birdhouse

These cages are apparently much more popular in Europe. I'm in the US & if you can find one, they're HQ model number, whatever. Unfortunately, I don't remember the model. The New Jersey Cage looks like the same inches overall except the inside height. I measured mine from the top of the floor grate to the bottom of the arch's crown (if that makes sense). My cage does look a little shorter, inside but I think the New Jersey is the closest to the one Phenix is in. I'd go for the biggest one you can afford, but either model should be fine.

Looks like that's the one.

I have 2 of these & love them. I got the one you've shown & thought it was small for my TAG with toys & perches. So, my Quaker's in it. She's a very busy (& messy) bird, so it's just right for her. Phenix is in the next size up. The inside dimensions are 21” deep x 34” wide x 44” high. The actual height is 63” high. It seems to be just right for him. http://www.greyforums.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=18598&d=1277875779 abbie21187, I've only seen stock pics of that style cage. It's really nice looking in your photo!!

I don't know, but Phenix & Kura do it, too. There are ways to get around it, though. I make sure none of the perches are where they'll be in the line of fire, which helps. But Phenix, especially will hang out on his cups. I've got locking cups & figured out where he doesn't really like to hang out so they'll stay the cleanest. I just have the locking stainless cups, because I like them best for ease of use & sanitizing. But this is a list of choices that may work for you with Murphy. http://www.kingscages.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=Cup_Cover http://www.mysafebirdstore.com/CUPS_BOWLS-STAINLESS_STEEL_BOWLS.html http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754659 http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=5059+5950+5995&pcatid=5995 http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=5059+5950+11589&pcatid=11589

I don't have one, but what a little cutie!!

I've been missing you, too. Hope all is well & you're back on GF soon.

lol Slow, deep breaths! "Better living through chemistry" is a great concept until you actually start reading the labels, yeah? The good news is you don't have to live like a caveman to be bird or people safe. You can still even use laundry detergent (no phosphates, please!). Just try to understand what you're putting into yours & you fid's environment & be aware of the really harmful things.

Phenix cost me $185, which was more than I could afford at the time. Then he turned out to have chronic health problems. I spent a fortune on vet bills over the next year. Upwards of $600! ...yeah, I couldn't resist. That was 20+ years ago. He was a rescue thru a bird shop. Knowing how badly off he was, the shop owner had taken him. He took my deposit on the condition that I could prove that I could handle the bird. Every time I came to visit, he did everything he could to talk me out of it. So did Phenix, for that matter. Zoom, and anybody else... There's no question that "second hand" birds aren't for everyone. But the joy of seeing a rescue become a happy, healthy fid can be just as wonderful as watching a fledgling grow up. In some ways, even more rewarding. There are so many "bargains" out there who just need a safe & loving home.

Any or all listed, in varing degrees, depending on the chemicals. Household products that the bird can inhale can be bad for them (truth be told they may not be all that great for us, either). Also those that don't thoroughly rinse off whatever surface a bird may come into contact with. They may be absorb thru skin contact or by mouthing the surface. Most of us seem to use Dawn dish washing detergent for cups & plastic toys. It does a good job & would appear to rinse squeaky clean. Most people are focused on what to clean the cage with because the bird is obviously in the most contact with it. Cages can be cleaned regularly with vinegar & water & occasionally steam cleaned. Honestly, I don't find I need anything else. I have read that vinegar & hydrogen peroxide are a serious disinfectant combo. But that will produce fumes in the short term, so the bird shouldn't be around it until it's been well rinsed. Bleach & water can be easily rinsed from hard surfaces, is very effective. But it does have toxic fumes that linger, short term. Aside from the smell, vinegar is actually a good all around cleaner for daily use. I clean the fridge with it, pour some in the toilet bowl & use it for many hard surface clean ups. Baking soda, whitening toothpaste or salt can sometimes be used in place of say, Comet. Baking soda & vinegar can be good for slow drains, before they clog. Some say people recommend Simple Green. Salt & citrus juice (lemon or lime) are a great rust remover. These are some of the things that may take a little more elbow grease & may not smell as nice but are safer for the fids & may be the parronts, too! Hope it helps.

