Kaedyn

I was just saying to gourdlady247, that based on my own experiences, changing a grey's behavior takes months (and possibly years in extreme cases). So, don't expect too much from him too soon. Just be patient and keep working toward your goals. Now obviously, if he refuses to go back into his cage at night, that's a safety issue that you have no choice but to deal with now. Just don't let it turn into a case of him flying around the house with the family chasing after him. That scenario never has a positive outcome. You could try not feeding him outside of the cage for the few hours just before bedtime. Make sure he knows that there is food in his cage and he just might let you place him inside, once the desire for sustenance takes over.

It sounds as if he's settling in fairly well, but it's just going to take time for him to learn to both trust you and understand that he has to do as you say (at least so far as not biting and stepping up). Just keep enticing him with positive concepts and intriguing alternatives to just sitting in the cage. Get him involved with the flock. Even if that means sitting on a play perch in a common area of the house. His curiosity will eventually get the best of him. Based on my own experiences, I think you'll find that changing a grey's behavior, typically happens over the course of several months. You just have to be patient and keep at it.

Are you able to get him away from his cage at all? If so, have you tried taking him to a neutral area, away from "his" stuff? You could both sit on the floor, have a picnic, and play with some toys. See if you can get him interested in the toys and foods by visibly enjoying them yourself. Maybe he'll initiate taking the food from your fingers, instead of you pushing it towards him.

It sounds as if you're making excellent progress! I know the pain can be a hefty deterrent, hence why they bite. When Rigel discovered the art of biting, I decided to give him all the finger he could stomach. If he bit, I'd make sure my finger was fully immersed into his beak and then pushed back as he clamped down. He learned fairly quickly that I wasn't getting the message (he must assume I'm just not that bright). He also learned that he didn't really like having a beak-full of finger pushing him off balance. So, I suppose the lesson here is, when George starts an argument, just "give him the finger". <br><br>Post edited by: Kaedyn, at: 2008/11/10 18:19

I asked Rigel and he just said, "Bird". So, his opinion is out. He's not very creative. Sierra just sat there and stared at me. I guess I'm going to have to do this myself. So, my vote is for Cooper.

I take four at a time when I travel and they love it. They enjoy getting away from home as much as I do. I think it's a vacation for them as well. I started hitting the road with mine when they were 4 months old, so from my personal experience, I don't see why changing the environment within the first year is an issue. I think it's a benefit to introduce them to change early in life. Of course, if you have a grey that's very high strung and stresses over the ride, then a road trip at any age could be an issue. That doesn't sound like the grey you're describing. If at all possible and safe, give them plenty of out of the cage time at your destination. If it's a place you frequent often, such as a family member's home, they'll recognize it on repeat trips and should feel right at home. Since I travel so often with mine, I've been working on a new article about road trips with our fids. I was working on it last night even, but you've beat me to the punch. It sounds like you've had plenty of experience with your green cheek, but if you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me.

I'd say DanMcQ has stated it exactly as far as my crew goes. They are very smart, so they understand that the mirror exists as an obstacle. They're also very conflicted when it comes to the mirror and whats on the "other side". It might be so simple as they think it's just another window with some very similar looking animals looking back at them. They sit on their portable perches in the bathroom all the time, just a few feet from the mirror and they've never once attempted to fly through it. If I place them near the mirror, Rigel just plays a little beak-jousting with the higly skilled parrot on the other side, that always seems to anticipate his next move! Sierra on the other hand, curls her head down and starts making coo-ing noises. I guess she's in love? Is that narcissism? <br><br>Post edited by: Kaedyn, at: 2008/11/18 05:14

