watchout

When buying from any pet shop, the health check is that much more important as well as the quarentine period before being introduced to your flock. Like Woody said, bird shops are different than other pet shops, but, think of it this way, they probably move a lot more birds from different places in and out of there where a breeder would normally only deal with their own birds. I would think that as long as the bird is well sociallized and you get the health check from a good vet, and you quarentine it for a period of time, buying from a shop should be fine.

Great news Ronda, sorry for misspelling your name in earlier posts.

Also, if you are going to bare hand it and you know you are going to take a bite, tuck your thumb under your fingers in a fist and take it on the back of the hand. Don't let her grab a finger.

Some people will use a hand purch or a stick for the bird to step up on to remove them especially since the cage opening isn't very big. If she won't get on the stick, the towel may be the only way. Good luck.

That is very interesting. I am legally blind myself and that is about the extent of my vision too. I wonder if Ray will use his hearing more just as most blind people do? It makes perfect sense that he would always want to hold his beak on something while he makes his way around. Has he ever tried to fly? Maybe you could get him a Parrotlet to use as a guide birdie? Does he seam more or less sensitive to different people because he is blind? Sounds like an interesting challenge though. Keep up the reports.

Keep the updates coming Rhonda. Way to go.

I think that is great Rhonda. It's nice that Sweetheart didn't bite. I think the more you hold her close like that, the more she will get use to the touching. You never know, you may have a snuggler after all.

If she isn't losing weight, then she must be eating some of the food you give her. Maui shreds everything too. Almonds still in the shell make great treats because they have to open them to get the treat out. My breeder told me that she has never seen a Grey that didn't like them. I haven't read about the bedroom incident, but, it is also true that trying to work with your bird out of sight of the cage helps them be more dependant on you.

One more thing, if anything keeps a bird from flying, it's treats or their favorite toy when you are sitting with them. With Maui, I put a towel in my lap and put a couple of almonds on it and he gets so interested in that, that the dog doesn't even scare him. In your case, the quieter the room is where you do this, the better. You don't want Sweetheart being spooked by any other pets or noises until she is more use to it.

If Sweetheart is use to you holding her by the legs when she is flapping around, I would go ahead and try holding her close to your body for a snuggle. You might wand to wear a heavy sweatshirt in case she bites something other tan your hand, OUCH. Do this while standing and if she calms down, try sitting down with her. It will be interesting to see if once you have her calm if she tries to fly once you let go of her.

Rhonda, when you are standing by the cage and the bird is on the play top, how much taller are you than the bird. The breeder always told my wife, who is short, that if she had trouble getting Maui off the play top, that she needed to stand on a stool so that she was noticably taller than Maui. You are dominant if you are higher than the bird. If you try to grab the bird before she flys, I go between the legs with my hand facing down and catch both legs. With your hand facing down and your fingers towards the rear, you would take a bite on the back of the hand which isn't as bad as if they get a finger. The bird will flap her wings, but, she won't go anywhere as you have the legs. If you thenn tuck her to your chest and snuggle her, she may calm down pretty quick. As was said earlier, take your time and don't push it. However, if Sweetheart learns that snuggling with you is not dangerous, she may want to do it all the time. The important thing is to make sure that she is calmed down before you put her back. If you put her back while she is still all wound up, she won't have learned anything. Hope this helps.

I would also like to get Maui outdoors once it warms up a little here in Michigan. I have a Feather Tether, but, Maui doesn't like it so far other than to be a chew toy. I am going to order an Aviator and see if I can get it on him easier. I would like to take him out walking in the Spring and maybe to where I get my hair cut.

Maui is only 16 weeks old and is a CAG. He mumbles quite a bit and makes lots of very cool sounds. He did come out with a great Hello the other day. I was very surprised. I think that a lot of people who have their birds talk early are people who spend a ton of time with them. I work from home and there are always people in the house. I think Maui watches everyone and is picking up on new things all the time.

The cement purch is a great idea. We got the one that has a tiny treat cup on it. We put a couple nuts in there to make sure Maui gets on it. It's also place in the middle of the cage up high where he likes it. That and the boing are his two favorite spots in the cage. Cement is much better ten the sandpaper wraps that you might see at the pet store and those things are not recommended based on what the breeder told us.

Forgot to say, great video. Sunny talks very well.

My dog was barking after he heard the dog in the video, LOL

Maui does this too. Usually in the morning when he wants out of his cage. I have also read that this is normal. My kids say that he is digging for China again.

Also, we are test driving a little Picific Parrotlet. He is 2 years old and is a rehome. he doesn't know how to step up and is pretty flighty. We are going to work with him and see if we can settle him down a little. His name is Tiny. Maui is still #1 though. The little guy is for the kids. My daughters love him.

Here's the cage:

Hello all. We have had a pretty busy couple of weeks with Maui. He is doing great. We finally got his cage in and he has gotten use to it. Picture below.<br><br>Post edited by: watchout, at: 2008/01/19 22:13

SS will last for ever, however, be careful when buying. There are different grades of SS and you want to make sure you get medical grade 304 or 306 SS. The extra shiny kind usually has less of a nickel content and therfore can rust. SS with enough nickel in it is a little more dull in color, but, higher in quality. Good luck.

Hey all, the results are in and we found out that we were right. Maui is a boy. Just got the DNA results back today. Good thing, I keep calling him Birdie Boy. Also, we finally got our cage in too. We were using a loaner from the breeder. We got a 34" x 26" with a playtop. He was a little scared in there the first day, but, he was playing fine in there today. More pics coming soon. I got a harness to try on him too. That should be fun, LOL.

Here's a close up

Hey all, here's an attempt at a new Maui picture.

Hey all, It's been a week now since we brought Maui home. He is adjusting great. He has been so loveable and fun. He's been eating like a little pig. Apples, mixed veggies, nuts, everything. I've been trying to manage the time out of the cage and not over due it. I don't want him to be too spoiled. My wife and kids are away for a few days and Maui and I are doing fine on our own. He really likes his snuggle time. I just want to thank everyone on the forum for being so helpful. I have read so much on this site to prepare for Maui coming home and I think it has paid off big time. Maui is stepping up like a champ and he will let me touch him anywhere, even under his wings. I've only got a couple of nips so far, usually if he is over excited. I will get some new video and pics when my wife gets home. Thanks again everyone and I'll talk to you soon.