birdhouse

Oh, that. Wheww! I was afraid they'd just announced there was like something about their chemical composition. Everyone's been waiting for a new strawburst for a week while I was waiting for someone to answer this. So they thank you, too. lol Anything the fids pick to bits can theoretically get lodged in them. Not to say that some freak something can't happen. It can always happen w/these guys!! But mine all spit out any plastic bits of anything they tear up ...so far ...knock on wood. Ironically, the one problem I have had was when Phenix got a wood splinter lodged in the split in the roof of his mouth. I knew something was wrong. Good thing that vet had been thru hell & back when Phenix had all his problems in the early days. So he believed me when I brought him in w/basically no symptoms. As it was, he had to triple check before he found it. I thought he'd finally just made something up to humor me by that point. But he got very serious & said he not only hadn't, but it would have cause major problems if it had remained there for much longer. I knew he meant it when he proceeded to put Phenix on a mega dose of an antibiotic I'd become all too familiar with. Guess how long it took me to stop being afraid of wood toys after that...? Karen, paper straws are waxed. I don't know what exactly is bad about that, but for some reason it's something to avoid. So no waxed paper cups, either.

Happy Hatchday Rikk!! Hope it's filled w/even more greyt fun than usual!

:)Awww!! That's certainly something you'd want to capture to enjoy over & over.

Phenix purely loves to take things apart. If he can make a mess doing it, so much the better. If it makes a mess & scares the ever lovin out of everyone else when it comes crashing down, it's the greytest!! To be on the safe side I hand feed the birds things like grapes & raisins because they will share anything they get to eat w/the dogs. Not just the stuff they don't like. Everything. In all the years I've lived w/them, every bird we've had has fed every dog we've had. Even when Charm who doesn't speak a word of human calls in Quaker speak, they come right over & sit for a treat. What surprises me is that I'd expect of anyone, she'd be the one to tease them because she's my imp. But as soon as they're sitting politely, she'll very deliberately put something thru the bars in just the right spot so it lands at their feet to reward them. Birds very definitely have a "thing" about feeding dogs. I can't help it. I think it's just adorable.

No help here, I'm afraid. But I can't wait to watch Maui when you figure it all out!

That is unfortunately a rite of passage for every bird owner w/every bird they'll own, I think. I refuse to think of the number of times I had one of mine crash into something & scare me to pieces. And yet somehow, no one has ever actually hurt themselves. Also, they usually won't make any movement or sound initially when they go down behind or under something like that. It's an instinct to avoid attracting scary things that might want to eat them while they're on the ground where they're vulnerable. When my tiels had their first clutch of chicks, I made the mistake of letting them loose in an apartment w/an open floor plan. Someone slammed the door downstairs. Both parents & the 6 chicks exploded thru the house in every possible direction. Took me a good 10 mins to fetch them back from every crazy place imaginable. All but one, that is. I searched every where. Panic growing by the minute. Sure that one had snapped his neck or something in the fray. Not a movement. Not a sound for half a very very very long hour. My dog was the chicks' Nanny from the first time he insisted on sticking his head in the nest box. He was searching right along w/us the whole time & was the one who finally found him ...and I ignored him when he started trying to let me know where the poor guy was! I just didn't believe the poor frantic dog because the teil had managed to fall inside a 20 gal bag of potting soil. I had been randomly replanting things & left it sitting open on the floor in the meantime. Whenever he fell in, he took the edge of the opening w/him & closed himself in there. Never moved. Never made a peep for 1/2 hr. If it hadn't been for the dog, I never would have found him.

No worries! There's an app for that. in this case alternative product possibilities. The easiest solution in the long run is if you can find another bowl that fits better. Look for one that's about the same size, but slightly different shaped around the edge. Stainless dog bowls are probably your best shot. If you can't find one, there's a bunch of locking bowl alternatives. These are just a few. When I went thru this w/Phenix, many, many moons ago, there was only the King's cup. It not only worked like a charm but I still have it. http://www.kingscages.com/SearchResults.aspx?CategoryID=Accessories&SubCatID=Cups%20Stainless%20Steel http://www.petco.com/product/6987/Lixit-Carrier-Cage-Crock.aspx?CoreCat=certona-_-ProductDetail_1-_-Lixit%20Carrier%20Cage%20Crock-6987 http://www.forhappydogs.com/p-44-snapy-fit-bowl-1-quart-water-food-bowl-with-bracket.aspx http://pages.northforkpets.com/11570/PictPage/1922661781.html

