danmcq

Hi Hannibal, Good questions. Only time will tell how close the relationship well become or who the "favorite" person will be as others have indicated. The most important thing to ensure, is that you and your wife spend equal time taking care of him, feeding, cleaning, grooming etc.. So he knows that you both are his "Parents" and share all the duties of watching over him. Our Grey, loves me to death, but goes bonkers when my wife comes in. She is his between the breast cuddling Mama that he just loves to lay and bury his head in her clothes and get scratches while drifting off to sleep. I'm the rough house guy that takes him on adventures and scares the hell out of him sometimes with a new object or walking by a bush that he just knows is going to eat him. :-) He loves me too and cuddles, scratches etc., but there is no doubt that my wife is his "Favorite". :-) But one thing to remember is, their choosing of a favored, does not mean the other is the enemy. You are all one big flock that watches over, protects and loves one another. :-)

Hi Brendon and welcome!! I actually thought the same as you and initially we brought 2 Greys from the same clutch home. :-) Both were attracted to us as we visited them every week from the time they were 6 weeks old and let the Greys pick us. There were 2 clutchs born at the same time with 6 total. When it came to time actually choose the "One" Grey to come home with us, we could not leave without both of them as they begged to come! But, after 24 hours, one was not eating and actually lost 50 grams in 24 hours, so we took it back to the breeder to finish weaning. During the next week with our one Grey named "Dayo", we realized how much time just he alone was requiring in feeding and interacting with. It was at that point that we decided to just have one Grey instead of two. It did not have anything to do with being worried about them not becoming as loving or bonded to us as some think could happen. Both were VERY loving to us and both begged to be the one held :-) So we would both hold and interact with one Grey and then switch up after an hour or two so they both received equal time with us. As it turned out, the other Grey fell in love with another family and they purchased it 2 weeks later. So destiny seems to take care of things :-) My long point is, go with your heart and how well the 2 Greys are getting along with you. If they BOTH have chosen you and you have the time and $$$ to take care of them, go for it!!!

:whistle: ..................So Ronda...... I found your additional "Native Speak" hilarious..I love it!! It's great to hear you've made a decision on how your are going to handle your sweetheart for the time being. How about some more photos of that cutie pie ? :woohoo:

LOL MrSpock - I love the way you "Splane" things. Makes perfect sense...with a twist...ha ha ha ha B)

That's very Cool Hannibal :-) It sounds like you are catching on to Training very quickly and so is that intelligent TAG you have there !! Can't wait to hear what you have taught him next

Cool...Ya'll come back now hear :-) I love your Thankgiving signature...beautiful!!

Bathing is tough for most Greys. You will need to find which method works best for your Grey. It sounds like since he is interested in trying to cram himself into the water bowl, he is wanting to get wet. :-) Maybe try just placing something like a 12 inch or bigger Pie Pan in the bottom of the Cage with about an inch or 2 of water (Preferably mixed with 50 - 75 percent of Aloe Juice) and let him experiment. Try putting a little ball with a bell in the middle of the Pan. My Dayo has only been interested in the Pie pan 2x in almost 3 months. I did at first take him in the shower with me and gently diverted some of the spray on to him until he was soaked. That lasted 3 weeks and all of a sudden he decided he did not like the shower :-) MRSpock suggested using a spray bottle filled with Aloe Juice. This is what I use now and Dayo does not like it, but he gets sprayed every 2 to 3 days and it has changed his dry flaky, scratchy skin into a much more supple tone now and he does not scratch nearly as much. They do need to be bathed in my opinion in one fashion or another. I hope this helps you in some way :-)

Hi Ronda, You certainly did not ask a bad question!! That's what this forum and its members are here for. To help others lesser experienced to make the best decision for their circumstances. I hope things are progressing well with your new baby, slow though it may be. :-) Take care and ask away anytime you have another question or just want to tell us of Sweethearts progress and cool things she's doing B)

Again Lusya - No, never leave your Grey unattended when your not home. That's why we all have cages. It is also NOT OK to leave you Grey unattended outside his Cage if you are leaving the room or going outside etc. The only time it is ok, would be IF you actually had a "Bird Room" stripped of everything to make it completely safe and the bird could not exit that room.

Hi Lusya, There are too many dangers to let any bird out unsupervised.