Did she fall onto carpet or a hard floor? The first thing I would look at is how she's acting, as BaxtersMom has already said. Secondly, I'd attempt to feel her wings, keel bone, and other anatomy looking for any anomalies or painful reactions. Check for any broken blood feathers. These should be fairly obvious since they tend to bleed readily. If you are not familiar with blood feathers or what to do if you find one bleeding, contact your local avian vet. You can learn how to pull a blood feather yourself, but now wouldn't be the ideal time. If you see any signs of bleeding from the beak, nostrils, or vent, contact your avian vet immediately, since these would be a sign of internal injury, along with any black tar-like droppings. Lastly, just continue to watch her behavior over the next few days. Make sure she's eating normally and check her droppings. In all likelihood, she's probably just fine, but if you have any suspicion of a problem, your avian vet is the way to go.<br><br>Post edited by: Kaedyn, at: 2008/11/09 06:16

That shouldn't be an issue. Carbon monoxide is formed by incomplete combustion. The oil in these heaters isn't being burned, just used to hold and evenly distribute heat. The oil itself is sealed inside the heater itself. Now if there was some sort of malfunction where oil leaked out and burned, then the situation might change, but that's the case with anything in your home, not just heaters. That's why it's a very good idea to make sure you've installed carbon monoxide detectors around your home.<br><br>Post edited by: Kaedyn, at: 2008/11/06 16:05

Yes. Oil filled heaters are safe around birds as long as you follow proper break-in practices. When you first get the heater home, run it outdoors or in the garage, for about 24 hours, to burn off any coatings. When you bring it indoors, make sure it's not giving off any smell. If it's still doing so, repeat the process above. Once any odor is gone, it should be safe to use around your birds. While the oil filled design is safe, to be absolutely sure the manufacturer didn't do anything stupid, you might want to pick from one of the oil heaters on the following site. Someone else has already done the research for you. http://www.avianweb.com/heaters.htm

I've been feeding them a constant supply of kale and broccoli. I recently added turnip greens. The broccoli gets the most attention, but they still seem to play with it more than ingest it. I suppose I need to prove that theory by weighing them before and after a vegie picnic. B) The only calcium fortified item they don't waste is cheese, which I only give them in moderation. I figured the tofu might look a bit more like the cheese that they happily devour.

Thanks for the reply! I should have thought to search. I have no idea why, I didn't.

What's the word on Tofu for greys? I see that it's high in calcium and the calcium phosphorus ratio isn't way off. Assuming high quantities of soy isn't an issue, I figured I'd give it a try. They might find it fun to eat and both of mine could use more calcium fortified foods. Rigel's latest bloodwork showed he had slight hypocalcemia. Which means the broccoli and other greens he consumes aren't enough.

MisterT: Say you find that your bird doesn't enjoy the outdoors, or riding in the car, or bonds with a family member other than yourself, what happens then? As you said, "no big deal, life is full of disappointments". I understand that you'll get over it, but will your grey still be given the love and attention it deserves over the next 40-60 years? I'm not trying to discourage you, I'm just asking this question because this is a very likely reality and a big commitment, of which your grey won't have a say so in the matter.

If you absolutely need something non-stick, you should look for cookie sheets by Baker's Secret. They are silicone coated and considered safe. Tin won't give off any dangerous fumes, so it should be perfectly safe to cook with around your birds. Just don't allow them to come in contact with the tin sheets, since it can cause heavy metal toxicity. Another alternative is aluminum. It should be safe all around.<br><br>Post edited by: Kaedyn, at: 2008/11/04 04:03

I believe the majority of greys are left footed. We should take a poll sometime. My two are both lefties.

I've read that in the wild, greys exist as single-species flocks. This means that they don't allow any other species of bird to mingle with them. This isn't the case for all species of parrots. For greys, this is a hardwired instinct. It's also a likely reason why they can have a difficult time accepting other birds, especially those of a different species, into their flock.<br><br>Post edited by: Kaedyn, at: 2008/11/02 04:53

Ahh. If he's that new to you and your environment, just give him some time. He is probably still adjusting and playing isn't on his mind right now. Just make sure he has the toys he needs for when the mood arises. I just read your introductory post where you say that he's between 7 and 10 years old. Do you know much about his past? Specifically, do you know if he had toys?

