estream

monique :-) I hear you :-) I've found "poop-off" works wonders with hardened food pellets! Although you should prepare for a rather offended grey if you should clean it up in their presence lol :-)

Mahalo! Expect the unexpected It sounds a little hinky, but they truly do have a way of revealing the very best in us. They see, and when they do, it encourages us to see too :-) And here endeth my sappy thoughts ... for now! be afraid, be very afraid :-)

I couldn't agree more :-) They certainly have a way of revealing the best in us ... not to mention encouraging endless reflection over the myriad meanings of everything from verbal to physical communication and the significance of pasta paintings on my once upon-a-prestine wall ... I'm going with artistic expression, or maybe interpretive dance, like those blue guys on television? Yep, it's official, way too much time on my hands, and a clear need for sleep lol :-) A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song. always dug that quote.

lol ZoesDad quite poetic! I came close to doing the same thing with the name Zoe myself lol :-) How is Zoe doing in her first weeks with you? How are you finding life with a grey?

Ditto, Chloe's grinding was alarming at first ... not to mention cringe worthy lol ... happily it's all good :-) note to Zoe's dad - Chloe keeps insisting on using the name Zoe quite a bit lately lol :-) Maybe I'm watching too much West Wing lol :-) Congrats on your new family member :-) Wonderful picture!

Thinking of you ... hoping for the very best

lol, hang in there, the trick is to be more stubborn than he is :-) You might also try making a big fuss about the pellets. Enjoy them yourself in an overwhelmingly ridiculous fashion ... have as much fun as possible ... his curiosity could outweigh his suspicion lol :-) Try mixing the power treats with juice as well for that more intense flavor. Take heart, it may take a while, but don't give in ... his health is worth the struggle, and sticking to what you decide is best for him will help your relationship in the future :-)

Aloha Heather, Agreed, there are many differing opinions on sleep and cage covers - seems to me it depends on the individual bird. If your grey has cranky behavior troubles you might consider encouraging more sleep time, but if all seems well and your routine works for you and your bird without negative consequence, seems to me it's all good :-) Besides, greys are as intelligent as they come - if they're sleepy, they'll nap. If you notice excessive naping, by all means consider longer sleeping alternatives. If you'd rather avoid a cover, consider shades for your windows, heavier curtains for his room, things like that :-) Good luck to you :-)

I go with the love and patience philosophy myself, positive reinforcement - that said, this doesn't mean allowing them to waddle all over you :-) Sounds like things are looking up Seeday. Congrats on your new family member, and welcome to the forum :-)

Aloha Ian :-) Congrats on your new family member, and welcome! I'm fairly new myself but have found everyone here to be incredibly kind and willing to share experience and overall insight - it's a great place to learn and/or simply share all those grey stories friends and family might consider you clinically suspect over :-)

Right on :-) You might also consider incorporating Harrison's power treats in the mix- they have a stronger peanuty taste which might gain your grey's interest in pellets :-)

Aloha SF, Congrats! A few suggestions to help get you started ... greys are very sensitive to change, take care to keep things slow and easy. You might place his cage somewhere where he can view the normal goings on in your home. Let him observe, get his bearings. and adapt to his new environment. When you pass him, or make eye contact, be mindful to say hello and speak with him in soothing tones. He's getting used to you as well as your environment, and you want him to feel safe and secure in your care. After a couple of days of acclimation, step up training is a must for a happy healthy realtionship. Because your grey is 9 years old, hopes are high he already knows what the step up command means, however, you are still new to one another. Therefore, you each still need to go through the motions to build trust. Remember that a bird doesn't have any hands - he investigates with his beak. He might test your fingers or arm to make sure they are solid and safe to step on. Your allusion to his leg searching in the air is indeed usually a clue he's expecting to find your hand waiting for him - an excellent sign :-) Eyes- pinning can be a sign of nerves, fear, or aggression. Use caution when he is pinning - my suggestion would be to wait until he's calm, especially while you two are still getting aquainted. In time you'll be able to read his body language without even realizing you're doing it :-) Finally, you might consider checking out a few books - a few of my faves are Parrots for Dummies (light, fun, informative) by Moustaki and Parrot Training by Doane, both good intros to parrot behavior and training, and not so technical you consider throwing yourself off a cliff :-) I wish you well SF :-) And welcome :-)

Hmmm, As far as I know DNA testing and/or an egg are only ways to know for certain. If it makes you feel any better, the first grey we adopted was given to us as a female ... we simply went with the flow and treated "her" accordingly ... 3 years later we found out she was a he :-) Apart from a few subtle nick name changes, we all adapted in time. It seems to me that as long as you treat your grey with love and patience, male or female, it's all good :-) Good luck!

