danmcq

GreYt idea Jooles. :-) Visalia, California, USA

Penny (Talon) asked us all to send our votes to her via a PM.

Congratulations on Ana Grey!! :-) PekingeseMama - Awww, thats so cute, more words will come. :-) ZivaDive - LOL - So why's Ziva only "Kind of" happy? ;-) Thanks for posting these!!

My birds all seem to prefer fresh cool water from the tap. They will not bathe in a container for example of luke warm water that has sat for a while. I would imagine some birds have different preferences, as some have indicated.

Hey, you know Grey's demand perfection!! The pumpkin messed it all up. Thanks for sharing that story. :-)

Oh Man, this is going to be a tough one. There are so many creative and beautiful toys others have made. I'm just a guy and so I use things like chain and wood, you know tough stuff. ;-) Gotta keep my image up B) I can say, I will not vote for myself, the others have truly created some very awesome toys!! :-)

Natasha wrote: Thanks for posting this Natasha. :-) Karma to you. These 3 items are the most trying and painful part of being in love so deeply with our pets of all types. I have been through those last days and months with older or critically ill pets of all types and it's never easy and always heart breaking. Just the memory of this brings tears, but then joy remembering them for all they were. The most important thing for us to remember, is that the pet may no longer have bowel or urine control, may throw up often, may fall often etc. It is our duty and moral obligation to love them and help them, to not become upset and angry when things happen, that they have no control over any longer. Believe me, they are as disgusted with themselves, as we may initially feel when it happens. But, love overcomes all.

Ok, here's a chewing toy I made using 3/8 chain and many different shaped wood pieces and acrylic different shaped pieces in beween. <br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2009/05/25 04:06

Awwww, congratulations on the first words. :-)

LOL - Ollie used that perfectly!! LOL Linda - Maxi is just trying to lure Tanner in for a good thrashing. ;-) Thanks for sharing these conversations!!

Believe me when I say most of us NEVER tire of hearing or seeing photos of your Greys you two!! I get just as excited when new people here are waiting for their new baby(s) to arrive and I become enthralled in how they come along and truly enjoy all the photos and videos everyone posts. I can only say that having Dayo here is like having a human child at home again and watching over them just as carefully. The one thing that impacted me the most significantly regarding all life outside of humans, is how much they understand and how much more deeply they think than I ever imagined. That epiphany came when Dayo started verbalizing and actually making sense with his requests for specific food items, calling the dogs to come and eat as I mix my special blend for them and just the ability to carry on a very general conversation with a limited vocabulary. Now I read much more into my Dobermans eyes than previously. I knew they understood many things and had feelings along with emotions, just as us basically. But I now know, with out a doubt, that these animals and all other critters, are much more self aware than we suspected. They are all highly intelligent beings and that has brought out a deeper respect for them, than I ever had before. Ok, off my soap box, you get my drift. :-)<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2009/05/24 22:21

Cool Judy! When you go, you know we will want to see a gazzillion photos. :woohoo:

You're all welcome to come over anytime and bring your Greys with you. :-) Pat - If your Cage Wheels are sturdy enough, you can angle the cage by tipping it and roll it cautiously across and down those steps, rather than try to completely lift it. That what I do to get the cages out my sliding glass door to the patio. Note: I replace my stock cage wheels (which are more for office chairs and made of plastic)both on Dayos and Jakes cages with sturdy wheels from Orchard supply. Just find the right thread size and they will screw right in. The wheels are supported by a steel cup with ball bearings in them.

Talon is spot on. They must have an area of the cage that is shaded. Also note what the outside temperature is going to be that day. My birds will start showing signs of over heating at around 95 degrees in the shade after being out for an hour or so. This is noticeable by the wings held slightly away from the body and beaks open a 1/4 inch or so due to heavier breathing than normal. Also note that all metal in direct sunlight becomes very hot and can burn your birds.

