Lyric

It is certainly a topic that has been debated over and over and worth debating. Everyone has a different situation and what works in one household may not work in another. I for one keep my TAG flighted- seeing him fly I see the essence of birdness- I don't think I could deny him this pleasure. It may cause some inconveniences for me, but he's a bird- I feel like if I take away his right to fly I'm denying him a big part of what makes him a bird. If you do allow him to grow out his flight feathers be very mindful of the dangers of open standing water, cooking, and open doors. And other pets if you happen to have them. Lyric is not allowed out of his cage whenever I'm cooking- and when he is out I must be vigilant about watching him with my dogs and anyone coming in or out of the house. Good luck in your decision.

Potty training them is easier than you might expect. Of course, this requires you to remember that they go often and give them a chance to go in the appropriate place and praise them lots when they do it right. Every time you take the bird out of the cage, take it to the spot where you want it to go right away and tell it the command you want to use. Wait until it goes before you move on with whatever you are doing and praise praise praise in an animated way. They love this and will actively seek to make you happy by going when you request it whenever they are able to. I think some birds are able to control it better than others, yours should get the hang of it pretty quickly but just remember to give it lots of chances to go while it is out. Good luck!

Hi Kook- you don't mention how much time he gets to sleep at night. Perhaps you're keeping him up too late and he's making up for it during the day? My greys at 3 months old do take naps periodically throughout the day- I wouldn't be alarmed as long as everything else appears normal like Dan mentioned. As far as the food goes, greys can tend to be picky and go through phases- keep offering the good fruits & veggies and also try offering them in different ways- for example diced one day and shredded or cooked the next. You should try to locate an avian vet not too far from you if possible just in case of any emergencies- at least then you'll be prepared and know where to go. Most of all, have fun with your bird and enjoy your time together.

What lovely photos of AnnaBella. She is gorgeous of course! I like photo #2 best of the croc photos. Just the expression and depth in her eye- you can tell she's enjoying that croc. I like the color contrast in those pics. I also love the one with her and the blue chain. I know it doesn't show much of her but I like it, it shows her spirit and playfullness in just that bit of her face and claws. Sandy is a very pretty puppy too. Thanks so much for sharing your great talent with us. I know what you mean about ideas for new photos- I have hundreds of pics of Lyric and my other birds and dogs but eventually you'd like to do something new and original. I think you always come up with great photos, very artistic and well thought out. Keep inspiring the rest of us!

It is certainly an interesting topic. I tend to believe that the birds in our care do learn what is right/wrong in our eyes. They eventually get the fact that if they bite too hard they will get a time out and a very unhappy human. They see the consequences of their actions and have to weigh in their minds whether the action is worth the consequence. They probably do not understand what makes something right or wrong but I think they are experts at judging our reactions and respond to this accordingly. I think the example with Dayo is a good one and I truly do think he was sorry he had upset his Kim and wanted her to not be unhappy with him. They may still be wild animals but they do develop quite a level of understanding about the humans they live with. Sometimes Lyric looks at me with such deep intensity- I know we have a connection that grows deeper with time.

Thanks for the karma! Since you asked- here is Sadie girl, playing on the boing....I wish I had more time in each day to play with them all.

Wow, big picture! Looks like a blue front amazon to me- I used to have a couple.

Hello Kook and welcome to the forum. I'm glad you were able to give this grey a great new home. Can't wait to hear more about him.

Hi Zazosmommy, welcome here. You certainly have a lot of birds to keep you busy. At 6 months old your grey is still learning how to interact with his flock. He could be very frustrated if he isn't getting adequate time out of the cage for interaction with you. Try giving him more one-on-one time and see if this helps!

Hello Craig, welcome to the forum! We're glad you could join us. Jackson is certainly a handsome grey and looks very healthy and happy too.

Welcome here Pynk- glad you could join us. This really was a lucky grey that your husband happened upon him when he did. I don't know what the weather is like there but I imagine it is cold for a grey and not a lot for him to eat out on his own. He really is lovely. Thanks for all you are doing to try to reunite him with his family. I know I'd be brokenhearted if I lost any of my birds or dogs. Hopefully you'll find the family but if not then looks like he's found a great home.