I am a big fan of Dawn & it's all I use. Great degreaser imho. The only thing I don't like is the after taste. Especially w/the antibacterial line, I think it's a little harder to rinse thoroughly & sometimes I smell/taste it in plastics that were left to soak. Eww! Yuck! Nothing's left behind no matter what w/plain vinegar & water because it evaporates completely. That's one of the reasons I like using it. Baking soda's also a grease cutter. Baking soda or salt are of my go to's for replacing abrasive powders, though. I have a self cleaning oven. So I'd limit the scrubbing on the inside to those little green scrubbies & elbow grease. But it sounds like your potion might be be pretty good for the outside. Think I'll try it next time. Thanks! Baking soda & vinegar are pretty effective for cleaning other things, too because they bubble up when they're combined. Have you ever tried them as a drain cleaner?

^^^ Inara, can't get the link to work for me ^^^ Vinegar is good for lifting a lot of crud. It's safe & got a few natural antimicrobial properties. It's also a grease cutter, although not the greatest. I don't happen to mind the smell which is harmless & evaporates pretty quickly anyway. So I use it for a lot of hard surface quickie clean ups. In the oven, I drench trouble spots w/white vinegar & let sit while I boil a kettle of water. Then put the water into an oven safe dish. I leave the oven set on lower bake setting until the window steams up. Once the oven has cooled enough to work in, remove water dish. Spray oven w/vinegar, again & wipe clean w/wet sponge. Sometimes I need a non abrasive scrubby for the really tough spots. It does well enough to get by in the big oven. Works great in the microwave.

Guess it's just one of "those" things then. There is always a reason. We just can't always see things thru their eyes no matter how observant we are or how hard we try. Good to hear at least that he seems to be getting less nervous. That stand is much to gorgeous to miss out on. Glad Megan, at least is a happy camper. That is one very nice thing about having m/t one fid to appreciate our efforts!

I've also seen a couple of the rehabs do it when they were nervous or afraid. But if it helps, they're not throwing up like we think of it.They're moving it from their crop, not stomach & it's not a big deal to them. If something doesn't sit comfortably, they'll think nothing of dumping it. They regurgitate food for their chicks & mates on a regular basis. They can also snatch food in a hostile situation to carry off so they can eat it later, for want of a better way to put it.

Wow! "Lucky" no one was hurt! Hope this streak ends real soon! Sending lots & lots of good thoughts your way.

Sneaking them in w/other foods can really help w/some fids. You can puree or very finely chop some greens & slip a little into anything mushy like oatmeal or applesauce. Don't worry whether you'd like the combination because they have very different tastes. You can also put a couple of pinches of chopped greens in w/dice peppers or chopped broccoli. If she doesn't refuse to eat any of the "good" veggies, then she'll be getting used to the taste & smell of the "bad" ones. If she likes peanut butter or juice you can put a little of that into the mix as well. Basically, anything to help camouflage the greens so she doesn't really realize what she's eating. The important thing is to keep offering them & keep trying different ones. Also, you said she likes broccoli. Buds & stems? Have you tried broccoli leaves?

During the Renaissance period, it's easy to think happy thoughts & treat them like normal healthy fids because they're beginning to imitate one so much of the time. I think eventually, we get trained to avoid putting them in certain situations. They have less & less reason, so revert less & less. But my best guess is that it's only reconditioning. Under some circumstances, the old conditioning will always be stronger & dictate how they'll react. Tough as that is w/any fid, it's that much tougher w/a plucker since they can do so much damage in such a short time & it can take so long to recover their plumage. In a way, no matter how much progress Gilda makes, Gilbert won't probably ever go away completely. You'll always be living w/the two different personalities no matter how long Gilbert's persona is dormant. It's just one of the perks of life w/some rehabs.

Ok, that's the second time I've seen that type of ref to straws. I take it something's going around...? I'm going to be completely, thoroughly & absolutely crushed if they get taken out of the toy box. I've been using them for all kinds of things for years & years. Everyone loves them. And by everyone I mean even Phenix who is just impossible, normally. So watsup w/the straws already???

