estream

I'm fairly sure he means "in quantity" with spinach. A little goes a long way? I'll be sure to ask him to expand on that, there is so much conflicting info it gets terribly confusing. I figure to everything there is a balance :-)

Ah, memories :-) Love those songs. I went to my very first concert this past December, the close of U2's tour with Pearl Jam. It was my 30th birthday present, and what a gift it was! I have never seen so many people in the same place in the same moment thinking and hoping and screaming for all the same things. It was a night to remember :-) <br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/06/05 00:44

Aloha, Do you have access to foods like Harrisons or Roudybush? These are pellets most avian specialists agree are ideal. Both can be purchased online :-) Fruits and Veggies are a part of a bird's balanced diet. It's good to offer your bird variety, and it's cool to mix it up with your pellets down the line, but when you are first starting out you might consider keeping them in separate bowls so that you can tell how much of which thing your bird is eating. rules I follow according to my avian specialist .... ABSOLUTELY NONE OF THE FOLLOWING DANGEROUS FOODS AND DRINKS Alcohol & alcoholic beverages Avocado (skin, pit) Caffeine, Chocolate Cigarette Smoke, Coffee, Corn (stored in humid area), Highly salted food Mushrooms, High Oxalic acid foods (spinach, rhubarb), Raw peanuts in shell (poorly stored), Seeds (in quantity apple, apricot, bitter almond), seeds (in quantity cherry, peach, pear, plum), Soft Drinks (with caffeine or colas), tea, wines<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/06/05 00:12

I go away twice a year, 3 weeks each. I treat the situation in a very mellow manner ... I think the calmer I am, the calmer they are. When I'm nervous, they pick up on it and model that behavior themselves. When I'm laid back about things, so are they. Each time I return home I am greeted heartily with each and every word in their vocabulary, plus any extras they may have learned while I was away :-) That said, I do call every other day to check in on them :-) I drive my birdsitters batty :-)

celery, if you're seriously considering cages by design and can price accordingly,, you might also consider avian accents :-) avianaccents.com. They are a good lifetime investment and most definitely sturdy. We love them! I would suggest contacting Pat there, she was lovely and was able to answer all my questions.

I second that, you will always see the white downy feathers all over as well as the occasional red or grey full feather - even more so when molting. As long as you see no balding spots on your grey's body, plucking should not be a concern, but it's immeasurably good of you to be so cautious and seek out advice! It's always better to ask questions then to let things go with a bird. Clearly your grey is in loving hands :-)<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/06/04 01:38

Aloha, welcome! And congrats on your new family member :-) She's beautiful!

I love threads like this :-) I can always count on a good giggle :-) Here are a few faves from the now 4 pages of vocabulary from Shyloh ... I'm so honored I get to be her mom :-) Who is da bird, da bird is da word! Back away from the bird! I love you veeeeeeeery much! quiet, it's quiet time now ... shhhhhhhhh! it's all good right on! wacha doing little bit? upside down! pop pop pop pop POPcorn! hey, no no, there's no chewing on the curtains! I see you, you're busted!!! Sings - you are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, cuz youre so grey! A bittersweet addition - not long ago there was a military excercise fairly close to where I live ... it included helicopters ... which flew quite close to my place. Shyloh was out on her rec stand when a huge black hawk looking chopper flew right past the window and frightened her into jumping to the floor and dashing away :ohmy: This would have been a terribly sad story if it hadn't been for her following reaction - while simultaneously waddling away under one part of the couch and out the other, down the hallway and towards her sleeping cage, she repeatedly said to herself, "it's ok, it's okay, it's okay, ok ok ok okay, it's okay!!!!" Worriedly chasing after her, she realized I was behind her about halfway down the hall. She stopped, waddled over to me, and said "Okay, step up, step up, STEP UP!!!!!! it's okay, it's okay, it's okay, Shyloh wanna go home now?". It was so sad, and yet such a good example of using words in context on her own without training and example. I would tell her it's okay in other situations when she was frightened, for example; thunder, but she applied it to this one on her own. As heartbreaking as it was, I must in all fairness confess it was incredibly difficult not to laugh :whistle: Once she was secure in her sleeping home, I had to leave the room and burst into hysterical laughter so as not to offend her :blush: and on a more purely humorous note, this one has been posted before but it still makes me laugh... in honor of random incredible moments: The air conditioning repair man, while deeply focused in his work, did not notice that Shyloh was out on her recreation stand ... in the silence that often accompanies deep thought, Shyloh announced "Back away from the bird!". The poor man must have jumped a good foot lol, then turned to me insisting that strange bird had not in fact just spoken to him. Before I could answer him, Shyloh said, "Who is da bird, da bird is da word!"! Needless to say we both laughed so hard we were crying Shyloh approved as if her work here was done, then promptly demanded popcorn , "pop pop pop pop POPcorn! Shyloh popcorn?!!!" Hope this brings everyone the smile it brought me! Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/06/04 01:07<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/06/04 01:12

That's wonderful! Many thanks :-)

lol, this was a great read, you turned my day around :-) thank you for reminding me to laugh it out! In an effort to to embrace a little bravery, here goes ... this my father and I from his visit in March :-) He claims it hurts to smile lol, but he's secretly squishy on the inside :-) <br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/06/01 02:03

