Acappella

Wish you guys were all close so we could have a hands-on toy making class. I really enjoy de-constructing store-bought toys in my mind and figuring out how to steal the ideas. Lets me save my money for stuff I can't make, like bells, boings, acrylic toys.

I likedthe pictures, esp the last one. The look on his face seems to be saying"enough with the paparazzi already:)

Love seeing the picture of Bismark getting scratches. So cute!

That looks well within my DIY skills. Add this to the to-do list;)

Great to hear about the progress at your house. Seems you can teach an old bird new tricks:).

Last night Dorian did the lean so far he lost his balance, panicked and started flapping his wings, ending up on my head!

Maybe Chocko has ambitions to be an interior designer, and he was trying, in his own way, to tell you "this wallpaper is sooooooo yesterday!"

It might be the closed door itself that is freaking Rebel out. I hung one of those shoe trees that hang on the back of doors in Dorian's room, and he was terrified of it when I closed the door. Is there anything scary hanging on the back of the door?

Dorian would like to contribute a Westie bark to the mix.

Oh, and one other thing. Have you tried stepping him up onto a stick instead of your hand. This works with some birds who are aggresive to hands.

The most important resource when re homing an older grey is patience. If he did come from a pet store, like my Dorian did, that could explain his aggression toward hands. I've seen people do some truly brainless and mean things to birds in our store, even when they knew I could see them. You have to give your bird time to get over that baggage, and time in the life of a grey is measured more often in months and years rather than days and weeks. You said he likes to play. How does he play, by himself with a toy, or with you? You want him to associate good things and good feelings with being and interacting with his flock. Find favourite things, and then limit his access to them for when a less favoured human is around. For example, Dorian loves walnuts, shredding paper,and ringing bells. If I have to put him in his cage when he doesnt want to go I give him a walnut and lots of praise once he is in. If I have made a new toy and he's leary of it, I've learned he'll approach it faster if there's a bell on it somewhere. Sometimes you have to try 100 things before you find what works with your bird. It's all about getting to know and trust each other. Have fun discovering who this new flock member is!

Loved the videos, especially the bathing one. Dorian does the exact same thing. I've found that if I have a spray bottle filled partly with aloe vera juice and part water handy, I can really get Dorian soaked, more than I can if I initiate the shower. Try it next time you see Bismark trying to bathe. Bet you can get him truly soaked, and a dripping wet grey is a very cute thing:).

Glad to see that you are taking this decision so seriously. Here's my story with Dorian. I got him at the age of four, almost five. He was totally cage bound. As a matter of fact, about the only time he was outside of the cage was to be towelled to get his wings clipped (no wonder the poor guy thought the world outside his cage was hostile) He was never allowed to fledge as a baby. When he first came to me he was freshly clipped. I had a vet come to my home once after I'd had him a few months to even out his wings, since the last clip was not only severe, but very unbalanced. When he had grown a full set of feathers I witnessed some bad looking crashes into walls when he was startled off his perch, but he never injured himself any worse than a small scratch. I think those impromptu flights were the first time he got a clue what his wings were for. In the last four or five months he's started taking off on purpose, usually trying to come to me in another room. He still doesn't have much directional control, but his landings are getting better every time he flys. Even these short flights leave him panting, which shows me how out of shape his years being cage bound made him. Another thing I've noticed is that he's become more calm, less easily spooked. I can't say for sure that it's because he's realized he can fly, but that's the only thing that has changed in his world. So here's my two cents. You have to be vigilent whether your bird is clipped or not. Before Dorian could fly I nearly stepped on him once because I didn't realize he'd climbed down off his cage to come looking for me. At least now I hear those massive wings flapping and I know I have to look out for him. Clipped birds can still get real lift and take off if something scares them and gets their adreneline pumping. The problem is they have no control and no idea how to land. They just flap blindly. Even if they want to come to you, they don't know how to fly down. They only know to wait for a rescue. A little while ago a member here had a close call with his grey and his dogs. Although the dogs had never bothered the bird before, something startled Dayo onto the floor and the dogs instictivly went after him. If Dayo hadn't been able to fly away he may have been badly hurt. Having a flighted bird can be a pain in the neck. They're stubborn, curious, and they want to be with you, their flock. You might have to remove them a hundred times from somewhere you don't want them to be until they learn the rules. You'll be giving them the power to chose whether they want to play on their playstand or sit with you, and they may not always chose what you want. I just think having that small bit of control can lead to a healthier, happier companion. Plus, just think of the extra bonding you two will do as you remove him from the curtain rod for the 200th time:)