Sure sounds like kismet. I'll keep my fingers crossed for both of you. btw, my guys always give me the cold shoulder when I come home... in between manic bouts of "I missed you" behavior. Always got to keep me in my place!

Phoebe needs to learn to get around as best as her disability will allow. That's a process that will take time & meanwhile, she's no doubt scared & frustrated. Probably at least a little dinged up, too. My ekkie couldn't get around a normal cage when she came home because she'd been kept in a tiny cage her whole life. I had to start her in a very small cage & let her develop the muscles & coordination to get around it, before transferring her into eventually 3 progressively bigger cages. I also have an ancient tiel who started falling off his perches at night. I have set up the cage as much like a real tree as possible. There are many small branches, with lots of little ends, anchored from all sides of the cage. There's barely enough space for him to move around in between them, which is just right for him to always be able to find foot & beak holds & to be able to cradle anywhere. Maybe it will help to do something like this for Phoebe. Good luck!

I've got a grey that almost qualifies for 25 yrs together. But I've got a tiel that does & well, he's gray... Phenix & I have only been together for 22 yrs, now. There are no baby pics because Phenix was already who knows how old when he arrived (est's 8-35 yo). There aren't even any welcome home pics because he was a rescue with issues & still hates cameras. Sundance & I go back about 27 yrs. Pretty much the same story there when it comes to pics.

I seriously want a mini macaw! Always have. But all my birds find me & for some reason no macaws ever have The big ones take my breath away. But I don't think I'd ever have owned one unless it was my only bird. Never get tired of being around them, though.

... what he said!!

Me, too. I've rehab'd some really aggressive Conures & that just seems to be what it has always come down to. I know this is really frustrating & I'm sorry that you spent a ton of money on a bogus bird trainer. But it's not too late to start over. Maybe I've been lucky, but the Conures I've worked with can "get over it" better than some Greys for instance who seem more easily scarred for life. There are a lot of people who think highly of Good Bird, Inc. Barbara Heidenrich has a pretty good rep in a lot of circles. She has a website & training courses that you might find helpful. There's also a book which a few of the forum members have been really impressed with called "The Parrot Problem Solver". I've literally just picked it up & have only just skimmed thru it. The first thing I noticed was like 85% of the listings in the table of contents was aggression related. Maybe this would be a good place for you & your fiance to start.

Oh, Sanggay! So sorry! I was going thru the post thinking how great Kilaya was going to look in a couple of months with you. He was already starting to look much better. Live long & prosper Kilaya.

Buster is going thru a lot of conflict right now. Parrots are genuinely emotional & Greys are also some of the most intelligent. I think this shut down is just his way of processing everything. The One left with no warning. It's a great, great joy that he's come back. But every time he walks out the door, there's nothing to say that he won't get lost again. When The One left, you came into Buster's life & he may still associate you with losing The One. In spite of that, you've formed a special, albeit different bond with him. Buster would likely have turned on you, pretty much completely, otherwise. I think Buster is trying to cope. He's obsessing & kind of traumatized. Normal, as you've both known it, is gone. For now, Buster's obvious focus is seeing that The One comes home anytime he leaves the house. That really should fade once The One comes home enough times to convince Buster that he won't be getting lost again. Then, you can all start to recreate a new normal. Meanwhile, maybe you could treat Buster as though you didn't know the reason for his change of behavior...? Maybe try working with him as if he was suddenly going thru one of those inexplicable life changes that Greys experience & work to reinforce your bond with him. Then there's the real challenge. You didn't say which of you would be keeping Buster when The One moves on. If Buster's yours now, then The One needs to recognize that he's raising havoc with yours & Buster's bond. He's also setting up a serious potential problem down the road. I just don't see how you can all move forward in good way without you 2 working out an understanding about how best to keep from messing with Buster's head as little as possible. His diet, on the other hand, can probably take it And for what it's worth, I think you've been super considerate of everyone else involved & I think you deserve some real big Kudos!! I think it might be a little hard to have to step back after all that greyt work with Buster. But, if it helps, I've come to think Greys aren't so much fickle as complex. I really think Buster will come back around, after he works thru the emotional overload.

