HeatherStrella

AuntJane, your day sounds like mine. I get home around 3:30 and he's out of his cage until around 8:30 or so... I get him up around 6am and he's out with me until around 7:15am... FairY, I read somewhere that covering the cage can be dangerous because they can pull the cover through the bars and chew it up. Also, his cage is huge...not sure what I would cover it with...maybe a sheet but he'd definately chew that up. He sleeps in a room by himself...just a little night light. He does take an hour nap in the middle of the day...lights out, TV is off...he sleeps, I think...I don't hear him moving about the cage. Thanks for the comments..makes me feel better!!<br><br>Post edited by: HeatherStrella, at: 2007/04/29 01:26

It's been staying light outside later in the evenings and getting light in the mornings earlier...does this affect sleep? I know it's suggested they get 10-12 hours of sleep, but there isn't that much darkness...will they sleep if it's light outside??

Awww I feel your excitement. (Both of you!!). I can remember the few days before we picked up Harrison..(we were going to get a girl and name her Sophia~Sophie for short)...well, we got there and Harrison picked us. We were going to call him Sophie still but we decided to go ahead and give him a boy name. . Are either of you keeping a blog? I thought about it but I'm a terrible writer. Anyway, HAVE FUN!! Heather

AWESOME!!! I wish Harrison would wear a harness. Very cool pictures

I checked them out, and I posted on several sites about him. I was told he uses negative techniques and I should stay away from his stuff. Someone said he scares his birds into doing what he wants.

Thank you. I've tried so many of these types of toys and Harrison turns his nose..er um BEAK up at them. We just ordered some DVDs I'm hoping he'll watch and learn from...or I'll learn from

Yeah, Harrison has learned just by my interactions with him. I can't say I've "taught" him to talk. It's just what he hears around the house and what I say to him. He just started a new thing. I have several geckos and I take him in the "gecko room" when I feed them. I always say "wanna go feed the geckos?" when I take him in there. It's also the same room where I get ready for work. The other morning when I was getting ready for work, he said "feed the geckos?". I hadn't said it since the night before, but it was the same room. When I bathe him, it's always after I feed the geckos. He doesn't ALWAYS get a bath, but when he does, it's always right after I feed them...anway, I've been trying to teach him the difference between when I say "you get a bath tonight"...and "NO bath"...he still doesn't get it cuz as soon as I say "bath", he puffs up. He doesn't really like baths.

Hey...I know you from ReptileRooms...I'm Xanadu there. I've got 5 leopard geckos, 2 pictus geckos, a smooth knob tail gecko, a black russian tort, the light of my life,(my CAG)...and of course, my pup-pup Mini Schnauzer.

I love to watch videos too...I got a video camera for Christmas and just recently started using it. It was a lot more complicated than I thought. :silly: I'm hoping to have some usable video of Harrison to share this weekend.

Ooooh, I think it's perfect just as it is. Good job. I should give you some pics of my little darling and have you make one for me. I'm not too good at that...although I have all kinds of computer programs...manuals...I need to read the manuals...gggrrrr GOOD JOB!!! Heather

I take Harrison to the vet to have his nails trimmed. We've had him for a year and he's had his nails trimmed twice. I've never had a problem with his nails being sharp. We use a few different kinds of perches. He has a rope swing, 2 rope perches, a knobby wood perch, and two safety pumice perches. I put one of the pumice perches at his main food dish, that's where he sits mostly. I prefer these to the all over pumice perches because I heard they can tear up a bird's foot. Here's a link to what I'm talking about. http://www.birdsafestore.com/detail.aspx?ID=1214 I don't know if this keeps his nails dull but I really never have a problem with his nails being sharp. Heather

I'll tell you my experience. I got Harrison 4~6~06. He was just 3 months old and already talking. He was saying "Hi birdies" and "pretty bird". After being with us for a couple weeks, he stopped talking but picked back up in no time. He's talking up a storm now!! I don't know what's normal..or if there is a normal. :side: Here's a list of what he says...(what I can recall anyway) I love you Hi baby Whatcha doin? Cartoooons!! (when we turn on cartoons) Hiya Hotlips OOOoooooohhhh!!! Hellllloooo??? Hello bird (birdy) Hi Birdies (when we turn on his bird DVD) Harrison is a (very) pretty biiiiiirrrrrd Pretty cool It's OK Yeeeaaaaahhhhhh With the word yeah, he sometimes says it after other phrases...like "Hi baby, yeaaahhhhh"...