The closest I've ever come across was "Where the Wild Grey's Are", by Diana May. She's the only person I know of that's done extensive studies of greys in their natural habitat. The only issue with this documentary is that it has a focus on trapping and the export trade. Not that we shouldn't all be aware of what wild greys are going through, but it can be difficult to watch. Actually, some scenes can make you downright angry.

You're doing exactly what you should. Play with his toys and teach him how it's done. My first grey, Rigel, had no idea how to play. I attempted to teach him, but it was a slow process. What finally worked was getting my second grey (Not that I am recommending you do the same). If there was one thing that Sierra did well, it was playing with toys. She eventually taught Rigel how it's done. You might want to take him away from the cage and distractions other than toys. Sit on the floor with him and play. He'll eventually figure it out. Act excited and make sure he knows how much fun you're having.

Not necessarily. While it can happen, it's not likely. My parents had a Timneh Grey and lovebird that were friends and even lived in the same large cage. They were very lucky. A grey could very quickly and easily injure or kill the smaller conure. If they were both raised together as babies, you'd have a better shot at them getting along when they were older, but based on your previous post it sounds as if your grey is around 7 years or so. It will depend on the bird. You'd have to either take them out one at a time or moderate their out of cage interactions.

Nope. I'm not a science teacher. I just enjoy science and technology. I did a lot of research on artificial lighting when building a turtle habitat years ago. It used both UVA and UVB, along with infrared for heating. It had a filtration system that exposed the water to UVC light for sterilization. The latter took place inside a sealed chamber to protect any living creature from exposure.

There is no way to really tell when the situation becomes deadly, so my personal opinion would be to avoid the teflon and invest in an alternative. It's been found that PTFE coatings can give off toxins at lower temperatures than the 500 degrees of laboratory testing. As the pans and coatings age, they tend to give off these toxins at much lower temperatures. It's not only deadly for your bird, but unhealthy for you and your family. If you have no choice, I would move your fids as far away as possible, The ceiling fan won't do much more than spread the toxins and ceiling fans are dangerous in their own way when you're a flighted parrot. Your best bet would be to open the windows and if possible vent outward. Bear in mind that the central air system you may have in your home can also transport toxins from room to room. You're much better off with stainless steel, which is also non-stick when used properly. There are also a few new PTFE free non-stick surfaces showing up here and there. The jury is still out on their safety, but chances are that they are much safer than existing non-stick coatings.

I've used Zoo Med quite a bit in the reptile world. They have a very good reputation. From the sound of their name, FeatherBrite has more of an avian focus. The Color Rendering Index (CRI) is basically a method of stating how the light produced by a light source will effect the color of an object. The standard by which this is measured is our Sun, which has a CRI of 100. A CRI of 91 is very good, since it comes very close to reproducing the same colors as they would appear outside. The UVB rating is a measure of the invisible light that gives us a sunburn. It's what allows our fids to synthesize vitamin D3 and process calcium. The rating of 5.0 is in micro-watts per square centimeter. I think I've seen ratings as high at 10 from Zoo Med. One thing to note about artificial UVB lighting is that they fall off very quickly from their initial rating. The only way to know is to buy a special UVB meter. Without knowing the current output, you might place the lamp either too close to your bird or too far away to be effective. Being too close could result in skin and eye irritations. You also need to make sure that however the light is placed, your bird has plenty of options for getting out of the light. My personal preference is to take my fids outside at least once a week for 20 minutes of natural sunshine. When that's not possible, the lamps are a good alternative. UVA is the visible light that is responsible for making our fids physically and mentally well. Imagine how your mental state changes from being in a dark room, to being out in the sun. UVC is the extremely dangerous light that is used to kill bacteria. Simple exposure to UVC lighting can destroy DNA. The only place you'll really encounter light emitting high levels of UVC will be either outside of the earth's atmosphere or in specialized sterilization systems for air, water, etc.

Talon: I initially thought my climbing net purchase was money down the drain. They wouldn't go anywhere near it. It only took about 4+ months and now they fly to it on their own and grumble when I make them come down.