chezron

My problem is his cage and the others are in my office which is in the same room as the kitchen- pretty much the whole lower floor of the house is wide open. We live here in this space. The cage coverings are mostly to allow me to continue working while they are asleep and not so much to shut out sunlight. Perhaps some day I can have a curtain that extends from a track on the ceiling around ALL of the cages. That would be nice.

Well that's good!

Brutus' cage is covered with a dark blue sheet every night since he was a baby. Lately, he has figured out he can reach through the bars and chew on the sheet and create viewing holes. I admit, sometimes I roll out of bed at 9! So I guess rather than creating a ruckus when I sleep in he just diligently chews more holes in the sheet. The sheet now looks like swiss cheese and I am wondering why even bother to use it. I guess I could buy a new one. What forms of passive aggressive behavior do your greys use to indicate disapproval?

Watch him for signs that he is not adjusting. It may be necessary to move him back if he is freaking out too much. He will probably be fine.

My bird started damaging his feathers at that age. Regular trips outside in the sunlight (in his cage) helped him, and he no longer damages his feathers. Just 15 minutes on most days. Has to be outside though, not just next to a window. Sunlight makes him calm too.

This Timneh is only 5 years old. He is near Atlanta and he sounds wonderful! http://www.parrotvillage.org/adoption/adoptable_birds/echo/

Hi Saskia, Did you know there are 149 parrots in Florida waiting to be adopted? http://bird.rescueme.org/Florida Take a look there is bound to be a Timneh in there.

Oh and there is another bird rescue group that has postings for all over the country. In CA there is currently 29 birds and parrots. http://bird.rescueme.org/California

There is a bird rescue group in San Jose called, "Mickaboo." They are a very good organization and care deeply for their birds. There are presently 10 greys (and other parrots) for adoption on their website. http://www.mickaboo.org It couldn't hurt to visit them. I think they could give you really good advice too. What I looked for is compatibility. Meaning that, did the bird come over when he/she saw me? Does he/she show signs of curiosity and acceptance of me? I almost bought a bird that was not compatible and who was neurotic and fearful, and i am glad I didn't go through with it. It took my awhile to find Brutus and he stepped up immediately and was calm. He seemed relaxed and "at home" with me. It has been that way ever since. I do not know if the neurotic bird would have developed into a good companion, but why start in that position? I think it is better if the bird shows signs of liking you right away, and then it can only get better I think. Let us know how it goes!

I look forward to hearing all about your new Amazon, Ray. I think you NEED one, and I think the amazon needs you more!

Can you call him to another room? I do this if Brutus lands on my desk chair - a no-no. I just get up, ignore him, and go to another room and he flies after me. If your bird is off the preferred and defended spot he may be easier to handle? Brutus is not allowed on my desk or my chair. He can hangout on the air cleaner on my desk, but that's it. I have a silver lid to a pot that I go toward him with if he breaks the rules. He gets mad at the lid and not at me and flies off. He is out all day and does not land on my desk or chair while I am home or away. I tell him before I leave, "Stay off my desk" and he does. I do think I have relaxed grey compared to someone like GracieMae, so maybe this wouldn't work for you. He doesn't land on me either. I will pick him up on my wrist and he will stay there. I have about a billion cords on my desk and both my keyboard and cords are untouched.

I think my Grey LOVES having other birds in the house. I have a Quaker Parakeet and a Panama Amazon. Brutus, the grey, only interacts with the Quaker, but he loves having Pancho, the amazon, around too. My grey is pretty laid back but it is comforting to me that he has his other parrots with him all the time. Once I got Pancho, Brutus started saying, "I love Pancho" even though I didn't tell him how to say it. I just feel they get comfort from having other birds around, even though they do not necessarily interact. Brutus ignores Pancho even though Pancho plays with all of Brutus' toys on Brutus' cage. Once, The quaker, Jimpster, got out, and was gone for several days, Brutus got so depressed during that time, so I know he really likes Jimpster. Don't expect a love-fest if you get another parrot, but, at least at my house, they really value each other without contact. They preen at the same time, and get sleepy at the same time, and also fly as a flock if something spooks them.

I thought these were supposed to be "smart birds"? Brutus does the same thing, the minute i change the water in his cage bowl He tries to dunk himself and he CAN'T! He gets his legs and his belly wet and that is all. I bought a huge cake pan for him and sometimes he will use that and get plenty wet but not reliably. I do take matters into my own hands on the weekends when i roll the bird cages outside and everyone gets a dousing with the hose. Brutus hates it but he has learned to tolerate it. The amazon LOVES getting incredibly soaked. The minute the hose is spraying him his wings go out like an umbrella until he is soaking wet!

