Dave007

To catch people from posting obvious scams or unrelated info?-----no. Everyone is allowed to join a board and when their true intentions can be seen, ( which shows itself pretty quickly)either the moderator or admin gives a warning to the person to stop. If that doesn't do the trick, the person is banned. This kind of situation happens on 100s of boards. You having a particular problem?

Congratulations for the moderator's spot. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Hey Ray, thumbs way up.! Great answer.! Way to go!

Normally, this area is for short welcomes and intros but in your case I'll talk about the things you said in this area but there are other sections here which more people read. That's where many questions, answers, opinions, facts are posted. All of the rooms are designed for specifics. So, I'll try to give bits and pieces of info but it'll take a long time to decipher so my answers and info to you will given as I reread all of the posts that you put in.All of that information won't be in this post. I'll start out by saying that all your experiences with snakes has to be put on a back burner because the 2 species of animals have nothing to do with each other. Keeping both species means nothing because of how the animal's personalities are. The major thing here is that snakes are a predatory animal. Parrots aren't. They're flock animals There are birds that are strictly carnivorious and also can't be classified as pet birds. Eagle, falcons. Hawks, owls etc. They will kill parrots. Snakes are not pets nor have they ever been pets. A person gets a snake and puts it into an environment that's small and totally unnatural for many reasons. A person changes that. The more good things that a person adds to this environment such as creating a beautiful habitat that it normally lives in or giving that particular type of snake the food it normally eats only alienates the snake from the person. That whole picture is normal. The best way to see a snake in it's living quarters is to have very little in that area that the snake can hide in. All snakes want to hide. There are no snakes that don't wanna hide. So snakes are a creature that does best when people don't interfere with their outdoor life style. If they do interfere, anything a snake will do is unnatural. Parents-----If you were living at home with them and they wanted nothing to do with the parrot, it would cause a problem. A parrot, especially a grey needs to be socialized into the family environment. Ever hear a one person grey. It's not a good situation and everything has to be done to make the bird feel comfortable with all members. The other people need to be a part of the bird's life whether it be big or small. Luckily, your parents aren't there. If they were, there would be problems. Well, a person may say that putting a parrot in a cage is also unnatural. To a point, it's true but the major difference is that a person has to be prepared to let the bird of of the cage for long periods of the day. That's one of the ways a parrot gets involved with different people--flying to a shoulder, giving kisses, wanting to be rubbed or petted, wanting to cuddle. All day long the bird has a multitude of things it says and I don't mean human words. All parrots talk whether it's in their natural language or mimicing human words. The trick is to understand parrotese which takes a while. A parrot has to be in a situation that when it wants to be alone, it can do that easily. A parrot shows that it's comfortable in many ways. Persons who breed greys-----There's only so much that a person can learn from a breeder who only has the animal for a few months. The good breeder will 1----only allow the person to take the bird home after it's been totally weaned 2----will allow a person to visit and watch as the bird gets older and nearer to that weaning age 3----will give a guarantee or warranty or a refund if there's a problem with the bird. 4----will allow the person to take the bird to a vet to get a * alls well* check. Some breeders do that themselves or give a buyer a certain amount of time to get it done. 5---will give instructions on feeding. 6--will tell what is needed as far as living quarters are concerned. 7---will tell a person to call when problems crop up and advice is needed. I've been involved with greys for 25 yrs. I'm also one of the few breeders here. Pictures of my chicks are posted in many places on this board. Others will testify to that. So for now, I'll leave it at that so you can digest some of these facts. There are more though. This reply is just for simple things. Feel free to talk in other sections here so that more people will read, respond, answer questions, give personal experiences. PS--the parakeet that you refer to is actually a budgie. True parakeets are large, long birds that are exremely popular in Australia. The cockatiel you refer to is a distant relative of the cockatoo. Budgies and parakeets are parrots. So are cockatiels. Not all cockatoos are good as pets. A prime example is the Leadbetter cockatoo. Probably the most beautiful but also one of the most aggressive birds in the parrot world. Only very experienced people can handle them. Not all amazon parrots can be pets. There's approx 30 types and only about 10 can be kept as pets. Sugar gliders---any animal which can easily jump from one place to another (such as on a cage) will be a problem for a parrot. There's no way to train a glider from doing that. It's natural for them and that includes all possums that can do that. Basically, a glider is a relative of the possum.

