judygram

Yeah Varo is home and starting to settle into his new home and surroundings, he looks great. I like Barbara's idea of getting him to step up, once he sets the first foot up raise him up slightly so he has to bring the other foot up or lose his balance, say step up and then when he does praise him so he will want to do that when asked. Most greys should be allowed to come out of their cage before asking them to step up for they view their cage as their safety zone and do not like hands intruding but my Josey will step up from inside her cage. Do offer a variety of vegetables, you will find a detailed list in the bird food room, offer them in different ways, cooked, raw, shredded, mashed and whatever way you think of for some like certain ones raw, certain ones cooked and so forth. A good pelleted food should be available at all times and should be a large portion of their diet along with some seeds, nuts, grains, legumes, rices and pastas, a little chicken and egg several times a week and a sliver of cheddar cheese is enjoyed about twice weekly. Just take things nice and slow and let Varo set the pace of getting familiar with his new digs and do consider just allowing him to keep his flight capabilities for he will get better at it the more he practices, remember we as children had to fall a few times before we could walk so give him time to learn to land properly and of course he has to learn the lay of the home but I am betting in a month's time he will be lots more proficient at flying and landing.

I wear old t-shirts at home so when, and I do say when not if, they poop on me I can change it, also my conure is a shirt chewer so I never wear anything I don't want tore up when she is on me. I am not freaked out by the sight of poop on my shirt like many non bird owners would be so it doesn't bother me when hubby says I have bird poop on my back. You can make or buy some of those shoulder protectors to put over your shoulders but they would have to be washed also so I just use old t-shirts. My tiel does not bite, she has pecked at me or if my hubby puts her up to his nose she will peck it but she doesn't bite at all, can't imagine it would hurt very much if she did but my conure can get in quite a pinch.

You did good, real good and I enjoyed it.

Be careful there Steve as you are treading on thin ice with those comments! Josey has been dna'd a female and I wanted to know the sex before I took her home but I agree that if she had been a he I would still treat her the same, she is my baby no matter the sex.

You have plenty of time, you are a young man and it is wise to wait and see what all your options are, check to see what if any breeders are in your country, research, talk to other people and see if you can find one that has a baby grey you can buy. If people would not purchase wild caught greys then their trade will have to stop but as long as there is a market for them the trade will continue. I know the loss of Twix has left a huge hole in your heart and you want a quick fix but the best way to honor him would be to see if at all possible you can find a baby grey to give a home to or adopt an older grey in need of a new home, best of luck to you.

I just checked out your site you provided a link to, you have a beautiful country but not sure I could handle all that snow, I do love some snow but I imagine you all have it all winter. I especially loved the section on what all your greys have destroyed, you have made a wonderful site to show off your birds and some of yourself, thanks for sharing the link with us.

:oOpps sorry Steve, so you have never had Misty dna'd to know for sure but what makes you 99% sure he is a male?

I can relate to the computer chair Stephen, mine is chewed and shit on but still I use it, why buy a new one to have it become the same way.

No I didn't know that Ray but I would imagine that percentage will only rise with time.

I would have imagined that number would be higher but thanks for the info Ray.

I am sorry this has not worked out for you to take Gracie with you to work but the others have given valid points that in today's world we have to live with but she will be fine if you leave enough toys to occupy her mind and a radio on for company, be sure to include foraging opportunities to keep her busy. I work full time and am gone for nearly 9 hours a day during the week as is a lot of us who are not retirement age, close but not quite. I have taken my birds to work occasionally but its a small office so few people.

I have to agree with Wingy on this, you need to take your time and not rush into replacing Twix so fast besides if you go the route of adopting a wild caught grey then you will only be contributing to the problem.

Yes I know the feeling well and thanks for sharing the pics with us, Willo is adorable.

I love that first picture, it is priceless, thanks for sharing them with us.

Hello Bosse and welcome to our family, I bet you have stories to tell from owning greys for that long and you will have to indulge us with some of them soon. How many greys do you have, their names and ages?

Misty probably feels guilty for she is the reason the paper stop is no longer functional so she helps the way she does best, she is a keeper.

Hello Candismalli and welcome to our family, so glad to hear you are finally realizing your dream of owning a Cag. I commend you for waiting until the time was right, so many people want immediate gratification but you are going about this the right way and you should do fine since you have had some experience with living with a grey. Your baby is adorable and it will seem like an eternity until that day comes you can bring him/her home but keep sharing the pics for we love to watch them grow.

In truth one of the best ways to end up with some kind of disfiguring injury is to allow your bird to shoulder sit especially of the birds grey sized and larger as some just cannot be trusted with shoulder privileges but it is not a matter of dominance. I allow all 3 of my birds to shoulder sit, mind you two of them are smaller type birds but one is my grey. She doesn't spend large amounts of time doing it but I do allow it for I can trust her, some greys you cannot trust for they will go after ears, lips, nose and any other part of the head and if they are interested in messing with those parts of the body then you cannot trust them. Some people preach you shouldn't allow any bird to shoulder sit but it has to be a personal decision based on each individual bird. Some want to go to the shoulder as soon as they get on your hand or arm and it is difficult to keep them from going there.

Happy Hatchday Sterling Gris, know you had a good one from the pics, you got to go outside on a harness.

Even though this time was short the next time may be longer especially if the wind isn't blowing, most greys do not like wind or at least mine doesn't, always make it fun for him so he will want to go the next time, you did good.

I don't have a zon but my birdies know when I come home and they let me know when a stranger comes into the house, better than a watch dog.

I can't comment on this as I am not a grey breeder but maybe your avian vet can answer those questions.

Its good to see a grey eat good veggies and Marcus is adorable munching on that pepper, thanks for sharing the vid with us.

Helllo Linnea and welcome to our family, so glad to hear you are doing your research before you take the plunge into grey ownership. You will learn a lot from reading thru the threads here, they are full of firsthand knowledge from experienced grey owners and do not hesitate to ask questions and we will help you in any way we can.

Hello Ahoover and welcome to our family and congrats on your addition of Toby to the flock. Some greys just like men more than women and vice versa but do not take this personally, it may just take more time for Toby to accept you and you may have answered your own question, ""Do i just need to act more confident and sure of myself when trying to handle him?"" definitely yes. Your fiance may be more confident when interacting with Toby and they do sense fear and uncertainty so try it with confidence and see what happens. Greys are very different from other birds especially parakeets but you will learn lots from reading thru the threads here as it is from experienced grey owners who have firsthand knowledge of all aspects of living and sharing your life with such a magnificent creature and if you have any questions feel free to ask and we will help you in any way we can. Pictures are always welcomed here.