dblhelix

Well, Kip is now 1 yr 1 month and I recently purchased the aviator harness. I watched the video a few times in preparation for introduction techniques etc. Kip is very accepting of new things and did not show any fear of it. So I figured I'd give it shot...well I got the portion over her head no prob. She sat still for about 10 seconds and I thought "hey this will be easy"...Kip had other things in mind...all of a sudden she starts shreeking and screeching and clawing at the harness. I go (as calmly as possible) to remove it and she starts getting even more fired up! In the melee that ensued I sustained the worst bite from her received to date, by far! Of course it was not directed at me, but sheesh it hurts! :evil: For a second I wondered if I'd be unable to pull it back over her head and my mind was already making the emergency backup plan (I was thinking, OK, if I need to i'll cut it off!). Bleeding hands and all I just remained calm, this calmed her down of course and I was actually able to easily pull the harness back over her head! So we had a minor set back, but I am sure will ultimately succeed! she's happily whisling/singing/talking now and the harness is right next to her...in fact she's playing with it a bit. Well, it should be an investment for life once they are used to it...but the younger you can get em comfortable with such a thing the better! :woohoo:<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2007/07/29 02:34

For Judy...Fun and Cute!!{Feel-good-0002006E}

Well I think lots and lots of people just plain old love these animals cuz they are just so darn cute and fun!! Like Judygram said... In addition their intelligence is undeniable by anyone that is willing to spend a little time around them. I grew up as a young child with my grandmother's red lored Amazon that is older than me! So I sort of came up with an appreciation of birds from the beginning B)

Making a diet change, particularly to pellets if not already conditioned, can be challenging and take months or even years! However, you need to be persistent if you want to make the switch. That being said, you cannot force the switch and should not deprive the bird of food that they are comfortable with. Some birds literlly will starve themselves to the point of death if they are not offered foods they are used to eating. There is a balance to be struck, keep offering the pellets, try and show the bird they are good (pretend to eat some)but dont deprive them of other foods they are eating. Offer the new foods and continue to "show" how good they are and keep doing this...Eventually, sometimes all of a sudden, they will try the new foods! Remember, these animals live a long time, so in many cases change may be slow to come about.

Parrots are highly intelligent, beautiful, loving, fun, curious, playful, loyal creatures with the amazing gift of flight and vocalization. I personally am a Molecular Biologist and generally appreciate animals and nature. I am constantly amazed with the diversity and beauty that has evolved in this world.

This is a great story... http://www.greyforums.net/forums/training/13430-carly-in-big-skies-of-wyoming.html#13462

Greetings and welcome Drew and Gracie! You will find this wedsite very informative with many people willing to share their experiences. Regarding question 1 about cage covering, that is a personal choice each owner must make. There is no right or wrong and there are pro's and con's to both choices. I for one do not cover, for several reasons. The issue of cage covering is discussed in the very useful book "For the Love of Greys" by Bobbi Brinker. I think this is a must have/read book for all grey owners. It covers many important topics about being a parrot owner. The main reasons I do not cover are: 1 - the birds cannot see beyond the cover and may be more prone to getting spooked 2 - if they are conditioned to be covered then they expect this always. If you go away on vacation etc then you will need someone to ensure the covering happens and this may or may not be rather challenging. Regarding question 2, I have not purchased training videos, but I have read books on the issue. Information about clicker training is very good. Even if you do not choose to clicker train, some of the principles covered can be applied in any case. For me also, we have a red lored Amazon in the family now for 37 years so we are rather used to dealing with parrots, conditioning desired behavior and addressing unwanted behaviors in a positive manner etc. One thing for sure, ask lots of questions and read read read. There is a lot of very good information available. Have fun and keep us posted!~ <br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2007/07/27 20:28

Hello and welcome! Please feel free to ask questions, bounce ideas around etc...there is a wealth of knowledge available here from many users that are ready and willing to share You mention the TAG had a "hard to deal with" injury. Can you provide more details? Provided you are committed to this animal I think its wonderful to provide a loving/caring/life time home. B)

To answer the question, no doubt Kip gets some "Junk" every now and then. She loves potato chips, corn chips, french fries and sugary stuff. Everything in moderation, but variety is the spice in life (for us and them), so a little junk food is not gonna hurt em in my opinion, provided the main diet being eaten is healthy. But you gotta watch it, or else they will only eat the treats and nothing else! I generally find that Kip just wants what I have, so most of the time thats healthy stuff. Fresh fruit, veggies are the staple along with Harrisons and Zupreem pellets. Kip also gets small quantitites of seeds offered a few times per week and Goldenolbles Bean Supreme pretty regularly. Every day her fresh food bowl has broccoli flowers, figs, almonds, apples, green beans, a few pine nuts, carrot slices and some other fresh fruit. She also gets a fresh food skewer daily hung in her cage with fresh corn on the cob, carrot and some leafy green. Here is a pic of her fresh food bowl and skewer: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1273/910084485_8c3df97945_b.jpg http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1427/910084579_e2b9efae80_b.jpg<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2007/07/27 04:04

I completely agree that the main diet MUST be centered on healthy foods. But I would say that some "treats" on occassion are fine. Birds are omnivores and enjoy unhealthy things just like we do. I have no problem offering them sometimes, but it MUST be in moderation. I guess we all have different levels regarding how much deviation we will allow our beloved pets to stray from what is currently considered the best diet for them.