******I would worry well A about getting it on him and B how much it'll bother him.....will he pick at it constantly? will he start picking at himself because he doesn't like the feeling?***** A----There should be instructions B----It may bother him or not. It all depends upon how a bird accepts it. All birds are individuals. All birds are different from each other. He may like the feeling or he may not. Picking at himself. Different things cause a bird to pick at themselves and a certain item can't definitely be named as the cause. He may or not pick. Picking at the item. More than likely, yes because he's an adult bird and they don't take to harnesses or other body items as well as very young birds. That can happen with any type of harness or diapers. ***** stories of trying them with your own birds?**** There's really no special stories about diapers. It's put on and a person takes the bird around. Afterward, the person washes it, lets it dry. Everything depends upon what will happen when doing it with the bird. An older bird may bite when a person tries putting on any type of harness or diaper. On the other hand the bird may not. Basically, you've gotta try it out and see what happens. I completely agree with Judy as far as what type to use ( Aiator Harness). It's very versatile and a bird can be taught many things with that item.

I can tell you that fruit won't do anything for him at all. It's only used once in a while and isn't substituted for other food. Basically, it's a treat. Right now, since he won't eat anything but sunflowetr seeds, I would suggest that you get a proper parrot mix that has all different types of seeds in the bag, not just sunflower. Then you can continue trying out different veggies ( very dark green ones are best. ) It takes a while to find out which veggies he'll like. Parrots don't eat millet seed as part of a regular diet. Millet is given to very small birds like budgies. Ps--leaving fresh items such as veggies and fruit in a bowl isn't a good idea because veggies and fruit go bad after a few hours and need to be removed. Parrots won't eat fresh things if they dry up and go bad. PS---- *****though I have tried this before but instead of fruits I used cucumber and lettuce but he just ate the seeds) **** Cucumbers and lettuce are probably the most useless of all veggies and don't supply the bird with anything nutritious. And most greys won't eat them anyway.

What's going on at the breeder's house has nothing to do with how the bird reacts in a new home. The bird doesn't know you but knows the breeder. These are basic rules that apply to baby birds coming to a new home 1------It is important to be patient, gentle and considerate of your new parrot. He doesn't know you. He is in a strange place with strangers. He will undergo a brief grieving period. He has lost all that was familiar and loved - the other babies he played with and his beloved and trusted caregiver. 2-------He may be cautious. He may be watchful. He will want to learn the lay of the land. He will need to adjust to other birds (if any) and other companion animals you may have. Because of careful early management by your thoughtfully chosen breeder, he will be inclined toward acceptance, but don't assume it. A bird is not a domesticated companion animal and his trust and love must be earned by all who wish to have a satisfactory relationship with him. 3-------The adjustment period should last about three weeks. Be patient. Don't rush him. He doesn't know how loved he is and how anxiously awaited he was. Hold down the excitement. Be calm. Allow him time. Let him explore the cage and become familiar with it. The toys will be new and exciting and he will want to check them out. 4------Remember he is just a baby and will need more sleep and more food than an adult bird. If you have a sleep cage, use it so he will have undisturbed sleep. Give him all the food he will eat. He will not get fat. He has weight to put back on after weaning. He should have food available at all times. Weigh him periodically for at least the first 6 months. Record the weight. Learn what is normal for your parrot - there will be small weight changes over time. Small losses - a downward trend for three days will call for a trip to the avian vet. He should be seen by the vet immediately, if there is a large loss on any one day. 5------Don't invite the family or neighbors over to see him just yet. Let him come to know you. Be careful to avoid accidents - take your time. Try not to let any "bad" things happen. Once he knows and trusts you, he will be able to accept an accident as just that. Hold him securely. Don't let him fall or be off balance when on your hand or knee. No earthquakes! Don't push him into accepting intimate petting until he is ready. 6------A parrot should be acclimated into the whole family. Allow the least amount of opportunities that will let any parrot become a one-person bird. The whole family has to be involved with the bird in all areas--feeding, treat giving, cage cleaning, adding toys and handfeeding certain types of food. 7------Your parrot should be in an area where your average daily constant habits, conversations, household chores, relaxation and guests are nearby. Putting any species of parrot in another room with no human contact or visuals accomplishes nothing. The bird has to learn to accept all different things and the owner needs to help that parrot do all of these things by putting the bird into the mix of things. 8-------Your parrot needs a decent sized cage and eventually he/she will have to be let out of the cage every day for as much time as you can afford. Putting a playstand nearby helps alot. The cage needs the type of toys that can handled roughly. A lot of scrap pieces of wood are necessary for chewing and destroying. It's either the wood or your furniture. The reason for this is really simple......The animal is a parrot!!!! 9------When you bring your parrot home, although the temptation is great, it's not a good idea to be handling him a lot until he/she feels good about that new cage and it's contents. Everything else ahead of the bird is also going to be new and learning about them in a relaxed state is best accomplished from the security of it's own cage and no time limits should be placed on any parrot when anything should be accomplished. All parrots are different from each other. 10-----It's a bad idea to allow your parrot on your shoulders because they have a bad habit of biting necks, ear lobes, nape and head hair, breaking jewelry and sometimes biting the face. Not all do but it's a habit that should be avoided. You never can tell what's going to happen to you when you can't see the bird up there. Many people differ about the shoulder thing. I'd rather say that it's better to be safe than sorry.

