Acappella

We had a pair of lovebirds in the store. Not for sale. They were pets of the owner. I had to ask her to take them home. There was something about their screech that went straight to my brain and set off a migraine. If I went in to the store with a headache - well, it wasn't good. I don't know if it was the pitch, the volume, what it was, but I do know that lovebirds, no matter how pretty, will never be a part of my pending MBS.

The end of May is a day away. When do you bring baby home?

Like Dan said, just make sure the bottom is well padded. Folded towels/blanket with newspaper over the top works well.

You'll have to see, as she settles in, if she uses her name alot in her chatter. With my guy there's no doubt what his name is, he says it all the time. If she's stuck on Ginger, think of her as Ginger from Gilligan's Island. She's a beauty, so that part fits.

Music randomizer has now hit the Tower of Power playlist. Me happy

Well, I hope everything is ok. Plucking can sometimes be caused by physical illness, so combining that with his behaviour changes I'm glad you took him to the vet. I'd keep a careful eye on his weight and poops for the next few days. Keep us in the loop, we're all here to support each other.

Hi and welcome to the forum. The best info on diet is in the 'Bird Food' room. Start with the stickies at the top of the page. Lots of info there. As for talking, no that's not true. Lots of people here have other birds and their greys are talkers. Just talk to your bird, read aloud to him, tell him what you're doing etc... Does your new CAG have a name?

I've got my computer on random music playback while I pack and it just hit my cache of Chaka Khan.

Sounds like Lido is developing wonderfully with your care. That poor B&G. Does he have a name? I'm not at all a violent person, but some people just need to be slapped, hard, multiple times! Please post in the appropriate room about him so that we can follow his progress.

Love the pictures, especially the last one. Gotta wonder though, how do they manage to get formula everywhere?!?

One of the best ways to get a grey to try a new food is to let her see you eating and enjoying it. It looks even more tempting if you act as though she not allowed to have it! lol

The most important thing with a bird whether it's a baby or a re-home is to establish trust and that takes time. Let her observe her new flock, talk to her, let her know what's going on. Just don't push her and don't expect too much too soon. Oh, and take it easy on the grapes, no more than one a day. Too much sugar isn't good. Does she have other treats she likes that you can use as rewards?

Welcome to the forum. You'll be surprised how quickly these birds wrap their talons around your heart. Many greys are closet talkers, talking mostly when they're alone or out of sight of the rest of their flock. It's great that he's already saying your family's names. As for covering the cage, the most important thing is that he gets 10-12 hours of dark and quiet sleep time every night. Can you find out from his previous family how they provided this, whether they covered his cage or if they possibly provided a sleep cage? You can never have too much information, and there's no such thing as a stupid question. Glad you decided to give Grazy a new home.

Like Jeff said, we need more info on the older birds background. Was it a breeder kept in a aviary? Does it interact with people? Does it know basic commands like step-up? How does it react when you get into its space? What is its body language around people? Re-habing a second hand' bird can be a very rewarding experience, but it can also be very frustrating. It can take years of slow progress before that bird is a comfortable companion animal. As far as talking goes, a grey talks when it feels comfortable and safe in its environment. Age isn't an impediment to talking and, after all, a 3 year old is still a very young bird. Give us some more info and do some reading in the rescue room on this forum. There are threads there that will give you a good picture of what the journey with a re-homed bird can be like.

She's like a little kid. She's all wound up in play mode and doesn't want to stop for a cuddle. Let her wind down and wait for her to signal you that she'd like some one-on-one time.

Sorry we had to rain on your happy day parade. I'm wondering if it's the smell that attracted him. Even after you wash it the plastic still smells faintly, which is what makes it unsafe. Find a similar sized food-grade plastic container and put something with a strong smell in it that's safe, like apple juice. Pour out the juice and see if the remaining smell attracts him to the container. We all have to have a little bit of detective in us to live with these complex little souls.

So cute. MBS claims another victim. lol

It's almost as if he's testing you. He has these bouts of temper towards you and you, of course, give him his space and continue to be loving and sweet towards him. I'm sure in the past any aggression from him was dealt with in a much less loving way. You're doing an amazing job. So is Gilbert

Hoping for good news and a homecoming date. <3

This looks good to me!

Love love love this update. One thing stands out for me. When Dorian first started to allow me to take him from room to room (which took over three years btw) his balance was also terrible.. He was so nervous. Now he feels so safe on my hand or wrist that he does that thing where he tries to make me go in the direction he wants to go by leaning hard in that direction lol . It's so wonderful to read your updates and picture Gilbert's constricted little soul begin to trust and open up to the world.

What cage are you looking at Loki? What you have to watch for is bar spacing. For African Greys the bar spacing should be 3/4" to 1". A smaller TAG might be more comfortable with the 3/4". Next make sure that the bars on at least two walls run horizontaly. It's better for climbing around the cage. Dishes that can be changed from outside the cage are best, especially if there's a chance you might have to have someone who is not comfortable with large parrots pet-sit your baby. A cage that has a skirt can help catch some poops and flung food (note I said some! lol). Other than that, go with the biggest cage you can afford that will fit in your space. I love my cage from Avian Adventures. It goes together without screws or nuts and bolts, the doors all have locks to foil parrot escape artists, and the dishes lock into their slots so they can't be emptied and thrown about. As for the age, look around on the nursery thread. I never had a baby bird so I don't know. Happy cage hunting!

Well, you're right in a way. If you respond right away you might run the risk of reinforcing the sound. However, contact calling is important to their sense of security. They need to know where the members of the flock are when they're out of sight. I would wait for a count of five, then call her with your sound. Of course if she choses a sound that isn't yours, but is pleasant enough that you can imagine hearing it multiple times a day for the next few decades, re-inforce it. You're doing great and your baby is lucky to have found you.

Yes, we call that the Grey Diet. Warning, that chirp you find so endearing now could, potentialy, drive you 'round the bend later. Choose a contact call that you like and practice it with her. When you leave the room and she chirps, respond to her with the chosen sound. It may take weeks, but it's time well spent. If she chooses the sound I can almost guarantee it will be dramatic, which is a nice way of saying annoying. Like the smoke alarm. Your alarm clock. The "battery needs charging" sound from your cell phone. etc...

Welcome to our family. I don't have any baby bird experience, but I'd advise doing a lot of reading in The Nursery forum room, starting with all the stickys at the top. There's a ton of good information there.