judygram

Coco has chosen you as his favorite person and so he only speaks for you plus he is calling for you when you are there so you shouldn't discourage contact calling for he only wants reassurance that you are still there even though he can't see you, answer him and tell him you are around, you should feel special that he only speaks for you.

Hello Dennis and welcome to our family, congrats on your first grey. You really need to read thru a lot of the threads here for some helpful advice in dealing with a preowned bird and especially if this is your first bird. You need to give Elvis time to settle into his new home and feel comfortable and that takes time. He sees his cage as his safe place so allow him to come out of it on his own. You will need to be patient with Elvis to build the trust you need to bond with him and develop your relationship and trust with a grey has to be earned, it is not freely given and it could take weeks or months to accomplish but it will be worth it when it happens. We have some threads here that deal with reading body language and you should read them carefully for a grey will tell you how he feels or how you can avoid most bites for that is his way of telling you he is not ready or doesn't like what you are doing with him. It does look to me like he needs a couple more toys in his cage, maybe different types so he has something he likes, get him a heavy duty bell to hang in his cage as most greys love to beat one up and play fight with it. Just take it easy and do not try to rush things right now, let him set the pace and take it slow and easy and he will be more receptive of interaction with you, thanks for sharing the pics with us.

That is cool to see them in the snow, lucky you to have some, we have only had a sprinkling of snow and it has been too mild a winter, I hope we don't go all the way to spring and not have any but it doesn't look good so far, thanks for sharing that with us and I hope you took them all in and warmed up their little tootsies.

Roxie is adorable and so happy she is home, hope the ride went well for her as it did for you, now the real fun begins as she settles into her new home and surroundings so let her take her time, you can indulge us with more pictures any time you want to.

I will never have a zon, not that I wouldn't ever want one but I have 3 fids and that is enough for me, I enjoy hearing all about the zons we do have here so keep the stories coming.

So true and sometimes I think the more I learn the more I know I need to learn. It was great you could give this grey a new forever home where she can get the love and attention she deserves. Yes we treat our birds like another member of the family and no one else understands us and how we feel but other bird owners, we are what some people refer to as "nuts" but we don't care for they just don't understand how a person can have such a connection to a feathered friend. What is her name and do you have any pictures of her you would share with us?

Mine don't take baths regularly either so it may be more dust around in my home, sloppy housekeeping I guess.

And so does Josey, my husband has a beard that none of the grandchildren has seen him without, in fact it has been a long time since our kids have seen him without it so if he would choose to shave it all off Josey might be taken aback some, no worries as I think he will die with it.

Aw Dee it sounds like things are running smoothly with you and Gilbert and I couldn't be happier, you are both good for each other and I am so glad he came into your life when he did, things do happen for a reason and it was meant for you two to be together. He has come a long way from what he was to begin with when he first came to live with you but small steps are the best and I see many more small steps in your future together. Thanks for the update on Gilbert and keep them coming.

I was wondering the same thing, Stephen have you got any updates for us?

I don't think grey babies should be sent home until they are fully weaned but that is my opinion and it is based on wise advice of a well experienced grey breeder himself but Brian has given you some good info.

Thanks Val, better late than never.

Even though it is sweet that your grey wants to kiss you on the mouth you do not want them inside your mouth at all for this exact reason, we have bacteria in our mouths that can be deadly to them so a kiss with closed mouth is preferable. Josey mostly prefers to just touch her beak to my closed lips for kisses though she has tried a time or two to try to pry open my mouth but I persist not to.

AmyJ I would go with the bigger cage your baby will grow into, you can always put perches lower to start with and pad the bottom with blankets or towels to cushion any falls for they will need the room when baby stage is over. You don't need to purchase another cage just for the transition period unless you want one to use for a sleep cage as some members here do for their greys but you will need a good travel cage for vet visits and outings. I recommend using one to take your grey to places with you so they do not associate the travel cage with just vet visits as they may not want to go into it for they know where they are going, make using the travel cage as a happy thing to do.

Sara those two babies are adorable and both were intently starring at you so no matter which one you pick you have a winner. They are so cute at this stage with those black eyes and they enjoyed having their heads rubbed. Thanks for sharing the video with us. Yes you can freeze the pellets but do not buy too much to start with as their preferences can change. Yes cages are like Christmas trees, they always look bigger once you get them inside but the bigger the better as a grey needs a roomy cage.

Hard maybe but not impossible as you want to do the right thing when bringing your baby home, I can't wait to hear all about it.

Sunny my conure can spray all over my face when she sneezes when sitting on my shoulder which has to be something like what Nilah is doing, I haven't noticed that Josey does as she doesn't sneeze often but since Sunny spends a lot of time on my shoulder there is more opportunities for the slight showers I get. I am sure that those from Nilah are more powerful than a conures would be.

Hello Murfchck and welcome to our family and congrats on giving Stewart a new forever home. Boy you have really taken on a handfull adopting a macaw at about the same time but I hope it all goes smoothly for you as they settle into their new home, you must already have birds since you said growing family so how about telling us what others you have and their names so we can get to know you better. You know we have the best information here as it is firsthand knowledge from experienced grey owners who many have been thru the same things you are going thru and we are a helpful bunch willing to answer any questions you may have so be sure to ask no matter how silly. I am assuming that is Stewart in your avatar but if you have any other pictures of your flock you would share with us we would love to see them.

Maybe since Nilah was the first one to check it out the other two think she has claimed it for herself so they avoid it but it may just not be their thing, glad Nilah is enjoying your hard work.

Hello Dan and welcome to our family and congrats on your new baby, looks adorable. Dave is right about bringing home an unweaned bird especially a grey as there are so many potential problems but the damage is done. Have you handfed a bird before or do you have any other birds? Please read thru the threads in the nursery room for lots of information and do ask questions you may have.

Congrats on being successful in adopting Scarlet, she is beautiful, I see the talons you told us about, she will be an awesome addition to your flock, can't wait to see more pics after her homecoming, Thursday will seem like it will be forever getting here.

Yes certain foods will affect the color and consistency of poops, Josey gets some fresh beets in the summer from the garden and her poops will be the prettiest shade of purple but when you know what you have fed your bird then you are not alarmed by the poops unless you have other people in the house who may give your bird food that you don't know about. They should check with you before offering anything to your bird for some foods are toxic, I am the only one who provides the food for my birds so I know what they get.

Josey loves cheddar cheese and so does my conure and when they see the package come out of the fridge they go nuts and beg for it, they get a little from time to time, she will also chow down on a chicken bone now and then and oatmeal has always been a favorite.

I know you are anxious to have your baby home but let him stay at the breeders until he is fully weaned and eating foods easily, some greys take longer to wean and you don't want any setbacks if you happen to bring him home too early, your breeder should know when he/she is ready but be sure to keep us informed and share any pics you get with us.

I have carpet on the floor of the family room where the cages are but soon we hope to put down some kind of tile, I have plastic runners down under Josey's cage as she spends lots of time on top or around the sides, she occasionally prowls the skirt and poops over the side so it catches all of that, is easy to clean.