BMustee

That's a blue front all right...Congrats!!! They are one of my favorite amazons. One thing that is cool about them is that each one will look different. Some have more blue, some have more yellow, and some have more white. Amazons need the same type of care as a Grey...they are loving, very smart, extremely curious, and need an owner that can keep them in check. Many blue fronts can get aggressive when they hit sexual maturity, but training can help keep a lid on the worst of their behavior. I resized the pic for ya'. <br><br>Post edited by: BMustee, at: 2009/01/15 01:01

I'm not big on Craigslist for cages. Many of the big cages on there are rusted and then I can't get past the thought of what happened to the last resident...to many risks for my comfort. I'll always go new, that way I know that nothing died in it and nothing has been tampered with.

As far as I know cholla wood is safe for parrots as long as it is "all natural"...but that goes for all the safe wood. I don't think I've ever seen it on any lists of toxic plants.<br><br>Post edited by: BMustee, at: 2009/01/14 20:34

I love Ebay! I got Elmo's cage there and it's better than the "name brand" cages we sell at my store for more then double the price.

If anyone in your family have bad allergies or asthma then you may want to talk to their doctor first.

Elmo likes baby rattles.B)

OMG Dan & Kim, I'm so happy all ended well. I had something not nearly as bad but just as scary happen. My dad brought home a new dog a few months back...a husky...that a friend of his could no longer care for. I was out in the living room with Elmo watching TV when my dad got home really early and before I could yell that Elmo was out he opened Star's crate and she came bolting into the room like hell on four legs. Elmo took off and thank god he had been molting because he was full flight. If he was clipped and unable to fly he would have hit the floor and killed for sure (Star has killed a number of wild birds) but due to the molt and a partial set of flight she was able to make about 8 laps around the house...enough time for my dad to grab the dog and hold her down. Once Elmo saw the dog was stopped she landed on the kitchen counter and wanted nothing more than to be wisked into the bedroom. Elmo is now only missing maybe one feather from each wing and I don't plan on clipping her anytime soon. Again, I'm so happy to hear that all is well with Dayo and Kim is back home. Be sure to keep us posted on everyone's progress.

TAGs and CAGs can get along but don't count on it. There is a 1 1/2 year old TAG are my work that is in LOVE with my CAG and sense they met the TAG has become attached to me...I say because she is tryig to butter me up to take her home to Elmo. This TAG has been raised around CAGs so that may be why she is not fearful of them due to the size...but then again Elmo being only 400g makes her only a little bigger. Being a pair of CAGs you want to bring in would maybe overwhelm your TAG because she would be out numbered but in time they could except eachother. As for the breeding... I'm not a grey breeder myself but from what I have learned of it if they are treated more as pets they prob wouldn't breed. Also if they are not set up for breeding then they prob wouldn't ether. I would say you should house them in seperate cages because it only takes one fight between them for one to end up dead.

Also, Safflower seeds are not any better than Sunflower seeds in nutrution. The have the same fat content but they have a bitter resin in the shell so they don't taist as good as the sunflowers. I do offer Elmo the Higgins brand Safflower Gold seed mix along with his Zupreem pellets. Parrots do need some seed in their diet because there is a need for some fats but I normally tell people to stay far away from Sunflower seeds with "heavy body" parrots like African Greys and Amazons. Greys seem to become Sunflower junkies overnight and Amazons get too fat too fast and get fatty liver too easily to risk it. The Safflower seeds are a higherfat seed but without that great taist so they don't get hooked on just them. I like the Safflower Gold mix because there is no sunflower seeds in it and there is some stuff in it that a lot of greys seem to like...the dried corn seems to be liked by a lot of the greys.

The Kaytee Weaning pellets are red and tan. Most of the birds want to eat the red ones over the tan ones.

The only mite issues I have ever had was a possible infection of airsac mites in my old Gouldians and the scaley mites with the canaries. I think the little ones may be more prone to mites because more of them are kept outside than the bigger birds.

You could also look in the back of Bird Talk...they have a lot of breeders listed. Actually Judy, Elmo is kind potty training himself. He's flown to the can a number of times to go all on his own.

I hear ya' on saving money. The CAGs at my store sell for $1100, but I got Elmo from the best local breeder in town for $800. That's high for a breeder in my neck of the woods...they sell normally in the $600 range but I spent the little extra because he was recommended to me by the lady that runs one of the local rescues...she gives him her "unadoptable" parrots because she knows they will get a good forever home...and he was more than I expected from a breeder when I met with him. He pretty much interviewed me before I got to meet the babies because he doesn't sell his birds to anyone that has the money which I really liked. A lot of people think the Macaws are too big for them...and they do need a lot of space...but really once you get comfortable handling them they really are not very had to deal with. As for the table legs I would bet that's true, but the cockatoos are little beavers too. The ones at my store go through wood toys just as fast as the macaws do, with the added bonus of being escape artist. Every last one of our cockatoo cages are padlocked with bowls in every spot to keep them in!:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Granted Ethel (my future B&G) has literally taken the door OFF his cage:blink: . Boy was he proud of himself that day! The Amazons don't seem as distructive at heart as the toos and macaws, and they are a little like Greys in the way they don't need you with them every second of every day...they just need a firm hand and trust. You would think that I would have a zillion birds but I only have one psittacine...my little Congo Elmo. I do also have a pair of Canaries, 2 set of star finches, a handicaped zebra and his girlfriend, and an amputated male Owl finch. I hope this year I buy a house and when I do I plan on getting Ethel the B&G Macaw. Elmo Ethel The finches <br><br>Post edited by: BMustee, at: 2009/01/13 04:39

