Kaedyn

As others have said, it does depend on the bird. Of my two greys, Rigel is definitely not a shoulder bird. Even though he means no harm, he just finds ears too tempting. Sierra on the other hand has always been a shoulder bird. She's so well behaved that I have a hard time denying her anything, and sitting on my shoulder is one of her favorites. The thing to always bear in mind is that this can change at any moment and you never know what the catalyst might be. As was mentioned above, sexual maturity can trigger behavior changes, but it can also be something as simple as a stranger entering the room. Only you know your bird well enough to judge whether allowing them to sit on your shoulder is a good idea. If you don't trust them with your fingers, then I wouldn't trust them with your eyes and ears.

The majority of diseases that we humans carry can't be transmitted to our fids or vice-versa. The few that can are called zoonotic diseases, such as H5N1 (bird flu) and Psittacosis. The common cold isn't one of them. To give you an idea of which diseases are zoonotic, here is a link to a Wikipedia page on Zoonosis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoonosis

I put together an article on PTFE (non-stick) dangers around the household. I've tried to make it as comprehensive as possible, but I'm sure I've missed many things. My intention was to make this sort of a non-stick FAQ for those who visit this site or find us via a search. So, since we're sort of on the topic, if any of you have suggestions or additions to the article please let me know. You can private message me if you prefer. The article is under the "Health and Nutrition" tab. Thanks!!!

I am so sorry tigerlil. I know you and your brother are hurting right now, but if at all possible, take the birds to a vet and have a necropsy performed. This way it won't be a mystery as to what caused their death and might help if he chooses to get another bird in the future.

I know exactly what you're saying Carolyn. I'm that guy who is being protective of the ceiling, so I knew I had to come up with some solution that preserved the house, yet allowed the fids to have their fun. Also, when the net is down you'll hardly notice the wall cleats. If you ever sell the house, all you have to do is unscrew the cleats, fill the small holes with some drywall mud, and apply a tiny spot of paint. One thing I did forget to mention that's probably important. I didn't use the screws that came with the cleats, since I felt they didn't penetrate deep enough into the wall studs. While at the hardware store, you'll want to get the same screws that come with the cleats, just in a slightly longer length. Anmlhggr: I have no idea why you got the "no longer available" message. Give it another try. I just tested it and it seems to be fine. You can also try navigating directly to my videos by searching "Kaedyn2006" in the YouTube search box.

The net itself.

Attaching the rope to the chain closeup.

The cleats closer up.

I suppose this will be a twofold post. I uploaded a new video of Rigel learning to share. Or more accurately, of Sierra attempting to steal Rigel's apple. See it here... Just a few days ago, Gryphon posted some photos of her StarBird net. That's the same net you'll see in the video and the pictures that follow. I'm posting the photos to show one way you can install these nets. My goal was to minimize the impact on the walls and ceiling. As in, I wanted to make sure I could easily repair the holes. I also wanted to make sure that it could be installed and removed very quickly, and that the birds could not get to the walls. I started by installing small rope cleats that are screwed into the wall studs. I pre-drilled the holes to make it easlier. Following that, I used a few feet of stainless steel chain to reach between the net and the cleats. The chain slides over the cleat, holding it to the wall. I ran the chain through a few feet of 3/4 inch PVC. This is slippery and prevents the birds from being able to climb beyond the end of the net. That's about all there was too it. I can easily adjust the height of the net using the extra chain and when removed, the only item you'll see are the tiny cleats. You can always paint the cleats the same color as your wall and they're pretty much hidden.

I use Poop Off and like the others have said, it works very well. Those of you who use vinegar to disinfect the cage, what variant of vinegar do you use and what is the ratio to water? And while we're on the topic, shouldn't they have called it "Grey Poupoff" or do you think that would have upset a certain mustard company? Sorry, bad joke.

In theory they are safe. I use them myself for the few things that I prefer to cook in a non-stick pan. Of course, we won't really know how safe they are until more time has passed. But, the primary enemy, PTFE, is absent. So, it should be safe.