That would be great, Dareuk - one question - your grey roams freely when you're home, or all the time? In all fairness I'm a self professed freak when it comes to parrot safety, but there are so many potential dangers in the home it's very difficult to feel differently. Electrical cords, poisonous materials/cleansers, fans, toilet bowls, fish tanks - Ugh. Chloe and Piper have supervised free time most of the day, and with a bit of training they have each learned to stick to their play gyms unless I invite them to cruise with me. My two freakish cents :-) Moving is rough, I truly wish you luck - if you're relagated to a corner for her cage space, have you considered a corner cage? Check in Fosters and Smith online, If I remember correctly they carry one or two versions?<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/04/26 00:20

Wow. Seems to fall a bit short, but Wow. Okay then, productive resolution. Here's what worked for Chloe and I ... Chloe had "failure to thrive" when we found her, and had some definite regression in terms of weening. Rather than going back to syringe feeding, and under the supervision of my avian vet, I went with mixing Harrison's power treats (higher fat content) mixed with warm Harrison's formula and mashed banana to soften the pellets. Once they get mushy, I offered her little blobs at a time, and on a very gradual basis cut back more and more on the formula portions. Once she was on the power treats alone, I began mixing in the high potency course pellets, and in time all was well. Papaya, mango, banana, berries, broc, pasta, things like this also came to be hits in time, especially after making a big scene of enjoying them myself first in order to peak her curiosity. Above all, however, I encourage you to consult with an avian specialist for guidance and supervision. He/she may prefer different options, and would hopefully perform a few tests to make certain these bahavior issues are rooted in premature change rather than any physical concern. I hope this helps a little, and wish you well :-)<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/04/25 01:35

Hmmm, I clicked on the motorcycle pic in hopes of finding the pictures - some great ones of your grey :-) Is the cage she's hanging on the old one? It looks nice and spacious for a healthy active grey - I'd encourage you to keep it - barring that, no pun intended, I emphatically encourage the philosphy of inordinately gradual change with your grey. It's time well spent :-) If behavior changes arise from swift change, you'll be investing even more time not to mention heartache in the trauma... I wish you luck!

I second Monique - too much change at once can lead to all kinds of troubles - feather plucking, behavior problems, eating challenges, the works. I suggest addressing things more slowly, ease her into change for a smooth transition. Also, take great care in regard to downsizing - especially if your grey is in the cage a lot. Same troubles above apply, and then some. Put yourself in your bird's place - or simply imagine yourself locked in your bedroom all day - after a time, most of us would get a little nutty. I wish you well :-)

Aloha Rambo, If your budget can take it, Avian Accent cages are quite helpful for those with allergies - they come standard with a hepa filter and acrylic side panels to limit dander without sacrificing climbing options for your birds. In fact, all the bars go sideways rather than up and down - a real confidence builder for Chloe, who is a bit of a clutz (in a graceful way of course lol). Once again, if it's in your budget, these cages are a good lifelong investment for allergy sufferers who plan to live with birds forever and always. Bonus - they don't look like jail :-) I love them :-) http://avianaccents.com/<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/04/23 23:58

Hmmm, some say timnehs are less sensitive, a bit more easy going, but my experience has been that greys differ in personality as much as people do. My mother's TAG is far more emotional and beaky than my CAG. I would suggest focus on the individual grey - meet with a few and see how you feel as far as temperment goes. Avoid limiting yourself, go by feel - You'll know your bird when you find him/her :-) I look forward to hearing how things go for you :-)

