danmcq

Oh no Kaskoo, you resurrected this old thread. Now the fun begins again. :evil: :woohoo:

Jesse wrote: Jesse - I am not sure if you intended this to be a joke or not. But, it is hilarious!! {Feel-good-0002006E}

Very nice PVC playstands everyone has posted. :-) I'll bet your Greys have many enjoyable hours on them. Photos of them doing so would be a great new thread!!

I feel your exasperation Sameera and am truly sorry this is happening. Prayers are coming your way. I am so sorry to hear of the continuing saga of Zahzu's plucking. Perhaps an increase in the meds or a different type? Does her plucking seem to have slowed at all since the meds started?

Berna Wrote: "Learned habbit my butt! Hahahaha. I think she just has REALLY bad manners, but it's not the worst thing she does" It's not the worst thing she has LEARNED? :ohmy: With such a young, impressionable and manageable mind, watch your drinking around her. You don't want her to end up like a person's pet frog..... ;-)

LOL - Well if it's your Mom, the approach will be completely different. I wouldn't want to hear she took you by the Ear and banished you to your room for the day. B) Good luck with your Thesis!! It is a wonderful feeling when you know your life is going to take off in the fast lane very shortly. :-)

Christian, Leaving the site, which is a wonderful source of information and help for you and your Grey as He grows rapidly and crosses many phases between now and a year old may not be the best choice. I understand how you feel at this moment. Perhaps this thread has lived it's usefulness and all responses should be ignored by you and they will stop. Having passed this terrible incident both for your Grey and yourself. It may be better to start sharing the cute things your Grey is doing, how he is progressing weight wise, feathering, photos of him etc. :-) You are young and have endured some fairly harsh, yet truthful criticism and dealt with it pretty well. Without really getting too nasty or flaming on someone. Which, believe me, we have seen on this forum in the past by some very volatile people. Stay, read, enjoy and post..... We do not wish to drive you away. :-)<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2008/08/24 13:42

LOL Siobha!! They keep begging for more beer to figuring the pain the next morning is worth the fun they had the previous night. In regards very loose liquid stools. The others have given good comments. Dayo has them also, depending on how much fruit and veggies he has eaten. They consist of more water than anything and there is just not much "Substance" to them. He also has some of what we do for dinner and I am positive that contributes to it at times. After having spaghetti or lasagna, he has garlic breath for a while afterwards. :-) My wife always picks up on it and asks "Did you let Dayo eat some of your food"? My answer is always the same.... No! Why do you ask? As the Garlic fumes rise from Dayo... :whistle:<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2008/08/24 13:11

They do this as a sign of affection. Their beak tip is very sensitive and they in fact love what I call a "Beak Rub". I gently rub Dayo's beak between my thumb and index finger and he loves it. When I first started doing this, I would tell him what I was doing "Beak Rub. He now asks for it when he wants one. :-) They use there beaks for everything when young, beaking your hand and tonguing it is giving him volumes of information, taste, texture etc. and as the beakings get harder, he will learned when he has applied too much pressure the first time by your flinch and scream.

Hi Matt, Your correct a breeze outside is just fine. I am not certain how the old wives tale of a bird having to be protected from any breeze got started, but it's incorrect. Birds all live naturally outdoors and live just fine in gale force winds and hurricanes. They do stay perched when it gets too crazy in the best shelter they can find in the worst of it though. I believe the general thought came from not wanting to place your birds cage in an area that a fan, vent or open window could have a breeze blowing on them that they could not shield themselves from if they so desired. When it is hot, we run oscillating fans through out the house. My Grey loves to sit on the couch with me. The fan blows on us from across the room and does not seem to bother him at all. If it did, he would just walk or fly to another location. We take our Grey and Conure outside in their cages everyday just about whether there is a breeze, wind or not and they love it. The only exception is in the winter when it is just too cold for them to be out breeze or not. If you think about it, birds fly and whatever speed they happen to be cruising at, 30, 40 miles per hour. That wind speed is directly hitting them in the face as they do so. :-) If your wife disagrees, I take the 5th and will deny ever having posted or commented on this topic. B)<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2008/08/24 12:55