Hi all, I posted a new video of Sierra "hanging-out" and eating an ear of corn. She's just about to turn 7 months old and about two days ago, while sitting on my shoulder watching me shave, she started talking. Not just talking, but repeating four different phrases. She said, "hello", "what are you doing?", "pretty bird" and "step up". When I got her she was around 12-13 weeks and came pre-programmed with an "ut-oh" sound right from the factory. Any time anything dropped, including herself, we'd hear it. They told us that she was around an older bird that talked a lot. Of course, she was too busy working on the corn to say much in this video, but you might pick up Rigel talking in the background. I apologize for the angle of the video. I attempted to rotate it 90 degrees, but the plugin added some strange audio artifacts, which were much more annoying. If it really bugs you, just tilt your head to the right. :silly:

I can be a fairly skeptical person when it comes to many things, especially the product at the link below. But, it's being marketed by a company known to make excellent bird cages, so just maybe there is some truth to their claim? Anyway, you may want to investigate it and ask your vet's opinion. If all else fails, it may be worth a shot. http://www.kingscages.com/pluck_no_more.php#plucknomore

I have one that's a few months past a year old and I added another to my flock about 4 months ago. Once I gave up trying to introduce them, things worked out much better. I just made sure to pay both plenty of attention and always kept them within a few feet of each other on portable perches. Over time (and I mean these 4 months) their perches slowly got closer to one another. They have separate cages, but they are in the same room. Eventually, when the perches were close enough, they'd reach out to each other. Typically the female would bow her head and make coo-ing noises, then the male would reach over and beak her head, causing her to jump back. I eventually allowed them on the floor together and for the most part, they ignored each other and played with their toys. At one point, my female (Sierra) walked right up to the male (Rigel), who was playing with a wooden ring and took it right out of his beak, then ran away. As soon as Rigel picked up another ring, she went after that one and he went running. They circled me a few times and then went about pretending each other didn't exist. I eventually started allowing them to both sit with me when watching TV. Rigel likes to perch on my arm and Sierra likes to be wrapped in a towel. What I call a bird-rito. Anyway, to make this long story short, over much time and my not pushing them, they've slowly come to accept that the other exists. They now play together on a large rope net that hangs from the ceiling. Some times they get along just fine and other times they beak each other a bit. Just about a week ago, I managed to shower them both on the same shower perch with only one outburst. They both had a common enemy, the shower wand. I really enjoy having two, but it does take a lot more time. I don't think I could do more than that. Bear in mind that if they don't eventually get along, you'll need to devote even more time to each, since you won't always have the advantage of including both in the same activities. Oh and when they are in a troublesome mood, be ready for one to take off in one direction and as soon as you go after that one, the other heads off in a second direction. Your mileage may vary, but a really slow 4 month introduction seems to have done the trick with my flock. There was definitely some jealously from Rigel during the first month or two, but that's gone. I think he eventually realized that he wasn't being replaced.

Hi all, I already have an Adventure Pack, which I love and use for traveling with my fids, but it's a bit small for multi-day escapes. Typically, I have larger cages at my destination and the Adventure Pack is just for transport between one large cage to another, or trips to the park, etc. This time, that won't be the case. What I need now is a cage that's large enough for a multiple day stay, yet collapses for storage. This would be the cage that my greys would live in for the duration of the trip, along with plenty of out of the cage time, where possible. After searching the net, the link below is one of the cages I found that appears to be large enough that my greys won't feel cramped, yet it can be disassembled. The manufacturer claims that it can be snapped together in about one minute. When apart, it forms a box around 7 inches high for transport and storage. https://www.kingscages.com/cages/aluminum-travel-cages/large-aluminum-travel-cage-satin-silver/prod_549.html Does anyone here have experience with this particular cage or anything similar?

