birdhouse

Most greys need to learn that a bath or spray bath isn't going to kill them. No, I mean really kill them!! lol There's something in a grey's genes apparently because most of them are real haters. You can experiment w/different spray bottles. Sometimes the color of the bottle or the strength of the spray can make a difference. My ekkie gets all nervous if I don't spray her in nice slow even squirts. Maybe it's something about the noise the spray(er) makes...? I don't pretend to understand. I just try to be be as understanding as possible. Talk nice. Apologize all the way thru & give lots of love & treats after. These are a few threads about Elvenking's issues w/Issac. Lots of parronts contributed & covered pretty near everything. So I thought they might make a good crash course. http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?200925-Isaac-Is-Taking-Out-Tummy-Feathers&highlight=elvenking http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?202372-I-Know-Why-Isaac-Plucks&highlight=elvenking http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?202542-Someone-Help-With-Isaac&highlight=elvenking

My Grampy had a huge barn full of all kinds of fancy pigeons, duck, grebe, geese ..you name it. It was one of my favorite places when I was little. So thanks for that little bit of nostalgia!! And chicks are NOT ugly!!! They're so naked & vulnerable & they're cute dammit!!!!!!!!!!!

Apparently not. But maybe this is...?

'Too true! Think losing your screws might be unavoidable w/all the head banging. Still & all it seems to work for them.

Happy Belated!! https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=cockatoo+singing+happy+birthday&vid=d6919e5c7858da0bc1b9294b2048e15a&turl=http%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DWN.JDqWCz4dGkCUMNPZUGCf7w%26pid%3D15.1%26h%3D225%26w%3D300%26c%3D7%26rs%3D1&rurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DKyoW3F9oNs0&tit=Happy+Birthday%2C+Cockatoo+Style!&c=12&h=225&w=300&l=166&sigr=11bu1ufmo&sigt=10vl6qgbb&sigi=12l2ip9b1&ct=p&age=1303646853&fr2=p%3As%2Cv%3Av&fr=yhs-mozilla-003&hsimp=yhs-003&hspart=mozilla&tt=b P S think Pat cheated & now he should owe you dinner for the rest of the week. Whether that means feeding you or the fids ...whatever! lol ...actually, I think it's awesome the way the two of you generally seem to make such a good team.

I thought I was going to be getting one of the small macaws when I was apparently looking for Phenix, as it turned out. ") But if I had had the room, I would have loved to have adopted a Greenwing or Scarlet, maybe. After Phenix, though, I developed a "beak thing" I guess from being savaged so many times. Kura's is the biggest beak I can manage w/o becoming a little skittish anymore. So I don't trust me not to make bad matters worse if one of the big guys got aggressive now.

Yep, that one ")

Last night I asked a question on a new user's thread. Just now I went to see if they answered, but I can't find the thread. And, unfortunately, I don't really remember the title or username. I think the username was something*something*jenkins & the post title had the phrase "the chosen one" in it. OP was a little concerned that the new TAG had gotten very attached to him very quickly & wanted to know how to head off her becoming a one-man fid if possible.

Bet you thought you'd have gotten into a nice, safe, boring rut by now, didn't you? Well Surprise! These are highly intelligent, sensitive, long lived critters. Their growth & development never ends as long as their environment is broad enough to keep their minds engaged. And of course Miss G has lots of love, a fine life & is so very well traveled! So very fortunate w/that long, strange trip to get back to something that resembled something like normal. I can't believe after all these years she still trembles like that; poor girl. She's come so far & still keeps growing though. Maybe one day researchers will figure out how misplaced their surprise at the power of their tiny, little brain is. I've always thought it was the momentous power in those tiny, little hearts that's the most stunning thing of all.

Wow! I'm really loving this. Thank you for taking all the time to post & everything.

^^^ I don't think it's splitting hairs. I would say it was more like an additional consideration that might help to solve this problem. It seems like a very likely explanation for that one attack on OP when the rest were on the men. Dave, could you maybe add the link for everyone...?

what a beautiful baby!!

Parronts may think we're being funny whenever we refer to "belonging" to a fid. This is the not so funny side. "Mine!!" is very big motivation in grey behavior & this type of possessive bonding amps it to a whole other level. Greys tend to be control freaks & can have a pretty dark sense of humor. If Storm learns being aggressive can be used to control people, it can cause a whole bunch of bad behavior. Even though it's kind of hard w/these attacks, it's important not to seem to take it seriously & never personally. If he rattles you, step away like you just can't be bothered w/his attitude & don't come back until you really aren't (he will know if you're faking it btw). Also, any male you can find who can stand up to Storm in a non-hostile way could eventually help to defuse at least some of this, too. And no, you don't need a "slap". Just a reminder whenever your fid has you outnumbered, we're always here for reinforcement & E-hugs!