So, how did it turn out? Did it work out? Curious minds want to know.

Nice angle to talk him into a date once in awhile. lol

My friend has a caique and he is exhausted because the bird does not have an off-switch. He will never sit quietly on his shoulder. He would love to write his dissertation with Cricket on his shoulder, but that is never going to happen. I dunno about getting one if Charlie might get jealous? I have another friend who ruined her relationship with her grey when she got an Amazon. The Amazon is very clingy. I think that is why my friend's grey is not getting any better with the amazon in the house. I have an Amazon too but he doesn't like women so I can't pick him up very often. I think if I could handle him a lot it may make Brutus jealous. Now my quaker, Jimpster, is usually so busy harrassing the other two that he doesn't spend a lot of time with me, but this time of year, he is like velcro on my shoulder when i am at my desk, and I can sense Brutus is a little jealous. I reassure him and he seems to be fine. I always tell Brutus he is my favorite. Brutus and Jimpster follow me all over the house and fight to get the closest perching spot to wherever I am. I just call one of them and both of them come because either of them can't stand that one will get more attention. I do think Brutus is much more laid back and less sensitive to change and other greys are not like this. Brutus LOVES Jimpster though for all of the fun he provides. Once Jimpster got out and was missing for a couple of days and Brutus was SO depressed. Also, I had Jimpster first and that may make a difference. Jimpster is a quaker and about the same size as a caique. He also thinks he is King Kong, sort of like a caique. I don't think Quakers are as manic. My two pennies.

Love reading about your Grey games! It is so fun isn't it? I also play wiffle ball soccer with Brutus. I roll a wiffle ball towards his feet and he kicks away or he picks it up to throw. GreycieMae sounds like a riot. We also have a bedtime ritual. At night i turn off all the lights except in the stairway up two flights of steps. I go up the stairs and call Brutus and he flies up and catches hold of the door molding and dangles his feet and I take him and put him to bed. It is amazing to me that he flies full speed into the door and nails it every time. I hear a whir of flying and then "splat!" when he makes contact. He seems really proud of himself when he lands. Here they are all on Brutus' cage

Pancho has decided he likes Brutus' cage better, so now he is on Brutus' cage all of the time, and playing with his toys. Brutus just ignores him. I thought greys were cage possessive? It is true that Brutus is rarely on his own cage, he is usually everywhere else, but he does know that it is HIS cage. Isn't that weird? I think he likes having Pancho around even though he doesn't ever interact with him. Brutus never sets foot on Pancho's cage, however, even though it is right next to his. Not sure why. Brutus spends a lot of time at Jimpster's cage, and he does it on purpose to rile Jimpster up because he likes to play with him. They chase each other around and try to nip at each other. Brutus knows Jimpster's range of motion and can easily stay ahead of him. For some reason he loves it when Jimpster hits him on the beak. You can just tell sometimes that Brutus will go after Jimmie to get banged on the beak and then he leaves him alone. Brutus plays with me too, in that, in the morning, he will let me kiss his toes but will move his face away at the exact moment I get close enough to make contact. He knows I want to kiss his beak, and he plays hard to get. About one-in-ten times he will allow me to kiss his beak. What games do your greys play with you or others?

I think you are right to be nervous. Six month old German Shepard's are very rambunctious. Should you board Sophie? Can she go to a neighbor's house or something? Do they have to bring their dogs?

Congratulations! This may make no difference in Garcia's plucking, but then again, it might. I know it positively affects my Grey's mood when I take him outside (in a cage) into the sunshine a few minutes every day. It is like birdy valium. You might try it? It helps them make Vitamin D and assimilate calcium.

Please don't use poison bait traps. The poison is an anti-coagulant and WHEN other animals consume the dead animal the toxin builds up in their bodies until they hemorrhage and bleed to death. This is a problem in my neighborhood with higher predators like hawks, owls, and coyotes. We have so many gophers here and people use poison baits. The problem is in how the baits work, they cause the animal to hemorrhage and the poisoned animal gets really thirsty and comes out of the ground to look for water and dies, then they are consumed by dogs, cats, hawks, or other animals. Many vets see the gruesome results of this feeding. PLEASE don't use baits! Last year I took a red-shouldered hawk from my property to the vet but it was too late for herl because there was too much poison in her system and she died.

"This is a recall by using a whistle. Should he gets out one day, he would be able to track me by listening to the whistle." Great idea! That sure would have come in handy when Brutus got out. I got him back but those were three days he was gone were difficult.

My CAG is named Brutus because I thought he had big feet--a real Brute! He is 6 years old.

Congratulations on the progress Murfchick and Ixta.