Tycos_mom

I bet your excited!! Im excited also. I cant wait to here what he is going to be like at home he sounds like such a sweet heart snuggleing his head into your palm. I just know your going to love him to peices. I am just head over heals in love with that little guy Of mine. They just have a way of stealing your heart. If he is anything like Gizmo he will come around quite quickly. Gizmo doesnt bite me at all he does seem to like to hold my fingers in his mouth though I wonder if thats a macaw thing. I have seen so many pictures of Macaws with their owners fingers in their mouths. These little Macaws aparently are just like the big guys just in a smaller package. That suits me fine I love the Macaw speices and always wanted a Scarlet or a Green wing but My house and my pocket book were never big enough to have such a large bird. So I started researching the mini Macaws and the one thing I loved the most about the Big guys is the feather lines around their eyes and the only mini that has that is the Severe Macaw. I was talking to my friend about them about 2 years ago. So you could imagine my suprize when she Emailed me and told me about this lady that needed a home for her Severe Macaw. I just about fell off my chair. The rest is history. Anyway so much for me babbling away about Gizmo. I am very very happy that Tanner is coming home Your mom sounds like a great person she must be a bird lover also.<br><br>Post edited by: Tycos_mom, at: 2008/11/15 19:10

What a lovely family. When I was a little girl I always wanted a Dove. I think because of the Magician always used Doves and their acts and they always seemed so friendly and sweet I never did get one though my mom got me a bugie instead.

I've actually been doing that when I can get him out of his cage so that he's on top then I just walk over to him and push my arm under his feet so he either flys or steps up I don't care which one he chooses because once he flys hes off his cage and will step up no problem then I take him out of the room. I have another problem with him also once he has stepped up he wants to head straight for my shoulder he doesn't bite me at all anymore we've gotten past that pretty much he dooes like to hold my fingers in his mouth though if he goes to bite me and I don't budge he will grab my finger but there's no presure at all. He's just a big bluffer. so I don't even worry about him biting me anymore. I definatly don't pull away. But he does not like to come out of his cage and I hate it when he's trys everything to get away while he's in there I'm afraid he's going to hurt himself. The only way I can seem to get him out is to give him a bath then he will come out while I'm spraying him. Tjen I shut the door of his cage and lock it. Its jst going to take some time he's a sweet little bird that really wants to be loved and scritched he lets me scritch his head all the time now. actually I think he would just sit there all day and let me do that. Even when he's in his cage If I say you want some scritches he right there with his head down waiting. He's just been in that darn cage to long and he's terrified to leave it. Thank you for your help I'm sure we will get there one way of another. Time and patients and lots of love thats the key to happy healthy well rounded birds. so I'll keep at it and he will get there 2 steps forward 1 step back. You have done wonders with Zsa Zsa I hope I can do as well with Gizmo. I reallt must get his wings clipped I think that will help alot also. Raja's doing good he's giong through a bit of a bluffing stage I just ignore it and tell him not to be so silly. then he's back to his old self snuggling up and wanting me to give hime scritches and pets. he's so cute when I pet him he practices all his words when he's getting pets. He says baby sweet baby cutie its very sweet

Thanks I may have to do the same thing with Gizmo if he doesn't start comeing out on his own and stepping up without a fight. Gizmo has only bit me hars enough to break the skin once and that was just a couple days after I got him. He won't come out of the cage on his own unless I start giving him a bath then he comes out and sits on top of the door to get a good soaking thats when I shut the door and lock him out. I'm trying to get him to stepup from ontop of his cage I think with a liitle time and work I;ll be able to do that if not I may have to do what you did. I have to be able to pick hm up. its important in case of an emergency so one way or another even if it means a few good bites he's going to learn That I mean what I say when I tell him to step up. I just hate getting bit I allergic to pain:laugh:

I found out yesterday that Gizmo is terrified of the colour red. I had to go out for a few minutes yesterday and I put on a red hoody. When I came back I didn't take it off and I went to play with Gizmo. He was up on top of his cage. I went over and stepped him up I was shocked because he stepped right up so I thought great I'll take him into the bathroom Well I tryed to step him down and he was frozen to my arm when I finally got him off my arm he start screaming and hiding his head under my shirt not bitint just hiding I felt so bad I said OMG baby its ok I took the sweater off and he was fine. I guess I won't be wearing red around him again anytime soon. Least he didn't hold a grudge or hate me for ever he was back to asking for scritches again in no time. He's funny when I ask him if I can give him scritches he starts scratching really slowly. he uses body language to tell me he knows and yes give me scritches. pretty smart of him I think. I just love him so much. I felt just horrible he was so scared of the sweater I almost cried because he was so upset and so scared poor little angel. I wonder why the colour red scares some birds so badley what does their minds tell them when they see red that makes them react like that. I feel sorry for the birds that live in rooms that are painted red. they must live in fear everyday of their lives.

wow Your doing great with Cooper he sounds Like the typical young Amazon very playful and curious about everything Sounds to me like he's a real sweetie It won't be long before he will be begging you for xcritches and pets.