"""""""We were told to feed her in the morning and the evening,""""""" That information you were told is totally wrong but other people have been given that type of false info. Greys and other parrots don't eat the way humans do. In the parrot world, there is no breakfast, lunch or supper. A parrot who is healthy will eat all day long . All types of food you're giving your parrot should be left in the bird's bowl 24/7. The only exception is veggies which will go bad after a few hours and need to be removed. You can't overfeed a grey or most other parrots. Your bird should be allowed to eat all day long and as much as he wants. The time to worry is when your bird won't eat. That means something is wrong. Parrots are wild animals and just like outdoor wild birds, they will eat whenever they want. It doesn't matter if you're gone all day or home all the time---a constant supply of food is absolutely necessary.

Don't understand your question. Be more specific.

Video http://ktar.com/category/local-news-articles/20110818/Arizona-woman-working-towards-being-heaviest-person-ever/

Even though the chart is correct it isn't easy to understand so--this is the basics Feeding starts at 5 to 6 x a day---time evenly spread At approx age of 3 to 4 weeks, feedings go down to 4 x a day ( time evenly spread) if the bird refuses one of those feedings. The bird remains on whatever feeding it's taking in until the bird refuses another feeding. The feedings go down one more and the process continues ( time evenly spread). So forth and so on until the bird refuses the formula. Different birds take different amounts of time to reach that point. Time limits shouldn't be used as far as weaning. The amounts of time between feedings must be accurate.

So, it sounds like you're a little happier now? If so, as you repeat the whole thing, you'll get more relaxed about it. He'll probably stay in longer as he gets more baths. He'll also relax when he realizes what you're doing. Don't be surprised by his drying time.Many birds even take longer than your did. The longer they stay wet, the better they can preen and besides the feathers, the skin also benefits. Glad it worked so quickly.

Many times the way to stop something like that when a bird is 1,2.3 yrs old is avoidance. It's best when you see it coming. Read this http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?109373-Body-language-most-frequently-seen

It's safe as long as the birds don't decide to have a weekend bash and drink it.

After a few times, you'll get more adept at doing this and you should see better results. The more you do it, the more accepting your bird will be. Just remember that you're doing this for cleaning purposes, not training purposes. Be ready for your bird to 1--not like it 2--like it 3--really don't care one way or another. PS--after bathing, let him drip dry and make sure you give a small treat and tell him that he was a good boy. Good luck

Yes, A hand that's above him and staying above him following him around while over him. 6 to 8 ins above him is good but you judge. *****And I explained myself wrong...I meant, I fill up the tub to where it's just hitting his lower breast area. He's not submerged... Once we get to that point...he walks around and will flap and even play with floating toys. But, that's after I'm exhausted from climbing to get him... ***** I'll answer by asking---what's easier, containing a bird who's in a bathroom tub or in a 20 in square sink? A person shouldn't look at all the methods thinking that Finally!!!he's gonna like being bathed!! With some, it happens, with others it doesn't. What is good about a sink is that the bird can get used to being in a sink because he/she isn't gonna be there very long. As far as flying away--my birds are way past that point of flying away. They used to dislike the sink a long time ago but now they simply grumble and make tiny weird sounds when I'm putting them in. What would I do if one flew away? I'd retrieve him and depending on how frantic he is, I'd put him back in the sink or just put him on a playstand. *****How do you get them to step down into the water? ***** I already answered that above. Gotta put your hands around the whole body including wings, walk over to the sink and put him in. This whole thing has nothing to do with stepping up or stepping down. It isn't a training session. Wanna put in a distraction while he's in the sink? Put a small ping pong ball in the sink. Many times, they'll simply try to bite the floating ball while you're spraying him. All of this takes practice and it also takes a bird a while before he/she gets used to it. Another tip--use cold water. Greys like cold over warm water

