judygram

Please, pretty please, you did such a good job with Valentines Day you should do an Easter one.

I thought this issue had been resolved but ovbiously not so maybe a vet visit is in order and yes another big vet bill, please let us know what you find out, poor little fella.

Amy is adorable but then all of them are, thanks for sharing the pictures with us.

Looks like for now he has a turkey neck but they should regrow soon, thanks for sharing the pic with us.

Nice pictures Sanggay, I see you have a copyright now, way to go for she is such an excellent subject, thanks for sharing them with us.

Ruby is lovely but I have to make one comment about the blow dryer, I wouldn't use it even on the no heat setting, a grey is better off to just let her dry off naturally for that is why she appears to shiver, using a blow dryer will make their skin dryer and that is something you do not want. Thanks for sharing the pictures with us.

You have to understand that most people who work in pet stores are just employees and they may not know anything about birds, they are there to sell stuff. If you have any real health issues you contact your avian vet.

If it makes you feel any better my birds will wipe their beak after eating and on me if they get the chance but its possible your grey was never offered anything soft so she is unfamiliar with it. Since she is eating mostly pellets and seeds then she needs to be offered fresh vegetables, she may not eat them right off but keep offering them for she might eventually try them and like them. It will take time to get her converted to a more healthy diet but keep at it. Also some greys may just not like the consistency of soft foods so stick with firmer ones.

Wow thats an accomplishment in itself Janet and so glad to hear that you will remain forever smokefree, way to go girl!

Yes it would be fine if you properly supervise all time that your bird is out of the cage, many members here have cats and dogs along with their greys and other birds and manage to make it work.

Yes a tour of the house is a must but it doesn't have to be on the first day there, let him settle into his cage for a few days then when he ventures out you can take him on a tour and tell him what each room is. The cage should be placed where the family spends the most time and for most households that is the family room or where everyone is most of the time as they like to feel like they are part of the family and in the middle of what is going on. Do not place him in the bedroom unless that is where you spend most of your time. A grey is unlike the smaller birds you have been used to, he needs time and attention from his "flock" and interaction from the family or you will have behavioral problems.

You will find most of what you want to know by browsing thru the threads and read this one in particular as it is a good one of a grey who was recently rehomed to another grey member, especially the 6th post. http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?192137-Can-you-say-YOSHI

I don't know what kind of "pet store" you went to but greys do not need extra salt, in fact added salt to their diet could be deadly, what salt that is naturally found in foods is plenty enough and I have never heard of a salt rock. If your bird is sick they need to be seen by an avian vet and its no wonder you found nothing on the internet to support what the pet store said because it doesn't exist.

Hello InfamousAlice and welcome to our family, glad to hear you are going to give this cag a new forever home and I would start out by reading thru all the threads here for you will find a wealth of information from like grey owners. He should be quarantineed first in case he or any birds you have now should be carrying any disease and then gradually introduce him and explaining all the while what you are doing and making introductions to everyone as they understand more than what we give them credit for. Take it slow and easy so as not to rush him, let him go at his own pace and he will let you know when he is ready for more interaction. Some greys tend to be territorial about their cage so let him come out on his own, never put your hand inside his cage with him in it for it could result in a bite, sit by his cage and talk to him, read him a book or the newspaper but continue to have soft conversation. You have to earn a grey's trust so by being consistent and allowing him time to settle in will go a long ways in bonding with him, this could take weeks or months, it depends on the baggage he brings along and from what you said he has been mistreated.

Hello My grey and welcome to our family, so glad to hear you have become the slave to an african grey. Do you have any other birds? Why not tell us a little more about yourself and this grey like how old is he/she, how long have you had him/her, what is his/her name, do you know the sex of your grey and anything else you want to add. We also love pictures here so if you have some of yours you would share with us that would be great.

I either use packets of instant oatmeal which you might not have in your country or I use the old fashioned rolled oats and cook it in the microwave or on top of the stove, I don't usually add anything to the oatmeal but some red palm oil but you can add some fruit to it, serve it while its good and warm. I serve it like it is, I don't blend it up and it is lumpy. I usually don't fix too much, just enough to eat at that time but I guess you could refridgerate it and heat the next day.

Those feathers will grow back unless she damaged the follicles but I am hoping she didn't but the only way to tell would be if you could post a picture so we can see what you are talking about, they should grow back fairly quickly.

Stacy, I have to say if you want Elliot to step up without biting you are going to have to just do it without fear for he is sensing your fear and reacting to it, you have to be confident when working with him and as long as you show fear he will react to it. He has obviously chosen your son and fiance as his favorites and even though you are the one who spends more time with him, feeding and chatting with him that doesn't matter and there is not much you can do to change his mind but accept it. I know this is heartbreaking when you were the one who wanted him in your life but he choses others as his favorites but your relationship with him can be good but your fear of getting bitten has to end. Why not try balling your hand up into a fist when you have him step up, that way he won't be able to get a good grip on your skin because it will be taut but confidence is what you need now.

What a handsome fella Greyson is and such a good sport to allow you to put those toys on his head, most greys would not allow that including mine but you have made a game of it and he enjoys it, thats wonderful. Wow a big 5 months old, still such a baby yet but off to a greyt start. Thanks for sharing the pictures with us.

Hello BirdsAreGrey8 and welcome to our family, we are so glad you decided on a grey instead of a macaw or too and you won't be disappointed on your choice. Please continue to browse thru the threads as you will find loads of information that may answer some of your questions, nothing better than real life experiences but if you have any questions do ask and we will help you in any way we can.

Congrats on today being the day that Iona comes to her new home, you may be right, get all the nasty stuff out of the way and then start her new life, you have plenty of time to build that trust to bond with her, just give her time to settle in and don't rush things, let them happen at her own pace and things should fall into place. I look forward to seeing and hearing more about the new adventures of life with Iona.

I think you will find most of what you are looking for and maybe all of it on this site: http://www.cheepparrottoysntips.com/

I have never smoked so don't know about how addictive it is but if you haven't smoked in 25 years why start again, is the urge that strong to make you start up again, hopefully what you said at 45 is no longer true.

Welcome back Terri, you have been missed, I have thought about you many times and wondered how you were doing and whether you were ok, so now we know, I hope the surgeries were a success and you are 100% now. I sure have missed hearing those Bella stories, you used to keep us amused with her antics and how she rules the roost, nice to see she hasn't lost her touch, I look forward to hearing lots more from you and Bella in the future.

Thanks Dave for sharing the video links to the Project Perry sanctuary for the african grey parrots, I have been there and it is an amazing place for those birds to live out the remainder of their lives. That one end is closed in the wintertime and heated then in the warm months they have the use of the entire structure for open air flying, perching and just doing what comes naturally. It sounds very peaceful in the video and it was like that when I visited. All kinds of limbs have been arranged to give the birds opportunities to climb and chew to their delight, you could see how they have chewed the stand that holds their food and water trays, eventually they have to be replaced. These greys are not adaptable and that is why they have been given a place where they may enjoy each other and live out their days in somewhat of a natural like habitat. This is a non profit organization that depends entirely on donations to keep and feed these birds. The day I visited I helped to put together the bowls of food that went to some of the other birds they had housed, the adaptable birds were in the house itself, several rooms were converted into avaries and it was alive with all kinds of bird sounds, I intend to visit again.