MazyAK

Regina: I'm glad you're having a better day. I even learned something about eggs from the response you got from "Ziggy" and "Reta". I was told by a breeder to take them out after just a few days, but it makes sense to appease their natural instincts so they may stop laying. I'm glad to have this knowledge. I'm glad to see that Dave007 got in touch with you. He's the BOMB! His experience is priceless to us all, if I may be so bold. Good Luck Bruce & Mazy

Radar: Welcome from Alaska. Glad you could join us. You'll find a world of info. from these folks. Reta gave you great ideas. I guess I would say as soon as you bring her in the house, put her in her cage with the door closed so she will feel secure and start getting used to her new surroundings. Have water and food already in place so you don't invade her space right away. Only you will know how much activity and contact will be acceptable the first few days. Keep the people and pet factor to a minimum on approaching her in the cage, and approach slowly. Make all your movements around her slow. If you are going to be her main human, I suggest just you take care of her needs and contact the first few days.You are about to gain a new friend for life. I am looking forward to hearing how the first day goes and seeing some photos. Good luck and enjoy your new friend Bruce & Mazy

Jimmycoop: Good to meet another rider (even though I'm a skier) who owns a grey. Warren Miller is our biggest client. Shawn White was due to visit us last year but had some previous sponsor obligations. Maybe this year. What a great use of a snowboard sale. You can always get another board, but a grey is a friend for life. My bird has already had a cameo appearance in two of this year's films. Here's a shot of our place, "The Funny Farm" at the tail end of last heli season. Stay in touch and enjoy all the wonderful folks on this site. Bruce & Mazy

Jimmy: Love the pics. I couldn't help notice your Burton shirt. Are you a boarder? We run a lodge in Haines, Alaska for the heli-ski industry. Our guests are mostly film crews here to make ski and snowboard films. (Warren Miller, Absinthe Productions, Rage films, Teton Gravity Research) makes for a fun winter. If you do ride, where is your stomping grounds? Bruce & Mazy

Hello Twogreys: Glad you found us. Sounds like you have a lot of grey time in. My CAG Mazy is 13yrs. . Look forward to seeing some pics. Bruce & Mazy

Welcome from Alaska Dave: You've come to the right place to get your questions answered. Look forward to getting to know you & Max Bruce & Mazy

Mike: Good to hear Ned is doing good now that he's been in for a while. These birds are pretty tough. I'm sure he has a happy attitude and feels secure again Bruce

WWWOOOOOOO Sarah & Zeus yep you already sound like a hopeless grey owner. Great advice and common stories exist here. It seems to me we are all here to help make better lives for our birds. See you out there Bruce & Mazy

Regina: I understand your bird has never been with a mate. Is it correct that there is not a mate now and she just layed an egg on her own? If so, don't worry all will be well. It is in their nature to want to protect and sit on the egg. However with no mate , no fertile and you did right to remove the egg. Do you and your bird have a lovey relationship? Other words, does your bird let you fondle her past her neck to other parts of her body? If so , you may consider stopping, as your bird is treating you as her mate. Does this activity usually come in the evening? She will get over the egg being gone, but it sounds like you may be able to take some steps to help slow further laying. Get ahold of Dave007 for more advice. He is one of our best resources. I look forward to your answers. Bruce

Hey from Alaska Jon & Echo: This is a really great family for grey owners. We ourselves are a unique breed. They are all right, you will find your answers, just ask. Look forward to hearing how your new life goes. See you out there Bruce & Mazy

Hey Shaq & Mr. Pickles: Being from Alaska Mazy and I are always noticing when someone says the word "sunny" , but we need to know , Where is ZA? Mazy says you probably have less snow than us. See ya out there Bruce & Mazy

Jenny: Welcome from Alaska. PATIENCE! That will be your order of the day for a while as Smokey acclimates to a new home. A lot of early time will be spent in his cage with the door closed. This will give him a feeling of security while observing and getting used to his new surroundings. These people are true lovers and are an invaluable resource. Look forward to pictures. Bruce & Mazy

Hey Mike & Ned: I read your story and my heart was pounding and then relieved at the end. My birds are flighted and we have double artic entries in our Alaska home. Big signs saying "CLOSE DOOR" Glad you're here and look forward to hearing from you and Ned. I'm a 51 year old commercial fisherman. Us old guys gotta stick together. Bruce & Mazy

Welcome: I hope to learn from you as you learn from us. Bruce & Mazy

Hey Chris: Greetings from an Alaskan Grey. Welcome to the site. All your questions can be answered here. We look forward to getting to know you and Alex. Oh yeah......the women will say how pretty your bird is but their really looking at you. See ya out there Bruce & Mazy