Hi Mistyparrot - You Asked: "Do your Greys know when they have crossed the line?" Only if they intentionally bit you because they were mad or wanted you to leave them alone. Cause and effect basically. They reasoned out why the wanted to bite you as your actions were happening to them. As suzzique stated, they only have their beak to communicate with by natural instinct. If something alarms them and they want you or their fellow bird to move, they do so by a nip to say "Lets Roll", somethings wrong here. A firm NO and direct eye contact letting them know you did not approve of the bite, is the best way to let them know so. Some cage time also works sometimes as a cause and effect feedback loop. However, none of these actions means they will stoop biting a person completely. It is up to each of us to pay careful attention to their body language. If their eyes are pinning, they are leaning forward, perhaps feathers fluff a little, You ARE going to get bit in most instances. If you see that body language, slowly pull your hand back acknowledging you respect their space and desire to be left alone at that time. I know sometimes you must move them when you wish. In those cases, ball your hand up into a fist with it bent forward to tighten your skin completely. Only push forward with the back of your hand telling them to step up. If they still try to bite, go in from the backside and they will have to step up backwards and can not bite you from that direction and position. I know when I am going to get bit and decide if I must take it due to needing to put Dayo back in his cage while I'm gone etc. The quick unexpected nips and bites will always happen sooner or later. It's just a matter of when, not if. :pinch:<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2008/08/23 19:13

Hi Satchel, No problem. :-) You keep posting and we will keep responding. If you do decide to ask a questions or post a comment that is a topic in and of itself, then just post it in the appropriate room. :-)

Well, depending on the type you are looking for, the price varies greatly. You can build your own out of PVC parts purchased from your local hardware store or you can find several good buys on ebay of all type of playstands. If you want to see some playstands made on this forum out of PVC, there are several topics you can do a search on and find. :-)

Those are all great reports. :-) Were not only the "Best of the Best" Parrot Forums, but all the most musclar and beautiful.......

Congratulations Heather!!! You take the best photos. But, I do think Melissa may be tied with you on photographic abilities as well. YOu both take such amazing quality photos. :-) I just point and shoot..... guess that comes from outlaw gun-slinging days. :whistle:

Same here in my household. When the ruler comes home (Me), the Critters are all mine and smother me with with love and attention. B) However, after the 10 minutes of glory hellos, I love You's and high fives are done. They all go back to my wife being the preferred snuggle muffin. :unsure:<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2008/08/23 16:40

Good responses by all. Just remember to blow your nose or break wind out of ear-shot. ;-)

Tracy and Shanlung have given the "Best" of information! Allowing the primaries to molt and grow, then letting your Grey fledge is one of the most rewarding experiences your Grey can have. It will build coordination, balance and self confidence he would not have had. Shanlungs website and information contained there-in is one of the best I have ever seen on flighting a bird. The almost "Book" style of writing and suspense, laughter and emotional roller coaster is great and your learning all a long. :-)

Mark, your analogy is a little off track. Human babies being fed by humans is natural and thats what the breast's are for. It's natural feeding and just "happens" between Humans and their babies. Taking a Parrot from the nest and feeding it by a syringe, spoon or any other device is not natural and does not come naturally to Humans. Hand feeding a Parrot is not natural between the two different species and is a very delicate operation that can mean death to them very easily. It is a technique, proper formula, amount, frequency, temperature etc. that must be learned from a professional. A hand-fed baby Parrot at the untrained hands of an amateur does not result in optimum results.

Welcome SilverDude!! As others have said, DNA is the only way to determine sex of a Grey (well, they can be surgically sex too). There is no difference in male or female talking abilities or if one sex will take to you better or not. It is best to go to the breeders while the Greys are babies and let "A" Grey pick you. I know this is not possible for everyone. But, letting a Parrot pick you will normally result in the best relationship possible. Then you don't need to worry about what sex it is, though it is good to know for naming reasons. :-) It's GreYt that you have sought out information from Grey owners on this forum. Most people do not both to research or ask questions before purchasing a life long pet. Thanks for doing your homework first!!

Walmart here does not carry it. So I must use the Vitamin Shoppe's $19 a gallon stuff. :pinch: But, in my book it's a necessity, not an option to keep your Grey's skin nice and supple. :-)

My Boings are all around an inch and a quarter diameter. Both my small conure and grey run up and down them with no problems. LOL Missa - My Grey likes to hang out on a perch about 1/4 in diameter..... very strange. :-) But, he does sleep on a 1 inch perch most the time.

You learn by both book and hands on guidance by a professional instructing you. There are too many "Unknowns" that books can not possibly cover. The unknowns, are what gets the inexperienced in trouble. Thankfully, the syringe tip incident did not result in surgery or death. I know it's too late now and you are doing all you can to ensure your baby is taken care of. Hopefully, any new Parrot owner thinking about taking on the feeding task of a baby Parrot, will read this and decide not to.

Ouch Missa!! :pinch: :ohmy: That would shock anyone. It could have been hormonal love or as you suggested, the work shirt. These are are just so smart, they pick up every detail and know what it means. It's good to hear you lip is looking better. I suspect (but hope not) that one day I will get nailed when giving my Grey a kiss also. It sounds like there was no warning body language, just BAM. Looking forward to hearing more from you. :-)

Dayo bites nails also, but no nose picking. I suspect that is a "Learned" habit, as was suggested by one our most esteemed forum members. {Feel-good-00020069}