judygram

He knows what he likes and how to get it, sounds like he has you where he wants you.

Penny is right, they learn to navigate even small areas and she will be much happier if she can be allowed to fly for after all that is why they have wings.

These are breeder birds and not pets, they want and require some privacy if they are going to breed and since she heats and maintains temperature it is perfect for them, of course its not suitable for pet greys.

You got it!

She needs to be bathed every week or more often if you can so you may just have to do it anyway no matter how much she protests, she will feel better afterwards and it will help cut down on the itchiness especially if she is molting.

Well glad to hear the antibiotics are about over and then maybe his appetite will return but you are doing so well in coming up with ideas to get some food in him even if it is not the healthiest but you can work on that later. I have no idea if a macaw can growl but I imagine they can since greys can and it would have to be a fearful sound since they are a bigger bird, he must have seen something, hope you don't hear it too often.

Socialization is more of having all members of the household interact with and handle her so she is less likely to become a one person bird, letting visitors to the home talk and interact with her if she allows it and maybe taking her to places so she sees other people besides just the immediate family. Some greys just don't like to be touched too much and some are cuddlers, my grey is the same as yours, she doesn't like to be touched too much and I have to respect that but she is a part of the household and I do interact with her the most, she will give my hubby kisses but usually won't go to him. Take her with you when you sit down on the sofa and see if she will stay and be with you while you watch tv, she might and she might not, some are content to sit by for a while and some are more restless and want to roam and get into things, only you know your bird and what she likes.

I think the answer here is already provided by none other than yourself with the statement, "I'm a little agressive" you are probably not giving her enough time and certainly not patient enough with her when working with her. Greys cannot be rushed or pushed into anything, I think you need to settle back and let her dictate when she is ready to interact with you. As far as toys, maybe you just haven't tried the right kind of toy yet, some greys love shredable toys, some wooden, some leather or rope, some will turn their beak up at one toy and accept another and be sure to introduce new toys slowly for they dread new ones for they think they are gonna attack and eat them. Since you grey is still alive and kicking then I assume she is drinking water, you may not see her do it but she does or she wouldn't live too long. It doesn't take long to take a sip or two of water and move on and I know you can't be watching her every minute of the day. Maybe she is more of a perch potato than an active playing grey, some are like that, she would just rather sit and observe her world preening a little along the way while others would rather go from branch to branch playing with their toys. Maybe she decided she no longer wants to shower or it is possible that something happened the last time that caused her to no longer enjoy them, who knows what goes on in a grey's brain. Maybe you are being too agressive with the training right now, cut that back or out for the time being and see if things improve, she needs to feel comfortable and maybe you are pushing too much too soon for her. Also she is becoming more independent now as she gets older, she is making her own decisions and maybe she has decided you are being too pushy so back off some. Socialization is more of having all members of the household interact with and handle her so she is less likely to become a one person bird, letting visitors to the home talk and interact with her if she allows it and maybe taking her to places so she sees other people besides just the immediate family. I think you are doing pretty well but you need to be less aggressive with her, take it easy and slow and make patience your best friend. Take a look thru the bird food room for ideas of what to feed her and what she should be getting as far as nutrition.

Well thanks Ken and you are not boring, what you say speaks the truth, they do want to please us just as we want the same from them. Ruby is doing well for being in your home for only one month but there will be bumps along the way but you are certainly off to a greyt start.

I hope so too Dee, you have come a long way with Gilbert and it was just an outburst and nothing more, I do hope he regains the ability to fly again, thanks so much for keeping us updated on him.

I can see how they thought at first glance that he may be the perp they were coming for but so glad you all can laugh about it now, its a scary thing to have happen. I will go with a traditional weapon if confronted with someone breaking into my home for they will be looking down the barrel of a gun even though a can of hornet spray can do the trick.

Ha ha thats where most of us are now so be careful of what you wish for.

Those 8 greys are breeding pairs, not pets so it is totally different but still wonderful. Craig, are all your birds breeders or are some of them companions? Would love to hear more about them.

It does look nice but it would be up to the admins to put the question of changing it to the owners who have final control over the forum.

It sounds like she is regurtitating for you, why not allow her to come out of the cage on her own and then asking her to step up keeping your fingers away from her beak, its always a good idea to have your bird step up from outside the cage as some can come to view their cage as their safety zone and become territorial about it. Now why don't you introduce yourself in the welcome room and tell us more about yourself and Tess and pictures of course are always welcomed.

I am glad to hear it is not an emergency issue but hopefully you will get him checked out soon.

To add a little calcium to a grey's diet offer a small sliver of cheddar cheese a couple times a week, my grey and conure both love it and react accordingly when the package is removed from the fridge, its the one food item they eat without dropping a single crumb.

Hello Craig Katherine and welcome to our family, so glad you found us. Yes we have some members from the UK, I visited England in 2010 and am going again in May for my second visit, it is a beautiful country. We want to know more about you and whether you have any birds, greys or other pets you would tell us about. Pictures are always welcomed.

Roxie is adorable in this pic, thanks for sharing it with us.

As I have never handfed a baby parrot I cannot comment on that but how is Shikoba otherwise today?

I hope you get your grey checked out and come back and let us know how Shikoba is doing.

You might hang another one or two from the top of the cage, smaller type ones to give him plenty of choices and do rotate them out for other ones to give him some variety to keep him from being bored.

I know many people have those types of playstands, the manzanita I mean and we have others too, I have one made of myrtle branches, I have a metal one and a hard plastic one, there are many different kinds on the market so just decide how much money you want to spend and what appeals to you for your bird will probably love it.

I saw that on the internet and my heart stopped for a second, how awful for that macaw but to comment on your question I don't really know but I am guessing it will regrow though it may take a long time and probably will never look normal again.