Lyric

I think what matters most is that the bird will use and enjoy the playgym and that it is safe. Also things to consider is how easy is it to keep clean, having a good tray underneath to catch the mess would be ideal. It should have some hooks or places to hang toys so the bird won't become bored with it in time.

What pretty babies- however will you make up your mind :whistle: ? They look so happy out together like that too. I don't know how that breeder can handle that many flying babies- I have my hands full with just two fledglings! I'd say your baby will be just fine without a towel on the bottom of the cage. You may put one perch down kind of low just to give it the option to perch lower if it choses, but most prefer to be up as high as possible. Have fun and let us know how it goes!

Great pictures of Ana, glad to know she's enjoying the net. What size of net did you end up getting and where did you purchase yours from? Lyric's been bugging me for a new place to play...after putting up with sharing my attention with Sadie Grey and Sterling I think he deserves it too!

Hi Anthea, welcome here! I hope you and Harry are getting along well and you are enjoying your new companion!

Beautiful pics, thanks for sharing! I just love your giant dog! Is Koigi dna'd a female or do you know the sex for sure?

Hello Terry! Glad you've joined the forum. Seems like you're thinking this through and weighing the pros and cons and that is just what you need to do. A bird is certainly a big commitment but all of us have found it is one that is definitely worth the trouble! And yes, owning a parrot does mean dealing with poo! I'm sure you'll make the right decision for your situation. Let us know what questions you may have.

Those are really great! Glad to hear you are enjoying your new companion!

Hi cf737! Welcome to the forum. It's really great you are considering the future and what will happen to your grey when you go back to school. Even if your mom doesn't want to handle your grey, having her in the same room with him will keep him company when you aren't around. As far as male or female, either would be great. Each bird is an individual and will have it's own personality. I'd say, visit the babies and see if one of them choses you! Let us know how things go!

Hello and welcome to the forum! We're glad you've joined our little flock. Pogo is a cute name for a grey!

I'm scared of falling- I have great fear anytime we have a sheet of ice on the ground- I either won't leave the house, or have to have someone escort me letting me hold onto them. I don't know why it scares me so much- not like I'd kill myself if I ended up slipping and fell on my butt... Bugs and mice don't get me too bad- I don't like mice in the house but outside my house they are welcome to live their own lives. It really is interesting to hear what others have to say about this topic!

As funny as it is, that is one great photo, I wish I could get great action shots like that! I feel sorry for the poor baby....

Hi all! Hayley, how exciting about your new too- I can't believe his diet though, poor fella, no wonder he was plucking feathers. I'm sure you'll sort him out in no time! I'm finally feeling back to myself again. I was terrible sick last Wednesday so I finally broke down and saw a doctor Thursday- they told me I had bronchitis and a bacterial infection. After a round of antibiotics and a couple days off work I'm now on the road to recovery. It's nice to be well again. Other than that I've been busy with the animals, (as usual!) and just life in general. Funny how wrapped up in the every day tasks of life we can become. Well I'm glad it's Friday and although I have no big plans for the weekend, I'm happy and looking forward to a couple days at home. Hope everyone is doing alright!

Looks like you had a great time visiting with their flock. Thanks for sharing, the birds are beautiful.

Hello Jacquie- welcome here! I love the name Frodo for a grey, and yes, I am a Lord of the Rings fan! You mention this is your first grey, but have you had any other birds in the past? I look forward to hearing more about Frodo and how he came to live with you.

Yep- listen to the words of wisdom from all the members on this forum. Please don't take the baby home before it is weaned. It will save that breeder lots of time and trouble to send the baby home with you at 4 weeks but is the baby's life worth risking for that? If you are worried about bonding with the bird, visit it as it is growing and spend some time with it each week. In the meantime, prepare yourself and your home for the new arrival. Read all you can and let the anticipation grow!

Congratulations on your new baby girl. I had a blue front named Annie, I called her Anna Banana as a nickname, she was a real sweetheart. I like the name Tinkerbell too- that's really cute.

He's just gorgeous- thanks for sharing that!

Hi ConnieLu, sounds like your baby is growing up! They definitely will go through phases where they test you to see what they can get by with. What is your reaction to her when she bites? You need to calmly tell her " no bite" and put her right back into her cage and walk away. Make her take a "time-out" inside the cage and ignore her for 10 minutes or so, then try again. If she bites again, do the same thing. Eventually she should get the message that if she wants to be with you she will have to behave herself. Best of luck to you, going through this phase in their lives takes patience, but you will eventually get through it. She may not ever be as loving as she was as a baby though, lots of greys out grow this and become a little more aloof towards people.

