Tycos_mom

I know how hard it is to lock them up. I have a Amazon and everytime I tell her I have to go to work she will go on and on saying its not fair Its just not fair. talk about make a person feel guilty. I make sure she has lots todo in her cage while I'm gone. I work from 430pm til 11 pm and her bedtime is 8pm so I have the lights on a timer they shut off at 8pm so she might be in her cage for 3 hours and I only work 3 days a week and she still makes me feel like the meanest mama in the world when I have to go to work and she has to be in her cage. My point is we all feel bad having to lock up our birds but they do find things todo and if you put a vidio in her room and watched it I bet that as soon as you walk out the door she stops screaming and gets on with her day. They have to be locked up when your not home so don't worry about it and your bird will soon adjust and may even start enjoying her time. mabie turn the radio or tv on for her to keep her company when your not there. and make some fun stuff for her todo inside her cage. Like Jen sugested.

Gizmo (Severe Macaw) is coming out of hiis cage by himself. I decided 2 weeks ago that I wasn't going to push him at all and just let him do what he felt like doing. I've sit by his cage and talk to him everyday for about a hour mabie a little more I do 15 every hour and a half. Today he came out Twice when I came to keep him company. I keep telling him to come with me to the other room where all the other birds are. I say come on lets go. and then he says come on lets go but so far he won't step up so we actually can go. I think now that he's actually coming out of his cage he will start getting brave enough todo other things as well. He calls for me now when I'm not with him he yells MOM MOM and of course I yell back I'm here don't worry I'll come and see you soon. Its not much of an update I'm afraid he's still not eating much in the way of fruita and veggie's he love's eggs so I did add some chopped broccoli to his scrambled eggs today and at least he did eat some of it. I have also tryed other things like birdy muffins and breads but he won't touch them. he is one fussy little bird let me tell you. I must say his feathers look absolutly gorgous now with regular baths. He also loves head and neck scritches and asks for them everytime I'm with him when he want me to scritch him he will put his foot on the very top of his head and rub his head. He also likes me to rub his beak and he will put his foot around his beak and rub his beak to show me what he wants its very cute the way he tells me what he want it makes me smile everytime. I've never met a bird that is so expressive its almost like he uses sign language to get things accross to me. anyway thats it for now I'll update you again when thing start progressing more.

its nice to see who we are talking to when we post thanks for sharing your picture with us.

It must be something thats going around I'm just gettin over the worst cold I've had in years. In fact its the only cold I've had in years I'm not used to being sick I get a flu shot every year so I don't get sick. Last year I got a phemonia shot also it didn't work because I am just getting over phnemonia

I know how you feel it always seem time always seems to drag on when you have to wait. I had to wait to get Tyco because I didn't have quite enough money and I thought the day was never going to get their. When I finally went and got her I was so excited. I do hope things work out for you I hope she is not just putting you off because she doesn't really want to sell him. Saturday will be here soon and and yes please keep us updated. I'm would love to see some new pics when you get him

I think time will help allot give them a couple more months to get to know each other and they will stat to at least except each other as flock mates. all my tolarate each other and I can have them all out at the same time. This didn't happen over night but eventually they did all except the other as part of their flock.

I love cockatoo I had a Citron crested Too for awhile but I couldn't keep him he was 20+ years old and not used to children or other birds. Everytime he was out and my daughter was at home he would attack her and bite down hard he wasn't a baby and he could really bite. her arms where cut and bruised for weeks. I loved him and he was so gentle and sweet with me but anyone else around was not tolerated. I did not think it was fair to him to keep him locked in a room by himself so I found him a wonderful home with a single older woman that had lost her citron crested male after 30 years I new she would give him the home he needed so I gave him to her.