Hey All: The latest from Alaska is snow, snow, bitter subzero, then more snow. Our birds like to watch out the window at the snowflakes falling. The X-mas decorations are exciting after they got used to them and they took great joy in ripping paper wrapping on Christmas day. Talk about easy bird toys for the day. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and enjoy whisking in the new year. We hold the annual New Year's party in "The Valley of the Eagles" We have the largest gathering of Bald Eagles in the world from October till January,here outside of Haines. Here's the "Funny Farm" in all it's glory. See ya out there Bruce & Mazy

Thanks all,I've been a little absent as we sent our 2 laptops off for work and now are back online. All 5 kids are home for several weeks. Funny how they demand as much attention as our birds do. Sub freezing temperatures and 3 more feet of snow in 2 weeks and I've had plenty to do. My backhoe and I have become one in the snow plowing zone. I'm back Bruce & Mazy

Mervyn: When interacting with both pets at the same time be sure to acknowledge your bird first, then your dog, and give as equal time to each while both are present. Good Luck and See Ya Out There Bruce & Mazy

Duke: I got my CAG Mazy 13 yrs. ago freshly weened. I was the one she bonded with for her first 6 years. When I got divorced and was spending more time at sea, ( I'm a commercial fisherman in Alaska) Mazy lived with my former for the next 6 years. As with you anytime I saw her she was excited to see me. No matter how much time went by. Now I'm off the ocean more and home to be able to be a consistent bird owner. Mazy had to make the move from her only known home to a new one in a different town (traveling up by ferry) and when she got into her familiar cage in a new environment it didn't take her long to be content with the fact that I'd be around and her primary caregiver. That's the security she's interested in. I'm sure you're bird will adjust fine as long as you're there. One word of advice keep her in her cage with door closed whenever there are new people cruising through, especially at those college parties. The bird will like the excitement but need the security of knowing nobody will invade it's space. Bruce & Mazy

In short , we must respect and protect the security of our birds over people when new humans are introduced to their environment. The bird should be locked in cage for their own good feeling of security and gradually worked into interaction with other humans. Grey can be very selective on who they choose to like or not. We can't force anyone on them. Patience and time will allow the bird to adjust. Bruce & Mazy

Hi Deb: My grey Mazy only tolerates the shower and much preferred to bathe in her water bowl but only when I put new cold water in it. I began giving her cool only drinking water and put a 12 inch heavy glass pie pan in her cage with just 1/2 inch of cold water in it. I place it so she doesn't poop in it from any of her perches and faithfully change the water several times a day. For the first three weeks she ignored it, but just last week she went down to explore it. She first just drank from it. Two days later she put one foot in, and two days after that she was all in flapping about wildly making a grand wet mess. The next day, (yesterday) when I put the new water in she was on her way down before I could get the pan in place. I try to change the mess out in her cage bottom as soon as she is done and back on her perch. The key here is patience and persistence. Keep changing the water in front of her daily and after time her curiosity will get the better of her and she will make the choice to explore it. Remember it took me a month for me, it could take longer. Good Luck Bruce & Mazy The key here is

Lots' of great advise, so I'll throw my 2 cents in. Stay with the hand and avoid going to the stick. You will lose in the longterm there. Use the balled fist and some birds such as mine definitely favor one of my hands over the other. So, use the hand the bird likes. Your bird is in the maturing stage which is probaly a factor in this behavior. Time will take it's course on this issue. Make sure you show your bird equal attention as you do your girlfriend (and visa- versa) avoiding any developing jealousies. Good luck Bruce & Mazy

One month ago I asked the forum how to train an older grey who has always been clipped and never flown, to fly. Mazy is a 13 yrs. old CAG and always been clipped.I received invaluable information, especially from "Dave007" (Definitely a guru) The key truly is patience and consistency. I have now been working with Mazy for a month and she has learned to pull up to stop instead of crashing into a wall or other objects. She takes off my hand and flys to the couch and to her cage top. The distances are short but we increase them as we go. We are working up to landing with precision on a perch and making good progress. Greys do require a lot of attention and patience when training and thanks to folks such as Dave and all the others on this site who have been so helpful, we can all gain and become better bird owners. Thank again Dave007 Bruce & Mazy

yeah joe,I don't understand, but not all is for public knowledge. I hope is all well, you are my first friend. Good luck and I'll miss you and your postings. ???? Bruce & Mazy

baillor: Welcome to the site! My CAG Mazy loves to do this also as many greys do. I hold her under the shower to get her really wet once a week and then use the blow dryer. (she loves the blow dryer) Try putting a shallow wide pan or the such in the bottom of her cage with just about a half inch of water in it. See what happens. It'll take her a while to get used to something new in the cage but clean it out and refresh it daily and soon she will find an interest to check it out. Aftwer, she may not use it but you never know. These greys make their own decisions Bye for now from Alaska Bruce & Mazy