Scooty

No, it's definitely not bad to adopt a rehomed grey. There are just some additional things to prep for and to keep in mind...greys are so unique tho and they throw curve balls regardless of where they are from and how much you prepare. My biggest piece of advice is patience. After the honeymoon phase is over the real work and real effort of your patience will come into play. As others have said, hit up the health room. There are great resources in there. You will also want to dig in the food threads. Getting off on the right foot with diet is really important instead of trying to implement later on. Oh, and welcome to the forum! Post pics when you get her!

I had gotten it back when greyfeathertoys.com was still in business Makes me said they went out of business.

lol cute..got a chuckle out of me

That is so awesome Makes me smile too! So how do you cook your sweet potatoes? Scooty loves them as well and they are just so hard that I boil them like I do normal potatoes. I've tried baking it but it didn't work too well.

Nope no new toys or anything. I tried the perch thing (I've tried for years doing that actually) and that scares him to death. He will flail and hit the bottom of the cage. Last time he broke a feather. So trying the perch thing is out I think. I have even tried to use one the perches in his cage. I've tried a new one that I let him get used to over the course of a month moving it closer to his cage and then setting it on a table right next to him. Nothing seems to help in that regard. Doing that method works when I introduce him to new toys but it seems to have no affect with perches lol

Yea, I know Its been a month now and he won't come out of his cage. I just wait and wait but nothing seems to change. Then randomly he'll let me scratch him through the bars and he even grabs my finger with his foot and direct the scratches lol. He just seems bipolar lately.

I've had Scooty (CAG) for a bit over 10 years now and have had him since he was about 5 months old maybe? I'd have to check my papers on him. Anyway, this past month or so he has been biting me VERY hard and he refuses to come out of his cage at all. He draws blood every time. He had been molting but that seems nearly done and I'm aware the breeding season may be having an affect on him but it's never been this way before. Maybe its just a change I'll have to get used to, I don't know but it's pretty upsetting He won't come out of his cage at all. He lashes out without warning. No eye pinning, no feather movement, not hunched down...nothing like that. And then after he bites he starts trembling like hes scared. I never yell or lash out in anyway. I just take the bite and continue to stand there and talk gently to him. I don 't leave right away because I don't want to set that mind frame that biting gets his way but I'm confused on why he would do this randomly and after all this time. Nothing in the house as changed (that I can tell), I have not changed the way I look or anything of that nature. He is fed a variety of food including fruits, veggies, his chop/mash, harrisons pellets and the power treats, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, pistachios, sweet potato, and birdie bread/muffins. He has a large cage 46" wide, 29" deep and 6 ft. High, inside height 59" - http://www.kingscages.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=406 with a ton of toys of all different styles, different style perches like dragon wood, rope, sand. I was hoping I could get some insight or if this has happened to any of you. I'm not sure what I should do...just keep the cage door open and see if he comes out on his own? Or grab him and just take him out with a towel? Ugh...any thoughts would be appreciated

Awesome pics! Welcome to the forum:)

I've never considered pistachios all these years lol....I'm gonna get some this week and see what he thinks! Thanks for the idea

Scooty also enjoys breaking into the peanuts and almonds. He eats the nut too but seems to have the most fun getting to it lol. I'll go ahead and bake the ones I have already and just buy them baked and unsalted from now on. Thanks guys

LOL! Scooty is that way with his cowbell too! I call it his Nemesis. He loves to hate that fricken thing. He's kicking its butt for a solid hour, whacking at it with his beak, grabbing it with his foot and slamming it against the cage, hanging from it...the whole works. And just like clockwork, at bed time hes snoozing with it mashed up against his wing Oh, and in my opinion Scooty is great. I've never had any issues with him either physically or mentally. He seems just about as sane as I am....which isn't saying much lol. He talks a TON. None of which I taught him with the exception of a few whistles. He just listens and learns and puts it together himself. Its the craziest thing and I love it. Sometimes the stuff that flies out of his beak makes me stop in my tracks and ask myself if he just said that lol. I haven't done any "formal" training, just the basics like step up. No tricks (though it would be cool to see him do something like that). He just likes to destroy his toys and shred his shredder toys, sits around and watches tv with me with the occasional head scratches (he basically headbutts me when he's ready for more) and I read to him (when no one else is around lol). Now that I'm thinking about it, he does HATE baths but I don't find that as any sort of issue or defect, it just is what it is and I roll with it trying to find new ways to make it happen. And not that it's unusual for greys but I do have to start any new toys or additions to his room from the far side of the room and move it closer and closer every day so he gets a good feel for it before I try to put it in his cage. Even then it hangs on the seed guard for at least a week and then hangs on the outside of the cage for another week. Its a long process but if I rush it, he flips out and throws himself around the cage. I don't find this as abnormal or problem behavior as its just something that comes with the territory with the majority of these guys. I can honestly say its been a very easy very pleasant life with Scooty

This hasn't been replied to in a few years but I have been recently reading on other forums about people not feeding any peanuts at all due to this issue. I have fed Scooty peanuts the past 10 years and have had no issues thus far. Of course, that's not to say the next one could be the one that does it. I buy his peanuts from the pet store in the pet bird section (not the wildbird section) in hopes these will be treated a little better in regards to processing. I'm sure that's just wishful ignorant thinking but I'd rather have that then the bulk bin at the grocery store that who knows what gross crap has been coughed out on them and touched with nicotine hands and everything else. Like I said, this might just be my mind justifying buying those over the others offered. My questions are for those of you that do feed various nuts and peanuts and things, do you bake them first? I heard that some people do that and it will greatly minimize the risk. If this is accurate is there any documentation proving that thought process? And if so, what is the preferred baking temp and duration? Peanuts are Scooty's favorite high value treat and I'd hate to take those away from him after so many years. However, after working in the veterinary industry as long as I have...I cannot stand it when someone says to me that they let their dog eat cooked chicken bones because they've done it for years and never had any problems...or my dog doesn't live outside so I don't need to give them heartworm prevention. So, I don't want to be that jerk person that says that I've fed peanuts for 10 years so they have to be safe and everyone else is wrong....you know? What are your thoughts?

haha, this was great Just what i needed today!

Awesome! Thank you for this!

Yep, no doubt. That's what happens when he goes crazy with the sweet potato mash. He had that stuff dried all over his feathers lol. I figured he'd eventually get himself clean but I took it as an opportunity to get him used to the misting bottle. I was told by several grey owners as well as his avian vet that sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and make him take one for the health of his skin and feathers. Now he does some bathing on his own and I help him along sometimes....we've only taken 10 years to get there. And after all its done he says "love you buddy" over and over. That's his happy phrase. And of course he loves saying his own name but with a lot of "oooo's" so its like "Scoooooooty!". Makes me smile every time and when I smile he laughs at me. I wonder if he's laughing at me or with me.... hummm....