birdhouse

First, Shanlung, I've missed your voice! I doubt that I speak only for myself when I say that I hope you will always be welcome here. Second, I always find your writing interesting & I hope you'll indulge my need to make sure everyone reads at least this part of the the second link you posted. If there could only be one basic rule for happy parrothood, I think this sums it up so incredibly... "CAGs are just so painfully intelligent that their personalities will never be the same. What I did with Tinkerbell will not be what I did with Riamfada and vice versa. I do not mold them into what I want. I mold myself to what they are, and teaching them what is acceptable and not acceptable. When I was wrong, I accepted their chastisements on me in the same way they accepted my chastisements. Training is a two way road. All those I knew, be they dog or cat or horse family, told me without exception that the CAG was head and shoulders above them all. I met trainers of dolphins, of great apes, of killer whales, and who happened to have CAGs. It is humbling to hear from them that they felt CAGs showed far greater intelligence than the other sentients that they trained with. Give them love, respect, courtesy and dignity due to intelligent sentients equal to yourself. You get that all back, together with the magic that only they can add. You understand better why your best chance to succeed is to be friends with them and never as the alpha notwithstanding what the bulk of others might want you to think. With CAGs of that level of intelligence that surpassed the major recognised intelligent sentients such as great apes, dolphins and killer whales, how ludicrous it is to think one is above them and we are to impose our wills on them." http://shanlung.livejournal.com/130187.html

Ok, deep breath. Seriously, you'll only upset your fid further if he sees you're that freaked out. No, he definitely shouldn't still be wet. Are you sure he didn't take a bath in his water dish when you weren't looking? If you really don't think that's the case, then I'd question what was in the "aloe vera formula" you used. Is he wet or sticky? The first thing I can think to do is to spray him w/clean water until you're sure he's fully rinsed off. Sorry, I know that you're afraid that you'll run the risk of further upsetting him, but you can't leave the stuff on him if it's that bad. Second, my grey is molting right now & he's molting white down as well as small black feathers. So maybe this isn't as scary as it looks, but just coincidentally the right time of the year. Clean him off as gently as he'll let you if you're certain he didn't take another bath on his own. Then coddle the heck out of him. Apologize often. Feed him the best treats you can find & see if you can "jolly" him out of this. Above all, try to stay calm so your stress doesn't add to his. Then let us know how he's doing afterwards. Maybe the members can suggest something less traumatic for his next bath.

Absolutely! It doesn't matter whether you can carry a tune in a basket or not. Let's face it, they aren't the sweetest sounding birdies in the branches. Maybe they're even a little tone deaf. But hey, as long as it works, right? Phenix was a howling growler when he came home. As soon as he thought anyone was about to approach him he'd start & keep getting louder the closer they came. It's one thing to talk calmly & soothingly to an upset critter. But let's just say it's counter productive if you have to yell so they can actually hear you. After a couple of weeks of being drowned out by threats of death & bodily harm, I was getting a little desperate to find another approach. Since I can't whistle, at all, I just started to sing at some point. All these years later I can still remember being as surprised as you sound by his reaction. I think a lot of people think we're joking when we suggest they sing to their new fids. But they can be amazingly receptive to it.

Aahh, now that's the $64,000 question. Don't know You've gotten input from people who obviously have different parronting styles & have gotten different results w/birds who all have different personalities. I don't raise babies. I glue the pieces back together. That's usually about negotiating w/the dark & twisty side of a grey's psyche. It means navigating thru normal grey control issues that are out of control. This is a place where I've found it beneficial to let them have some control on my terms & it's consistently proven to be a win win w/my guys. Whatever works best for both of you. If at some point that changes, try to be aware so you can make adjustments before it actually becomes an issue. Meanwhile, it doesn't sound like you need to fix anything that's not broken. You both seem to be happy campers & that's pretty greyt.

I don't think I understand why you feel the need to apologize for anything. I am so impressed w/the fact that this little baby looks to be thriving when you had no experience or warning before you got him. You've done everything you needed to do & that fat little beauty is proof that you've done one heck of a job so far!! I'm rooting for you guys, big time! I think everyone else is, too. Please keep the pictures & updates coming. And yes ...how about a name?

One, I'll always applaud anyone for looking to adopt an older grey or any other breed. But you didn't mention what type...? So one of the first things that popped into my mind was would there be a possibility that there would be hormonal or mating issues here. In which case, there may also be less bonding w/the parronts, as well. So that would probably be something to consider before you go any further. Two, and this is absolutely just my opinion, I'd say wait & enjoy Sam a while longer. I'm sure he'd tell you he deserves it. But it will allow the whole flock more time to develop a relationship w/each other. Also, it will give you a better understanding of how one grey fits into your lives before you sign up for another & particularly what direction Sam looks like he's taking. Greys can be real slow movers when it comes to unpacking their baggage. Sam was very afraid when he moved in. So that might mean that he's still got a good bit of personality that you haven't yet discovered. Which might be an important factor for future adoptions.