LOL Mine can't be bothered w/anything so demeaning. They just hi-jack (what's left of) my mind at will. I only know this because there have been so many times I very specifically swore I was doing online shopping that was not going to include anything but essentials. Then, low & behold, the shipment arrives with bird toys &/or treats. Their version of essential & ours are shall we say slightly different.

Very glad to hear it. You might be surprised at what well intentioned, misinformed parronts do. But suffice it to say, better just to ask. Also, it's good to spell things out for the many lurkers who don't ever post so they'll know there are some rules to consider w/this type of feeding or anything out of the ordinary, really. btw, the vid of your gekko came up after the one of Zoe. Nice!

You're terrible!!! I just can't think of chicks as ugly. They certainly have the potential to be ugly at any point after they've gotten old enough to try to rule the roost. Not before then, though. lol

Another vote for fresh fed & TOP Pellets. If you're asking because you want healthy feeding tips in general, you can find a wealth of it by reading thru all the threads in the "Bird Food" Room. Well, maybe not all. lol Fresh feeding can seem scary, but it's doable, cheaper & tons better than most store bought diets. It just takes a little work, some practice & commitment. But in the meantime, if you wanted to feed pellets & seed & supplement w/lots fresh fruits & veggies etc, that's fine too. You & your fid may both need some time to acclimate. Even getting rid of artificial coloring is a step in the right direction. But I would stick mainly to Muse's list. The TOPS Pellets especially. EDIT - thought I should rephrase this. I do believe in fresh fed. There are some amazing parronts here who make breakfast, lunch & dinner for their fid(s) daily. Frankly, I'm in awe because I'm never, ever going to be that domesticated. So, around here, fresh fed is more like fresh frozen w/a side of whatever. Once every 4 - 6 weeks, I make a huge mash, taking advantage of whatever fresh food is in season at the moment. This has all the balanced ingredients necessary for a healthy diet. I put each batch up in 1-2 day portions & freeze it. This way, I only have to commit to a big amount of labor the one time. Then, I thaw a cup over night in the fridge & add whatever yummy food happens to be around on any given day. So, the fids get a varied, healthy diet w/that much less work. So if you thought you might like to start experimenting w/fresh foods, this might be a very good thing to try. When the food is chopped to bits &/or combined in a mash, there's less waste, it's easier to store AND you can sneak new things into old favorites. Really good for encouraging reluctant eaters, too!

I'm glad that things are working so well. I'm just worried about any fid who doesn't have 24/7 food access because they have such a high metabolism. So I hope you weigh Zoe frequently. As a possible alternative food management, you might find great success limiting w/Zoe's favorite food(s) being fed only as a training aid & bribery.

Aww, nice job!! Looking forward to hearing all about them. And a picture or two, of course.

...sooo how would you feel about a nice new tablet?? ")

Members have posted about the challenge of traveling/relocating w/their fids sometimes. I found this link somewhere along the way. I don't know if they are any kind of help where it comes to fids. But maybe they can point you in a right direction. http://www.petrelocation.com/ However, I can't suggest strongly enough that you research, research, research, before trusting your fid to them or anyone else, though. The regs are trying to keep unhealthy birds from leaving these countries. They're also about keeping wild caught trade down. Unfortunately, anyone who has a companion parrot or two seems to get caught up in all the red tape. KevinD has been trying to get his Sukie out of Kuwait. It's been a while since he's posted. But it might be worth shooting him a PM & reading thru his posts. http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?201517-The-Sukei-Saga-Continues Also, maybe even katana600 - see post #18. Wish you the best of luck. I really hope you get your fid home. AND I'm hoping you'll post "How to... & How Not to..." for other parronts who are looking for a way thru that nasty pile of red tape.

Thanks. Hope a whole lot of other people think it's worth watching, too.

Very happy & well adjusted. Kilaya has come a long way. Now, for the $10,000 question... Is Kilaya doing better w/your wife too?

Amazing. Don't see things like that everyday. And to be lucky enough to get a picture...? Wow!! Priceless.

Oh boy!! It's been awhile since we've had someone raise a young'n. Your solemn word that you will post regularly *that means often*, for the next couple of months so we can share, please!?! Pretty please!?!