Hi everyone. I was wondering if any forum members were going to the conference in November. It's a couple hours drive from me, but Barbara Heidenreich is speaking both days, along with some other interesting presentations, and I'm seriously thinking of going for at least one day. http://www.canadianparrotconference.ca/

Sorry the pictures are so fuzzy. First time using the camera on my cell phone.

Here are some pictures of my DohDoh on the previously hated playstand. It took a year to get him to use it, so if your bird doesn't take to something right away, don't give up!

Well, you have a birdy with a one track mind. I'm betting he chooses a new track soon. Your job, trying to figure out what the next one might be:P<br><br>Post edited by: Acappella, at: 2009/10/07 05:57

I agree, guests, please join us. The more people here the better the forum gets. This is also the only group I belong to online, and joining is one of the best things I've done re: having Dorian in my life.

He looks so happy. Could he have a little chat with Dorian?

Love pictures of wet birdies:)

OMG that's funny. Thanks for sharing!

. . .and what has he done with Dorian? Hi guys. I know I haven't been around much. Between migraines and my FMS I haven't been feeling too social, but I just had to post to let you know what's been happening with Dorian. He's come leaps and bounds and it's happened very quickly. All of a sudden he's this brave,confident, curious soul who wants to explore his world. He's still happy to sit in his cage and talk and play when I'm in the same room with him, but if I'm anywhere else he wants to come with me, even if it's just around to corner in the office. He still won't step up from inside his cage, but he will climb out to one of his exterior perches and "request" that I come and get him. I used to have to put my arm between him and the cage before he would ever step-up for me. Now he's raising a foot without even being asked! I used to be able to leave him in his cage with the door open and leave the room. We'd do contact calls and when I came back downstairs he'd still be inside. Those days, I think, are done. Now he's trying to fly to me. He still doesn't have much directional control so sometimes I hear those wings flapping and I have to go on a search for him (for some reason he won't speak up and tell me where he's landed), but even his flying is getting better. His landing is improving big time. There have been very few flights ending in crashes into walls or windows. He's also destroyed his first toy ever, discovered that he can hold an object and play with it (aka a foot toy), and finally decided the playstand that I bought for him exactly a year ago is not a demon birdy killer. As I type he's sitting on the top of it, preening, stretching and looking out the window. I'm so glad I didn't give up and sell it! The only downside is he's also decided that he should be allowed to sleep on this stand, which is in my room. I can't allow that because the cat sleeps with me and I don't want them both free when I'm not able to watch them. Also, part of my condition includes poor sleep, and I can't have him trying to rest if I'm getting up to read or watch tv. At least one of us should be rested! We've had a few nights with him trying everything he can to avoid stepping on to my hand to be put to bed, but I just decided he's not going to win this one. I'm hoping a few more nights and he'll accept the inevitable:) It's been a slow journey, but you all have helped me stay consistent and hopeful when I've become frustrated. Dorian and I are both very thankful we found this community of great people (and birdies) Love you all, Marguerite

I swear he looks like he's smiling in the last photo. He must know he won the parront lotto:)

Try to find someone to pet sit. Do you know any reliable teens? They're always looking for ways to earn extra $. You'll need to have the food and water dishes set up in a way that alows them to be filled without putting a tasty looking hand into the cage, but that's do-able. I had a friend's daughter sit for me once. I set up a table and chair near the cage and the tv and told her she could do her homework here, watch tv, only the computer was off-limits (hard learned lesson involving my nephew) She was thrilled because she had some peaceful time away from younger siblings, she made some money, and my pets had company.

Yahoooooooooo! Kisses to Rishi from Ontario, Canada:kiss: