birdhouse

I think you're doing a really, really great job!! ... but I'd throw in a little caution, here. Someone posted a while back, not to let our fids play with TP rolls anymore because the glue has zinc in it. We have no idea sometimes what things are made of (just look at the ingredients in a package of hot dogs sometime... or don't if you like eating them). Georgie is going to eat everything you make him. Be very aware that everything you use is nontoxic. Remember, wood can have chemicals, oils or varnish on it. Some paints can be a real problem. Make sure the clothes line doesn't have things like lead in it. Anything metal might too or might be galvanized or coated with epoxy or something else that can eventually prove hazardous. It's usually a good idea to stick to stainless steel, just to be safe. I think it is so great that you're so into this & I just thought I should put this out there to be safe.

Of course you've gotten some great advice already. I just wanted to throw something else in here. You did such a great job with that playstand that it's come back to bite you, literally. But it might give you the opportunity to learn a life-lesson about living with a Grey. This is a good time to remember a Grey is often more like a child than a pet. If your youngster had a phenomenal new toy, you wouldn't be surprised if he didn't want to stop playing with it. You'd probably realize that it might take a while for the fascination to wear off & plan accordingly. You might let him stay up a little later, or distract him if you could, or prepare him by putting the toy away. I'm guessing you wouldn't just drag him off, kicking & crying & dump him in bed if there were alternatives. Try to give Georgie a reason to leave the stand & put it away a little early. Food or maybe find a favorite toy that you can move around. Hang it on the stand then on or preferably in the cage. Encourage him to feel it's ok to play inside his cage because he won't be trapped as soon as he gets in it. Let him know he has the choice to come & go sometimes. He is getting older & knows more about what he wants. The next little challenge is finding the balance between getting him to listen & giving him his say. And btw, good luck with that!

This certainly got interesting... Not what I'd been shooting for exactly, but really interesting. So, ok, we've got no clues. Bird vets got no help. Birds... ain't talkin. You'd think I'd admit defeat, BUT NO-O-O, not me!! :rolleyes: Now I'd really like to see how many people in this worldwide group of how many people representing how many birds can say for sure their bird is over, let's say 35 yo ...?? WHO'S GOT THE OLDEST PARROT AMONG US?? ... no cheating, please!!

:cool: Okay, now you're just showing off ! :cool: Nice job on the orbit, though. I could see where you might have been put off a bit the first time around. Georgie would have been gone a long time ago if that was all it took, though. Hope you're both having fun now...? Question... did the sisal come colored & what did you use for color on the wood toy?

No, grabbing is bad. She can get hurt. She will develop issues with your trust. ESPECIALLY since she'll step up wherever else. Try casually putting your arm around behind her & resting it on the cage so she's sort of circled by it. Go slow. Don't get it very close. Put your other arm in front of her & put your wrist/forearm just against her legs. Then, just have a little hangin out time for a minute... No big deal... Nothin goin on here. If you just shift the position of your back arm a little & just push a bit with the front arm, she may very well instinctively move onto you. She should get distracted - but not frightened - by "something" going on behind her & just move forward. She shouldn't realize you made her do anything. Two other things... Bribery is our friend. Before & after this. Without knowing the rest of the story, I'm going to guess that she's gotten to associate being lifted off the cage with being made to do something she doesn't want to do. Like going back into the cage when she doesn't want to go, for example. While you're re-establishing your ability to get her off the cage, do something else for a few minutes. Like offering her a bribe

Watch out !! She's on a roll !!

I'd say he did. And Charlie lucked out. And it's always so cool to get a new cage. Looks like it should last a long time, if you treat it right. I'm really surprised at how easily my new cages just wipe clean with some vinegar & water. That actually gets rid of germs & fungus & seems to help the paint last longer. Too bad they can't make vinegar smell better, but I guess we can't have everything.

Thank you, all & Double Thanks to Dave. I've always thought it was impossible to tell from all outward appearance. But I had to ask. :confused: BUT, it still seems that logically, there should be geriatric guidelines because parrots have to break down gradually, just like the rest of us. :confused: For example, wouldn't it make sense that they might not absorb vitamins the same way after a certain age? Or shouldn't their bones get brittle just like any other old bones? Changes in eyesight? Tendinitis, arthritis? Is it just because birds hide their symptoms so well that normal wear & tear rarely gets noticed? Do so few birds live their full potential lifespan that we don't have enough info to sample aging populations & make guidelines? How many of our birds are 50 yo, but their current owners can only guess they're "older than the hills"? Yes, this kind of a fixation. No, I don't know where it came from. It just seems like a big gaping hole that shows that avian medicine has a very long way to go. I just don't want my fids to pay for it, if I can possibly avoid it.