I don't think so my 5yr old CAG learned a new dance really quickly. As for potty training as long as your consistant I don't see any reason that an older bird can't learn that fairly easily also. make it fun and give lots of praise and You won't have any problems

I always wanted an African Grey for as long as I can remember as amatter of fact when I rescued my Amazon many years ago a was looking for a Grey to buy then but I found Fergie and she really needed a good home so I adopted her instead. many years past and I rescued a couple mor birds. Then one day my daughter phoned me up and said she went to a party after the bar closed the night before she said I didn't know it at the time but the house was a crack house. she said she heard a noise comeing from a back room and ask what the noise was and the guy said oh it just a stupid bird. She asked if she could see it and she said this poor bird was in this roo in a cockateil size cage with a heavy wool blancket over it. the cage had so much poop on it and all it had to eat was a couple of peanuts she said his water was green with poop. I told her to take me there. I ask the person if he wanted to sell his bird. he said you got 800 dollars. well I didn't but I said I'll give you 300 now and the rest by this week end. I went home and phoned everyone I knew to see if I could borrow some money to get this poor bird out of the situation it was in. I finally got 400 together and went back over there and said will you take 700 for her. He look a little ill like he needed to get high or something any way he said sure take the stupid bird I hate that thing anyway so I gathered up Tyco and the rest is history. and That how I got my wonderful African Grey Congo.

There are wonderful parrots out there that have had wonderful home where they have been raised right and loved these kinds of bird are great to rehome and if this is the case with the bird you are adopting then there should be no problems at all for you a minor tasistion period is all it should take ask his previous owner as many question as you can think of if it sound positive than I would not even think twice about it just bring your new friend home and love him forever.

Thanks for the udate on Kimi I'm glad to hear he was just reguratating for you he obviously loves you allot and as for his first word your in for it now he'll be butting in on your conversation and giving his opinion in no time. Tyco is always answering something before I can even open my mouth she really thinks she a know it all:laugh: Who know mabie she is

This is a wonderful post. All i've been hearing lately is people wanting to rehome their birds because there's a new crisis in there lives. We all have our ups and downs and always will. Your post will definatly help others to think about not rehoming and that bird will adapt and go through the worst of the worst with you and come out the other side just as good if not better. thank you for posting this your Alfie trully is a star.<br><br>Post edited by: Tycos_mom, at: 2008/12/03 19:42

first of all if he is haveing troble gettin to his food why don't you lower his perches and food Greys tend to be quite clumsy as babys and it would help if he could get to his food easily. as for fruts and veggies don't stop offeriing them to him baby's are very curious and will aventualy try them. you can also try eating them yourself in front of him and he may want what you eating. It is an absolute must to teach you little guy to step up so you must take him out of his cage and practice with him three or 4 times a day for about 10 minutes at a time. It won't take him very long to catch on justget him to step from one hand to the other over and over until it become second nature when he hears you say step up don't forget lots of praise and excitment when he does it. Good luck and enjoy your new baby when you get a chance could you post some pics I would love to see him

You should get yourself one I just did they are sweet little birds I just love mine to peices. he love to play and interact and he comunicates very well with his body language if I ask him if he wants a scritch he will put his foot on top of his head and give himself a little scritch and show me with his foo exactly where he want me to scratch its vert cute. he also repeats everything he say please and thankyou and you welcome all in context if I say do you want a nut he will say please then when I give it to him he will say thankyou and if I ask for a kiss he will reach out and give me one and I will say thankyou then he says your welcome. Its so sweet I can't help but love mine. I think everyone should have one they are just wonderful birds

It may take some time for you to gain an older birds trust. Especialy an African Grey. I got a 5 yr old Congo last Oct 2007 and I have finaly gained her trust it took 7 months to be able to touch her feathers in any way. Now she is a wonderful bird but it didn't happen over night and owning a bird is a huge responsibility it is not something to take lightly they do not not do well being passed from home to home. what happens to the bird if you buy it and he turns out not to be what you expected. what then do you just get rid of ot and get a different bird. An older bird takes tons and tons of love and patient. My advise to you since you have no bird experiance is to buy a newly weaned baby that way you an he can learn together he will bond to you allot better than a second hand bird.

