siobha9

I am definitely with you on the wall art. I have decided that spaghetti and tomatoe sauce does not go well with my paint colour. I used to move Liaths cage around, but now she stays firmly in one corner ! Siobhan

This works.... I had tried unsuccessfully to get Liath to eat Zupreem. I just ground them and added apple juice and she wolfed it down. Granted I fed her at first from a spoon, and then just let her loose on the bowl. Thank you SO much, I really wanted her to eat pellets but I had given up after about 4 weeks trying with whole pellets. Obviously I will leave her with her dry mix for a while until I am sure she is eating enough. Thank you thank you thank you Siobhan

I have found the best treat for Liath is whatever we are eating. It has gotten to the point where I have to leave her in her cage when the kids are eating breakfast because she thinks all these lovely cereals are just for her. She stops just short of climbing into their bowls! Her favourits are crunchy nut cornflakes, and good ol' porridge. I haven't tried her with shredded wheat yet... Siobhan

Thank you! That is SOO clever. I have to try that. Knowing my luck she wont mind having her face blown on!! But it sounds simple. I will let you know how I get on! Siobhan

OH MY GOD 30 years of sweeping up uneaten food!!!! Aaaaggh. OK best learn to live with it then. It just as well she's cute... My kids would be in major trouble for chucking their dinner on the floor. She gets away with so much as they keep reminding me! Maybe I should teach her how to use a dustpan and brush.... Siobhan

Yes, I said yelling WAS a strategy I had tried. Until I realised she was looking for attention, and of course until she starting yelling back! At the moment I am doing the ignoring her until she is quiet and then fussing over her. But it is SO wasteful. I just hoped someone had a better idea, but if this is what I must do, then I will. Do you think taking her dish away and only giving it back for say 20 minutes at a time would help? I am just afraid of her being hungry. Siobhan

How did you teach him to shake his head? My grey does lots of tricks, but don't know how to do that one. That is really really fast learning. I think you are right, you DO have a genius! Siobhan

I am not sure if I have posted this in the right place... should it be in feeding or in Training, but we have a problem. Liath has 3 dishes, one for water, one for warm fresh food, and one for dry mix(can't get her to eat pellets). So my problem is the dry mix. She chucks it everywhere, on purpose. She actually gets into the bowl and uses her feet and her beak and sprays it. She seems to be doing it to get my attention, as I have a wood floor and it makes a satisfying sound. How do I stop her? I have tried Ignoring her... doesn't work, she just empties the bowl Taking the dish... works till I give her back the dish. Yelling at her... stops until I stop yelling and then goes at it again. waiting till she stops and then fussing over her.. but by then there is hardly any food in the bowl, and loads on the floor. (this is the strategy I am using at the moment) I know she is doing this to get my attention but it is so wasteful, and my house looks like I never sweep the floor. She only does this with the dry mix. Any suggestions? Siobhan

Working with my baby is never what I would consider hard. She loves to do it, and I love doing it with her. These tricks are so that when my kids friends come round, she will do something. Because she refuses to talk to them. At least the kids can have her wave to prove to their friends that she is clever! Of course Wings Up becomes Stick em Up when my son does it with her! Siobhan

Ok one more try.... http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/ee301/siobha9/?action=view&current=liathtricks.flv If this doesnt work I give up!! Siobhan

I am living in Westmeath, near Tyrellspass, but I am from Kildare. I have been here for 3 years, and I absolutely love it. It is convenient to everywhere. 2 1/2 hours Cork, 1 hour Dublin, 1 1/2 Galway. Who could ask for more? And the scenery is out of this world. The view from my bedroom is over the Esker Riada (Old Roman road from Dublin to Galway). In Kildare everywhere is so flat, my view was sheep, sheep and more sheep. I havent actually clipped Liaths wings. She just loves to fly, I couldnt do it to her. But so far I have had no problems with agression with me. I may change my mind in years to come. I have a harness for her, and I bring her out to the field to fly. She is so cute, she pants like a little puppy! Lucky! What a cute name, I wonder who is lucky, you or your grey? It sounds like you may have her spoiled already!! But as I tell my husband, better spoiled than ignored! (He says EVERYTHING is about the birds!)

Here is Liath's entry. She has lots of tricks but its hard getting her to perform with the camera. She really really wants to eat it! Here she waves Hello and puts her wings up. She also turns around when I tell her to. http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/ee301/siobha9/?action=view¤t=liathtricks.flv (I hope that link works, I am new to Photobucket) Siobhan<br><br>Post edited by: xxbeccyxx, at: 2007/10/02 17:22

Hi Mervyn I wonder are our babies related? Mine was hatched in Cork and handfed in Portlaoise or somewhere near there. Any idea where yours was hatched?? Arent they just gorgeous though? Did you get him in a petshop or direct from the breeder? Liath didnt crash, but then she didnt fly for about 3 weeks after we got her. She was 16 weeks old, but I dont think she had been given the chance to fly. What are you going to call him/ her? I liked Liath because it doesnt matter if I find out that she is a he later on! Plus it helps my kids with their spellings, they had colours last week, and they all knew how to spell Grey!!! I spent a lovely weekend camping in Waterford during the summer, how come you get the sun and we get the rain??? Siobhan

The kakarikis didnt last long in my house (about 6 months). I have read about people who have them as pets, but honestly they hated me and mine. Perhaps if I had had them singly they might have been better. They ended up having two clutches while they were here, of which they were very protective and very aggressive towards us. In the end I gave them to a friend of mine who is a breeder. I had worse bites from them, than I have ever had from Liath who is 10 times their size! Siobhan

Apologies, I should have said that she is just over one now. She was 4 months when I got her last Halloween. Luckily for me, Liath is my bird, and I am so glad that she (or is it he) likes me. I would be so upset if she preferred my husband! She is getting better with him, he is being very patient. Now she will beg from his plate, and will take food from his hand. But she won't step up for him. She tolerates the kids, and bites the dogs. Its funny, at first I was terrified that they would hurt her, but now I have to keep them apart for the opposite reason. She is SO mean to them. Luckily for the little birds, she is afraid of them. They move so fast and there are four of them. When they are out, she hides behind me and burys her head in my hair. Don't you just love them!

Hi all, I am new to this forum, and wanted to introduce myself. I have owned birds for many years, but only have my Grey for a year now. She is just adorable, loves me and hates my husband! So far we have had no real problems with her, apart from the fact that she thinks she rules the roost. Her favourite expression at the moment is "I am going to win!" Which is something I say to her when she decides she isnt going to do what she is told! I love her dearly, and she is getting easier and easier to amuse as she gets older, as she is beginning to understand the rules. (No touching the laptop, books are not for chewing, heads are not perches etc!) At the moment I have 4 little birds, 3 budgies and one cockatiel. I have also owned kakarikis. This is my first venture with a bigger bird, and I am definitely hooked. I hope to have some great times here, and learn loads! Siobhan

Hi, I am living in the midlands. Have you managed to find a home for your Grey? Sorry for being a little slow, I have just seen this post, but I have been on the lookout for another Grey for a while now. Siobhan