birdhouse

Ekkies, in general are pretty laid back birds. But they also internalize stress so they just aren't as easy to read as some breeds. Most ekkies aren't comfortable with high energy & drama, especially the females. There are a number of people in this ekkie's world & multiple animals. If she has territorial issues with the zon, that's extra stress because she's always aware of him no matter where he is. If you're the least bit unsure around an already unsettled ekkie, it can cause problems. If you're a high energy, fast moving type person, an ekkie isn't going to be comfortable around you & it can cause problems. If you move in on an ekkie's human(s), you may certainly have a problem. They can develop extreme bonds. And again, this may even be more true of females. If you fear almost any parrot, it will mess with you, threaten you & provoke you until you leave it alone or conquer your fear. A female ekkie can have some extreme hormonal swings which aren't limited to what we classically think of as breeding season. During those times, a normally sweet & well adjusted bird can have a total personality change. (I've refered to my ekkie as a cross between a teenager with PMS & a 2 yo with an ear ache!) You're going to have to figure out the cause(s) before you can fix the problems. Given what you've posted, these are a few things that may be involved here. Does any of this seem like it may apply?

One thing about those "interesting" combinations... Phenix already really liked applesauce, banana & creamed corn. He'd been eating them "safely" for a while before I got dastardly & started to slip very small quantities of other things in. It might work better if you add very gradually to things Zak already likes however you present it to him. Which may be why the smoothie didn't work out so well. And how about trying a new tactic with the cup ...a little reverse psychology? How determined does Zak get when you tell him "no"? Maybe making him work for it before he gets anything from a cup will be extra motivation. Make sure you know he'll want what he gets when you finally "let" him have any. Put things in there that you like & know he'd really like & be interested in & don't give it to him until he's already been asking for a while. Then after a few weeks, start slipping some new stuff into the mix.

That's so great to hear! I'm so happy for you both!!

Ok... maybe not. Now that I'm thinking about it, it was broccoli buds in apple sauce. It was mashed banana & peas. Also, creamed corn with cooked, mashed carrot or orange squash (butternut, acorn, etc). ... just in case it had something to do with Grey taste buds, not Phenix personal preferences

I'm sorry the blood tests are so scary. But she's very well taken care of & that's a really big head start towards a full recovery. Hopefully, you caught it early enough to help too. When I was looking for info on Chlamydia, I found these 2 websites that I thought had a lot of information. The first is an official government site on Chlamydia. The second was full of support information & some holistic solutions that might be useful even if it's something else. http://wonder.cdc.gov/wonder/prevguid/m0053877/m0053877.asp http://www.africangreyparrotcentre.co.uk/african-grey-forum/health-issues/psittacosis/ Hope AnnaBella is better soon.

Can't you just soak them in the tub & hang them in the sun?

Ray said it! They change their minds ALL the time. So just because they don't go for it on the first try or even after you tried something for a week or two, doesn't mean they won't ever eat that food. Ranaz, have you tried corn in the husk? Also, Phenix started eating broccoli because I cut off the buds & sprinkled them into other foods & mashed them into one of his favs - banana. Morana, maybe if you offered the veggies just a little warmed up. Or maybe with some palm oil or fruit juice poured over them? Just barely wipe a little peanut butter on them? Maybe some apple sauce?

If he doesn't want to approach a whole box, you could cut it into pieces & string them. You might also use small boxes to start & put a bell inside. Also any food Zak likes or maybe some popcorn so the smell might want to make him rip into it. And yes, my guys scratch around a lot, too.

This was probably for the best, but I'm still sorry to hear it.

Biscotti is one of the names I just really liked when I saw it. I like it even more, now that I know where it came from.

LOL Great car alarm, Cocoa! I thought you'd set it off until the second vid.

Oh yes, they're my fav!! Sometimes you can find them at Christmas Tree Shop or Ocean State Job Lot for even cheaper. Also, I have microfiber mitts. They were supposed to be for dusting, but they turned out to be pretty good for cages, too. I think I got them at Walmart or a dollar store.