It's always a little traumatic when a fid breaks a blood feather! Sorry no one was around to help when this happened. But it sounds like you did a really greyt job handling it!! And it is usually best to go to the vet when in doubt. I'm really glad to read you & Buddy are fine!!

Day late & a dollar short... but no shortage of enthusiasm & well wishes!!! H A P P Y _B I R T H D A Y_ J U D Y ! ! ! ... AND MANY, MANY MORE!

Phenix always mumbles a new word under his breath until he's ready to say it out loud. And he's not ready to debut new words until they're crystal clear. But I've always figured a new word counts as soon anyone could understand it. So, Alright, Murphy!! Congratulations!! :cool:

Very sorry to hear about Jimpster! But like everyone's said, don't give up. If you haven't already, you might post on any other bird boards, especially the quaker forums and 911 Parrot Alert http://www.911parrotalert.com/ It's extremely congested with predators & raptors here, also. But escapees have still started a few ferel Quaker colonies. They're tough, smart & quick little guys. So, Jimpster might just have a lot better odds than you'd think! After they take off in all that excitement, lots of times escaped birds can't find their way home. You might also try putting Brutus outside or near the windows. On the off chance Jimpster might hear Brutus & get his bearings. You did say they have a love/hate relationship, but they're still flock mates & it maybe it will help.

LOL!! Congratulations on your new grey, soon-to-be baby & foal!!! I'm guessing you'll have some great stories to tell, if you can find any spare time to post them. I'd really love to hear about Kouki & Jewel's diary. And I'm sure there will be some super pics when the camera gets back from the shop... although I'm very surprised to hear you could even fix it after it got stepped on by a Percheron!

It's been a pretty poor Spring, here. So, it's really glorious to finally have nice enough weather to get the fids out!!!! If it helps Munch, I try to introduced my fids to the world a little at a time. My deck goes around an addition. I set a cage into the corner where they can only see out about 90 degrees. Then I put a towel over the cage & limit what they see overhead. So, they have a safe hidey place, to start. Usually, I just sit & read next to the cage for the first couple of outings. Eventually I move the cover back, then start actively doing things on the deck. Eventually, start moving the cage more into the open. And eventually, they get more interested than afraid of everything. I take some of them for trips with me sometimes, too. Just little visits to friends houses. It seems to help give them more confidence in new situations.

Welcome, Paige. Very glad to hear you rescued Chipper! I hope this is the beginning of a very long happy relationship for all of you. Five weeks is still in the adjustment stage for a grey of that age. Especially if he's only belonged to the one home for that whole time. It doesn't sound like he's been treated too badly, because you haven't said anything about aggressive or scared behaviors. So, maybe you've just got to give Chipper a little more time to settle in. Then, he may start displaying a larger human vocabulary. In the meantime, grey sound effects are pretty entertaining, too. :cool: It's also a good sign because it means he's actively aware of his new home, but isn't trying to go unnoticed. Chipper's saying "Shut up!" may stop entirely. After a while, Greys tend to stop using words they don't hear & don't get any response to. Hope you find a lot of helpful info posted here. And if you have questions, stories or pictures, please post away!!

All kinds of things that you don't necessarily want to know. It's supposed to be bird safe after it cures, but they all have some amount of zinc, among other things. Also, it's a myth that stainless steel is rustproof & parrot cages aren't made from that high a quality stainless, anyway. And part of what makes stainless steel resist rusting is surface treatment. They do tend to rust a lot more slowly than normal wrought iron cages & many of them tend to be more heavy duty, in general. Sadly, this isn't a problem that's limited to macaws. My Quaker drives me nuts chewing on the bars of her cage. I think she likes the sound & it somehow mega satisfies her need to chew. The only thing that works for her is to put a new, intimidating toy in the area she's currently intent on chewing. Eventually, she works up the nerve to approach the toy & forgets the bars for a while. It would be really great if someone has a better solution.