The method you're using is totally different than a sink method. First off, your bird isn't submerged in anything. In a sink method he/she is standing in about 2 to 3 inches of water. The level of the water should be high enough to touch the lower breast area or even higher if the bird will put up with it. . Just being submerged in that depth cleans off the breast area, under the vent area, all of the feet, all of the tail area. At that depth, if a bird tries to flap, that will speed up getting underneath the wings which isn't waterproof. How to put him in the sink----if a grey doesn't like any type of baths or showers, you'll need to wrap your hand around the body and simply carry him to the sink and put him in. Then you can keep your hand above the bird to prevent flying away. With your other hand, have a mister and spray him thoroughly on the top of the wings and back. The water he's sitting in is taking care of the rest of his body. When a grey gets sprayed on the wings and back, the only thing that's coming off is the dander which is a natural thing that greys have. If a grey never had that dander taken off, it wouldn't mean anything because he/she is shaking it off to make room for the new coating of dander. His time in the sink doesn't need to be long and for greys who don't like any type of bathing/spraying/showering, the time in the sink will also be aggravating for a while but many greys get used to being in a sink and the tatal soaking of the bird helps him to productively preen for quite a long time. A grey who's been bathed thoroughly will srtay wet for about 2 hrs afterward. That's when they preen. A bird should drip dry, not dried by human hands (towels, hair dryers). The longer the bird stays wet, the better. Basically, this sink method is for birds that don't wanna get wet at all. Flying all over a bathroom area isn't a good idea especially when a person has to climb on things to retrieve him. A bird can get frantic about that, get nippy, and not forget about the unpleasent experiences in a bathroom when being chased all over. In the bathing stickys, a full description on how to do different types of bathing was put into the original posts including sinks. PS-------what a grey does like is feeling and being soaked down afterward. That's why they're so quiet after getting soaked down

If Jess likes the cage, if you like the cage, if the cage is in good shape, if the cage is the proper size then keep it. If he uses the cage in order to get aggressive with you, change the cage. So far, from what you say there's no problems but as Judy says, there's that Honeymoon Stage so let things stay status quo until you learn more about his habits and true personality.

The word **quarantine** as it's used on parrot boards describes all the necessary things that should be done when bringing new birds into a home that has other existing birds. The *bird quarantine* and the instructions that are given concerning separation of birds works quite well. All of the extremes you're referring to won't increase the chances of receiving a healthy bird nor will the bird get any healthier. Professional Bird quarantine deals with specific diseases that birds and only birds carry. There's really not too much that a person needs to do with a new bird in order to spot any existing health issues. Many of those health issues will never be cured nor will they be spotted by vets. Since you don't even have a grey, I would advise you to start studying the world of parrots, their diseases, what diseases are contagious, what diseases birds come in contact with. Find out about carriers. ***Now as for the parasite factor etc. common sense should dictate that you should be washing/sanitizing your hands between handling the new bird and the original birds, dont feeed from the same dishes, don't allow contact between the birds, don't share toys etc until a full check for any parasites can be done and all come back clean.**** This is what people do concerning * general quarantine** It's very basic common sense. That's why the birds are separated in the first place.---Find out about how many types of parasites a parrot can actually contract. I'll give you a clue. very few. Having parasites is not a disease because any flesh eating internal sicknesses will kill a baby bird very quickly. If the bird survives, the illness is considered external and that diagnosos needs very little time to show itself. Lice and sometimes ticks are the most common parasites that parrots can get and be be cleared up right away. ****When you are in a home environment and you are bringing in a HEALTHY bird with a vet check etc. then there is NO REASON to keep it in lock down since all your vents and ducts all go through and interconnect making a tangled web of area that goes through you entire home making no where safe from airborne disease/infection.***** There's a parrot rule that no matter what kind of clean bill of health is given, separation is still necessary. Obviously, parrots who/ve been put into isolation haven't died from bad vents and ducts. Learn how resistant parrots are to airborne particles. They can get airborne nasal problems from other certain species but on average it's the grey that transmits the nasal problems to other species of parrots. Rats have their own immune system to disease but they do have disease just like woodchucks have. In the case of your rat experience, 1 foreign microbe got in and the immune system couldn't fight it off. Thus, the whole pack died. The same holds true for the 2005 Avian Flu. A so called disease free rat who bites a bird will cause serious ilness problems ( probably death) to the bird. A parrot who bites a rat won't pass on any illnesses. A parrot who bites a person won't pass on disease. A person who bites or sneezes or accidently spreads it's saliva on a parrot's face/tongue can sometimes cause illness. Stop and think about all of your extremes that new bird owners are reading. Believe it or not, you're making them paranoid and that paranoia remains and only surfaces as people start talking about the fears much later on that theyv'e read about and then, it's up to the experienced people here to clear things up and calm people down ang believe me, there have been many paranoid people here and on other boards. We want people to enjoy their new family members, not scare them with info that may apply to other types of animals. Parrots are much more resistant to health problems than domestic animals. People here and on other boards have enough problems with new bird management and ownership and they don't need to hear about extremes that don't apply. AND in case you don't know it, the most complete, intensive parrot *quarantine* is performed when persons have to leave their birds in quarantine from 60 to 90 days in different countries in order to get permission to cross the border into another country with their bird, including Canada. And this isn't a rant