I don't know much about babies because I'm for re-homing. I know it's not for everyone. But if you're someone who has the personality to work w/a bird who needs a new home, the rewards are great & there are just so many in serious need. This bird isn't far from you & wouldn't be hard to visit. Who knows if you'll have an immediate reaction, good or bad that may make the decision for you. But either way, I think it would be a very good place to start.

Not sure why you posted the link you did? I almost missed the good part! Worth the effort to find the great link for the salad, though. http://www.featheredfitness.com/cat/Seven+Layer+Salad.html

Once in a while I'll honor the request to hang out. Especially if I know they might have been getting less free time for some reason. I'll still have them step up & have a conversation first. I always use my words for in & out of the cage & let them know I'm being a wonderful parront here. Hey, I'll never know what they really understand & if nothing else, it's giving them some extra face time. lol The rest of the time starts the same way but ends w/some extra cuddling then in they go. I usually put a treat in the cages beforehand & when someone's reluctant to go in, I make it a point of putting them directly onto the cup. I also try to get back by the cage for some extra attention afterwards. If I didn't put anything in the cages, I make it a point to go get the problem child's favorite. Then make sure they see me spend a minute w/everyone else while they get theirs. Then I go back to the problem child like nothing ever happened. So far, so good. I'm very grateful to say we don't usually have any real drama about this.

Your pics make it seem as though it's always bright & sunny where you live & everyone's always happy. I know that can't be, but it's a nice thought, anyway!

One thing that you can do to help w/the cage vs room size is to look for dome top cages or cages that have more interior height. Most greys are supposed to prefer to have space to travel sideways vs up & down. But I think the most important thing is enough overall room & a good cage layout. You can get cages that have an interior height of 4 ft or more if you look.

Most birds can be amazingly quick but lovebirds are some of the quickest! Really so glad to hear that this ended well. I also think it's a statement to how bonded Oboe is to you. No matter how he treats you.

Your relationship w/Shadow will always be a work in progress. Just when you think you've learned the rules, they'll change. It's a grey thing. They insist on being in control. But you are doing a super job w/her!! You aren't pushing or taking it personally. You are continuing to learn by observation & reading & you are definitely making progress. Way to go!!

I've looked. That's actually on the cheap side for a store bough aviary of that size. :eek: Janet, I really like the size & the dimensions being long enough to allow some nice flight. Also low enough to fetch down anyone who's reluctant to come in when playtime is over. But I'm not seeing much by way of info on spacing & finish. Did I miss something? Doesn't look like it would be hard to assemble. You could maybe put a tarp over at least part of it like Delma mentioned. I'm a little paranoid about escape, though. The one other thing I personally would like to have in an outdoor aviary is double doors. That is if I could have an outdoor aviary, which just isn't practical here. sigh I'm going to be very jealous when you get one.

Hey, Stranger! Looks like your flock has been growing up nicely since we've heard from you. And the "baby", too. Can't believe how big she's getting or how adorable! Really good to see a post from you. Bet you've got some stories to tell. Hope you'll be catching us up.

lol Now it's official, Paul. Welcome to the family little grey!

Sweet potatoes are our friends. Very good nutrition for both fids (furry & feathered) & their parronts. We eat them often around here & they're in a lot of the bird mashes that I make. The link ref'd is a longish article that some might like to read, but these are some of the relevant highlights. "Sweet potatoes are actually a completely different vegetable than regular potatoes. They are not even in the same botanical family... The most well-known of the sweet potatoes is probably the vegetable that most people refer to as a "yam"... Sweet potatoes do not appear to place our blood sugar at risk as much as their more common counterpart, potentially because they are about twice as high in dietary fiber as ordinary Russet Burbank white baking potatoes, and this doubled fiber slows down digestion and the release of sugar... Like potatoes, sweet potatoes are a very good source of vitamin C, and a good source of copper, fiber, vitamin B6, and potassium. While potatoes are a good source of manganese, sweet potatoes are a very good source of this trace mineral and a good source of iron... The vitamin C and beta-carotene in the sweet potatoes work as powerful antioxidants to help eliminate free radicals, molecules that damage cells and cell membranes and which are associated with the development of conditions such as colon cancer, atherosclerosis, and diabetic heart disease... Unlike potatoes, sweet potatoes do not contain nightshade alkaloids...and these substances can sometimes provoke allergy-related symptoms. The nightshade alkaloids are completely avoided with a change from baking potatoes to sweet potatoes because sweet potatoes are not part of the nightshade family. Although not clearly demonstrated in research, a switch from potatoes over to sweet potatoes might be especially helpful for individuals with inflammatory joint-related problems like rheumatoid arthritis." http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=69

