birdhouse

The scary thing about creating a fid family is that we can't know in advance what's going too far or how things won't work. Everyone, fids included, is different. Most of us also change as parronts over time much like w/our children. I really believe if you get another bird, it should only be because you want them just as much as you wanted your grey. No bird deserves to be jailed in a cage w/food & water thrown in. They should have their own time & their own love. I originally started out w/smaller birds & worked my way up. For the most part, I found big birds & smaller birds don't often get along. It's likely their interaction will be antagonistic, for the most part. It doesn't mean it can't happen. It doesn't mean some combinations won't work out amazing relationships. It just means that the odds aren't really in favor of it. Which pretty much demands everyone has to have separate time, space, food, toys, ect. Speaking for myself, I think it's double the work, at least & a lot less reward all around. Although admittedly, he was not my first bird, my grey Phenix was my first parrot. He had some fairly big issues that took a lot of time. At one point, I would have told you that I would never, never get another big bird as long as he lived. Fortunately, I learned some things along the way. Getting my eclectus was one of the best things I've ever done for Phenix. They may seem like polar opposites. But Kura & Phenix are the embodiment of model training if ever there was one. Phenix has learned a mind boggling amount from Kura's sweet nature & sociability. Physically, they don't interact directly. They'll both sit together w/me. Otherwise, one might occasionally hang out near'ish the others cage which I took to mean they just hadn't bonded. Until Kura got sick. I was getting her out of the carrier after taking her to the vet. Phenix, I'd noticed, had been hanging on the front face of his cage from the second we'd walked in the door. As soon as I lifted Kura out where he could see her he said, "Kura!!! Are you OKAY?!?" True story. No embellishments. Birds are subtle. They don't have to love all over each other to benefit immensely from the companionship. If you are the type of flock that can happily integrate multiple species, then you could be a good fit for more than one type of parrot. Two birds are twice the expense when it comes to cages, vets & such. But bulk food prep, hand-me-downs & other things can help defray some of the other costs. I think overall, the pros & cons of having parrot "siblings" (vs finding a stable mate) can be comparable to children. Potentially very rewarding for the "right" type of family.

Almost like this awesome little private video was made to order. The only thing is maybe use your own judgement w/the time table based on what comfort level you think they've reached. But it might be a greyt way for your son & Felix to create a bond.

ROFL That was perfect!! I could totally see any customer buying into the whole act!!

Aww! Hope it's filled w/all her favorite things.

Birds who are in contact w/the outside world can get parasites. Some owners w/aviaries & breeders in particular do scheduled deworming because of this. But it's not very common for a "normal" healthy house pet parrot to have problems w/parasites. Your baby's had some problems, though. The earlier ones were more obvious. This would be unusual. But if Luna got in contact w/infected bird poop, it's possible he was infected at say the breeder's. And if Luna continues to be diagnosed w/issues, it could be the breeder not the vet, is where the fault actually lies. It wouldn't be the first time. So you might to try to keep an open mind & do the best you can to determine if you need a new vet or if you need to be after the breeder about compensation for an unhealthy fid. Good luck.

Snakes will eat size appropriate eggs & birds if they can. I'm w/you,. I wouldn't be taking any chances. 50/50 oil of cinnamon & clove might be a safer temporary deterrent. But apparently any snake repellents fade pretty quickly once they're exposed to air. The best thing is to make the area around the house unattractive. Keep any type of vegetation that would be a good hiding place away from the foundation, fill cracks, put up small gauge wire, etc. They can also be drawn to water especially if you're in a drought area. But little snake, "big" parrot...? Hopefully this was just a coincidence. And parrots are badder than they look btw. Once we had a large field mouse we could not catch. One night, apparently, it made the mistake of looking for take out in Phenix' cage. I found it dead in the water dish the next morning. I was pretty impressed, in a grossed out kinda way!

I'm guessing from your other posts that you're bringing home a fledgling vs an adult grey? Until you know how coordinated your new baby is, it's safer to put cups, a couple of perches & a toy or 2 down low & pad the bottom of the cage, to break any falls. You might want to ask the advise of the breeder, who would know your bird the best at this point, though. Good luck & Congratulations! Hope we'll be hearing lots more about your new fid, soon!

Hi & Welcome Buffet12. The good news here is that as long as Buffet doesn't hear the words & has no reason to use them, eventually she might very well get bored & quit saying them entirely. Greys tend to practice until they're ready to debut something. Then, like young children repeat it over & over & over & over again. Until the next greyt fascination comes along. The bad news is that the biggest reason Buffet would probably have to continue w/any sound, word or phrase is to get a reaction from her audience. The reason that's the bad news is because there is no fooling a grey. You cannot pretend it doesn't bother you. They read body language far too well. Buffet has only been home for a couple of weeks. She would probably not have shown you even a fraction of her vocabulary because she's likely still not comfortable. Since Greys are renown for using language appropriately, or in this case inappropriately, in context, Buffet may be cussing up a storm because she's afraid of many things in her new environment. Hopefully as her new flock makes her feel less fearful, her vocabulary will start to reflect it. It's important to avoid being shocked, angry or embarrassed because Buffet will either find that quite amusing or else feel threatened by the negative emotion. Either way, she's likely to continue w/the potty mouth. You need to ignore her & really mean it so that she'll move on as soon as possible. In the meantime, singing to a new rehome is one way to help acclimate them to their new flock. So you could try singing Buffet nursery rhymes & hope for the best. You can also try Baby Einstein DVDs, children's TV, play whistling games or anything else you can think of. I wish there was a quick easy fix. But w/some patience & genuine tolerance, she should improve & there's a realistic possibility that she will come around. Hope this helps. Good luck.

