Toni

My baby's name is Alcazar named after a castle. Look at some castles online for names or greek names like Athens, or astrology names like Jupiter.

Ok, What the heck is going on ???!!??? Joe, please say this is April Fools. You cant leave us !! We all value your friendship, your wisdom and your passion for this forum.I dont know what happened but we need you and we love you. If you need someone to talk to confide in one of us. You we'll be sadly missed a great deal. I hope you change your mind and hope whatever happened will/can pass and you will stay on board with your family forum. WE ARE FAMILY !! WE LOVE YOU JOE !

The thing is this is our routine,the daycare kids go down for their 2 hour nap I go to his cage and say shhhh then I cover him and but at bed time/night Igoto him and say good night then cover his cage. This has been our routine since day 1 of him being here. Yea I am expecting too much.I guess it could be worse, he could be screaming instaed of the chattering and the mumbling.

Ok Joe, where's mine ?

Past 3 days now Alcazar won't be quiet. Even when he has the cover over the cage he still is making noise and the kids can't go to sleep or they wake up.All Alcazar does is mumble and mumble. He's mumbling like he wants to talk but its loud !!!!! I go over to him and tell him shhhh because its a routine at naptime.I ask him what it is he's trying to say beneath his breath.Even the daycare kids are telling him to be quiet.He also keeps doing his sexy whistle wooowoo noise and keeps saying hellooo. At night I have no problem, hes fine. Nothing has changed. He seems healthy, he's eating, he's getting the same attention. I don't know what's going on.

ok so in inches its,,, 43 1/2" X 35 1/2" x 72 1/2".

Its young but not unusual. Alcazar didnt come home until he was 4 months old. Alcazar was eating ok at first then the following week he wouldnt. Ask them if you have a warranty just in case.

Alcazar's cage is 30"D x 40"w x 46 1/2" H. These are just inside dimensions. That doesnt include his poop catcher or his play gym on top. Total Height is 74 1/2". His is an HQ cage. I'm very happy w/ his cage and so is he. www.hqbirdcages.com

Alcazar wont eat oatmeal or baby food. He loves my Honey Bunches of Oats. All flavors

I call Alcazar, Alky sometimes and my mom gets mad when I call him that when shes here. She tells me hes not an alcoholic. Shes weird. Or I call him cuddlebug. He loves to cuddle

damn, this contest going to be hard. I love pictures of skies and mountains

I have the manzanita perches too. I dont let them soak either, I wipe them down well though.

My dog got lose one time I didnt have her chippied but the day it happened I called all the vets in my area and couple off the boundry to look out for my shih tzu, well someone came in w/ her and almost took her as their own until the vet noticed how I described her as having a fat head..lol he asked them if they just got her and they said yes..He asked them if they found her they told him yes. He told them the owner is looking for her. I went and picked her up my vet did tell me if it happeend again to do the same thing I done. Call all the vets . They wont scan if someone just brings in a pet.

by the basket ball toy and play basket ball. have him roller skate. They have bird skates

Alcazar was doing that too. I did what Dan suggested. I grabbed him on each side but making sure my hands were not in beak reach. I didnt want to use a towel I didnt want him getting scared

I have a dog and a pup. My dog looks at Alcazar as if he cant wait for him to cross the gate casue he'll be a nice lunch. Thats why there is total supervision plus at times my 4 legged kids are put in another room.

I use a scrub brush and Dawn dish soap. They say Dawn is what they clean off oil spills off of the ducks. Plus its Antibacterial. Same w/ the toys and dishes.

Oh man !!!! My son would be in heaven. I have to copy paste this and email something like.... Sean wouldnt you love to live here during hunting season.. haha

Alcazar sometimes does that. When I go to have him to step up when he needs to go in his cage he tries to bite me. I mean he actually lunges his beak at me. You need to still pursue it show him your the lead of the flock. If you show him you're backing off he'll keep doing it cause thats what he wants you to do.Just say to him in a deeper voice what you want him to do.

Yea thats why I was worried , my iguana was found dead on his heating rock and he was only 4 years old and was acting active the night before, we also had his heating rock for two years. I didnt want to kill another animal on accident. I have my heating perch and I notice Alcazar does leave the perch my guess is hes getting toooo warm. I keep feeling it though. Like at least three tiems a day I keep feeling it. I worry alot.

