Keywe

That S.O.B. should be locked up in a cage and shown for decoration in a window. That makes me sick to think that some people can actually mentally abuse a little parrot, or any animal, for that matter. My grey gets more attention than my wife (so I'm told by her everyday) but she's my baby, and to think that little grey is being mentally tortured is disgusting. I wish that I had the money to buy acres of land to take all abused and unwanted animals so that they can live their lives with dignity and repect and not put on display for some as*!oles pleasure.

Seeing the pictures of them being trapped makes my heart hurt and totally sick. There's a place for those who harm little animals, and I wouldn't want to go there. Thanks for letting us know about the video...I'll just donate without ordering the dvd...I saw a video about the cruelty of parrots on youtube or something last week that was just sickening...The human race is purely disgusting.

It's like going into a hornet's nest...Everybody here only has one thing on their minds...The welfare of birds. The passion, enthusiasm, and love for our babies on here show everyday in the posts, and when you come into a forum with questions as you did, blood gets boiling and things get heated. You seem to be a caring person toward animals, and I think it's great that you want to share experiences with one. My grey seems pretty outgoing at times, but I've also exposed her to many things since she was 3 months. I've never owned a bird, and never was a bird person. My wife wanted a bird, and we bought Keywe on vacation. She ended up becoming my bird, and now I think of myself as a bird expert because of all of the research I've done, and still will continue learning about them. They are fascinating animals. I couldn't imagine my life without here now, but I had NO idea how much work and attention they need. They are extremely HIGH MAINTENANCE animals, so you better be ready and dedicated to whatever you decide to get, especially if it's a grey. I'm not too sure about other birds, but after reading about all of the other greys on here and their temperment, I may just have a more outgoing one, but she still does get spooked over the silliest things...The pumpkin on the counter freaked her out the other day, my wife brought a screwgun through the room by her cage and she went NUTS! They are wierd birds at times... I take her out a lot, cages in the backyard, an aviary in the back, cages in the front. She is exposed to quite a bit, but is still scared over sounds and new things. You may want to do much research with other kinds of birds as well so you wouldn't have to have the extra patience with a nervous bird. I know I jumped around a lot, but make sure you do PLENTY of homework...I wouldn't change anything, but again, I'm not trying to make her an adventurer either. Good luck

Just got back from the vet this am, and Keywe has lost 12 grams...Mainly due to the harrison's fine pellets. She was a bit large from too much junk food, and now gets a bowl of harrison's fine pellets mixed with some V8 juice, and she LOVES it! She's been doing that for about 6 months, and it's made a great difference...She even looks healthier. We tried the coarse pellets, but she wasted much of it. The V8 juice mixed was the key and I wouldn't recommend anything else!

My vet says that it's great to take them outside in the sun every day because of natural vitamins. I live in FL and take her out almost every day, and when it's too hot she is in a covered area with fans blowing on her. She also likes being sprayed down with water first to cool her off. Just don't ever get them wet before bedtime...that will cause sickness!!!

I just read your comments and I greatly appreciate them! Such great advice! Keywe is an equally important member of our flock, and by no means will she be neglected. I want to involve her as much as I can keeping safety in mind for both as top priority. I think all of your ideas/advice are awesome, especially the sounds of a baby beforehand...Then I'll just have to listen to Keywe mimicing a baby!!!

My wife and I are expecting a new addition to our family in March, and I would appreciate any advice on how to introduce our Keywe to him/her. I work out of our house, and share Keywe's room with her for an office. Her and I spend A LOT of time together, and I don't really feel this will change too much. Sharing the attention won't be an issue, but I know that they get jealous at times, and she IS Daddy's girl. I know that her beak is definitely able to snip a little finger off...She's done a number on mine!:pinch: Thanks for the comments!

I get the greatest satisfaction of seeing my baby sitting on my chair preening herself and then just sitting there...I know she is completely content with her surroundings.

Extreme hyperventilation (what Kparamedic said) makes sense. Glad she's better

We drove from Key West to St. Petersburg ( 8 hours) with Keywe, and she loved it. We're about to go in July to NC (12 hours) with her. We just bring a travel cage in the back of the truck (double cab inside) and let her roam around freely. She's a great traveler!

When you say you spray down with aloe juice, do you dilute it or keep it straight? How often? I have two cages for Keywe, and I use one outside to give her baths. On hot days I take her out and drench her with the hose...she LOVES it! I do it about every two weeks. Do you think that's too much or not enough? I live in FL and it stays pretty humid most of the time. Thanks.

Thanks for all the advice! Rationalreasonz--keep us posted on the second grey...I'm considering the same thing.

Makes sense...She seems happy the way it is now, so why change it? I'm probably just an over-obsessed parent:P

We switched Keywe over to Harrisons...First use the adult life mash, and slowly converted over to the fine pellets. The key is to mix it with V8 juice. SHE LOVES IT!!!!! She went from begging for potato chips to begging for Harrisons, and she looks and acts healthier.

Hi! I'm always thinking of ways to make my Keywe happier in her "penthouse" cage, and thought of a box for her to sleep in at night to feel more secure and comfortable. I've added a picture of what I was considering building for her. Any thoughts? Her cage is quite large so space isn't an issue. She's a female (DNA tested) so I don't want to spark up any behavioral problems as far as nesting. I'd have a perch in there.

She came from Key West, hence the name Keywe. My wife and I are spoiling our baby, but are fairly new to the bird world. I am reading as much as I can because I want to make sure she is raised properly, for she is only around 6 months old. Thanks for the advise, and I'll be on here often.{Feel-good-000200BB}

Hello to all, I am new here to this site, and have learned so much already. My wife and I have a CAG about 6 months old. This is our first! We have heard that it's good to have a separate sleeping cage that's smaller without toys...just a perch, water, and a little food. Any thoughts? She seems fine in her large cage that we cover at night, but if it's best for her to have a "roosting" cage separate from her day cage, then that's what we are going to do. Please advise. Thanks!!!!!