danmcq

So sorry to hear this, but commend you for realizing perhaps a new home with owner that has plenty of time and love to give would better a win-win for both. I hope this works out for you in short time period. I can imagine the interview process of interested people will be intense, but rightly so to ensure he gets in to the right home. I live in California and have no contacts at all in Colorado. It seems some members do and can give you a lead or two.

Many of our newer members probably do not know of Carlylu. She is a long time member of this forum. But, in her busy life has not posted in a year or so here. So I thought I would share her wonderful website with you . It is full of resources, stories with photo's of Carlylu in flight etc. I hope you find it educational and thought provoking. Most greys are not very suited for free flight, especially without plenty of training leading up to the free flight experience. http://carlylusflightblog.com/2012/04/carly-piper-active-in-the-air-and-otherwise/

OMG Sarasota, what a character you have there!! I have no doubt Clarice probably uses that word for "Go ahead, put me in my cage. I love you.", it's just a much shorter way of saying it.

Very glad hear the relationship with Pippin is going well.

Nancy - I knew it was just a matter of time before you received a bite. Here's my thoughts on a parrot being higher than you: 1. It does not make them dominant, it makes them basically unreachable. 2. They have the advantage because you must stretch most the time with your hand up there, which they can then easily bite. 3. They can just move back further and avoid you. 4. They can just fly to another high spot. Those of us with flighted birds know that if our parrot does not want to go in to their cage or step up for us, one of two things will happen. We will either get bitten or they will fly to a place they know we cannot get them down from. Thus, those of us with flighted birds must come up with ways, times and places we know we can get a step up to either take them with us, place them in a carrier or back in their cage. Nancy has been right about this issue of height. It's just not them dominating us, it is just they can avoid us.

Welcome! Greys will do many things such as biting on their cage, smashing toys around etc. to get our attention when they want us or want out. It's GreYt having you here and I look forward to hearing more from you.

Welcome Lara and Miko. You have made good progress with him in only 3 months. It is wonderful to see him out and enjoy himself in your home.

I would love to see a video of this "Cackle Fest" if you ever get the chance and presence of mind during it to turn on a video recorder. It would be a HOOT literally.

""he started saying "Rolo!!" and clapping at them. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to get them to quiet down, Joe changed tactics and started saying "Here! You want this?" Finally, he flew off to play in the relative quiet of the kitchen saying "I've got to go Bye-Bye". He had reached his limit too! It was too, too funny....Maggie"" LOL- A Gentlemanly and refined Grey can only take so much cackling from the mentally challenged and childish company... very smart!!!

Great story Dave and the photos were GreYTt!! Lets see .... adding to my notes here.... how to win over greys and influence others..... GET SHRIMP!!!!

Cute photo. No kitchen is complete without a grey helper in my book. GreYt job Tango!!!

I just can get enough of checking out baby grey aging photos. Thanks for sharing these.

Excellent post full of good information Greywings!

Greys love nothing more than tossing bowls and listening to them clang and bang as they hit. Most cages have bowls locked in place once the bowl holder door is closed. In cases where that is not the case, the solution is normally to go buy heaving ceramic bowls and place them on the bottom of the cage where they normally do not poop. You do need to watch the bowls through to ensure they do not need dumping and cleaning should they get pooped in.

You are making progress and will be successful in helping him flourish under your care and love. I hope to hear of each and everything step forward he makes. It is very interesting to read of each unique greys progress.

Yes, they expect their share.

Where is jellybean when you are working with him on a step up? If it's in the cage, that is his safety zone and not the best place to work with him on this. Many greys prefer to come out of the cage on their own power, unless they specifically raise that foot as you request a step or question such as "Want Out?". The best place to gain trust is in a neutral area such as a T Stand or other area he perches on and hangs out. Next use the "fist of iron" by tighly balling your hand up in a fist with thumb underneath to keep the skin on top tight. Slowly move it toward and under him as you ask for a step up. The key here is you do not need to have fear of getting bitten (Which they sense) because they cannot bite the back of your hands tight skin. Work on this perhaps using the other hand offering a treat as a reward he can get only by stepping n to your hand. This is the first stages of building the trust you need to establish the beginnings of a relationship with him. I do not know why you are trying at this time to touch him in other areas. Many greys do not like being touched anywhere on their body unless they have chosen a cuddle muffin type relationship with a person and willingly bow their head down for a neck scratch. Trying to touch a body part for the most part is considered a hostile and fear inducing reaction from them because predators like hawks try to grasp them for a kill from the back. Just work on the step up and building trust for now and getting him to just perhaps allow you to carry him for example to a chair or couch and hang out with you while sitting on your leg while watching tv or reading a book. More intimate interaction will only come later at his comfort level and trust.

Only time will tell. Greys are known to select their love muffin in the home and the others will have lesser interaction permissions.

True, they cannot digest many made or even natural items, but they do not ingest it. They simply like ripping these items to pieces. Big fun activity!

Thats was a wonderful first venture outside the cage of many to come, congrats!!!!

