danmcq

Great story and information Dave. That is definately one special Hen!! :-)

Oh Cool, can't wait!!! :woohoo:

Wonderful News birdwomanceaser!!! Ok, now that you "primed" us, the missing details and photos are going to kill us. :-)

Amen Dave, great response!!

Oh my God Gus!! You take care and I'll be praying for you!!!

Welcome BrothaWolf !!! Wow, it sounds like you really did your homework and put a lot of thought and consideration in to this before jumping in to it. :-) Kudos to you many people do not this and up in a rescue. We'll look forward to hearing more about your new Grey and seeing some photos when you get a chance. The person you are buying your Grey from sounds like a wonderful and responsible breeder or store owner that knows what they are doing.

It would be ok if you verify that the blocks are stained with simple food coloring, not paint. It regards the shoelaces, the Dye is not really human or animal safe if ingested in large quantities. Which would probably not happen by your Grey simply playing with them. The foam, as others stated, is not a good idea at all. Unless it is the type made from corn by products that is environmentally friendly. The wooden coffee stirs and the like are fine and are not made of "treated" wood as they must be human safe and non-toxic. I think it all boils down to checking and ensuring nothing toxic was used in the manufacture of any product you are going to use for your Parrot or yourself. :-)

This is great information Jazz!! Now that is one highly educated and dedicated Avian Vet your have. Who would imagine a hormonal imbalance at such a young age? Did the Vet say if that is common or perhaps an issue all Grey owners should be aware of at that age? Normally hormonal changes do not really start affecting them until they are at least 2 to 4 years old. Now we have another item to add to our checklists when encountering a plucking problem. Thanks to you and your Vet. :-)

There's no telling where he got it from, but he certainly heard it somewhere. Of course, they can and do make up their own sounds too. Yes, after you have listened to them calibrate speech for a while, it's just like working with someone with a bad accent. You have a hard time understanding them, but your brain soon calibrates it's speech recognition files and pretty soon you understand exactly what they are saying. :-)

Hi Magic, How is your Grey doing now? Depending on the damage to the Talons, they may or may not grow back. As others suggested, since his footing is now compromised, you really need to ensure the perch surfaces are rough, not smooth to avoid falls. The actual nails themselves will take a long time to re-grow, if they do.

The Grey will SCREAM an alarming, spine chilling scream when scared. Along with the fluffy up Tracy mentioned above. Makes me jump every time Dayo does it :pinch: I am constantly coming through the house with something "Strange" in my hands, electric drill, ladder, Dog Toy etc and Dayo catches me off-guard every time because I am focused on what I am doing.... :laugh:

Great video Pixie!! If you listen carefully, Biggles is saying and mimicking many things. I know I heard a Kiss several times, and MANY words uttered as he "Calibrates" them. He is a very happy camper and on his way to keeping you well informed of he wants verbally. :-)

Thanks for the updated information Leigh. :-) It's great to hear that everything is reversible and your Grey will be at top health soon!!

Hanna - Since you know what your Juji is going to do. Set it up so that it can not happen. Not knowing how this takes place makes it difficult to advise you. But, you can do a few things to stop this. If your child knows this is going to happen, have her face Juji never taking her eyes off of her. If Juji starts to fly, have her put her arm up horizontally as the landing target. Juji will do one of two things, land on the arm or fly over and land somewhere else. Juji knows she has full control if she lands on the head. You just need to figure out the best way to impede or stop juji from having an easy time accomplishing this. If she does succeed. Stair Juji straight in the eye(s) and tell her NO firmly and return her to where she came from. Have your 11 year old girl (protected) give Juji treats to build the relationship. Right now, I suspect Juji views her as not part of your Flock and someone getting time and attention that Juji used to. Good luck. :-)

Yes, get one of those cement or rough abrasive type perches. They will keep the nails in check, You should be able to find them in any of your local pet stores.

Hi Barry, Here are a few sites with good prices, with the cheapest first. But, as you probably know, compare each sites shipping and handeling charges for the "Final" best price you can find: http://www.naturechest.com/aviator-harness.html http://www.mybirdstore.com/HARNESSES-AVIATOR_HARNESS.html This ebay site is offering free shipping, so may be the best deal: http://search.express.ebay.com/__Pet-Supplies?_from=R40&_trksid=m51&_nkw=aviator+harness&_nd1=

Hi Smithie!! You will not believe how much they will grow from week to week. You will be utterly shocked when you arrive. :-) If your not already, take photos so you have a history of growth you can reflect on later once your fast growing baby is finally at home. It's really cool to go back and look at the photos of their growth and also of you and/or wifey holding and interacting with them. You are doing everything right and are fortunate you can visit every week. That's what we did and it really ties that bond and familiarity between you and your Grey from such a young age. Post some photos if you have them. We love seeing photos!!!! :woohoo: Heck, even start a weekly blog here so we can all enjoy your experience too!!

This is a great photo history Tracy!! God, it brings back memories of Dayo as we wtached the clutch grow from week 6 until he chose us and we brought him home. Makes one want to go out and buy another "Puppy". Who can resist, when you see them? :-)

Hello Carol, Unfortunately, if Cookie has decided that your Hubby is his favored. There is really nothing you can do to change that. But, what you can do is use the "Peanut" as the path to having Cookie interact with you more often through out the Day. Make him step-up for that peanut. Make him come to you for it, put it on your Lap etc. Then find others things he loves like toys etc that he just can't stand not to come over and want. He may always run to Hubby when he's in the room, but you can certainly maintain a close relationship as well by ensuring you interact with him as much as possible. My Grey Dayo, loves my Wife more than anything, even though he is MY Grey. When we sit and watch TV, Dayo will hop up off of me and run to my wife as fast as he can and stay there with her cuddling, flipping over on his back etc. I know I will never be able to change that preference. But, when my Wife isn't here or I make her do chores ;-) so I can spend time with Dayo, it's all great. The bottom line is to love Cookie and enjoy her antics, personality and never ending entertainment that will keep both you and Cookie happy for decades. :-) Sorry I don't have a miracle fix, if I did I'd use it on Dayo too!! :-)

Hi ConnieLu!!! I had no idea on the operations!! Well, thank God your back on the mend and feeling well enough to start getting your life back to know and enjoyable again. Please stay in touch, we miss you!! :-)

Awww, aren't they sweet and real comics at times too. :-)

Welcome Char!! I'll bet your excited. :-) Looking forward to hearing more of Simon and seeing some photos when you get a chance.

Man, I miss every parrot show there is on TV. I must have really bad timing on TV watching. I am always scanning scanning APL, National Geographic, Science etc. channels and never see them. I'm not sure I would want a Kea for a pet. They seem VERY destructive by nature. But, they are sure fun to watch :-)

I stumbled upon Kea Parrots of New Zealand. They are quite the characters, even to the point of being a nuisance. The are VERY smart and do not seem fearful of Humans from what I have gathered watching these Videos. One websites description: http://www.nzbirds.com/birds/kea.html Has been persecuted as a sheep killer but there is some doubt as to the extent it attacks healthy animals. A very cheeky bird, this mountain parrot is quite capable of doing damage to your car by pecking all the rubber from around the windows and pulling off windscreen wipers—not to mention what it might do to what you have on your roof rack! Partially protected (may be hunted or killed by an occupier of land only when causing damage on that land). Enjoy these Videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z47yPGomIj0&feature=related edited by: danmcq, at: 2008/04/13 02:01

As long as it's not a Werewolf, you and your Grey should be ok. ;-) I agree with Dave. :-)