When I read this my first thought was, "Yes. This really feels like a natural place to begin a new chapter." But given a minute to think about it, maybe not. Without a back story, Miss G's shenanigans may be charming at best. They aren't the awe inspiring example of our resident poster child finally come into her own. And I think that's exactly why the Rescue Bird Haven was created. Gilbert is the face on a journey from dark & twisty to unimaginable triumph for members who are starting out w/their own Gilbert. It's the promise that w/love & commitment, the life they dream for their fid really can happen. And in those very many darkest days, this is a place to find hope when maybe theirs is wearing down. 30,000 hits say Miss G is far from isolated in this thread. This is where people come to read a story w/a happy ending that goes on & on. This is where she touches hearts & inspires the world. Which makes me think this is her place on GF. When I think about it, it really feels to me like (Miss) Gilbert is Home.

I get a lot of my wood pieces from Micheal's. Some of my other toy making supplies come from My Safe Bird Store, Amazon occasionally. But the dollar store is pretty great & I find things all over, really. Baby toys can also be a lot of fun. My guys go thru plastic teething rings like crazy.

I've got forced hot air & keep thinking I'd should get a humidifier. I think I'd like to check that out. Thanks!

You might never really stop being at least a little in awe of the most simple, normal things from here on because they were so hard won. But maybe part of Miss G's accelerated growth also has something to do w/your getting more used to living w/a more normal grey. As your confidence is also growing, the both of you are feeding each others' progress. One thing's for certain. It's a pretty wonderful time in your relationship & I'm so happy for you both!

I really Know I shouldn't let the fids torture the guests. But it's just so much fun sometimes, isn't!? :cool: Hope you at least brought the poor guy his beer eventually. lol

And she wasn't even trying in that pic, Dee! She was just listening to something. There's been more than a little discussion about learning to resist her beggin face. If I don't start walking around w/a pocketful of carrots so that people can "give her something" she's going get to weigh too much to lift real soon. Literally, too cute for her own good. Aww! Even from that quick bit it sounds like you fell as hard for your Chloe as I'm falling for mine, Dan. So sweet! Very glad she finally found her way home to you. I don't know that my girl will be a Chloe much longer, though. We're auditioning new names. I'm kind of liking Sprite or maybe Sookie (Sukei) at the moment. But I'm still open to suggestions...???

Amazing to think how hard it is to out think a little bird, isn't it?!? But I'm so happy things are getting better. He's such a beauty. And a cutie. But there's nothin cute about that decibel level. Hope your luck holds!!!

I used to think that too. Took me a while to realize it's actually another tactic from "How to Take Over Your World". Chapter 1, entitled "Greyt Strategies for Keeping A Parront Off Balance... Literally As Well as Figuratively". Those quiet days are times when she's assessing her progress & hatching her next it plot. She's had years to work this whole thing out. Face it, you're out of your weight class & you don't stand a a prayer! Like the lady said, "Resistance is futile."

^^^ That's what I was thinking. Misty was so adorable I wanted to see some more. Glad you were finally able to posted it.

That is funny!! Especially since it wasn't even Photoshopped.

I'll say in advance that you're going to get a lively debate about how to do almost anything where it comes to parrots. So read, ask, observe, observe, observe. Then make your best guess & learn from whatever happens next. Welcome to the adventure!! lol For an education about diet, it might be helpful to go thru the Bird Food room. These might be helpful books on behavior. The Parrot Problem Solver Barbara Heidenreich http://www.amazon.com/Parrot-Problem-Solver-Barbara-Heidenreich/dp/0793805627 Good Bird! A Guide to Solving Behavioral Problems in Companion Parrots by Barbara Heidenreich http://www.amazon.com/Solving-Behavioral-Problems-Companion-Parrots/dp/1895270278/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380122965&sr=1-3&keywords=Barbara+Heidenreich How smart is your new fid, really? Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence--and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process by Irene Pepperberg (Author) http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Me-Scientist-Discovered-Intelligence/dp/0061673986 These are free ebooks that you can download w/adobe reader. Great ideas for foraging & activity. But Baby has had 20 yrs of living w/certain expectations & greys are, let's say often reluctant to try new things. So go slowly (read at a glacial pace!!) & keep your expectations low at first. REAL low! http://www.parrotenrichment.com/images/PEAB_V1.pdf http://www.phoenixlanding.org/PEAB_V2.pdf

She really is so-o tiny & breakable! Killer on the heart strings when she starts to shake. It is very tough & a good thing she isn't my first rescue. I'm constantly censoring my urges to swoop her up to protect her from all the things she's afraid of right now. I'm also getting flack about not picking her up when others think she needs it. Well meant, but not helping. I had no say the other morning, though. I wouldn't have done anything differently if I had. But she was pretty much inconsolable at that point. Heartbreaking to think she has been going thru that alone because no one was aware she had the problem (I asked specifically!) & there was no one she thought she could trust enough to run to. Hopefully, as she grows in trust, comfort & confidence in herself & her new life, there will be at least a little lateral improvement w/this, too. The good news, at least, is that we rarely have thunderstorms during the winter. So that will give me a chance to really get to know her & hopefully figure out the way best to deal w/this.

