Giannine

Surprisingly, I am not feeling too impatient. I had already established a relationship with this breeder before she told me the eggs did not hatch when she expected them to so I was disappointed and resigned myself to accepting I probably would not be able to add a Grey to our family until next year and I like her so much, I wanted to wait and get a baby from her. When she emailed me 2 weeks after they were supposed to hatch and told me she found a baby (she didn't see the 2nd until earlier this week when she went to pull the one), I was extremely surprised and had to jump straight back into my planning. Buying toys and perches has actually been keeping me occupied and happy while I wait. I have a feeling these next couple of months are going to fly by. I find out next week if Poppy is a male or female but the breeder thinks male. Reading about everyone's Greys and seeing pictures also keeps me occupied and helps keep me patient:)

Thank you:) I am very excited. I had started buying toys and perches before he/she even hatched so I already have a lot of stuff. Multiple packages arriving daily. Is there anywhere on here specifically for us to keep kind of like a diary with updates and pictures?

Goodness, I don't know how I didn't see your post before. Then again, I haven't really been on until recently. The breeder I found a couple months ago just had Timnehs hatch after believing all the eggs were infertile so I am now patiently waiting for August to get here when we get Poppy from Florida. They are about 3 weeks old now (2 hatched) and I am very happy with this breeder. She and her husband owned a pet store for around 30 years in Ohio and then retired and moved to Florida. She now breeds on a small scale to keep herself busy. I enjoy reading about Inara...she seems quite the character!

I really enjoyed reading this thread. You paint a good picture with your words and are very thorough in your explanations. Charlie is lucky to have you and you him. I don'y have my Grey yet so I can't offer any advise but you are in good hands here. Lots of support:)

Welcome! Please share pics when you can:)

Welcome Syed:) I look forward to hearing more about yours and Charlie's adventures and am glad you decided to join!

Thank you. The breeder went to pull the baby from the nest box the other day and SURPRISE...there were two babies, not one. We just found out our Quaker, Olive is a girl so I am leaning toward the Grey baby being a boy just cuz I like to keep the male/female ratio even here:) Pic in avatar

Does anyone have one of these? Does your Grey like it? I bought this one off of ebay. I am still trying to decide if I want to get a tabletop tree stand or a perch on wheels to easily move from room-to-room or both

It's been a little while since I've posted because I didn't have any news to post. The breeder I had found had a hen on eggs due to hatch about 2 weeks ago but they didn't hatch so I resolved myself to wait until she laid eggs again and hope for a better outcome. The breeder emailed me on Saturday all excited because she looked in the nest box and found one baby. She said it looks about a week old so we will be getting a baby Timneh in August sometime. We are also waiting to bring a green Quaker Parrot home within the next few weeks. I think with 6 kids still at home, 2 dogs, a saltwater aquarium, and soon-to-be 3 birds, I am at my maximum caregiver capacity:)

Fully flighted is kind of a fear of mine. I have 7 kids at home (granted 2 are of adult age) but my younger ones (7-11) are in and out of the house all day and we are opening and shutting the sliding glass door all day for the dogs. So far, I have been of the mindset it would be best to have a small clip so that he or she is able to glide down to the floor and also of course, so we don't have an escaped bird. I will be having the kids go in and outside through the garage door downstairs once we get our Grey and keep the front door locked but the sliding glass door is another issue.

Absolutely! When searching for a breeder, I immediately skipped past any breeder who sells unweaned birds.

Thank you for all this info. The breeder I am going through only sells fully weaned. She said it takes anywhere from 12-16 weeks. I have read a lot about people still continuing to spoon feed warm oatmeal or beans in the morning or evening simply because their Greys love it. The cage I finally bought is 32" wide and I made sure that was the inside dimensions this time:-) I hear such differing opinions on size...some say their Greys don't like really big cages while others do just fine. The breeder I'm going through prefers the 32" size. Question: Can we not use anything to make our houses smell good? I use wax cubes melted in a wax warmer every day...and no perfume? I use light body sprays from Victoria's Secret...no more?

Oh, and pictures of the "orbit" would be useful. Is that its official name or is this something you have designed?