Oh come on now...a few sugary treats, fatty foods, salty chips, french fries and other "junk food" are yummy and OK from time to time!

There are many theories and may in fact be trends, but the only accurate way to sex them is through properly performed DNA testing...or if they plop out an egg!!

Fruit loops in small quantities would be fine, but there are healthier treats that can be fed more regularly. I think all in moderation (other than avocado) is probably a good idea. :laugh: They do like variety.

I vote NO, for a variety of reasons, but it is a tough call...pros and cons to each. I think that Dayo will be a better pet bonding to you and your family if you have him solo. However, life may be better to him with a member of his own kind to be with. Really tough since it sounds like they are already exhibiting a bond to each other... :blink:

Very useful post Lidia...only one with years of experience could provide. The value of this cannot be attained w/o going through it. Thanks as always for sharing. Of course all the birds are individuals and the timing for each will be slightly different, but that is a great summary of general progression most will likely observe.

So sad...I hope that he/she finds a good, loving, life long home...poor baby.

I second that....WELCOME new users!!! and please provide feedback on the site!

Kip goes on my shoulder, as does our Amazon we have now had for 37 years. No doubt there is a risk that people should be aware of and decide what is best for them. There are risks in all we do every day and the best we can do is educate ourselves and then take that information to make a decision each of us is comfortable with. There is no "right or wrong" on this issue in my opinion...B)

I agree that a budgie or tiel would be ideal (hey a rhyme!). However, do not underestimate the time these guys need and intelligence they have. BTW, a budgie is a parakeet (from Australia) and then there is the very simlilar though slightly larger English budgie. However, there are many other parakeets and some (from south america) are actually quite large and totally different from the australian or english budgies that most really think of when referring to "parakeets". Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2007/07/26 05:26<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2007/07/26 17:44

Yes, he has a ring on his foot that a chain or leash can be connected to. Today this would not be done as such tethering can injure the birds. However, keeping in mind we have had him so long, this wss the practice at the time. Fipo is VERY used to this and has never been injured by it, but again I dont think this type of restraint would be allowed today by most standards. B)

Welcome Loviechick! Lots of good people, info and fun here. Glad to have you. I have a buddy who lives in Portland. I have visited and agree Oregon is a beautiful place. Be careful on that quad, but they sure are fun!

Hi Gang, I made it back from Europe w/o major incident. Nice trip, but not a great vacation...saw lots of beautiful stuff, met many nice people etc but this trip was more obligatory than a vacation for "me". I can provide more details and pics if people are interested. In any event, I did get to spend some time with the Amazon some of you have heard me mention. His name is "Fipo" and my Grandmother has had him for 37 years. We dont know how old he is exactly as he was wild caught. A vet has suggested he is 50+ yrs after an evaluation by looking at his feet/beak and some other indications, but we really do know for sure. We do know he's at least 37 yrs old!! He has always been fully flighted. Anyhow, Fipo LOVES the rain and does a really cute little dance when he hears/smells it to let us know its time to take him outside. I caught a few of these pics one afternoon when a thunderstorm showed up...enjoy! Here are links to the bigger pics if you're interested: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1129/900710530_2317ee81f7_b.jpg http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1379/900710720_1624db5446_b.jpg http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1001/900710674_5266b572d6_b.jpg<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2007/07/26 03:48

Ma12cus504 - Thank you for posting here and researching this issue. African geys and parrots in general are fabulous pets to keep and friends to have. That being said providing these birds a home to ensure health and happiness is much more demanding than a snake would ever be. The decision to own a parrot requires careful consideration and evaluation of your life, to help ensure you are both suited (bird and owner) to living together. These guys require a lot of time and constant interaction. Should you choose to embark on this adventure it is a life long committment. I am comforted and happy to see someone like yourself coming to realize this and applaud your investigation before rushing out to buy some trophy pet. All the best in your decisisions. If we can provide more assistance please let us know. B)

Just thought I'd let folks know that I'll be in Europe over the next 2 weeks and therefore have limited access to our family here. I am leaving in about5 hrs. I am choosing not to bring a computer with me, but will be able to jump on from time to time at internet cafes etc. Kip is now 13 months old and this will be the longest time we will be away from her yet. We did go to Hawaii a month ago for 6 days and that went fine. We have some good friends that are experienced bird keepers that will actually be house sitting for us...and I have left DETAILED instructions for the to follow! Anyways, I hope all goes well. It is amazing how stressful it is to be away from our beloved pets...I miss her already and have not even left yet. Take care!

Maybe we are caught up in the word "punishment" here. It seems in general people are looking for ways to condition behavior for the result they would like to acheive and/or mitigate bad behavior. To that end this discussion can be useful. Regarding the concept of actual "punishment", I have to agree with Lidia's remarks.