Aloha Silent, Hmmm, tough one. It seems to me all this depends on the individual person and the individual bird, which squelches easy predicitions. I respectfully suggest asking yourself all the important questions. Why a grey? What do you hope to learn from and bring to the relationship? What level of commitment is realistic for you? A grey is like a toddler - no matter how tired you are after work, how sick you are with a cold, how broken your ankle is after a fall - they still need your focus if you are to have a healthy and meaningful relationship. Their intelligence is tempered with great sensitivity - and occasional neurosis :-) If all this doesn't raise a single doubt in you - I caution you to reconsider. If all this raises healthy doubt and some measure of nerves mixed in with immeasurable love for the potential of life with a grey - I wish you well! And suggest getting some disney dvds to loop for your baby while you're away lol :-) Chloe digs them :-)

Aloha Hawaiisheila, Neighbor island, nice to meet you :-) Just wanted to offer kudos for your loving determination :-) I second Monique's cautions, and wish you well :-)

Aloha Minnow, Chloe and Piper are on Harrison's and have done remarkably well with it ... what was your approach in making the switch? Did you try incorporating power treats? It was a tough transition month for Chloe, very gradual, but it eventually came down to who was more stubborn :-) Both enjoy showers and baths but I've never had to add a thing to promote feather health. Harrison's has seemed to work from the source, inside out, for overall health. My two cents :-) Good luck!

Congrats Dave :-) I must confess, I might be a little grouchy with a pin feather too :-) That said, remember that birds experience the world through their beaks, and as babies, they can be especially beaky in the excitement of exploration... and that all important time honored tradition of testing you and flock rules. Take heart when Charlie does bite (as a bird, and a wild animal, odds are through the roof for an occasional clamp) it isn't becasue he/she means you pain and heartache (although if you're anything like me it's hard to avoid the smooshed feelers now and then). Shake it off as best you can and keep on keeping on. With a calm and unceremoniously bored no, ignore the unwanted behavior, and encourage the positive with all kinds of love and attention. Charlie will seek to elicit that more and more in time. I wish you both well!

Aloha babygirl, Hmmm, it seems you're in a bit of a fix :-) I can relate, I'm currently in the same situation with a 8 month old jardine's parrot, a bird which Chloe the CAG finds wholly undignified at best :-) As the great clip debate continues with a cornucopia of factors in regard to each living situation, I'll simply share my own attempts at addressing this situation, and invite further suggestions heartily! Piper, the wholly undignified highly adorable jardines, has a terrible habit of "flying" off her perch with no regard for the coronary she gives me each and every time. So, to address this I've taken the training perch approach. A simple U stand is closer to the ground = shorter fall. Each time she does "fly" off, I very calmly with a to-the-point "no" uncerimoniously pick her up and place her right back in the approved birdie perching zone. Herein lies the catch ... I have to be more stubborn than she is, keeping my poker face through it all. It's best to address each fly by UNDERdramatically, as the more you react the more fun it is for baby, and before you know it you have a game going on and baby wrote the play book ... never a wise idea :-) I take care to ignore the bad behavior as much as possible, but the more Piper stays on her perch and follows the rules, the more praise and attention I offer her. Suffice to say this is a repetitive timeless process that requires infinite loving patience ... and the occasional human time out. Sometimes a half an hour back in her cage and me in a bath is just the recharge I need to get my heart back into training. All that said, one more suggestion - you might consider keeping her off the kitchen floor, as a general rule but most especially during this initial training process. It might prove confusing? Supervised floor play in a designated area is one thing - but roaming can prove very dangerous, not to mention confusing for a baby still learning flock rules. After all, floor is floor ... why should the floor around her perch be any less deserving of exploration? Here endeth my ramble. Hope it helps a little. I'll stay tuned in hopes of more suggestions from other members :-) I wish you well!<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/04/21 09:45

Congrats Mamabird :-) Hmmm, the first thing that comes to mind for me is pace. Slow and easy :-) Your baby will be exposed to a great many new things in the transition to your home. Take care to create a safe sanctuary where your new baby can see and hear the daily life in your home, limiting exposure to an overwhemling spectrum of new things all at one time. In my experience, the greys incredible intelligence is often tempered with great sensitivity. Take it slow and easy, and always with love, and in time you'll naturally fall into a pace you can share. I wish you well!