Are you haveing trouble getting Cooper off his cage also? I bet he would be just like Gizmo if you could just get him to step up and take him somewhere out of the sight of his cage. Least with Gizmo if he lands on the floor he will turn to me to pick him up to put him on or in his cage. He's fully flighted also though so I have to watch that he doesn't fly back to his cage while I'm transporting him to another room.

Where is he barbering his feathers the most if its his wings it could be from a bad clip in which case if he was clipped again to even things out he may quit barbering. Tyco used to barber her wings and after I had them properly evened out she stopped.

Aren't they just the best little guys I just love baby birds their so trusting and hugable I'm so glad your enjoying this time with him they need you to help them grow into secure heathy adults and its sound like your off to a wonderful start

Mary I Know that you Alex is quite cage aggresive how do you get her off her cage will she step up for you and if so how did you get her to do that when you first got her or has or have you always been able to step her up from her cage. I need some help with getting Gizmo off his cage without scareing him

Erica I feel exactly the same way about spending money on rescues its not about the money its getting them out of the awful places that they have endured for so long I also love spending time with my bird I hate going out and leaving them locked in their cages for any length of time. I always hate the Christmas season for that The stores are always packed the line ups are 100 people long to get to the cash register and It takes so long to get your shopping done in the meantime your birds are at home locked in their cages for hours and hours. I always try to get my shopping done in one day but it never works I always have to go back for a few more. Sometimes I wish I could just be in 2 places at a time. Your very lucky that way You can go shopping and your husband can stay with the birds so they don't need to ever be locked up for to long. My husband and I are separated but even when we wern't he didn't like the birds said they where to noisy and would have prefered I sell them all he said they where a total waste of money. Give him a dog though and I've seen him spend thousands on vet bills to keep a dog in perfect shape. Its not that he doesn't like birds he just doesn't think they should be kept in cages he thinks they should be able to fly free.So he doesn't like the fact that I keep birds as pets. When I first met him I had a bird I can't ever remember not haveing one in my life. I was with my husband for 26 yrs and He would never make me get rid of my birds but he really doesn't like to see birds kept as pets.

It was kind Of mean but I proved to myself Gizmo is a totaly different bird away from his cage. I tried to get him to step up on to a perch which Is mean because he get very scared but he flew off his cage and onto the floor then it was easy he stepped right up on to my hand and I wisped him away to the bathroom. I sat down on the bench I have in there and stepped him down on to my knee I sat there with him for 15 minutes pinching his pin feathers and petting him all the way down his back. he didn't even try to nip he was just loving it. He is the biggest sweet heart I've ever seen when he's not near his cage. I don't want to have to scare him everytime I want to take him away from his cage. So any suggestions on how to get around that looking for some help here.

I know and he's come along way in 2 week It took Tyco a Year before I could touch her feathers. Now she love getting scritches but only before bed and first thing in the morning Greys are funny like that they only want affection when they choose. Not when you want to give them some. Its strange with Gizmo he won't step up but he allows me to give him scritches. With Tyco it was the exact oppisite Tyco would always step up for me but wouldn't allow any touching. Mind you with Tyco she is perch trained and to this day she will not step up onto my hand from her cage so I have to step her up onto a perch and then when she's off her cage she will step from the perch to my hand don't ask me why but thats the way she likes to do it. Gizmo is Terrified if I try to use a perch so he's definatly not perch traind I wish he was sometimes it makes things easier for training. or getting them off things that they don't want to leave. Like My Amazon likes to get ontop of my Kitchen Cabnets and chew them. and she never wants to come down I use a perch to step her up and I don't give her a choice. it works great.

When I ask Gizmo to come out of his cage he always say comeón lets go upup. do you think that upup was the comand his old owner used for step up. and if so so you think I should use the same command? or can I change it to stepup because thats what I'm used to saying.

I know just how you feel the wait for your bird to be home seem to take forever. It won't be to long now. your baby sure is cute I think when they are a little nippy like that its more curiosity like human babies have to put everything in their mouths its the same with babybirds they have to taste everything to find out if its food or not. I think its a sign of a healthy curious baby Grey and he will grow out of it. He seem to just jove to be on you and snuggling with you thats wonderful. what a cute little sweetie he is.