The others have given good thoughts and comments. First I want to praise you for your patience and love for Rosie over the last two years you have had her. I cannot count the people we have had come to this forum with a grey they had only gotten a few months earlier and were already thinking about re-homing them because they were not puppy dogs wanting to cuddle. It is obvious her first 2 years were not a good experience at all with humans. In my opinion, based on your comment that it has only been the last 6 months that this interaction of at least placing one talon on your arm, taking food and not biting the hell out of you, shows you have built up trust from none at all to actually desiring limited contact and interaction...Kudos to you!!!! Rosie obviously from watching this video does want contact and even displays that in body language you can see. The first talon on you is a small commitment, when the day comes that second talon comes on board, it is full commitment and she is not ready for that yet. When she does start to run away or scream, move your arm away as soon as you notice that body language. This will display to her that you acknowledge it and responded. When she realizes she has actually communicated and you understood her body language, she will come to a little higher level of trust knowing you respect her wishes. You've been at this a long time (2 years) and there is no doubt your in this for the long haul. Just keep up the interaction she obviously desires and as others have said, try and coax her to come out of the cage. You can perhaps get her to do so by offering that tasty food item she wants and is willing to make contact to get. I've had a conure suspected wild caught going on 8 years now and it took 6 years to get him to the point of now sitting and getting head scratches and loving being a willing member of his flock. So I can tell you those micro-mini steps over time will SLOWLY pay off.

LOL Dave - Your NOT Right.

Afican greys mostly have calcium and vitamin D deficiency issues when taken to the avian vet for blood work. It's is great that you are using avian lighting to get the Vitamin D maintained which goes hand in hand with Calcium absorption. Calcium can come from eating dark green vegetables, a small piece of cheese, yogurt and of course chicken bones or egg shells crushed up and mixed in with scrambled eggs or mashes. The red tail feathers come from having plenty or Vitamin A in their system. In the wild this is from the Red Palm Fruit which they dine on daily as a main part of their diet in Africa. Since we cannot get these Palm Fruits in the US, we all use Red Palm Oil when making their mashes, birdy bird bread or just dripping a few drops over their pellets or veggies etc. Avian Vets advise NOT to use supplements unless you have had a blood test done that truly identifies a deficiency. Otherwise you risk having calcium or vitamin levels gong too high which can adversely affect your grey or other parrots health. I would suggest cutting down on fruits and only give a very small quantity or maybe even only two or three times a week f your grey is filling up on them and then not eating other food groups.

First my thoughts on the topic of this thread based on experience with my grey Dayo. He has slept at different time on the bottom of his cage since he was a mere hatchling. He still will do so from time to time. Greys in the wild live in tree holes. there are no perches or branches in them. They lay down and go to sleep. Sometimes in the evenings while we are reclining and watching a movie or TV, Dayo will just lay down on his belly and the next thing you know his wings are partially parted and he is in a very deep sleep. I'll bet it feels good to have those talons relaxed by not gripping a perch and the weight off of them. Now, since this thread has turned in to another issue in the latter posts between members. I am going to say something all can take to heart or just trash it in their memory banks as wrong information: We all have different Greys and other species of parrots that behave uniquely and especially when you have flock dynamics going on in homes with multiple birds. Things that any of us post here is normally intended to help by giving ideas for whatever topic based on behaviors we see and respond to daily and how we either encourage or find ways to stop or dramatically lessen them. I believe when each of us post, it is with good intentions and are trying to help and/or throwing other ideas out there based on what worked for us. Just because other members have different experiences and therefore comments and thoughts than we do does not make them wrong or crazy. The most important thing to have, is multiple comments and thoughts from as many people as you can get on a topic you ask a question on. Why? Because we all know each and every grey is an individual and may or may not respond in a positive way like our greys or other species do in a given situation. Thus the more ideas and thoughts the better. We should not blast or belittle another member because their experience may seem bizarre to us. Why do we need to? Let the original member consider and respond if they wish to the various answers they receive. Then we will not go off topic and turn it in to another hijacked topic. I have been guilty of blasting others and well. but have been working on that personal issue. My way is not the only way or best way ALL THE TIME. It is based on my experience, reading books and yes the web to learn as much as I can. But, the way my brain assimilates and comes to conclusions and beliefs is not the same as the next person possibly. My flock is probably different than yours. But, there will be something someone can glean from my posts and find at least a small part useful hopefully. A teacher decades ago told our class something that I still don't ALWAYS take to heart but try was: "The words ALWAYS and NEVER are seldom correct or true in a sentence, so be very careful how you use them. There are exceptions in most cases". This is true here on this forum. A member is not ALWAYS or NEVER correct. So lets try to see through perhaps personal opinions of a member developed over time and try to realize they are a human with different experiences and learning in life than us and most importantly feelings. Let them say what they feel is important input on a topic without fear of being blasted or belittled, ok? Lastly to put this in perspective with some humor in it. My wife and I were having a disagreement a week or so ago on a topic. Finally she said very angrily, "You think you know EVERYTHING and you don't know ANYTHING!" As she glared at me, once I processed what she said, I started laughing so hard, I had tears coming down my cheeks. She of course started belly laughing as well and said "What so funny?". Once I controlled the laugh, I said "I find it hysterical and an oxymoron that I went from "Knowing Everything, to Knowing Nothing, I figure I am somewhere in between".

Nice photos. He is looking GreYt. Thanks for sharing these.