And, again, actually letting him eat with you can be a big enticement. They're social learners. They're always curious. They tend to have a "what's yours is mine" attitude. All of which are helpful to encourage them to try new foods. And, it's fun for some birds to drink from a cup. Phenix had a fascination with a bright orange plastic tumbler I had. I would blend together fruits that I could drink, fill the cup & sit down with him. He couldn't resist finding out what was in there. So I'd "let" him see Then I moved onto veggie blends. Although, I wasn't really drinking them

I'm reading this with tears in my eyes. I'm so sorry it's come to all this! I think you should post Yoshi everywhere you can. On Grey Forums, Craig's List, Oodle, in the newspapers, etc. You've got time constraints, so take advantage of all the outlets you can find. Some pet stores & feed & grains around here have a place to post fliers, too. I think I can guess how hard this is for you. But it happens sometimes. Again, I'm sorry & I hope you find a great match up for Yoshi.

I have a wild caught grey. I got him as a rescue. I saw how hard it was for him to make the transition to captivity. I see these stories. I'm always horrified at the cruelty & sheer numbers of birds involved. And I can imagine the life that so many of the "lucky" ones who survive will endure. Thank you, driving_fast for posting this. Awareness is the first step toward stopping it. This is an international forum of people who would have a greater appreciation of the real nature of this crime. Maybe together, we can help change the laws so that bird trafficking will finally become illegal everywhere in the world.

But until Gracie gets a clean bill of health, it may be better. If she's hiding an injury, she could make it worse. She could also do additional damage to herself if she crashed, again.

I have to agree with everyone who's suggested getting Gracie's wing checked out. Birds hide their symptoms extremely well. She may be the only one who knows she's having a problem. But she may be afraid you're going to check her out & cause more pain because of the other episodes. You were only doing what you were supposed to do, but she doesn't know that. Unfortunately, whether or not her wing's injured, apparently your relationship is. So, I think you've got the right idea about starting over. I think it's often easier to gain their trust than to re-gain it. But you have the advantage of knowing more things about Gracie than you knew in the beginning. And even though it seems likely that her current attitude towards you is trauma related, that doesn't rule out the possibility that she's going through a phase where you just don't get to be her current favorite. So, maybe the first goal is just making Gracie comfortable with you. Then, see where things go in time.

That was some kind of bonding behavior with my tiels. Theo would preen Sundance bald. The poor guy never had a crest the entire time they were together. AND he'd come back & beg for more. She'd do that to the babies, too.

LOL It's all about whatever amuses them at the moment. Great way to live if you can get it!

It is interesting to see the different names. I think this thread will be a lot of fun! Sundance, my teil swaggered around like a western outlaw. He really wanted you to think he was bad*$$. But even though the Sundance Kid was known as a great gunman, he wasn't supposed to have killed anyone until his final shootout. And it was obvious Sundance was always going to be Theo's side kick. It was love at first sight & she ruled the roost. Theo - Theodora was named after the Byzantine empress. Enough said? Phenix, my Grey, was a rescue with murky prospects. With the maroon tail, grey coloring & my hopes for his future, the mythical Phoenix almost seemed to fit. My Quaker , Charm was just simply the most charming little bird. Cute & adorable as they come. I named my Ekkie Kura because I read somewhere that it was an Aboriginal word for treasure. The perfect description from the right part of the world. I saw later where it also means treasure house in Japanese.

He'll get it. Just keep saying the same phrase whenever you see him bouncing around.

Sometimes I swear that's a built in survival mechanism. LOL I'm pretty sure it's the reason Phenix in particular has outlived some of his shenanigans.

Thank you Reggieroo & Morana. All I meant to say though, is no matter how it starts, there's going to be some pretty tough times over the course of a lifetime together. But the reward for committing to a grey can be an astonishing relationship that's so-o very worth the effort.

Phenix gave me the warm fuzzies because he's been totally into destroying this little bucket o'bits I made him. He's a "little" difficult to persuade to play with toys & he's been ignoring it since last June. Now, suddenly, it's his new favorite thing. Time + Patience = SUCCESS!!!