What a cutie!!!:kiss: I bet you can't wait to bring him home, eh? By the way, I use PSP (well PSP9) too, I love it!!!

I have a 1 year old CAG who is doing wonderfully. He's chatty, he's cuddly, funny, and steps up and down. I'm having some difficulty finding toys/games that he likes. So far, he'll play with a ball...get it when I roll it toward him and toss it with his beak. I'd like to teach him to play other things but I just don't know what. I'm wondering if there's a video or book out there that can teach me how to teach him. I'd kinda like a video...I'm hoping for something that maybe he could watch and learn from too. Do they watch and learn from TV? We have a bird video that we turn on for him and when we do he says "hi birdies"...so I know he can see what's on the TV. In fact, when we turn on cartoons, he says "cartooooons"...lol. Anyway, if anyone can recommend a video or book, I'd really appreciate it!! Heather

Thanks, Monique. FairY, my husband is fine with it. But, I do bug him with my worrying. I worry that something will happen to me and then I don't know what will come of Harrison. He and my husband haven't bonded as much as he and I have. I'm 35, I know I shouldn't worry about that so much. shazbaby36, I love the cuddling. I used to kiss Harrison all the time. I would kiss him right on the beak. Then we took him to his 6 month check up and he had gram negative bacteria in his mouth..a lot of it. The vet saw me kissing him on the beak and said that it was really bad for humans to do that. She said to stop kissing him for 2 weeks and bring him back to check him again. If it was still bad, we'd go ahead and treat him. He was perfect when we brought him back. I was kind of embarrassed...I made him sick with all the "making out"...anyway, I kiss him on his head or his wing now. He still tries to kiss me on the mouth and tags me every once in a while...but no more kissing like before. :blush: Heather:side:

I'm just curious about other people and their relationships with their AGs. I've had Harrison for exactly a year now. I never expected to be so "in love" as I am. When my alarm goes off in the morning, I'm excited to get up and go to him. When I get off of work, I can't wait to get home to see him. Even while I'm at work, I think about him and wonder what he's doing. I often call home to ask my husband how he's doing. Am I crazy? Do other people do this? I hope I haven't made a complete fool of myself by writing this...here's his online album from the first day we brought him home on April 6, 2006. http://imageevent.com/heatheranddenis/congoafricangrey Heather

We got Harrison at 3 months of age and he was saying "hello pretty bird" and "hello pretty birdies" at the breeder's house...he's now 15 months old and says all kinds of things. He had two sisters there with him and neither of them talked while we were there picking Harrison up. Heather 3 month old Harrison

Hi Yankeebobo. Thanks for the reply. Harrison's main cage is 40x30x45 (WidthxDepthxHeight). His other one is just a tad smaller. I've noticed more and more of the fluffy white feathers coming out of him...especially near his vent. It doesn't look like he's missing any feathers, but it doesn't look like he's molting either...no pin feathers coming in. I've tried playing games with him, but he just seems to have this "I cannot be bothered with this" kind of attitude...My husband and I played a couple games together and showed what a wonderful time we had....but still no interest...little turkey!! Anyway, congrats on Suki growing some of her feathers in!! That's really wonderful...it sounds like you're a wonderful mommy...er umm..daddy?? lol...have a good day Heather P.S. This was the first toy he ever showed interest in. While he was still playing with it, my husband went out and bought a couple more that are a bit different. My husband wasn't even back yet and Harrison had lost interest...lol

One more thing I wanted to add. I work for the school district so I only work 180 days a year. And I'm only gone for about 7 hours a day. I just wanted to say that because when I'm home, Harrison is hanging out with me.

