danmcq

Welcome Jake!! Sorry to hear you got a bad breeder. The good thing of this is your baby Grey found a very responsible and loving father. :-) You sound like you have studied quite a bit in a short time, to ensure you are feeding your baby properly and bringing it right along. The photo says it all, thanks for sharing it. :-)

Bella is hilarious!!! Thanks for sharing that Terri. :-) I love the peekapeekapeekaboooooooo..... hahahahahahaha

They are ceratinly an amazingly intelligent species aren't they. Thanks for sharing that wonderful and touching story. :-)

It is GreYt to hear that you found a wonderful and knowledgeable vet. It is very good to hear the vet has prescribed a treatment and the prognosis is good. We're all cheering for you and Sooty!!! :-)

I agree with Dave's comments on your "About Me" section. Since you seem to answer your own questions also, I won't waste my time providing an answer any more. I wouldn't buy a parrot from a breeder as you seemingly wish to become. A true breeder is a noble person that does so lovingly and responsibly. They raise the chicks until fully weaned, provide lots of attention, interaction and socialization. They are not just "Breeding farms" with many pairs of birds just laying eggs and cranking out inferior and cruelly treated birds that end up in rescues do to inexperienced bird owners purchasing one and then not being able to deal with all the issues the basically wild Grey has with no human interaction skills. Oh... by the way, breeding birds and raising the chicks is no cheap matter and you will work your butt off with all the feeding times around the clock, brooder upkeep etc........So it's not just an easy cash cow like you seem to be thinking.......

An Axe always solves that problem. ;-) Seriously, you can't stop a cat that wants to eat something leave it alone. It is their natural instinct to want to eat birds, rodents etc. Keep your cat in a room when your Grey is out. Thats the only solution. If the cat is trying to bat your Grey through the cage bars, put the cat outside or find another home for it or your Grey will die one of these days.

What a terrible story of theft. Hopefully the video tape will give good information that will lead to the capturing of those scum bags.

Hello Julie, I am sorry to hear of the sudden loss of your much loved Eclectus Gomez. You wouldn't expect that from leg surgery, unless there were underlying causes from the surgery such as infection or the like. You have my condolences. In regards the behavioural changes in Dante, Dave gave great advice. Especially when he states to observe his stance and body language before you even approach and try to get a step-up. It is the same we humans have learned in reading others body language through posturing and facial expression. You can just tell by a glance if the person would welcome interaction or not and you act accordingly. I would imagine you can tell quite easily when your Grey wants your attention and to be with you. If you do not see those indicators, then just let him be. The dynamics Dave mentioned of the death of Dantes "Buddy" and the Bubble wrap blocking his view outside are mentally disturbing factors he is working through. He may have even been leery of the bubble wrap. With the wrap gone and view restored, it sound like he is slowly coming around. The bottom line though, is avoid confrontation unless you must insist on getting a step up to place him back in his cage. Also, ignoring bad behavior such as Biting does not extinguish it. What helps is paying close attention to their body language and knowing your going to get bit before you even think about trying a step up and just not even move as if your going to try one. That is then acknowledging you recognize the signs he is giving you and he'll respect that you acknowledge his space.

It's wonderful you have found a Grey and the person is holding Emma for you. :-) Are you able to visit Emma and get to know her? That would be great if you can and have a relationship going before bringing her home.

Lainee - In regards fruit and veggies. They are finicky eaters and need to be taught to eat a variety or foods. Many of us have had to just keep offering different mixtures of veggies, cooked, raw etc. to find what they prefer. They may not eat them right off the bat, but just keep offering them to your grey daily and you will notice some picking/eating start. The same goes with fruit. Just don't give as large quantities as veggies and only offer fruit 2 or 3 times a week maximum. Many Greys like Apple, Grapes, Apricots, Peaches etc. I just wanted to comment on your willingness to take in an 18 month old Grey. That was a wonderful thing to do and I guarantee you that you will be rewarded with tons of good times, love and trust and time goes on. Greys take time to adjust to new homes and people. It sounds like you have already started a trusting relationship with him. :-)

jamalbirdbiz wrote: What made you come to that conclusion so hastily? When you say he is "Dive Bombing", what specifically do you mean? Is he landing and biting? Is he just skimming across your head? It sounds like it's been going on a while and may simply be a really fun activity to him depending on you and others reaction to it.<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2009/03/07 15:00

Hi Kristin, The others have given you GreYt advice based on their varied experiences in dealing with vacations. If you have friends or family that frequent your home and you know your Grey likes, those would be the best candidates for watching your Grey. The other option as others stated is to take him/her with you. Most enjoy traveling with their family. :-)

Welcome Kristin and flock!! It's nice having you here. Youve come to the right place for all your questions regarding Greys. Looking forward to hearing more from you. :-)

Welcome lovethatgrey and Emma!! It's GreYt having you here and your videos of her were a joy to watch. Thanks for posting them. :-)<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2009/03/07 14:40

Welcome blln314!! It's GreYt having you and your new bird with us. Looking forward to hearing more and seeing photos when you get a chance. :-)

Hi Adhaincroi - I am shocked and angered along with you at those irresponsible morons. This time Roswell may not be so lucky to find a good home such as yours. I hope he does get back to you somehow. nanmadpad - You would have thought your Grey would have sought out the comfort and love of being with you rather that toughing it out in the wild open spaces. Three years is a very long time. Do you ever actually see him, or you only here him?

Welcome lainee!! It's GreYt having you here. Looking forward to hearing more about Roxie. :-)

Very cute photo of those little chicks. :-) It's wonderful when you can visit as they grow and let one pick you.

Thats a tough one Deef. To train a bird to poop somewhere, you need to being watching them and when you notice they are positioning themselves for a dump i.e starting to squat, you take them the where you wish to them to poop, place them there and say "Go Poop" or "Bombs Away" etc. This will take many repetitions, but your Grey wil eventually get the idea. Being in a barber shop and staying busy, you may not be able to catch him nay times before he goes on his stand. So it will take longer for you to get him to catch on. If possible, you need to keep one eye on him and move him when you see he is going to take a dump. :-)

Congratulations on taking in a Grey in need of a home! Oz sounds like a wonderful bird getting used to his new surroundings and flock. In regards talking, they talk when they wish to and many times it is closet talking or practicing and calibrating their words while preening and relaxing. They will use the words when needed or when they recognize an action your doing and comment on it appropriately. It just takes time for them to settle in to their new home and family. Looking forward to hearing more of Oz. :-)

I am sorry to hear of Koki's passing. It is good tohear you have recovered from it and now have opted to take in a rescue that needs a home with lots of TLC. Looking forward to hearing more on this new CAG and seeing some photos. :-)

They not only see in full color as we do, but they also see into the UV spectrum. This is why many of us have full spectrum fluorescent lighting in the bird area. It "Lights Up" the world for them in a way we can not see. It also provides UVB which helps in the vitamin D3 production needed for Calcium absorbtion if you are not able to take them outside during the winter months for natural sunlight.

Thats wonderful news. It just goes to so all that you should never give up hope of being reunited with your Grey. There are people out there like you that exist and try their best to find the owner knowing they must miss there Grey dearly. Thanks for updating this. :-)

Hi Max, Its nice hearing from you again. Thanks for the update. It seems Gizmo has become quite the intelligent young Grey in that video. :-)

Great find David. Thanks for posting this. :-)