Sooo I dont get into trouble for copy right its from the website: www.itsagreysworld.com

Tips on playing with your bird Start the new year with some healthy habits! Spending quality time with your feathered loved one is very important. It has many benefits. Quality playtime is enriching for you as well as your pet bird. It provides mental stimulation and bonding. I couldn't think of a better way to spend time than to interact with my flock. Here are some tips and ideas for you to play with your flock. **"Dropsies" ** When your bird is in a mischievous mood, they will sometimes drop their toys on purpose. My first response to this is to associate the drop with an "UH OH!". You bird will eventually pick up on this word and start using it. Secondly, this is a part of interacting with your bird. He/she is trying to tell you to "Come play with me!" Your bird is thinking "I drop it. Mom/Dad comes and picks it up." Birds will go on for hours with this game! **Catch Anyone?** Who says a bird cant play catch?? Well maybe not with a real ball but you CAN with a Terry Cloth Ball or a small Wiffle Ball (ball with holes in it). Item needs to be able to be gripped by their beaks. Specifically I have a terry cloth ball that I use to play catch with my grey Oliver. He gets very excited when I come out with the ball. He knows "ITS SHOWTIME!". First you want to ensure your bird is not fearful of the ball. Reserve the initial playing sessions for 5-10 minute intervals so that your bird will get accustomed to the game. This builds trust and enthusiasm for the next play session. Gently and slowly roll the ball to your bird. Don't be discouraged, if at first, your bird doesn't know what to do. They will at first watch you and your reactions, so be sure to be enthusiastic and talk to your bird. Tell him the name of the game and be consistent so they learn the phrase. They will eventually start to roll the ball back to you. Then before you know it he/she will pick it up and fling it at you! That is when the fun really begins! Be sure you try to read your bird's body language if he/she is adapting to the game and wanting more before attempting the next play session. Please take note of your birds playful moments so you learn these types of body language. This will help aid in so many things. **Dancing & Let's Get Crazy!** Ok so not everyone is an expert at dancing. I certainly am not! So I draw the shades (VBG) and turn on a song that has a good beat to it (Our favorite CD is Banaphone by Raffi). Now, turn up the volume so your bird gets into the rhythm. Are you keeping an open mind? Ok now is where the fun begins! In front of your pet bird, start to sway and sing (don't worry the neighbors wont hear you). Swing your arms to the music and clap and bounce. Before you know it your bird will be dancing right with you. My Oliver LOVES Banaphone so much, when I ask him "Do you want to hear Bananaphone?" he will nod so incessantly that his body bounces then he skips from side to side! Honest! If you have some song favorites, bring your bird in the room. He will love to join you in a song festival! Whatever your choice in songs, I believe he/she will love to listen and sing right along with you!**Peek A Boo** An old but GREAT favorite! Peek A Boo can be played anywhere. In your bedroom, in the family room, in their cages. This one is a personal favorite for me! You can take a small plain towel that is light in color (some birds do not like patterns on some towels). And between you and your bird, you hold it up and say "Where are you?" in a high tone. Drop the towel, and say "PEEK A BOOOO, I SEEEEE YOU!" With my little Grey, he will not wait for the towel to come down. He flies on top of the hand towel and says "PEEK A BOO". They certainly are precious aren't they?! **Nite Nite** Yes, all good things must come to an end. Well why not read a nice book with your bird before bedtime. This will relax both you and your pet bird. Some ideas are children's books, poems, a nice novel, passages from the bible, the ideas are endless! It is a good to get into a routine with your bird at bedtime. This aids in an enjoyed time together. Birds are flock animals and they thrive on the attention we give them. It helps in establishing a wonderful bond between humans and birds. **Gonna Getcha** Another favorite! This is especially great when trying to accustom your bird to your fingers and touching in areas they may not appreciate so much. Game can be played anywhere you like (i.e. bed, table, on top the cage). Take your fingers and run them like a spider would and say "I'm gonna GETCHA!" and emphasize the GETCHA! They usually go running away from you but within seconds they are back for round 2! Once your bird is used to this surprising game, you can start exploring new areas. For example, try to touch his/her belly or beak gently when emphasizing GETCHA. This gets to be a "hands on" type of game in getting your bird involved in you touching him in certain areas they may not be accustomed to.

hmm it didnt come up with the page I first got. I'll add suggestions.

I wondered about that before I bought Alcazar I found this great website. I used alot of the playtime suggestions w/ him. www.itsagreysworld.com

Here, here.. Great post Karma to ya.