I hear you, Judy, it took me a little over a year to save for each one :-) Honestly, a safe space and loving attention are the most important things for them, and clearly your bird has both :-)<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/05/31 06:44

Caspersmum, Awe, thank you :-) Never won anything before, I'm honored, but the kudos should go to Avian Accents, Impeckable :-) They build them with bird proof interiors, (check out first picture post of the inside - the wood is inaccesible to your kids unless you allow them to climb on the outside of the home - I prefer rec centers for play time, but everyone has their own way ). I dig these homes - built with ease and access in mind, side to side med grade stainless steel bars for easy climbing, cage guards and hepa filter strategically designed for the top of the cage. It took some VERY serious planning and saving, but I feel it was a good investment for everyone's future. Check out avianaccents.com. Pat runs the site and she's been lovely to work with. Cheers, Jenna Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/05/31 01:01 Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/05/31 01:08<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/05/31 01:09

ditto :-) errr tritto. Okay it's official, I need to get some sleep lol :-)

Success!!! *insert virtual happy dance here* I could still use a few pointers for my album if anyone is willing ... <br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/05/30 23:06

Aloha FairY, I suspect the problem lies with me - I'm afraid I'm not terribly computer literate, apart from using word and pages lol :-) I have a mac, using iphoto, and have added pictures before without any trouble - I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong but I would guess it's something copiously silly. Would be grateful for any guidance anyone might offer. Until then, I figured out that by posting and then "editing" in the forum, I should be able to post pictures right here .... here's hoping this works .... <br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/05/30 22:57

lol :-) Thank you :-) The birdsitter dvd is a wonderful mix of parrots doing all kinds of parrot things, interacting with one another, eating, playing, the works. It's supposed to stimulate your parrot's brain in ways we as their caregivers simply can't do. They seem to love it, and it comes equipped with looping capabilities which is quite helpful. I work from home and so don't use it perhaps as much as others might, but when I do they look at it as a treat and are worlds less grumpy about my leaving.

Aloha Julia, What a wonderful idea! Thank you so much, I will certainly give that a try - I think Piper would love that! She's a jardine's who just turned 1 year on May 19th, and while she's quite fiesty, Shyloh the 6 year old CAG is very mellow and cerebral... unless you have popcorn, in which case all dignity is lost in her quest to score as much as possible lol :-) FairY, yes, I do seem to be having some trouble posting all the sudden ... any suggestions? How does one post here in the forum? And what could I be doing wrong in my profle postings? :-( cheers, Jenna<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/05/27 22:21

or not ... will post them on my profile instead, but would be grateful for any posting guidance anyone might offer for future fun :-) Hmmm, I seem to have regressed in my computer education, or lack thereof lol, has anything changed in regard to posting pictures? I've done it before in my profile, but seem to have lost my edge lol :-) S-O-S<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/05/27 03:32

attempting to share ...<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/05/27 03:18

We just received our harnesses in the mail direct from Parrot University. I've placed them strategically in view and will introduce them slowly over the weekend, hoping for the best :-) I also picked up the Birdsitter DVD from the same folks who brought us the harness, which seems to be quite a hit! Shyloh says, "wanna watch tv ... bird! bird bird bird bird! Okay?" lol I cannot imagine my life without them :-)<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/05/27 22:24

Did I read something about Hawaii? lol, let me know if you need any tips :-) As for air filters, I dig the IQ air Health Pro Plus, which is clearly pricey, but covers both human and bird safety and health - also pays for itself in the absense of medical bills. Covers allergens, molecular control, odor, bacteria, and viruses. It changed life as I know it and certainly sets my mind at ease.

Congrats! He's wonderful :-)

Aloha Jimmy :-) Agreed, I think vocalization, whistles, and household imitations vary greatly with each individual bird and their environmental considerations. Chloe is a CAG, and began with "Hello" at roughly four months. It was most certainly a rough interpretation (uncontrolled and very funny) beginning with the rhythm of the word and progressing to diction and tone with practice :-) She is now almost six years old with a good four pages of vocabulary she uses with -and on occasion without - intent and focus. That said, I do work from home and as a result spend a great deal of time with her. As far as the one-foot concern, I agree, it's my understanding that is a very good sign that a bird is relaxed and content :-) as far as temp goes, I seem to remember sharing this concern early on and consulting with my avian vet, who reassured me all was well and that this is a normal bird thing. That said, if this should ever be accompanied by troubling behavior changes, I encourage you to be safe and consult with your own avian specialist. I'm happy to hear things are going so well for you :-) Also, my thanks to zoesdad for the article link, which I will share with my mother who recently welcomed a TAG into her home :-) all a part of my evil plot to infect the masses with grey love :-)

Embrace the swiffer :-) Air purifiers help as well as handhelds ... daily showers do wonders to keep it at a minimum

I'm with Monique, but would expand with this - you might try some chewing distraction ... redirect your grey to things he/she is allowed to chew on - birdie safe toys, leather, wood, bird puzzles ... make a big fuss over all the good things to chew on, while exhibiting bored but stern NO's with things that are off limits. Redirection has worked wonders for me, I hope it offers you a little peace :-)