Giannine

I'm not sure how true this is but I read awhile back that darker cages can be depressing to birds. We just got our Timneh 2 days ago so I was shopping for cages not too long ago and only considered white cages. Poppy's is 32" wide and yes, they fill up quickly! I wish I had one at least 40" wide. The corner cages seem to present issues with trying to find proper sized perches. The twisty natural rope perches from Drs Foster & Smith are great, though, and help with that problem

Yeah, I would definitely go with the larger one for the very reason Birdhouse said—1/4 bar spacing is not adequate for an African Grey.

Her face mostly stays flushed like that with varying degrees of light and dark. I don't have a gram scale yet but plan to order one asap. I forgot to ask the breeder but will. I am trying to give her time to get used to our household before trying to handle her much because the few times I have so far, she tries to bite my hand or arm when the small towel I was using to cover them exposed them.

LOL! Good answers here. More sensible than throwing numbers out without explanations or elaborating on different determining factors. Even though the activity here isn't a flurry, I also appreciate the solid community formed by the few who have been here for years and welcome new members openly.

There wasn't enough room for this one to attach above:

Hi everyone, Poppy is settling in and trying to take everything in. When I got to the cargo area to pick her up, she was growling quite a bit. Poor thing had a rough and long day. We got home around 7 pm and I got her in her cage and gave her some food and water. She drank some water but ignored the food, which was to be expected. I made some oatmeal to offer to both Poppy and Olive (Quaker) before I headed to bed. Poppy didn't care for it but Olive ate it so I mixed up some of Poppy's formula to see if she wanted any which she did so I fed her then covered her cage and went to bed. This morning I uncovered their cages, got Olive out and then went to Poppy's cage and opened her door. She seemed as if she really wanted to come out I but I should have spent more time talking to her to get her used to me again. When I put my hand in to get her out, she bit me so I used a perch instead but then she got spooked when she got out and “flew” to the floor. I got her back up and put her on top of her cage where she has been clumsily exploring around and playing with the different toys. She has eaten some of her food and likes the straws on one of the big toys on her play top . Right now, she is at the very top of the wheel on her play top and playing with a plastic chain that is dangling down. She seemed to want to get off of her play top a bit ago so I took her off and was just letting her sit on my arm while I talked to her and she kept making this little mournful sound in response like she is sad. I couldn’t figure out what she wanted and took her to the tree to show it to her but she wasn’t too interested. I took her to the boing by her cage but she didn’t want to go on it so I thought maybe she wanted to go back in her cage for security but she didn’t so I put her back on her cage which is where she has been happily playing. I did notice she kept staring at the top of my head when I was holding her so I think that is where she was wanting to go. Our house is very different with many more people than she's used to—big and small—plus a crazy Boxer and a Shih Tzu who gets annoyed with the Boxer:) Olive yelling Peekaboo and making her sounds probably helps Poppy feel some familiarity. Here are pics:

We are excited too, needless to say:) We are leaving for the airport shortly. I started looking for a breeder in February or March and it's like all the time in-between has been a blur. It went by very quickly. It is kind of surreal that she is going to be here today. I will post a pic either tonight or tomorrow. How long ago was it that you got your first Grey?

That's great! Sounds like a recipe for a fantastic relationship between you and her

That is Facebook, in general. I just deleted my account on there and am happier and have more peace in my life without it. The few bird pages I was a member of were "messy." I can't stand drama so I left them.

Did there used to be a lot more active members here? As in active all at once? I suppose it's a good thing in one way that it is fairly quiet here—less drama and personalities clashing.

'Uncouth' is an absolutely perfect word to describe what I saw and yes, he is who I was thinking of. I just reread many posts. I don't like being center of attention either, but it is nice to get to know people somewhat. A more intimate forum is nicer than a huge, overwhelming one. How old is this forum?

Nice...is Gracie your only Grey?

LOL at your last sentence...I literally did. It seems I remember reading some of his posts. One caught my eye so I looked at his profile and read several. Was he banned from here? If I am thinking of the correct person, he seemed emotional (dramatic) in some of his posts. He had been around for awhile as he had thousands of posts so I remember wondering what happened. I have noticed in my short time here the number of new members (such as myself) who appear then disappear. Especially the ones who make an account for the sole purpose of asking one question then disappearing forever. I joined Avian Avenue not too long ago simply because it is very active there and people seem friendly enough but the forum names throw me off. They drive me a bit crazy, actually. I don't like having to decipher what a forum is for or having to click to go into it to see what posts are there. I like simple, straightforward categories. 'Airplane Byway' does not help me (I don't know if that is an actual name there but it sounds like one). It is also a bit overwhelming because of the number of active people. I kind of felt lost in the shuffle without actually even trying to join the "shuffle."

Thank you! Was Gracie your first Grey? I found a couple local bird shops that had Timnehs and that idea to be able to visit was appealing, but ultimately, the one-on-one breeder experience was more appealing to me, even though she is all the way in Florida and I'm in the Seattle area. She is a great lady. Timnehs are extremely hard to find. I anticipate my first few months being identical to yours but am grateful to have this forum to turn to

That's a shame. Credible references are a must on the internet. Too much misinformation flying around. So there used to be a lot of drama on here, huh? I wish people were more active here. Some days I visit and nothing new has been posted in days

I got mixed up with the date on the plaque assuming it was the year of birth so I was asking the year of death so I could see how old she was. My original question in this thread is the one that I seem to have a difficult time pinning down an accurate answer to. Some seem to only live until 30 years of age while people on the internet like to say they can live to 80, which has been unsubstantiated, as far as I can tell. It's just a wide age range.

Last pics of Poppy before she comes home day after tomorrow

Just read this: Here are the benefits of some of the essential oils: Ylang Ylang is relaxing. Eucalyptus aids with respiratory problems (Toxic to birds); peppermint, rosemary and thyme are energizing, lemon, tea tree oil* and cedarwood are purifying; ( Note to Bird Owners: *Tea Tree Essential has caused paralysis in birds when the dosage administered was too high. As safe doses have not been established, it's best not to use this essential oil around your birds. ) peppermint, rosemary and ginger clear your mind; lemon helps you concentrate; peppermint and spearmint helps with headaches. Nutmeg, Patchouli (one of my favorites) and Ylang Ylang increase sensuality. (In addition to which, I love their smell) https://www.beautyofbirds.com/birdproofingyourhome.html

I am going to research more as I do love different scents in my house.

I actually just got the nasty, funky dog smell out of my living room after realizing it was in the couch by spraying it down good with water and vinegar. It dried quickly and now there is no odor.

There appears to be some sort of vintage-y print behind the cage

I would also like to add that a great and effective carpet shampoo I recently found and used in a Kirby is completely bird-safe: 12 cups water 1 1/2 tablespoons Dawn dish soap 1/2 teaspoon rubbing alcohol 2 tablespoons white vinegar

I've read that they shouldn't be used but would need to read again why. Most scented toxins such as candles, wax warmers, etc. won't have an immediate effect on birds which is why most say "I haven't had any problems" but that doesn't necessarily mean there aren't any or won't be when used longterm.

+1 on training kids! I am getting my kids in the habit of going in and out of the garage door instead of the front door when they are playing outside. I've had to get on them about spraying certain things in the house, as well as the hours they keep in the living room where the bird cages are. One was up until 1 am watching TV last night and I had to make him turn it off and go downstairs. New TV and living room curfew hours going into effect today.

How cool! I love hummingbirds