Unfortunately due to the cost of SS Cages, most do not purchase them. If you can afford a stainless cage, then by all means purchase it. But, make sure you do not downsize the cage to maintain affordability. I would rather purchase a humongous cage for 500 and replace it every 5 to 7 years, than purchase a smaller SS cage that would probably last for a lifetime with proper maintenance such as loose bars being re-welded when need. Now, it is possible to search for a used SS cage, but they are rather rare to find. Should you decide to purchase a stainless steel bird cage, make sure it is 100% 304 grade solid stainless steel. If the label does not indicate this, it is possible that the cage is not completely made of this material. It is quite beneficial to check before making the purchase. You can find more reasonable SS Cages by doing some diligent searching on the net, for example: http://www.birdcagemart.com/Stainless_Steel_Cages-Stainless_Steel_40_x30_Dome_Top_Cage_1.html http://birdcages4less.com/page/B/CTGY/Stainless_Steel_Bird_Cages

Hi All, I came across this rescue and sanctuary doing some research and thought I would share the link. They are a GreYt non profit organization. I wish I lived in close proximity to visit. Judy, this is in your neck of the woods or atleast drivable I believe. :-) http://www.projectperry.com/africangreys.html Project Perry Inc. / The Central Virginia Parrot Sanctuary P.O. Box 1208 Louisa, VA 23093 (540) 967- 0447<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2009/05/24 16:00

OMG!! :ohmy: What an Evil Weapon that is. :pinch: Think I'll stick to the Dremel.

Very nice conversations with your highly intelligent Emma the Grey. Thanks for sharing those with us. :-)

Well, I personally only expect to get 4 to 5 years at best from a powder coated Cage. Especially since in the warmer months I roll the cages outside with the birds in them and spray them down atleast 2x a week. I do dry them thoroughly after the spraying and let them bake in the sun along with the birds for an hour or so afterwards. But, rust is inevitable anytime water or water based liquids get to bare metal. Someone not spraying their Cage down may get up to 10 or more years out of one depending on how aggressive their bird is at chewing the powder coating off the cage or if it starts flaking off by it's own accord.

Nice shots, as always Frank. It's GreYt to see you on here and thanks for posting these new photos of Ceasar. He looks great!! :-)

Sorry to hear of the experience you had with the harness. It normally takes a while just to get to the first stage of getting it over their head, then being able to lift their wings to get the harness over each. It took me about a month just to get the harness on the first time without exasperating Dayo. The first time completely on, he was very distracted by it and the leash. IT was only on for about 5 minutes and the hardest part was getting it off with suffering multiple bites. A peanut or something else for them to chew on in frustration as you quickly remove the harness usually provides the best experience for them and you. I knew one person that became so upset, that it further upset his Grey and in desperation he cut the damn harness off!! Needless to say, he never tried harnessing that Grey again. It takes small steps and a lot of time and patience in most cases even when they are very young. Some might just readily accept it, but that is not normally the case. Again, sorry you and your Grey both had a bad experience.

Wow, now that is a very cool tool for trimming nails. It would be much less felt by the bird than a nail clipper or dremel like I use. Thanks for posting this. :-)

When it's warm here in Sunny California, I always roll both Jake (Conure) and Dayo out in their respective Cages for a good bath and pressure wash their Cages. Jake loves baths, Dayo hates them but gets them anyway. If you have the backyard to do this, it is GreYt for them getting fresh air, full sun, a good bath and a clean cage all at once. The plus also is that a few hours of Sunlight gives them the D3 they need and also kills those nasty germs on all the toys and cage. :-) I do this weekly and normally at least 2x a week. I just place an adjustable nozzle on the hose, set it to "Cone" and sit about 7 feet away from the cage and let the mist and small droplets fall upon them like rain. Then blast the grate and cage areas away from the birds of course. Heres some photo's of both Jake and Dayo.... Dayo before bath , chewing on a new toy I built with lots of chewing fun. Dayo Soaked and thinking about chewing once again. Attitude over regarding being all wet and now chewing. Here's little Jake the conure with an attitude of Goliath all wet and lovin it. :-) In case you wish to get the wooden parts to build toys, I personally use ChoppersToys. http://www.chopperstoys.com/CatalogPartsBulkPacks.html#wood<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2009/05/24 18:46

Baxters Mom gave you GreYt advice to go review the foods room. It's hard to imagine a 433g TAG as "Thin". That is much heavier than most TAG's on average weigh with the largest weighing in at around 400 maximum. YOu must have a very big boned TAG. :-) If you do need to continue seed and nut mixtures, purchase high quality such as Kaytee Fiesta Blend or other top quality brand. You will need to slowly wean your TAG off of an ALL seed diet to Pellets, veggies and a little fruit along with mixes you can cook up yourself with legumes, rich, oatgraots, pasta etc. I am very sorry to hear of your loss of the Zon.

LOL!! You were hoping they would be outgoing and highly social. Well it lloks like you got what you wished for. Thanks for sharing these hilarous photos Carol. :-)