Casper, I wish you did too! Then you could have your hands and head full with 4 greys!! Here's a pic of Sterling playing on Lyric's playstand. Hope you all don't get tired of seeing pics of my little greys...

What a sweetie! I bet you are so excited! I can't wait to see more pics as he grows and gets more feathers... Welcome to the forum baby Murphy!

Hello Bebomo, welcome here! I'm sure you must be excited about your baby grey. It may seem like a long wait but you can read up on them and be throughly prepared for the day when JoJo gets to come home. It's good you'll be able to bond with the bird as it grows up too!

Hello Tammy, welcome here. Sounds like you and Jim Bob have lots of fun together! He really sounds like a fun grey to have around.

Hello Chris- welcome to our little flock! I'm really happy you are doing so much investigating before bringing home your grey. They are such a big commitment but very worth the trouble! Let us know when you think of questions you may have!

I have to admit, I'm an "All my Children" fan. I don't get to watch every day but even if you miss several weeks you can still turn on and pretty much pick up where you left off. I originally became hooked on it because of the character Leo (Josh Dumahel) was so adorable- he eventually left the show and went on to do some movies and star in the show "Las Vegas". Used to watch "As the World Turns" and "Guiding Light" during the summer breaks from school with my mom. Yeah, the stories are corny, unbelievable and silly but it gives me a moment to escape from my own life and think about something else for a bit.

By the way, Sheila, love the elephant pic- I would dearly love to travel to Africa some day and go on a safari (hopefully before all the animals are gone from the wild...) I'd like to do that and also to see the pyramids in Egypt...

Hi all, how's it going? Well, I've been sick since Christmas time, had a cough that won't go away and now on top of that I've got a cold! I'm ready to begin the new year fresh again- it's no fun being sick for going on 3 weeks. Ah well- that's life I guess and I suppose once I'm feeling better I'll appreciate it all the more. Today I brought Sadie Grey to work with me all by herself. It's the first time her and Sterling have been apart and it took her a little time to settle down but now she's chilling out in Lyric's work cage and seems to be doing fine. Hopefully Sterling is in similar shape at home. I thought it might be good for both of them to have some time to themselves. Of course she is having the better end of the deal since she got to spend some extra time with me. Well, other than work, being sick, dealing with birds, cleaning house and keeping up on all the grocery shopping and chores I haven't been doing too much lately! Hope all is well with all of you.

Hello Charlene- welcome to the forum! Thanks for sharing your pic of Pepper with us, what a lovely grey.

It was a terrible lesson to learn, but I'm so glad it ended up okay. And, I'm glad that your Kim is home again and able to share her love with you and Dayo. I've learned to watch my dogs like hawks too- they are fine most of the time with my birds but if one starts wing flapping or flying it triggers a reflexive chase response in the dogs- they know they aren't supposed to do it but I don't think they can help themselves. I hope everyone will read your message and take extra special care of their feathered friends when they are around another animal.

Elmo is quite a character isn't she? I loved the videos- thanks for sharing those with us!

Very nice pictures of your babies. They are really beautiful and look so healthy.

Hi Lisa, welcome here. Thanks for sharing your story with us, sounds like you've had many wonderful greys touch your heart over the years. I'd love to hear some more about them and see some pics!

Thanks for the kind words LindaMary, and yes, Lyric does take it out on me, my hands are looking pretty rough between the bites from him and scratches from the babies sharp toenails. Plus, a few weeks ago I smashed my thumb in my garage door so a purplish black thumbnail (which I'll probably be losing before too long) doesn't add to the beauty of my hands. I definitely couldn't be a hand model for ads as George did on Seinfeld if any of you are fans... I've been happy to be able to contribute to the forum by sharing my photos of the greys as they develop. I wasn't aware of this forum when Lyric was a baby, but he's still young and going through his terrible twos, so we still have lots of growing to do together- all of us. As far as parting with my little ones, as a breeder of birds you do it with the intention of selling the babies, it just is hard for me as I get so attached to them. I really consider all my birds family so I want only the best for them. I would love for them to be able to bring as much joy to another family as Lyric gives to me, but I won't part with them unless I find the right match!