Hi MPR!! It's good to hear from you again :-) Your baby Grey is still settling in and may not even know how to play much yet, plus he is in a new cage and home, so he is being very reserved. How old is your grey? I know you said he was born in July. Which would put him at a maximum of 16 weeks. But, since you are having to feed him formula 2x a day. I can only assume he is not yet weaned and therefore someplace between 12 and 16 weeks. You can start interacting with him by playing with the toys yourself to show him how. Also, layout a blanket on the floor and get down there with him and interact by feeding pieces of fruit, veggies and some nuts. Get a small ball with a bell in it and let him play with it there too. There more you expose him to in these early stages the better :-) Yes, if he does not have good balance, place the perch just a few inches off the cage floor. Also place a towel or something soft on the cage floor to cushion a fall if he is climb around inside and falls. Is his wings clipped? If so is he able to flap at a 45 degree angle down to the floor? Was he able to fledge at all? Fledging is key to him developing balance and confidence. Sorry, I seem to have more questions than answers.

Hi Acapella, it's great to hear from you again. :-) I had to go back and re-read your introduction and posts regarding Dorian to refresh my memory and times/dates. Since he has lived the life he has for 5 years before you rescued him from the Pet Store and has only been home with you for approximately 30 days now, it is going to require much patience, love and understanding. I agree, leaving him outside the cage unsupervised is terribly dangerous for him. It is going to take much more work in trying to teach him to step up and to go to bed when you say it's time. His Cage is still his one and only place of safety and probably will remain so for a while longer. There has to be a way to get him back in the Cage if coaxing with his favorite snack is now not working. If he remains outside of the cage for hours, what is he doing for food and water? If you have food available on the cage top, take it down so he must return inside the cage for food and water. If all else fails, you may need to towel him, which I know is traumatic, but you cannot risk letting him stay out unsupervised. I am positive others will have more Ideas and comments also and hope they can come up with several more things you can try. Please don't be such a stranger, you are not alone in your endeavor to help this poor soul learn what true love and companionship is. Ask away for help any time you need it. There are people from all over the world logged in 24/7 at various times. :-) Best wishes!!

What a great looking baby Grey he is. It is wonderful that your breeder is already familiarizing him with a harness. It appears your breeder has a few clutches, one of TAG and one of CAG's. :-) They are all so cute aren't they.

Welcome Jody and you Family!! What a great introduction of you, your family and your present animals. It sounds like you are off to a great start and being able to visit and let the Grey and You become acquainted is always when possible, as you have done. If you are going to post and image in a topic, such as this, the maximum width should only be 500 Pixels. We'll look forward to hearing more from you, especially since you are going to start a Blog, which is a great idea. Again, Welcome!!

Your right DFnH!! Greys and other Parrots have just as a diverse set of likes and dislikes, fears and no fears as us Humans. :-)

Hope things are better today Tracy and Judy!! TLC for you two today.... <br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2007/11/20 16:18

Hi Cyard, If you experience separation anxiety, so would your Grey. Since Newton enjoys traveling about town, a 2 hour trip and visits to others house should not be an issue. He would rather be with you and exploring, rather than sitting at home with out you. Just take the normal precautions when around non-parrot adults and children. No poking at the cage, like everyone seems to want to do, right off the bat and no kids screaming with their face up against the cage :-) Etc. Only take him out in a very calm and safe environment, if you decide to take him out at all while at others homes. Happy Thanksgiving to you too!!!

Thanks for the photos Elaine :-) It sounds like Zeke is in a much better place and very happy. His attitude when left even for a short period is understandable. It probably brings back bad memories, which Greys never forget. :-)

Cool Video Jimmy of your new baby, the Captain Jack Sparrow custom contest on your YouTube links was great too :-) It sounds like you are having a good time settling in with your new Grey.

Nice update Hannibal. It sounds like you and your Grey are enjoying the new companionship :-)

I think we should conduct this poll a year from now when those of us with clipped Parrots have gone through a full molt ( our parrots too ;-) )and all the primaries are in. We may see a much larger shift to the flighted side B) Keep voting eveyone, this is good info :-)<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2007/11/20 14:41

They are having a blast, please excuse the newspaper in the bottom though. We do not want the beatifully finished wood bottom messed up....even though I guess no one will see it unless they lift the paper

Joe - Sorry for the delay in posting the Hanging Playgym I purchased from you. As you can see, Dayo and my Conure Jake love it!! It works out great hanging in a corner of our living room. Thanks Joe, you do wonderful work at a fraction of what it would cost from a normal manufacturer and the way you packaged it for shipment made sure that it arrived with no harm or even the slightest ding. :-)

Welcome Heather. What a beautiful photo! :-) Can't wait to hear your introduction of you and your Grey/flock. :-)

Thanks Tracy!! :-) FYI - I voted Clipped, due to the present state of my Parrots as I am letting the Primaries grow out. B)