Some people have great experiences adding another bird to their flock, but here's my little experience with Lyric. Lyric is about 2 1/2, I've raised him from 3 weeks old. He was the only chick in his clutch that hatched and although he sees my other birds hasn't had real interaction with them. This fall I had two baby greys hatch from one of my pairs. I thought it might be a good experience for Lyric to get to interact with some other greys. I started letting him see them when they were very little and when they were a little older I began letting them have interactions with Lyric. I would take all three out together and feed them meals together on the same table. Right from the beginning Lyric was leery of the babies and seemed quite scared of them. I thought he would become accustomed to them in time. It really didn't work out that way at all. Once the two babies fledged, they began to chase Lyric flying throughout the house. He became quite terrified of them and would fly away from them screeching- this seemed to bring out some aggression in one of the babies and he would get quite wound up, confronting Lyric and chasing him whenever he got the chance. I had to stop letting them all out at the same time- I didn't want Lyric to hurt himself flying around in a panic all over the house. Also I was afraid if they stood off with one another one might get injured. So this is an example where two birds might not necessarily get along. I don't want to discourage you from getting another bird if you truly want one, just be sure you'll have enough time to devote to each even if it is done at separate times. One more note to add- the two that have been raised together get along just fine with each other and never have any problems, perhaps my problems with Lyric stemmed from the fact that he was an only chick?

Good to meet you Shannonzee, I'm glad you came back around to this forum. There are lots of creative people on here and I'm sure you'll find some new ideas for toys and games to play with your fids too.

Welcome to the forum John, you are in my neck of the woods so to speak. Jake is certainly a handsome grey, I love the picture of him. It's so sad when they start chewing feathers isn't it? All the foraging toy ideas are great, also do you leave a tv or radio on for Jake while you are gone? Try having a little talk with him and explain to him that you love him so much but he must be patient with you while you have to be gone at work. I know this may sound silly, but I think he'll listen and have some understanding of what you are trying to tell him. Also, is there anyway you could have someone come by during the times you are gone and spend some time with him? I hope things get better and you find you are able to find more time to be with him and less time at work. After 11 years together I'm sure you two must be the best of friends. I look forward to hearing more about you and Jake.

Hello Dibblm, welcome here. Yes, TAGS can be very outgoing and friendly, and willingly go to more than one person. I'd say whomever raised your bird did a great job of socializing him. Some are this way naturally and others, well, they aren't. You may find as your grey gets older it will begin to test the waters a bit and may begin to show a preference for one person over another. Hopefully it will stay sweet and friendly for everyone in your family but chances are it will change a little as it matures.

Hi Linda, welcome to the forum. I think the others have pretty much stated it all- you don't have to have a grey to be welcome here, but you just have to listen to the rest of us crazy bird lovers talk on and on about birds! It certainly is a big decision for you to make regarding whether or not you have time to devote to keeping a grey happy & entertained and safe in a house full of dogs. They can coexist happily but in your case it may mean seperate time-outs like the others have suggested. Greys and other birds cannot be relied on to stay in one place of safety- flighted or not, sometimes their curiosity just leads them to places they shouldn't be. I know you'll make the right decision, let your heart tell you the answer and read around on this forum regarding the needs of an African grey.

They do go through different phases in their development and it takes lots of patience, consistancy and love to get through some of these issues. I have found that the distraction technique works well for me with picking up a bird that likes to bite and also for getting them back into their cage. Take something novel for instance your coffee cup. Let the bird look at and touch the item and while they are distracted by it do the step up- then while they are still looking at it and touching it whisk them away and into the cage. Sometimes they never know what happened. Remember our birds are very intelligent but also like 2-3 year old children- they are easily fooled if you know what you are doing. I hope this might help you a little in dealing with your BoBo. As far as the screaming goes, it can be hard to deal with but the best thing is really just to ignore the behavior. Any kind of acknowledgement or reaction from you will only reinforce it and make it worse. Please know that things will get better with time!

That is great! Poor baby, having to have surgery at that age. It's good the problem was taken care of though. I am happy for you that the tests came back okay. Let us know if you have a little baby boy or girl when you find out!