Oh my do you not know anyone else that can give you a ride. Mabie if you offered someone gas money they would be willing to drive you

How many birds do you have? I have 7 and I'm at my limit but there isn't a hope in Hell that I would rehome any of them. Does your Grey not fit in some how or is he attacking your children or is there a health issue like an allergy to the dander. Please help me to understand why you would get a bird just to get rid of it. Does the woman who is taking your Grey have experiance with large birds and is your bird tame?

Don't worry your a great mom your birds love you and need you and if you think about it you probubly need them just as much as they need you. This time of year sucks for allot of people. And there are allot of very depressed people out there. But at least you have your health and those sweet birds of yours to make you smile and feel a little better about things. Hang in there in a month or two all this will be a thing of the past and you will have a new crises to think about. thats just the way life is. Give your birds an extra hug and kiss and be grateful that you have them there they trully are angels, blessing from God to you. Enjoy the time you have with them life would not be the same wiithout them.

Its always darkest just before dawn. I know that things are tough right now but thats not a reason to giveup on your birds. When you got them it was for better or worse would you give your child away because things got tough. As long as you are doing the best you can and your birds are still getting 4hour of out of cage time that is plenty. they will adjust to the new situation and like you said thing will get better. You are not the only one that is haveing problems I to just got into a car accident and my car is going to be very expensive to fix. Christmas is comeing and work is slow I have no Idea how I'm going to buy anything for anybody. We all go through ups and downs but things always have a way of working out for the best. but giveing up your bird to who knows what should not even be an option you are the one they love and giving them up should not even cross your mind. I could never give my birds up they are my everything That to me would half to be a very last resort they keep me happy and smiling without them I'm sure when things got bad I would get depressed. They keep me trying to make things better for them. I met a woman a couple weeks ago that is living in her car with 2 Macaws and an African Grey and like she says she could never part with them they are her kids. So I think I've got it pretty good and so do you. giving up your bird because your going through a bit of a rough time should not even be an option.

Can you mabie turn your oven on and open the door so it doesn't get to cold. you can also put a light on him for warmth or place a heating pad under his cage and the cover 3 sides of his cage to help keep the heat in. They can deal with some cold but birds that are used to a constant 70 degree are not going to be used to the cold if you can try to keep him as warm as possible. I think they can handle around 60 degrees without to much problem but you don't want it to get much colder than that.

TYco is 5 yrs old and was never permited to fledge so now that she is fully flight she is haveing a very difficult time she weighs 583 grams and she is just starting to fly a little she is constantly flaping her wing on top of her cage trying as hard as she can to build up some muscle the vet said she has lots of muscle there but I gues its not developed enough for flying. She can fly about 10 feet now which is better than a month ago when she could only fly about 6 ft. so shhe's getting there Its just going to take a while longer because she didn't learn as a baby.

this is my pretty baby girl <br><br>Post edited by: Tycos_mom, at: 2008/12/02 11:44

Very pretty bird I love Amazons

When you see him diong that why don't you offer him something else like a nut of some sort I don't think the paper will hurt him really but I'm sure he would prefer something a little tastier mabie a graham cracker or a couple of cherrios Tyco love graham crackers she calls them cookies I usually just give her 1/2 ones.

I agree with everyone else when it come to supplemants they should only be given if you vet says they are needed. as long as you feel your bird is eating a balanced diet there sould be no need for supplements I know that I give my bird a balanced diet and for the most part they eat a balanced diet the only bird that I'm concerned about is Gizmo and I do put 1 drop of multi vitamin in his water only because he will not eat anyof the fruits and veggitables that I offer him nor does he eat the harrisons or Zupreem pellets either. So until he starts eating something other than his seeds and nuts I will supplement him the only other thing I've managed to get him to eat is eggs. I'll keep trying mabie eventually he will eat properly.