Hahahah! YYyupp! Certainly seen that happen a time or two! I know! Right? I kept waiting to see a bird on guard.

Phenix is afraid of conservatively 85% of new things. But once the whole big stand was ok I don't think I would have seen this coming either. So if I learned anything first of all thanks ! But second, in future I'll do the noisy, scary part w/o him. But actually assemble any new additions in front of him. Phenix would also have problems w/those dishes. He's got this weird thing about translucent plastic. Same totally freaked out reaction. Any possibility that Mar's afraid of anything that's attached to the rack?

Sorry to hear all that! I may give you a hard time about a "little" snow. But ice is another thing by anyone's standards. It really does stink & causes a lot of problems. Hope it warms up, soon.

I think sometimes posters short hand using "aloe juice" when they mean to say to use organic juice for bathing. According to the label info, Fruit Of The Earth Aloe Vera Juice is "Organic Aloe Vera Gel, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, (A Food Preservative At 1/10 Of 1%)." It's a very commonly found brand in the US, anyway. You can pick it up in larger drug store chains & currently buy a gallon of the stuff @ Walmart for all of $7.44. Forum members have had some heated debates about using 1 - store bought aloe 2 - for anything besides bathing fids. Aloe is listed on more than a few toxic plant lists. To start w/the slimy layer between the rind & the gel in the middle is a diuretic & has been reported to cause problems. Since GF maintains a "better safe than sorry" policy about health & safety questions, that means anything else unfortunately goes into the No-No category. There are also species of aloe that are reported to be poisonous, as Dave said. Since most of the store bought plants don't list their species, the risk from our fids taking it internally becomes greater. Any homemade juice is going to be "eaten" when the fid preens itself. I've occasionally walked the line on this issue. I also usually take it on the chin for trying, however. lol But there are many well respected people in the bird keeping community who claim feeding (the right species of) aloe, can be very beneficial for parrots. Many of these articles are found on holistic sites, such as Land of Vos, however. Not actual veterinary websites. So this is in the strictest sense "debatable" & another area where interested parronts should do thorough research & make any well informed decisions w/the full understanding that they can be risking major consequences for their fid(s). Back on (the original) topic - Yay!! for you & Cockey, Grumpy! It's really a shame that so many Greys tend to hate taking baths. I think it's so much fun to watch them splash around. So glad you both get to enjoy bath time, now!

You can copy the pics & paste into Paint or any photo editing program. Rotate them there & replace the origins. Not that it really matters cuz they're adorable no matter how you look at it!

Maybe we shouldn't humor him, guys. You're not well Dan. But it's not your fault. All those mean old customers have finally sent you hurtling over the edge. It's going to be ok, though! I'm sure your wife can get you help if you'll just let her. But even before you show this to her, show it to Dayo & Jake. They're very smart fids. I'm sure they'll be able to find a good place to hide until the nice men come to take you away.

Wow! I did not realize how neglected this thread had become. I think Grumpy is absolutely right. Hope you've (re)started something here, Muse. Very glad you posted. Maybe new members don't realize this isn't just for those big grand, eye catching projects? Cuz that's just not so!! Everything helps. So I hope this thread starts getting some love again!!!

Whenever Breezy wants a comfort feeding, you can try slipping a little of those yucky veggies into the yummy oatmeal. ];-> Just a little bit can help him get used to the smell & taste more easily. Might skip lettuces, though. Dandelions, kale, greens have more nutritional value. This is a very nice thread about Mash that you might find interesting, too. http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?194243-Mash-amp-Chop

Welcome neighbor, from drismal Massachusetts! Congratulations on baby Breezy. Looking forward to all his pics & stories. Don't know if you've noticed the "Other Birds" forum? Ditto Brutus.

sigh! sad but true But w/Mar & the big green toilet brush (love that, I think it should be a kids book) he (over)saw everything. It was obviously done to his satisfaction. So why would he have any complaints? Seriously though, I think it really can help to mess w/their stuff & do other things right in front of them. Depending on the fid, & the type of thing, & the mood of the moment, possibly the phase of the moon, definitely the weather... :rolleyes: