danmcq

Welcome Kim and Babalu!! It's GreYt having you here and I love the photos. We have a ton of memebers here and information on just about any topic you would like to find out more about. Looking forward to hearing more from you.

Beautiful photo. Loki is certainly growing rapidly in both phyiscal and mental capabilities. She is certainly going to start fledging anytime now.

A few comments, if you don't mind. Parrots do not understand punishment. Laddering is punishment and also a very negative thing to do to your parrot. Most all behavior professionals advise against it and many call it abuse. A Parrot may just become so angry after a few times of this, it will bite more often when you request a step-up, than previous to this form of punishment. Rolling the hand will sometimes work. After a while, they will soon learn to just grab your hand with their beak and I guarantee you, it does not feel good at all. Most flighted birds do not even care if you rock and roll your hand. They are very coordinated and not afraid of falling due to their flight capabilities. Also, birds do not understand dominance, as in an alpha dog at all. If a bird responds to what you may call dominance, it is due to being afraid of you. It does not respect you as the "Dominant Flock Leader". Birds do not have alpha's or leaders they look up to.

How very tragic. I hope a true parrot lover offers to take one of both of those Parrots.

Cute photos, thanks for posting them.

Mmmmm, sounds yummy, I 'll bet Jackson enjoyed it.

This is a good update and it sounds like things are going well with Jackson. Keep up the good work and thanks for the update.

LOL, Haven't seen rollers in this house for a looooong time. Are they making a come back? On a serious note, I hope Jay is feeling better and all is ok.

Great post Dave and very informative for people wondering what happened to a bird and how it became that way when they adopt. Thanks for posting this!

Thanks for posting this. We rescue Dobermans and this is very close to our hearts. It is very sad and this happens thousands of times everyday. I wish we had a ranch that every sad eyed dog we see in the shelter could be taken and let loose on. I will say though, that rather than holding breeders responsible, it should be the irresponsible owners that should have very strong restrictions and fines placed upon for taking a dog and then giving it up at the slightest upset or change in life circumstances. Why is "Get rid of the Dog" always such as whimsical easy decision for these people? They know when they drop that dog off, it is a death sentence in a matter of days if that dog is not picked up by someone in short order. I feel so sorry for these dogs. We picked up a Doberman from a shelter a little over a year ago. She was such a sweet thing and happy to be "Out". Her name given was "Shimmer". Once we got her home, introduced her to the pack and let her sniff around, we found she was VERY sick. We took her to the vet first thing the next morning only to find she had advanced distemper, kidneys had failed and she was in severe pain. Much to our dismay, he advised putting her to sleep, as she was so sick and in so much pain. We wept over that poor creature only known to us for 24 hours and said good bye as she was passing over the rainbow bridge. I don't know how we had so much love for her in such a short amount of time, but at least she felt that love while with us for just a day and then it was time to go to a place of no more pain and sadness.......

I am sure glad Dave was on hand to respond quickly. Glad to hear this was not a 911 and that all is well today. Thanks for the update.

Dave as our resident expert gave great comments. You certainly have your hands full with two mature greys, one being up to 40 years old. It is always encouraging to see people like you and your wife taking in and fostering greys in need like this. I cannot imagine what is going through Sydney's mind after losing her 40 year love and companion. She sounds like a shocked widow in grief and doubt of the future. Zoe's past sounds like a poor child going from foster home to foster home only to be treated badly once again. Fortunately Zoe made it to your loving home. Being in your home for a week is a blink in time to Sydney. The poor girl is probably thinking this is just a temporary home while her life long love is on vacation. I must say, they both sound like sweethearts in state of confusion with a new flock, changing rapidly and the dynamics of now having two complicates it. Even a month in your home for Zoe is nothing. You have not began to see either of the "Real Grey" lying underneath that veil of uncertainty that exists presently. Just slow and easy is the path with lots of observation, patience and love with these two sentient beings.

That wonderful news! I would love to see photos.

The title cared the heck out of me as well. I am glad to read Cocoa is actually ok, other than having his pride damaged a little. I suspect this will not be the last of this though.

Welcome Mindy! You have received some good thoughts on bringing home 2 Greys. I believe Spinner is Indiana, so that would be a far distance from you in southern california. I am uncertain of where you are in the south, I am in the san joaquin valley, so can not really reccomend breeders in your area. I would reccomend though, that if possible, you find one in driving distance so you can go and check out the facilities, the breeder and get to them and a Grey you may be interested in there. Looking forward to hearing more from you.

Thanks for the update Sheila. It will be good to hear what your vet thinks of this treatment from the response his grey has to it. Looking forward to that update.

Love the photos, thanks for posting them!

Tweeds gave great advice. Positive reinforcement works wonders. Also, your attitude helps, if your calm and using a reassuring voice, things will go better than if your nervous in anticipation of a struggle. Your grey is aging and your right, trying to check and see if he can get his wishes by refusing things. Using positive reinforcement, you can show that certain things he may not want to do right then, has a reward that out weighs his desire to refuse. So it's a win - win. This is not always possible, but it helps immensely in retraining a good relationship with your bird and normally will avoid bites out of frustration by the bird.

Tweeds - Excellent post and summary of examples happening in real-time with the Parrots using appropriate learned cognitive responses to actions or items. Your right, if you do not respond acknowlegding they got it right, it will slow down the process immensley. I have no doubt, they know what their saying and why: Dayo Slips or timbles- Says whoops! Drops something he was really wanting to keep playing with, says "Shoot, God Dangit!" When I'm on the computer and ignored him too long, says "Shoot, God Dangit!"..."Your on the Computer". When thirsty states "Wanna Drink of Water" Wants a snack "Lets get some apples and grapes" Wants to go outside, "Wanna go outside, see the birdies" You get the drift. He has over 300 plus words and phrases he uses. This is not mimicry by any means, it is truly intelligent use of the human language they have learned to use as the communication tool to get what they want and enrich their lives by doing so.

Stunning!!!! Thanks for posting this.

I'm of the same mind as Jayd, it fledging time and the eatening lessons to reduce weight and increase lift. You'll have a kamakazee buzzing you in no time.

Way to go Debbie!! You did well and I love you determination to get Romo back in the "Normal" program. Looking forward to hearing how things progress and what you find works for Romo.

The best thing you can do is be patient, ignore the sound and perhaps replace it with a more likable whistle of our choice. It is a contact call as is normal when a grey wants to be with it's flock. The worst think you could do is shout at your Grey. It will encourage the behavior even more and perhaps raise that sounds volume higher to match yours. Patience, patience, patience and ignoring...... BTW - Welcome to the forum.

Thanks for the update Stephen. I was really missing these weekly updates and assumed you were probably in the middle of moving, in regards your last post of rent going up. They do love toe's, sometimes it's almost like they think they are disassociated from us somehow.

I have never heard of hormone implants being used for plucking birds. Of course, not being in the avian medicine community as a great disadvantage in hearing about possible new break throughs in that area. Only you can make the decision based on all the knowledge you can gain from your vet on this. Perhaps he has some reference cases he can recount to you. Now that the follicle infection is gone, has the feather destruction slowed any that you can tell? I feel so sorry for Charlie and you. It is so nerve racking to watch as this type of behavior occurs and then remains as you exhaust all effors to treat and cure it.