Lyric

This is wonderful news. You and Smokey are meant to be together! I hope you are liking your new job as well.

Congo is a real beauty- I like that close-up shot!

Very cute! She looks like she is laughing!

Wonderful pictures, thanks for sharing!

It is a great picture. Please be careful though I do believe that birds can get sick from reptiles- maybe because the reptiles can carry samonella? I'm not 100% positive on that, maybe you already know about it, if not you may want to check into it. Sally is looking very cool and relaxed!

Oh how sweet! Do you have any names in mind yet? I have a friend that has a mini long haired chihuahua and she is just adorable. She is so tiny she can fit in one hand. Have fun when you get to bring her home.

I'm so proud of you too! You should still always supervise the dogs and bird when together but it is great that you can now all relax and even nap together without incident or stress! Great photos! Karma to you for all your hard work and achievements!<br><br>Post edited by: Lyric, at: 2008/11/11 21:22

You could call it the "Do It Yourself" Room. Great idea. One of the other forums I check out occasionally has a do-it-yourself room and there are always great ideas there. Don't forget that the baby section of stores is a great place to look for inexpensive bird toys and parts, also the dollar store. I got a whole package of wiffle balls to make toys out of for a dollar at mine. I had just bought a toy made out of one for much more than a dollar. I might try making a foraging toy out of one, stuff it full of goodies for Lyric to pull out and investigate.

Hi Pam, welcome to the forum. I know you can learn a lot from this site so have a look around and let us know if you think of any questions.

Hi Redkim, glad you've joined us! It's really great that you are planning this out, doing your research and not rushing into anything. I know your grey will be a lucky bird when you find the one for you.

I started handfeeding on Saturday. They are both doing just great. It took a couple of feeds for them to catch on but now they have it figured out. Here's a picture from Sunday at 23 & 21 days old. They just got done eating and are a bit messy but I had to share the photo because you can already see their personalities coming through...

Thanks so much for the info. That is a good price- best one I've seen so far. Talon, maybe in time your greys will decide the net looks like fun.

My TAG is now 2 yr 3 months old and he doesn't talk. He whistles very good and makes the sound of the microwave beeping and the sounds that he hears my other greys making. Of course I do love him more than words can say even if he never utters a single hello. I always wanted a grey for their intelligence, beauty and speaking ability... figures mine wouldn't talk. I do talk with him all the time and tell him what we're doing, what I'm giving him, etc. I even tried using the model/rival technique that Dr Pepperberg used with Alex the grey. I guess maybe one day he will surprise me but then again, maybe he will be content to never talk. It is a slight disappointment to me but I still wouldn't want to be without him- he expresses himself in other ways. I hope maybe your grey will start talking soon!

Hi Mary, it's nice that you could join the forum too. Now you'll know what all the fuss is about. I like your choices in names, very creative all of them. Sounds like a very fun household and a great family to be a part of. Welcome here!

Hi David55, welcome to the forum. Your new bird will have lots to adjust to, a new cage, new family, totally new surroundings. It will take some time for her to feel at home and figure out how to be a part of your flock. Give her time and talk sweetly to her. Open the cage door and see if she wants to come out and interact with you. Above all, take things at her pace and do not rush things. You may talk to the place or breeder you got her from and find out if she has any favorite treats and try offering her that. As Judy said, the shivering is a normal thing that greys do so do not be concerned about this. Best of luck with your new girl.

Great ideas everyone. Making your own toys can be rewarding and much cheaper than relying on store bought toys. Check out the dollar stores for cheap toy making parts. I bought a package of 5 plastic wiffle balls for $1.00 at mine. I intend to stuff one full of various items that Lyric can have fun pulling out of the holes.

It sounds like you are doing great with Kofi, enjoy this time with him while he is still young and exploring the world. I'm very excited for you that he is starting to talk already! Keep up the good work.

You can also try what I do with my TAG when he is being "bitey". If he is refusing to step up and biting a lot I will wrap my hand in a towel and then make him step up. That way if he bites it doesn't hurt me but I get the point across that he has to do what I say. I tried the whole ignoring the bite thing but he can bite hard and I tend to flinch away and he knows this. I have to use the towel less and less now, only when he is having a moment and refusing to step up for me. It works for us and keeps me from being afraid of handling him. By the way, I would also give him the bigger cage back. He might as well have a nice big cage to stay in and if he's going to be territorial, he'll do it with whatever he considers his home. Try my towel trick or using a small perch or something to save your hand and keep working on the step-ups.<br><br>Post edited by: Lyric, at: 2008/11/07 16:30

Those are really excellent photos. I need a better camera because I never can manage to get a decent shot of my bird flying and I think those photos are so cool. Hootie is a very pretty bird.

Yeah, we've gone through something very similar with Lyric. When he's in his cage and wants out he makes an "ACKKKK" sound, over and over again. It can get so annoying. You HAVE to ignore it. My boyfriend made the fatal error of letting Lyric out of his cage one night when he couldn't stand to hear the noise anymore... big mistake. Lyric of course was more insistant about the sound the next time he wanted out. I told my boyfriend "Absolutely do not let him out when he is making this noise" So now I have to train both of them all over again. You have to wait until the bird is being quiet and good or making a sound you don't mind and then reward with attention- I don't know of any other way. The sound may drive you nuts before you accomplish the goal but that's the sacrifice you have to make for your bird. Eventually you will either be able to block the sound out of your mind or the bird will move on to something else. Just know that you are not alone and the rest of the bird owned world also goes through situations like this!

Talon, where did you buy yours at? I've been looking at them too. For the price it seems like it would be better to make one yourself, but I never seem to have the extra time... I'm not really sure why they cost so much, other than the fact that people know bird owners will spend ANY amount of money to keep their fids happy...

Hello Marius, welcome here. I can't wait to hear more about Ash's homecoming, I'm sure you are excited about it and miss having a grey in your life.

What a great update. He sounds like a little angel. I'm so glad things are going smoothly for you and he is fitting into your family so well. The pictures are great and you can see that Zzero is really enjoying his playtime.

What a pretty girl. I'm excited for you and I hope her homecoming goes smoothly and she settles in nicely for you.

Hello Imraan and Buddy- we're glad you've joined us here on the forum.