks! That is my all time favorite picture of our Greybies. That is Megan and Mar (L-R) in their aviary where we used to live. I just cropped it down some to fit as an avatar. Hubby built the temporary aviary (we knew we would be moving in a couple of years, and move we did...) from PVC and GAW wire mesh. That white pole is the center support for the top, and the colorful bit to the right side is the boing they are both sitting on, that wrapped around the pole. They loved being outside, but unfortunately, the weather there made using the aviary a rare treat. We plan to build bigger, better and permanent here in NC.

I will just tell you a little bit about our flock. We have two Greys, (Greybies as the husband calls them) Marden and Megan. We have a Sun Conure - Alejandro (Alex), a cockatiel - Maks, four Green Cheek Conures - Aunalese (Auna), Nava, Noah and Loralese (Lora) and an unnamed as yet budgie. They all live with Mommy and Daddy in a big new house after a 1400 mile move. Daddy is an engineer and I am a nurse.

Here's my opinion - lots of people advocate getting a 'starter bird' which they then point to birds like cockatiels, budgies or conures to define. We have nine parrots. They all need the same attention and care. I don't think of any of them as 'starter' or being easier to care for or for a beginner. The cockatiel (which is probably one of the most touted as 'beginner' or 'starter' birds) is probably our biggest problem child of them all, and was the one to get deathly ill and rack up a huge avian vet bill. You seem very sensible and intelligent and are putting a lot of thought into your decision. The main thing is to do your research. Know what you are getting in to. If it is a Grey you really want, I would recommend learning as much as you can about Greys and then going for it. They are, like all birds, intelligent and magnificent creatures. Not all will talk. But they all have unique personalities. I haven't met one I don't like yet. Best of luck to you and I hope you find just the right baby to share your life with.

Just to add my 2 cents as a new forum member, what worked for me was a combination of patience, strict discipline, and being the sole dispenser of her favorite treat for a long period of time. Our Greys were hatched about 9 days apart from different pairs at the same breeder. When we got them, my husband bought Marden (the male) for me. During the weaning period, when I was going to the store every day to visit and bond with him, my husband was playing with the other babies, and Megan chose HIM. Once we realized she was bonding to him, we had to get her as well. She was aggressive to me from the outset. She's always been a 'bitey' type of Grey - her first word was "Ow" ("Ow, ow, ow" repeated after my husband as she bit the top of his ear). When biting him, it was mainly beaking a bit too hard and sometimes just trying to get her way. Bites to me were full on aggressive lunges with lots of broken skin and bruising. First of all, we immediately established time out. She very quickly learned there were two forms of "step up." One was said with little inflection, and was a request. No consequences occur for ignoring it. The other was a firm "Step up, RIGHT NOW." This was an order and must be obeyed. After a bite, she was returned to her cage and ignored for about ten minutes (during which she learned to be her absolute cutest in an attempt to get back out). When time out was over, she came out to me, and got a pine nut - their most favorite treat - from me. My husband (on the advice of our breeder) was not allowed to give pine nuts, so she would begin to associate me with the pine nuts and make it a powerful reinforcer for NOT biting me. It's worked like a charm. Even when she does bite now, she does not bite as hard. And though she is super comfortable with Daddy, and will sit on him and preen and cuddle, she has gone from merely tolerating me to actually willingly interacting with me on her own terms. That is where the patience came in. They will be three in January. It has taken a lot of time to get to this point. But it has been well worth it. I still do not let her sit on my shoulder as she has lunged at and bitten me in the face, but she is very comfortable sitting in my lap or on my arm. Of course, all this goes out the window during the hormonal time... Best of luck and have patience. The end results are well worth it!