... same kind of "nut" & no problems admitting to it. How about if you name them after 3 of the brightest stars in the sky... ? Sirius, Antares & Vega

:confused: I'm surprised. I was really hoping to get some more feed back to this post. There's a lot of information devoted to most other geriatric pets but not parrots. Or at least not that I've been able to find. It seems logical to me that parrots should should have changing needs as they age, just like anything else.

I'm really glad to hear it's all good now. You all went thru alot. Hopefully, Charlie's figured out there's no place like home.

I had no resources for so long & a baby who needed so much more than average. Avian knowledge was 3 books at the library & those skinny things you found at the pet store. My friends were great but they weren't parrot people. They knew we were both stark raving mad & did what they could to be supportive... from a distance. This forum has grown into an incredible trust of knowledge & experience for any level of bird keeper. And it hasn't even begun to reach it's full potential.

Wish someone could answer that & recommend a stress diet. I've never done anything more than change their routine & try to be super sensitive to them. I wouldn't say they suffer, but it is stressful for a while. Things calm down some & they eventually adjust. This is just the beginning of summer as we know it.

We're all so obsessed Isn't it great !! If Yoshi's anything like my guys, there is about to be a whole lot more where that came from. Enjoy!!

And we aren't done, yet. Went down the street with the dog just now while watching a little fireworks show in a neighbor's yard. I just thought this was how the 4th was for everyone until this. And then, I saw Boz Scaggs at the Melody tent in Hyannis on Saturday. Highly recommend it if you get the chance & dinner at the Paddock, first. The first thing he said when he came on stage was something like, 'Boy, you really celebrate the 4th of July around here! Just the fireworks, alone!! We don't do it like this in California. It would probably burn the place down.' I started to laugh after what you all had been saying. So, I guess I just got a lesson about our own little mixed blessing.

Have been thinking about Charlie. How's he doing?

Kura goes after my glasses & yes, often the bridge, but sometimes she'll try to pull the ear pieces when she's preening my hair. I'll turn my head & tell her, "Don't break it." & she'll usually stop after a couple of times. Third or fourth time, I'll take them off, first & then take her down or step away. Usually, I'll put her on her cage for a few minutes if it got that far. I try to get her to treat them like they're part of me. I do exactly the same thing if she comes down too hard on my finger or ear, etc. But they really aren't part of me & sometimes I think it's a preening thing. Like she's trying to help when she tries to pick the ear pieces out of my hair. They're also what she'll go after to get my attention if she wants to get off my shoulder. She will not poop on me... thank you very much! So she knows I'll always stop whatever I'm doing if she starts to pull at them. And she knows I'll put her on her cage if she doesn't stop. So, she gets it and she uses it. Just another example of how clever our fids can be.

Delma, I knew you had it in you. Nice toys, nice stand, nice shot of Georgie working out in the 4th pic.

I'd contact the seller, too. But I've heard that some manufacturers will give you chip paint rather than replace the cage or part. Definite cute points for pic #3. Congrats on your new baby!!

My grey is the only one who seems to respond to the radio. He likes to make his best noises to go along. I've had some birds that don't like the vibration from the subwoofer, though. My guys do watch tv. Anything bird related will get their attention most of the time. I've played some of the videos from here & watched them seriously focused on them. I think that's probably about the bird calls. But they'll watch other things as well.

Favorite pic #3. Thanks for sharing & Congratulations!

This is Phenix' cage. The top opens & I liked the style. All horizontal bars make it great for climbing, cleaning & setting up. The only draw back is that the black shows up the dander. I got it on Ebay & that was the only color they had. But we're really happy with it.

I did realize that feet scales can change from health problems. I just meant that healthy baby feet look so smooth, like baby skin. You can see the baby face, the gray eyes, the extra smooth beak & feet for a while. But after that...? Other pets go gray. Their teeth change. They get stiff. They're coat may change color or condition. The birds that I've had long term have looked the same for decades. Phenix actually looks better to me now than he did 10 years ago. As we've/I've learned more about diet & nutrition, I think he's become even healthier overall. But he doesn't run riot as often & I think he's slowed down a bit in the past few years. So, maybe that should have been part of my original question. If there isn't any other way to tell, what is the progression of aging behavior? Like how often should a bird look like Emma pole dancing (thanks Donna) when they're say 20, 40 or 50? Of course they're all different. But maybe some of the members could post about how their older birds compare to those spring chickens (as my grandmother used to say)?