judygram

Yes do get a bigger cage, that one is just too small, you need more like 24 deep, 48 wide and how tall doesn't matter as much, they need room enough to spread their wings and flap without touching the sides of the cage.

No he certainly isn't poor now, he has landed in the lap of luxury for sure.

Thats interesting Jay and I just bet there is a lot more for we know they are amazing creatures, thanks for sharing that with us.

Oh yes they know who comes first and I do that at my house too, my sun conure was my first parrot so she gets things first and Josey my grey knows that too. I am so proud of you that you made your kids that committment, they will learn what responsibility really is, wish more mothers would follow that regimen and who knows they may follow on with larger parrots when they get older, they have such a leader in you. Poor Ozzy to have to endure such living conditions but he will blossom out now that he is under your care, you are just what he needed and he has come a long ways, I look forward to hearing more about him.

Like minds Lyn

Yes any kind of pasta is a hit with Josey my grey, thanks for sharing that with us.

Yes we are Penny

I will try: 1 It is never too late to get them to love you, just treat them like you would a precious object, continue to care for him, be there for him, consistency is key too, he will learn to trust you and with that trust comes the love. He is still fairly pliable at this age and his true personality is yet to emerge for a while but if you just let him set the pace of what he is willing to accept and don't push for more than he is willing to give then you should be fine. Remember time and patience are your best friends right now. 2 You will have to cage your bird when you are out of the house, a bird can get into so much trouble if they are allowed to free roam, there are things they could get into and kill themselves. My birds are caged when I am out and when I get home they are out until they go to bed. On weekends they are out most of the time but not all, I feel they need to spend some time in the cage even if I am at home, sometimes I just need to do some things that they should not be nearby like working with cleaners and such. 3 No that is not true and some of it depends on the personality of your particular bird, its mainly in how you train them but he will still love you. 4 A grey is a forager and he will snack on things throughout the day so food should be available at all times just as water is, some foods will spoil if left for a few hours but pellets are good all day and some nuts, seeds and such can be provided too. As you get to know your bird you will find out what they prefer most and use that as treats. 5 When you bring in new toys you will more than likely have to allow your bird to get used to them being around him before you can put that toy in his cage, greys are notorious for being scared of new things and it helps to play with it first yourself to let him know it is fun and sometimes that works to encourage them to play with it. 6 He should be in the busiest part of the house and that usually is the family room for most of us for they like to feel like part of the flock, of course he can accompany you on a playstand or some such thing when you go to your room but they like to be right in the middle of what is going on. 7 My suggestion about step up is to put your hand in front of him about chest high and say step up pushing with your hand into his chest so that he starts to get a little off balance and most will step up on your hand, when he does praise him lavishly and do it several times a day until he knows what you want him to do, Josey now will step up and I don't even have to say the words she know what I want when my hand comes to her chest. 8 Some greys do not like water and that includes mine but she does get showered, she doesn't much like it but tolerates it. Some will willingly bathe in a bowl or big container of water and some will enjoy a misting or spraying. It is hard to get them wet if they don't cooperate by opening up their feathers but do the best you can. 9. There is no set thing that works with all greys, mine would do most anything for a sliver of cheddar cheese, some like almonds, some peanuts. You will have to find out what your bird likes best and reserve that for treats, you will get the most cooperation with it. 10 Its ok but they really don't need it but twice a week and you can use 100% aloe vera juice to sprintz him with after a bath or as a bath, it is a very soothing product for their skin especially if it is dry.

Thanks Logan and Happy Mothers Day to all birdie mommies.

And festive looking they are Jay, another beautiful entry into the Amazon collection, I declare it a winner!!

Hello Samantha and welcome to our family, my you are a busy woman with 5 kids and birds with more on the way. Thanks so much for including pictures of your flock, I too have a sun conure and she is about 6 years old, a true delight to have. Thats so sad about Ozzy but if he was born that way then he knows no different and you are to be commended for taking him in and giving him a good home, he needs love and attention the same as the others. Now just what kind of birds are you getting in the near future? Curious minds want to know if you are willing to share that information with us. You do have a lovely bunch of birds, thanks for sharing them with us.