That makes you a loving parront. Ok, well maybe just a slightly crazy parrot person who has actually been driven to use the word "hoarderseque". But only slightly & we think that's a good thing around here

You've done all the right things & it's come out all wrong. She's doing everything wrong & it sounds like things are working out fine by her standards. That really stinks! But you don't want to be her once the Karma hits the fan. While you are socking mega good Karma away by the boat load. Waiting is not fun. But maybe you're waiting for something a lot better than you realize. E-hugs.

^^^ At the time, I was a little focused on your baby's needs. But I'm kind of glad that Cupid reminded me of how impressed I was that you braved any possible negativity to do whatever was necessary for him. I also think that you deserve props for the way you handled this!! How are you & the baby doing?

Your roommate may have had parrots before, but that doesn't make him a good parront. ** N E V E R** H I T** A** B I R D .** N E V E R .** Sorry, but there is no gray area here & I can't stress that enough! They are much too fragile emotionally & physically & they have absolutely no tolerance for it. Your fid has literally had it's whole life turned inside out. She'll always need to be allowed to tell you what she can & can't handle. But this is one of the most important times for her to know that she has some control over things so that she can feel safe enough to start interacting w/the new household. Biting is her only defense at this point because no one is listening when she tells them she needs them to stop what they're doing. It's not at all surprising that she's scared & shaking so soon after having been moved. But she shouldn't be constantly trembling. That means she can't handle how much she's being stressed & it needs to stop in order to gain her trust so she can start to want to become part of the new flock. She already has a history of being shy, easily terrified & self mutilating. How would you approach a 3 year old child w/that description? Because, yes they are at least that intelligent in many ways. Please give your new grey a chance to acclimate to everything. Spend time talking, singing, reading to her & being around her doing quiet things like being on the computer, reading or watching TV. Feed her treats often & interact w/her most often without actually handling her for a while. Talk to her in a quiet & reassuring way especially when her body language says she's afraid. Always walk away before she starts to stress out. "A while" may mean days or even weeks since this has started out to be so difficult for her. Your roommate's introduction will have set her back quite a bit & won't be forgotten, ever. But it is a very good sign that she's eating & vocalizing. Hopefully she will stop shaking constantly. Eventually, she should be willing to come out of her cage on her own & start to explore her new home. That's when she'll have settled in enough to start to gain her trust & maybe start to handle her a little more often. Working with, not training, a grey takes time. They are not like other parrots. They are very emotional & incredibly intelligent. That can be a wonderful combination until things go sideways. This forum can really help you understand what things make the difference & how to build a healthy relationship with your new bird. Please read thru these links in particular & as many others as you can. And please don't hesitate to post any questions or stories, no matter how long. http://www.greyforums.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=220&catid=5&Itemid=4 http://www.greyforums.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=26&catid=5&Itemid=4 http://www.greyforums.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=213&catid=5&Itemid=4

Wherever little grey has been certainly looks to have agreed w/her. She's kind of magnificent. It's wonderful that she's actually come home to you. Hope this is the beginning of a very long & beautiful story. And I hope I can stop getting all teary eyed whenever I read about it. I'm just that happy for all of you!

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!! Happy Dance!!!! I don't think Wednesday would be all that bad a name for your new fid. Of course Kismet has a nice ring too. What do you think?

Congratulations, now the fun begins. lol Too bad he doesn't like the TOP pellets very much. I sprinkle the "dust" over new things some times. You can try feeding it at different temperatures. Or try pouring some fruit juice over it. I got Phenix started by mixing it heavily w/apple sauce at first. Anything I want to introduce Kura to works best mixed in oatmeal. A little peanut butter or palm oil mixed into warm mash can be the bird equivalent of putting ketchup on everything. Some people think that's a good thing. I don't know if you made a lot. But if you freeze it in small portions, you can get creative & not have to waste anything. Greyt start, though. He did eat some & he didn't even fling it at you.

Congratulations! Greyt that you've finally been able to commit to the fid that you've wanted for so long. I hope you both have a long & happy life together. I hope you find a lot if useful information on GF. I hope you won't be shy about asking questions or telling us about your adventures w/Elvis. And you don't have to worry about being much of a writer. Especially if you say it w/pictures!!!