Knowing if a breeder is good or not isn't as easy as seeing if a pet store is or not. Most breeders keep their aviaries closed, and for good reason, but that also hides if they keep their birds in good or bad condition. Many breeders don't vaccinate their birds or have vet checks...once you leave with the bird it's your problem. If you have already done the rounds and found the pet store to be the best in your area then it may not be a bad idea to look into another bird from them. I have a sweet little female congo grey (she's 400g's) and she really doesn't like other birds. I bring home all the babies and she really doesn't want anything to do with them. She has been intrested in the Caiques and the Greenwing but I know if I was to get another bird it will not be on the grounds of a friend for her. When I buy a house I will be getting a huge B&G (he's 1400g's) for myself and I don't plan on letting them get too close because of there sizes. If you really want another bird get what you want...not what you think your little girl will want. I'm not a huge fan on the cockatoos...they need too much, their loud, and at maturity can get nasty with other people and pets. The Orange wings are pretty cool, but do seem to get a little more hormonal than other Amazons. I really like the Yellow Napes, Yellow Crown, Yellow Heads, Blue Fronts, and Cuban Amazons. The Blue's and Cubans seem to be more even tempered than the bigger guys. Macaws are also a GREAT parrot and if your not turned off from cockatoos from their volume level then you really should look into the macaws. The B&G's and Greenwings have a better didposition than the Scarlets and hybrids.

I love a happy ending/beginning! It's funny, I've met so may parrots at the store that come in for trims and the owners say "watch out, he's nasty." or "She's a real biter, be careful." Many, many times they turn out to be sweet and gental...it's such a shame because it the owner were to take two seconds to sit down with their bird and really work with them they would see it too. All the best to you and Ice.:kiss:

They do get stuck in their ways...and 12 years is a long time to get stuck on seeds. Getting him to eat fruit and veggies is a GREAT first step, and I think the most important. As everyone else has said keep trying new ways of getting him interested and give it time.

The Kaytee weaning and convertion pellets are different than the regular pellet. They have the consistancy of Cheerios and have a stronger fruit smell to them than the regular pellets. You don't feed them for the "long run" but they are good at getting birds used to pellets. They come in two sizes...the one size is for conures and are basicly small pellet balls, the other size it the size looks like red and tan cheerios. Some greys like the bigger ones and some like the smaller ones. Elmo is almost two years old and I feed her a mix of Safflower Gold and Zupreem pellets with fruit and veggies every night. I use shelled unsalted sunflower seeds as a treat for good behavior or trick training because it seems to be the one thing she will do anything for. I'm lucky to have weaned Elmo onto the foods I want her to eat, but I have seen so many older greys at the store that would only eat sunflower seeds that have come around and eat better foods so I know there is a lot of hope for your grey.B)

Elmo does the same thing. And with Grey parrots they blend in to darn well they can be right in sight but you never see them. I'll be asking "Where are you Elmo?" and not a peep...but as soon as we make eye contact and she knows I see her she starts laughing.

That is one cute canary. The canaries I have came in with scaley mites so I took them home cleared up the mites with Ivermectin and topical stuff. My guys seem to do good with the ruff textured natural perches that are sized for conures...enough width to support the nubs.:laugh: I also put astro turf down over the grate so they can hope around the bottom of the cage with no worry. I keep saying I'm going to hang tiny handicap signs up on the food bowls for them.

Yeah, mix the seeds and pellets still with the Zupreem or the weaning pellets (I like the kind made by Kaytee). One thing you can do is put the pellets into a paper bag or something and let him "discover" them. My grey will start eating a new kind of pellet if he thinks he's not allowed to eat them and sneeks behind my back to get them. One more thing you can try is to hide the pellets under the seed so your grey doesn't see then till after he's started eating. The veggies and fruit is the most important part of there diet so as long as he is eating them he is doing good.

I would say it's fine to keep him in it. I would be more worried about rust that anything else with a used cage and make sure to clean it with bleach before you start keeping him in it. I don't use grates with my small birds (finches & canaries) and at my store we keep towels over the grates for the older babies. As long as you change the paper at the bottom of the cage every day there really isn't anything wrong with a "no grate" cage.

You need to mix a little bit of the pellets in with his seed and little by little put less seed and more pellets in. Switching from seeds to pellets can take a long time to do so don't expect to much from the start. You can try "Weaning and Convertion" pellets which are made for just this reason, or the Zupreem fruit pellets...a lot of greys seem to like them.

Time outs, firm no's, stink eyes, and consistancy really seem to do wonders with greys. Every time they misbehave they need to know what is going to happen every time and that you are not happy with them...just like a kid. I really think you will be able to get her behavior problems under control because I have seen much worse come around...so just hang in there.

It sounds to me...after reading through your old posts...that she thinks she is the Alpha of the house. I'm thinking that because she gets all the "free range" time and I'm betting not put back in her place every time she made a run for dominance that she now thinks she is the one in control in the house. I know that you have had a long run of biting issues with her (which seems to be a TAG thing) and I'm guessing that she has been learning that if she bites she gets what she wants...starting with just little nips and now that the nips don't work is biting harder and harder to "stay in power". Basicly when she breaks a rule and you go to put her in time out if she bites do the earth quake, give her the best stink eyes you can muster and say a firm NO in an angery tone...and strait into the cage with her. Don't stay in the room with her ether...she needs to be all alone for a good 10 minutes. Also, is she full flight? A lot of parrots that are allowed free flight get very aggressive without a very experianced "handler" to keep the behavior in check. If her wings are not clipped you need to have it done.

Elmo will try to attack a down father that drifts by but she never really cares about the contour feathers unless I wave them in her face. You just got a weird grey on your hands.:laugh: :laugh: J/K