Thank you. Looks like I will be saving money heeding your advice:-)

Welcome! I am not too far from you. We are in Bothell/Mill Creek. Sounds like you have a great relationship with Charlie and there is a good balance between you and your partner. Kind of like with kids...they tend to mind their fathers better than their moms...seems like you all have that type of dynamic going on:D

I have compiled a list of things I may need or want before bringing a baby Grey into our home. I have 7 kids and sometimes laugh at the list of things new mothers bring to the hospital or think they need for their babies because most ends up not being used. You guys can laugh at me if I am overdoing my list (or underdoing) This is what I have so far: Tabletop T-stand (for when I am at the table doing my editing. I am there a lot) Full size play stand (or tree) to go from room-to-room 6' Outdoor Aviary for the deck to spend time in when we are outside Pak o Bird backpack/carrier to go in public or walks/hikes and in the car Smaller cage for my bedroom(?) Shower perch Pedi perch Various perches for cage Boing perch Toys (smaller to start off with) Handheld vacuum for cleaning around cage Seventh Generation Multicleaner (I saw a member on here highly recommends this for cleaning the walls) Please let me know what I might want to consider adding or subtracting. Thank you

Honestly, I am glad he is going to a woman who seems to have a lot of experience with parrots. The fact that she is driving from Oregon to get him suggests she really wants him. As for the guy...well, he just wants to get rid of him so I'm just grateful that this woman responded. I finally found a Timneh breeder who will be having eggs hatch any day now. We will be able to place a deposit once they reach about 3 weeks old so I am grateful to have a light at the end of the tunnel in my search and I am grateful to have the next 3-4 months to prepare.

Thank you very much! This is useful advise. I finally found a breeder whose Timneh's eggs will be hatching any day. She accepts deposits at about 3 weeks old to make sure they are all doing well. I like her a lot and saw many excellent reviews on a site (full 5 stars from everyone). She used to have a parrot store in Ohio but they retired and moved to Florida. She still breeds to keep herself busy. As stated previously, I am happy to have this time to prepare before we bring one home. I did find a seemingly awesome outdoor aviary on ebay to place on our deck and spend time outside on warmer days. Have any of you seen this? http://www.ebay.com/itm/391366076510?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Well, already things have changed drastically. We won't be getting Buddy tomorrow. Yesterday when I was having 2nd thoughts because I just had a nagging feeling about the guy's story of his wife passing away, Buddy not being banded, and no vet records or any information, I kind of backed out for about 15 or 20 minutes and in that time, he emailed the lady in Oregon who was also interested in him. When I told him I was still interested in Buddy, he told me he would rather him go to me and said he would bring him to my home on Friday. This morning I woke up to a text message from him saying the woman in Oregon emailed him back and wants him and he can't tell her no since he had already told her yes (sounds messy, right?) and that she already has 3 parrots and is experienced (definitely a big plus) so she is coming to get him. Everything happens for a reason and I want what's best for everyone. I am ok with this because it happened for a reason. We have another bird out there somewhere, or will soon.

Thank you and God bless you, too! I am up for the challenge:-)

Here is Buddy. What is everyone's thoughts on changing a bird's name? I had my heart set on the name Poppy but of course I don't want to do anything to cause more disruption in his life. I have heard that some birds gladly accept new names as sort of a fresh start on a new life when they have been abused. I have read that if it is going to be done, to do it gradually. I have also read one account where the bird readily accepted its new name immediately with no issues. One story of a Cockatoo that was rehomed with no knowledge of its name for a long time was the opposite. When they finally tracked down the old owners and found out its name and called the bird by it, there was an instant connection. What is everyone's thoughts on this?

I love taking pictures and will start a new thread on here when I get him. I will use that thread to update and share. I was told he loves carrots and scrambled eggs. He is on Roudybush pellets and apparently doesn't like any other pellet. I will save the pics off the Craigslist ad but they are a bit dark.

Thank you:-) I think it probably is meant to be because I wasn't looking for a bird at all. I have been quite content to wait patiently for one of the breeders to contact me. He doesn't like the guy much (probably because he knows the guy doesn't care much for birds) and he is in his cage all day, every day. His wife was a vet tech. He said Buddy bites. I am going to allow him as long as he needs to get used to us and our home before trying to do anything with him. I will watch for cues from him telling me he wants to interact with me. I spend a great deal of time at the dining room table where I edit every day on my laptop and Buddy will be about 15 feet away from me. I will leave his cage door open every day and talk to him throughout the day. That is my approach I have decided on so far. I'd appreciate any other input or advise

He is local. He lives very close and everything is being done in-person

Ah, Greywings, you are the one who said "The right bird may find you". I just posted in the rescue and rehome thread about finding a 6-year-old Timneh quite by accident on Craigslist. I wasn't even looking for a bird! I was looking for a cage and came across his ad that had been placed 21 hours prior. I posted all the details in the other thread but I did make the decision to get this bird. I definitely wasn't planning to. My plan all along has been to get a baby from one of the 4 breeders I am on waiting lists with.