How about this one! One day David went to an auction. While he was there, he bid for a parrot. David really wanted this bird, so he got caught up and thoroughly involved in the bidding. He kept on bidding, but kept getting outbid, so he bid higher and higher and higher. Finally, after he had bid much more than he had intended, David won the bid; the parrot was his at last. As he was paying for the parrot, he said to the auctioneer, 'I hope this parrot can talk. I would hate to have paid this much for it, only to find out that he can't talk!' 'Don't worry.' said the auctioneer, 'He can talk. Who do you think kept bidding against you?'

Welcome back to the forum Tanya, I know how you felt about Phoebe and I hope I helped you thru that part of your life. I know you miss him so much and now you are ready for another grey, lets hope the neighbors stay true to their words because it is easy to say those things when the bird is already gone. You know so much more now than you did when you first got Phoebe and you will do fine with another grey, just keep us informed of when and how it happens but I am here for you anything you need anything and so is everyone else.

I just saw that when I was looking for a parrot story to post in Jill's new thread, almost chose that one too, that is too funny, thanks for sharing that with us Jill.

Since Josey is incapable of flight right now I don't have that problem but wish I did, oh well it will happen soon I hope. I love seeing any videos of Emma, the entertainer, good job!!

Willie the Parrot Saves Baby's Life A parrot whose cries of alarm helped save the life of a choking girl in the US has been hailed a hero and awarded the Red Cross's Animal Lifesaver Award in Denver, Colorado, USA, Will and Guy have discovered. As baby Hannah was choking on her breakfast, Willie the Parrot saw that she was turning blue so he caused a commotion by flapping his wings noisily whilst squawking, 'Mama! Baby!' Megan Howard, Hannah's mother heard his cries and was able to save Hannah's life by applying the *Heimlich manoeuvre. Yet another marvellous animal tale.

Russ you can also make an introduction post in the welcome room and tell us more about you and Winston.

I couldn't agree more with Adina's comment of its a matter of priorities and since you seem to care for this grey a lot then why not come up with a solution that does not involve rehoming this bird, she is part of your family and by being so she deserves to be accommodated and I really like Dan's idea of a room just for her. She could have plenty of room to excercise and do what a parrot does best, destroy things, think about it long and hard because you may make a decision you might regret later.

Its always exciting when you are expecting something you have been wanting for a while, like a kid for Christmas morning.

Hello Russ and yes it may be after the first molt before the bright red tail feathers come in full and it is a little too soon for them to be molting out, be patient for they will be red in due time. Is your grey an aggressive player, what I mean by that is some greys play vigorously and damage their tail feathers on the sides of the cage and such and it makes them look ragged? I wouldn't worry about it at this point but if you could post a picture then we could see for ourselves.

Always the entertainer, good job Emma!

Thanks for the laugh Jules

Josey does poop in her cage and that is fine with me but she hasn't pooped on me in a long time now but I have had more than one handful of poop as I have done the same thing when taking her somewhere to poop and she goes before I get there, yes it is kind of gross but it washes off with soap and water, I've had worse on my hands before. Now Sunny my conure does not mind pooping on me all the time, of course she is always on my shoulder when she is out of her cage but it all comes out in the wash.

I just want to send out a wish to all Moms that Mother's Day is Sunday and I hope you all have a blessed day and your children treat you with love and respect, spend the day with your Mom and let her know that she is loved. Some of us no longer have our Mom so for those who still have their Moms please let her know how much she means to you, you will never regret it. A Mother is someone you cherish because of the rich love her heart conveys.

You really do not want to hide the poops for they should be observed daily for proper consistency and color, it is usually the first indication of illness and you should become familiar with your birds droppings to know when they are not normal and newspaper works the best as you can see it and it is easily removed and replaced and costs nothing or nearly nothing.