Harvey: I posted my plans for a portable PVC perch a while back. I drag it all around the house, depending on what I'm up to, from sitting around the dinner table, to watching television, to doing the laundry. The best part is that the paper to catch droppings goes along with it and is easily replaced. See the link below. http://www.greyforums.net/component/option,com_joomlaboard/Itemid,27/func,view/catid,5/id,88292/

I am posting this from my phone, so if it formats badly, I apologize. This morning was nice and eventful. Rigel, my trusty earthquake detector, woke me up at around 6:50 AM, by falling from the top of his cage, over and over again. As always, there was blood everywhere-including all over the walls-from broken blood feathers. Just what I wanted to do first thing in the morning. Of course, I'm sure he had it worse. Anyway, after the multiple blood-feather pulling ordeal and the cleanup shower, I went to the USGS site to see where this one hit. My trusty detector had alerted me to a magnitude 6.1 that his the US Virgin Islands within 10 minutes of Rigel waking me up. For those that dont know, I live in Georgia, hundreds of miles north of the quake. Who needs a seismograph!<br><br>Post edited by: Kaedyn, at: 2008/10/11 19:14

Even individual pet stores franchised under the same name can vary greatly in where they get their birds and how they care for them. It all comes down to the people who manage the operation, much like your favorite restaurant. We have a Petland here where the employees drive over 7 hours (450 miles) to a small breeder in central Florida to hand pick their greys. They do it because they feel strongly about the beauty and personality of the birds this particular breeder produces. In the store, they keep the birds in large open-air playpens with multiple trees to climb on and plenty of toys. You can walk up to them, stick your hand out, and they'll step right up. Another Petland not 20 miles away, keeps their birds behind half inch thick plexiglass, with few if any toys and no social interaction. They also aren't very picky about where they get their birds. So, as you can see, it's all about the people.

In my experience, I've found that they can go through phases where they talk and then others where they just whistle or make odd noises. It's all part of their learning process and individual personalities. If she's tried to talk once, it's likely that she'll do it again. Just give her time. You aren't doing anything wrong.

If you are talking about them interacting together, probably not, but it really depends on the individual birds. My parents kept a Timneh grey and lovebird in the same large cage for years. I don't recommend this! Depending on their personalities, you might be able to have them out in the same room together, with constant supervision. Just bear in mind that your grey could inflict a life threatening injury in seconds to such a small bird.

I have two CAGs, but grew up in a house with a TAG.

liefie!: I just ran across your rescue's photo and the questions in your blog. Have you asked any of those questions on the forum and received any answers? If not, you might want to ask them in a new forum post. It's difficult to tell from the photo, but assuming the bird is just a wee baby, it makes sense that he's missing feathers. If he's not as young as he appears, then he could be plucking due to the lice. You'll definitely want to take him to a vet as soon as possible. There is nothing wrong with bathing your bird. Actually, it's pretty much a must-do item. You'll want to bathe them at least once or twice a week, but more often isn't a problem. Typically, it's recommended that you wait until they are fully feathered, but not knowing your bird's age and specific situation, again I recommend asking your vet. If he is plucking a bath in aloe-vera juice should help soothe his skin. As for the food, if all you have to feed is Pronutro, then do that until you can get him to the vet and get better food. Just beware not to feed him the chocolate version, since chocolate is toxic to birds. If you can find some fruits and vegetables to feed, that would be better. Try including some that are high in vitamins and calcium, such as sweet potatos and broccoli or kale. I don't know what's available in your region, but others here might have some advice. Just avoid avocados and onions, those too are toxic.

When speaking of my parrot Rigel in public, around strangers, I've learned to never say the phrase, "He and I were in the shower". B)

I could, but the shipping is usually much more expensive than the cost of driving to the vet. If it stored well, so that I could order in bulk, that probably wouldn't be so bad. If anyone knows of a reputable distributor with reasonable shipping rates, I'm definitely interested.

My parents had a timneh and a lovebird which shared a cage for years. It really just depends on the individual birds. I now have two greys and two lovebirds. I rarely have the lovebirds and greys out together and when I do, never in the same area of the house. The real problem isn't the greys as much as it is the lovebirds. They are small, but they don't seem to realize it. And they are the ones that initiate all of the trouble. The greys would happily ignore them, but the lovebirds think it's fun to pick on them. So, you just have to give it a try and see how it goes. Obviously, as everyone has already said, just keep a close eye on them.