Boy do I know how you feel about runing out roomwith all these cages. I have I have 3 large birds That all have huge Macaw size cages, then I have Raja a mediam size bird with what most people would classify a good size cage for an African Grey. My cockateils have large cages and so does m Conure they are all keeped in separate cages and they take up a ton of room. My house has an open concept and its fairly big. but I am definatly at my limit for a while I want to turn one of my bedrooms into a birdroom but right now I have my 21 year old daughter staying with til she gets on her feet again. So right now there are 7 birds 4 dog (one belongs to my daughter) 1 teenager and 2 adults living here. My daughter was suposed to move last month and the month before that so who knows when she's really going to go.So I can have that room. She mover out last February and moved back home in august for what was oly suppose to be a month so I don;t know when my birds will get a room of their own. when she finally move this time i'm going to move my birds into that roon right a way so I then I won;t have room anymore.

I did take him away and I found him a wonderful home he I wanted to keep him but he was not good with kid and he would attack my daughter when ever he got the chance. he was also not good with other birds at all so for me to keep him locked away would have been wrong. so he went to live with a very good friend of mine she is a widow with no children and she had lost her Citron crested Cockatoo the year before after 25 years so Mr Magoo is very happy with someone who is totaly devoted to him just like his previous mom was. I couldn't leave him at the garage sale but I couldn't keep him myself so I found a wonderful home for him where he will be loved and cared for for the rest of his life. Thanks for you intrest in Mr. Magoo.<br><br>Post edited by: Tycos_mom, at: 2008/11/12 21:17

Erica is right Don't make a big deal about it and neither will your birds I have 7 bird and all though Gizmo for now is separated from the rest he to will become part of this flock. All six of my birds cages are opened at the same tome 8am and closed at 8pm they are all out together all day long they are a flock they don't fight or get aggresive with each other. I never worried about stuff like that it takes about a month I find for them to except a new bird but after that its not a big deal I have 2 cockateils a Grey and an Amazon all in the same room together and all fully flighted if I thought their would be any problems I guess I would not do it. I always get a new bird clipped once just until they get to know the rotine and to give the other birds that are here a chance to except then into the flock. after thier wings grow ot they are free to go where they want. THe more you try to separate your birds and keep them apart the more trouble your going to have with them becomeing flock members like every thing they will learn who they like and who they don't like and they will have frienships or not but they will learn not to attack one another if you don't make a big deal aabout it neither will they.

I must say Tigger is sure one beautiful boy. I think the Elkies are one of the most beautiful birds in the parrot world. They have the most awesome colours. The female with their Reds purples and blues and the male electric green is just gorgious. They are hard to find. They really seen to get lucky and when they get adopted they stay for life you very seldom find a Elkie that needs a home. Thats my experiance here in Canada anyway. There was a time I was looking for one in a big way. I could find babies but never one that need to be rehomed and I just can't afford to put out 1500. dollars for a bird. The most I've ever paid for a bird in my life is 700. and that was for Tyco my Grey. Gizmo's mom wanted 750. to start with but after she relized that he was going to a very good home and concidering how much work he needed she droped her price to 450. not to bad for a Macaw. I also didn't need his cage either so that helped in the price also. As far as I was concerned the cage he was in was to small anyway.

Yes I must agree with all of you I hope that he will start coming out more now that he's been out even if its just on top of the cage its a start. I can at least work with him there. When they are in there cages you can't do anything with them that their domain and they are king or Queen of the castle in there. if they don't want you in there they sure let you know in a hurry. Even Tyco who is very good about stepping up and getting scritches now, Still won't step up from inside her cage. If she's in her cage leave her alone when she wants company she will come out then we can talk.

I bought thos same toys that you got in the bird section of my pet store. they where probubly twice the price also next time I look else where for them. that wooden ball with the walnut in it the big one was 8.99 Canadian and the small one was 5.99 can You probubly paid a lot less then I did Tyco loves them she prefers the smaller ones but she destroys them in a day or two the big ones last a long time so they are kind of worth the money.

If the cage he is in is not to big you can transport him into the bathroom in the cage and then when he comes out of the cage put the cage outside the door where he can no longer get to it. that way you can work with him better.

Both My parents are gone now so I know your pain well. Its been 5 years since I lost my mom and I still miss her. there are times when the only person you need is your mom and when they aren't there anymore its very difficult. I pray that God will help you through this time of sadness. If you need to talk we are here for you or if you just need a shoulder to cry on we can do that also I wish you well and God bless you

Well I guess I better get in here also My name is Patricia but my friends call me Pat and my family calls me Patti( parents aunts uncles)those family members.

I feel the same way about Gizmo especily I don't know the woman that had him he came from Prince George 500 miles away from me she tried to fin a home for him for 3 yrs. then she meets a friend of mine in Church and I end up with Gizmo. that strange but definatly Devine intervention at the very least.