Info concerning the great value of fruit has been passed from one person to another and it's finally tested for nutrition and there really is none. Fruit won't hurt but if a person does it because they think they're adding vitamins and minerals, it's not true. Veggies, the darker green the better is where all the vitamins, minerals, calcium is. The box--if your bird is actually 5 weeks old. it shouldn't have the ability to walk at any distance and it would fall over constantly. They stay in corners next to warm things such as the item you're using. It should be about the size of an old used 10 gal fish tank. The inside floor should be covered with a white or light colored soft towel. Have a few on hand because a baby bird will crap all over it. They're good to use so that the color and consistancy of droppings can be checked. The heating pad ( should be wrapped in a thin towel) goes under the tank set on low. The top of the tank should have a towel on it that will only cover it 1/2 way. That keeps the heat in. Opening one end is a bad idea at this point. The bird isn't going anywhere anyway. A large variety of green veggies, baby food and a special type of bisuit all mixed in a blender.

Introducing veggies is done with the items being in the formula from day 1. Right now, there's is a chance that any change in the formula may not agree with the bird and if illness or a bad reaction occurs it could cause a lot of trouble because of their extreme sensitivity to different things and the age of the bird. Commercial formulas don't have all the ingredients that should be in formula. The best formula is homemade. The formula I use has 11 ingredients in it. I make it myself. It's mixed in a blender. The end result is a creamy formula. The chicks grow up very healthy and robust. Those ingredients provide everything that a bird needs. In your case,introducing veggies and making changes in formula isn't good right now. Any veggies that are introduced should be done when the bird can actually eat them. At 5 weeks, a bird can only take formula, nothing solid. You would need to continue feeding what you're feeding right now. It's like a baby. A baby is given all nutrients in creamy baby food. Veggies would never be given to a baby externally. Fruit is something that's not introduced until much later on when the bird's system can handle it and giving fruit doesn't supply the bird with anything substantial. Any fruit given must be solid pieces. That goes for adult birds too. Fruit is given once in a while to break the monotamy of eating regular foods all the time. A bird won't get sick from eating fruit but there's nothing beneficial health wise. Fruit is basically acidic. As far a cage goes, that shouldn't happen until the bird is 7 to 9 weeks old and that should be only a partial thing. Slow introduction, a small cage, a perch next to the bottom of the cage, a little cup of water, a bowl to put some cereal and soft foods such as peas or leafy veggies is necessary but the bird can't be left in there all the time. The bird still needs warmth and a solid holder such as a small fish tank or similar item. A bird that young isn't usually sold untill the bird is near or totally weaned. The breeder is supposed to do that.

You should try to do an in depth search for adoption/rescue centers in your country that have all different types of parrots. Most all of them are adults. Adoption centers will not ship any birds anywhere. You would need to visit first because the owners of these places would wanna see you in person. If you were in the US, we could direct you to these places. Usually, there's an adoption fee. The birds wind up costing less than half of their normal selling price.

