Janfromboone

I went to your websit mytoos.com. Very scary stuff. I personally know people who have had those type of experiences and yet they loved and tried to be good parents to their birds.

Funny. My mother said to me yesterday, you should get that bird insured. I had never thought about it. I'll be watching this post to see what others say. I think you can insure almost anything for a price.

Loved your videos of Koko. So nice to see a flighted Grey outside. She doesn't seem to mind the harness does she.

When Tobie wants to come to me he uses the "step up" command. I guess I know who is in charge around here.

Thanks so much for sharing your post. It was really good news that there were some specific things you could do to help the problem. It helped us all to know what type of things can cause plucking. Thanks

When I brought Tobie home, I admit I didn't know much about Greys and did not do the research that you have done. I had never been around a grey like you have. It has been an amazing adventure for me in spite of my ignorance at the time. I've got to tell you that whatever I was expecting, Tobie has been so much more. Tobie was a hand raised baby though and we grew togeather learning from each other. It might have turned out quite different if I started out with a bird with vices and emotional baggage.

Tobie likes anything, but my husband has quite a collection of blues and he seems to like that. I have some country and Tobie likes Toby Keith. I don't suppose the name has anything to do with it.

That one would be hard to top. Tobie isn't quite that snuggly. My favorite thing about Tobie is his sence of humor. Today he was going "aaaahhhhh" and flipping over upside down. I played along and said "careful don't fall" with alarm in my voice. He lets go and now is dangling with one foot going "aaaaaawwwwwww". He's just too funny. That picture of your bird snuggling up is just soooo sweet!!! Good looking fella too!!!

Thanks for your comments. Food for thought! :laugh:

give yourself a break. He's got to learn sometime that many things have two names. I've done the same thing. Tobie has named me "big bird", but I'm also Mommy or Mama or Jan. I think he got confused and just gave me the name "big bird".

One reason I ask, is that Tobie having made it through a very heavy molt seems to be craving protein. He loves eggs, fish and most any meat. Tonight he ignored his fruits and veggies and kept looking at my plate and stretching his neck toward my plate. I cut a peice of rib eye and he held it in his foot and devoured it - a pretty big chunk. If feathers are made of protein it seems that during a molt a bird might need more protein. Another thing I've thought about is their beaks are shaped like a hawk, buzzard or other birds of prey and not like a nuthatch, chickadee, cardinal or other seed eater. My pellets though have oats, wheat, corn and vitamins and minerals. Odd, don't you think.

One of the things I most enjoy about having an african grey is their ability to pop out new words or phrases in a very appropriate situation. I can just hear him, Oooook!

Thanks for enjoying the video, Tobie is my best subject for videos. Such a cutie.

I want to know how the "experts" know what the ideal diet for an african grey is. Apparently they are so reclusive that there have been no real videos or studies of them in the wild except the videos we've all seen of the locals netting them. How do "they" know what the birds eat then? I've read that the greys need more calcium and less protein etc. Anyone know what this is based on. I read the ingredients on Pretty Birds African Grey Special diet -- boring!! Oats and Corn????:blink: I guess I want to know if I can trust what they know, but what choice do I have anyway.:unsure:

I went to Lowes and they had table tops. I use the smaller ones(I think they are stool seats or smaller table tops) for T-stands and bought a large one for the play stand. I'm not very handy with a saw. I stained and polyurethaned it. One thing I changed about it was I replaced the original PVC legs with iron pipe which lowes can cut to any length and even thread it. The PVC was too wobbly. Jan

Covers herself with her blanket. Amazing!!! See if you can get a video. I'd love to see that.

That's cute. Tobie plays a little ball. He isn't as enthused about the game as I am. I'm afraid I do all the work, but here is a video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO5rjUsPWpI

Looking forward to your posts. Even if he doesn't learn to read there is no telling what your are going to teach this bird. Keep your open mind.

That inspires me to make more of an effort to potty traing Tobie. He will go if i put him on the T-stand, but I don't do that often enough.

yup! Looked all boy to me.

Great video and another idea of a game to play with my grey.

What a cutie!!

Cute story! Tobie would have just intensified his enthusiasm for chewing the paper if I said No. Love that he got a head scratch out of it.

Wow! What a nice cage. I couldn't make out the words but he is definitely starting to talk. Once it starts it just gets better and better.

Mine never slept like that either. Is Sierra really lying down? Tobie has never done that.