Welcome to GF Carrie. I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother. You might be surprised by how much of her Baby will be bringing w/him, though. Members have commented about the bitter sweet treasure of hearing their loved ones in the ramblings of their fids. I'm w/the others about the cage. Under the circumstances, it's probably easiest all around to leave the old one behind. Baby's going to cope according to his personality & you're welcome to post threads thru the all the months this process is going to take. We're a pretty good support team because we've all been thru it. Many of us more than once. If you've got cage questions, you might get a crash course about type, size, layout, etc in the Cages & Homes Forum. You could start w/the Show Us Your Cage thread if for no other reason than it's fun to look at the pics. http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?143481-Show-Us-Your-Cage! Greys are kind of dusty birds. So regular baths should help keep down the dander. But I just thought I'd mention that very many greys hate baths. Forewarned is forearmed, they say. lol Bunches of discussion on this topic in the Health Room, especially the stickies. You should find discussions about air filters there, too. I don't have any particular recommendations. Only that you should always avoid using an ionizing filter around Baby. Threads about keeping our fids flighted vs clipped are all over. But the health Room would certainly be a good start. Many members have fids who are loose w/supervision & fully flighted. There are risks either way. It's a choice you'll have to reassess each time Baby's flights grow in. But yes, please do have the vet do at least the initial trim, if you decide to go that way.

Chloe's last home said she rarely chose to be in her cage. She hid under the furniture all the time instead. So under the circumstances, 10 days into her 3rd home this year, I'm pretty happy she woke me. Self soothing is a few steps down the road yet. The bed has my scent & she's already picked it as her spot. I think for now, since she never pee'd anywhere during that first episode, my next step when it's cool enough is to make a game out of burrowing under the covers. Actually encourage her to tuck herself in to hide there. Old school. But it's worked well for me in the past. When she eventually improves enough, she'll be weaned off the habit. If not for whatever reason, she's only cat size. I could live w/it if I had too. Just so long as it works. And we'd been working w/an old bathrobe that's gotten something less than a luke warm reception so far. But I hope it will eventually become her comforter because it should be big enough for her whole 9-1/2 lbs to really nest in. I'll also experiment w/a more solid plastic crate to see if that does more for her. But it's entirely her choice. This morning, was cool & the sun is shining. I was again awakened by Chloe. But this time it was a tail wagging & kisses attack. I fended her off as best I could & she went to lie on my feet w/a heart felt sigh of contentment. After the alarm actually went off, it started again. Once I could get my butt out of bed & took her out she bounced all the way down the street. What a difference from even this time last week. There was only one problem that I could see. The happier she gets, the cuter she gets. If I'm not careful, I'm going to end up being her dog to call.

I think the oddest thing Phenix is afraid of is things made of florescent colored, see thru plastic. No guess why or where it came from. But he's always hated them.

I can't believe you guys remember the actual date. I barely remember signing up. lol Happy Anniversary!

Even given her issues, her healthy dog traits manage to shine thru. I think I'd have to say stunningly cute being the most obvious! If all goes well, I suspect we might just have a bit of a princess on our hands. When given the option between her kennel & finding herself a safe place, she set herself up on the bed upstairs. The first few days I'd find her curled up, "hiding" there. But more often now she's sprawled out, napping comfortably. That's just fine. It's not like she takes up much room! lol It's quiet & out of the way. The only bad part is the sky light, now that I know she's afraid of storms. Guess we'll have to play that one by ear. She seems very smart. But it's hard to tell what she's learned vs learning so far. I'm looking forward to her being emotionally stable enough to experiment w/more "formal" fun training. But right now she just gets worried too quickly. I always start w/pretty much constant opportunistic "fun training" anyway. There's some random sit, stay, come. But basically we make a big deal about any "accomplishment" we can make up. Very encouraging how much confidence she's gaining & how well she's recovering from many traumatic situations now. It's to a point where I'm getting a little clearer understanding about some of the real roots of her problems. Like thunder storms. Aside from running to me instead of away, everything pretty much reverted to day one until Sunday's storm cleared. Then there's also a real problem w/teenage boys. :mad: I'm guessing one at least was a major source of abuse & possibly what really messed her up. Fortunately, there aren't many in her normal orbit now. The ones who are are waiting (relatively) patiently to do their bit to win Chloe over. Sooner or later she's going to realize that she's totally surrounded by animal lovers now. After that, it's just a matter of time.