Hi, thank you for responding. We did get the 100% Aloe Vera Juice stuff. Now that you mention it, I wonder if he can tell that I worry about him. I wish I had the kind of job where I could take him with me. B) Then I wouldn't worry so much!! Yes, I am petting those forbidden areas.:ohmy: I do it A LOT. Darn it!! It's become habit for me...It started when I would hold him under my chin and then I put my hand on his back. I have a CAG book that says to do that to get them used to "playing dead". But, I take advantage of that teaching time by petting him also. I pet him from his back to the end of his tail. He doesn't act like it's bothering him, but if I'm causing some sort of hormonal thing in my little man, I'll stop. Thank you so much!! Heather

MrSpock, the vet said that Harrison is in the beginning stages of feather chewing. She said I need to step up the toys and interactive play. The problem I have is, I haven't had much luck with toys. I recently got him a "treasure box"...I put his favorite treat in it along with his not so favorite treats in it...he spends about half an hour at it trying to get his treats out. If I kept it full of treats all the time, he'd keep at it, I'm sure. My husband found more of the same type of thing today and we'll be hanging them around his cage. As far as being out of his cage, he's out for about an hour each morning while I get ready for work and then from 3pm to 9pm he's out with us. I do have problems knowing what to do with him, though. All the books and forums say to play with him, chat with him, teach him things...but HOW??? I thought I'd be good at this...I've worked with adults with disablities all of my adult life and have taught independent living skills to people who didn't even want to learn. I'm also a sign language interpreter in an elementary school...you'd think I'd be good at knowing how to teach, but I'm lost. I did all kinds of research before I got Harrison. I had parrots growing up...but never a Grey. He really likes to nibble and caress my fingers with his beak. He will hold my hand with his talon and rub my fingers for a long time. He climbs all over me...Do you have any suggestions as to what kinds of activities we can do together? We also go outside together when it's warm. Humidity...we recently bought a humidifier so that problem should be solved. Itchy skin...he tolerates baths. He doesn't hate them but doen't like them either. I was spraying him but now I'm putting him in a pot of warm water that has aloe in it. My husband read that aloe can help his itch skin. (if that's the probelm) I only suggested getting another bird because I thought it might be good for Harrison. You are absolutely right, Rachel, I don't have time for another one. I just thought it would be good for him during the day. Too bad I don't have a neighbor with one, they could hang out during the day. ?? As far as a diagnosis....the vet said he was a good weight (424 grams), he looked good (other than under his wings) and he's been doing well. I just had a gram stain done in December...had his mouth checked too...or is that what a gram stain is? Well either way, I had his poop checked and his mouth checked. All was good. Anyway, I am desperate. I am devastated that he's started the feather picking. I feel like a total failure. I know I haven't done enough for him. I could really use some help here. Any advice is welcome...thanks!! Heather

Hello, I just found this site. I have a 15 month old CAG and I just found out he's been chewing the under side of his wings. I took him to the vet to get his nails trimmed and they checked his wings...they found that he'd been chewing the feathers. I had him at the vet in December and didn't see any evidence of feather chewing then so I think it's only been going on for a couple months. The vet thinkgs it's because he's bored. I work during the day (7am to 3pm)and my husband is home with him until 2pm. He doen't like my husband. He has his own TV and stereo. He hasn't really taken a liking to any toys except shredders. We have two cages for him. One in his room and one in the living room. OK, now for my question...I was thinking about getting another bird...as a buddy to him. I'm thinking maybe a cockatiel. I'd keep her in the same room/separate cage. Have any of you ever done that?? If he were to get a buddy, does it need to be the same species? Thanks for any answers/suggestions!! Heather