MDs usually suggest humidifiers to people who have breathing problems---Copd--bronchitis asthyma etc. Using humidifiers in a bird's area has to do with how dry the room is, not their breathing. Greys and other parrots live in humid areas. Dry areas may cause dry, itchy skin which sometimes cause a bird to pluck the feathers in order to get to the dry skin. There are no humidifiers that are harmful to birds. Their only problem is that they don't do the job because of their power or lack of power. ADD ON----the switch for the Ozone must be shut off

First off, your very last sentence wasn't finished so maybe you were talking about what we think of the royal wedding in the UK? So, you ask about transition-----well, the bird is nervous about all things and you wanna get him into his permanent living quarters without upsetting him. Going from cage to cage is gonna make him more nervous. I can guarantee you that's gonna happen. Let me tell you about a bird that was given to me. This TAG was extremely aggressive to everyone husband, wife, new baby and including other pets. When I took him he came with his own cage and all accessories. He knew this cage in and out. This was the place he attacked from when he was out of it. Putting him back in the cage was an big, big ordeal because of his serious biting. basically, they were very fearful of him. So, the first thing I did was to get another cage which I knew I had to do anyway. When the cage arrived, I put it together and brought the cage to my bird room. I left his other cage where it was. Then, I immediately got the bird and instantly put him in his new cage. It had some familar toys in it but nothing else. I set the cage up with proper types of branch perches. I put a swing in it. That was it. Immediately, that cured about 25% of his aggression. It was a strange item and he needed time to figure out the interior. So, he was now in a cage that was to be his last cage. He spent a lot of time getting used to it. I paid no obvious attention to what he was doing but I was watching him. I had decided that any future work I had to do with him would begin without him having the upper hand. It worked out although the aggressive part of his problem took a long time to change which was to be expected. He was in a neutral place now. He didn't have the upper hand anymore. Now, my wife and I could proceed to work with him. I hope you understand my point here. I had an extreme problem and you have an extreme problem so the least amount of bouncing around would be good. A new cage with new people with new surroundings, with visual household habits and new environment will help a lot. Putting a new cage next to his old cage is gonna freak him out. Just look at all the small things that are freaking him out. I believe a quick move into a new cage and quick removal of the old cage would be the best way to go. You have no idea about his background so starting a new relationship with him should also include new, nice living quarters. Shaking is a sign of nervousness and fear of things which eventually lessens up as the bird knows that you're not invading him. Do things around him but pay no attention to him. A very well known fact about greys is their desire to eventually get involved in what'[s going on. Curiousity gets the better of them. They don't like [b]not[/b] being involved and eventually you'll see obvious signs that he wants to. So take your time and remember that there's 2 important things here 1----no time limit on things that you feel should be happening but aren't. 2----patience, patience, patience, patience All of this really applies because you know nothing about him. He's already showing signs of calm by not plucking as much as he's used to.

You never said how old your new grey is. If it's an adult that's been owned by others, the bird's attitude probably started then. In the past someone had that bird which became an adult. One of the most important things that any new original owners of baby parrots should do is to begin a socialization process with that baby. Did they? Obviously, he's afraid of many things. It had to begin somewhere. Usually, the whole family gets involved in that process and doesn't allow the bird to get extremely attached to just one family member. Unfortunately, many people don't do that because in the beginning of ownership the new owner is thrilled that the baby bird becomes so attached to him/her. That's when the problem starts and manifests itself into something serious as the bird gets older and much more sure of itself. There are ways to ease the tension between your grey and you but if it's an adult, the ideal results you're looking for usually don't happen very quickly. There's plenty of things that the bird has to get used to in his new home---household habits---new people----other pets----new environment----general hustle and bustle of the house etc etc. That usually takes months, not weeks. The bird has to first feel assured and comfortable in it's new house. Lots of talking to the bird, having the bird in the middle of everything that goes on in the house on a daily basis. There's a couple of 'classification' names that apply to all pre owned adult parrots that're adopted. One is 'the bird has a past history' and the other is 'the bird has some baggage attached'. Most of the time, history and baggage can't be gotten rid of. It can be modified though as soon as your new bird realizes that many things are now different which also take quite a while if the bird is an adult. The best thing to do right now is to say to yourself that "I shouldn't be disappointed if everything I hope will happen doesn't happen". Having that attitude allows you to see the many other great features of your new bird and will help you to enjoy and appreciate them. Treats----offer the best kind. Try different nuts. ******My question is do I keep exposing him to new things or is this torturing him? At this point ease up on doing that especially with a bird who's showing fear of many things. Constantly giving new things doesn't make a nervous bird less nervous. It increases it. As far as the cage goes, I need to give an opinion about corner cages. many corner cages don't allow the bird to be in the center of things which is most important with a nervous fearful bird. A corner cage is just that----goes in the corner and because of the design, the cage stays in that corner. The first and most important thing is to get the bird used to everything--household routines, daily habits, new environments, people moving around closeby but not touching the bird.