Janfromboone

I'm so sorry to hear about this horrible accident. It is truly everyones worst nightmare.

Thank's! I feel much better.

Tobie is beginning to molt now. He is 1yr and 3mo. and has worried me that he hasn't molted more than 3-5 feathers this whole year. He is still clipped from before I bought him. Now he is worrying me that he is shedding feathers so much. Is he plucking? Is this a normal molt? He is scratching alot around his head and neck with his foot. The feathers are coming out on his back and chest and the top of his head (I know he can't be plucking those). He has lost about half of the shorter red tail feathers, the ones that feather over the long tail feathers, and two tail feathers. There is down poking out on his chest and back. Does this sound normaL? I probebly find 5-10 feathers a day if I look every where. When I pet his head, rubbing backwards on the feathers like he likes, there are feathers on my shirt from the top of his head. Don't see any pin feathers, but when I smooth the feathers on his chest or head it seems like I feel some or roughness, not as smooth as before. What does a normal molt look like.<br><br>Post edited by: Janfromboone, at: 2008/09/11 04:23

Oh how sweet!!! I'm talking about the baby on the first page. I didn't see the tatoo until after the post. HA HA!<br><br>Post edited by: Janfromboone, at: 2008/09/11 04:06

Thanks for sharing this. I never knew there was this variation.

I've read that it is a sign of emotion - not fear. If their wings are vibrating too they are afraid. The chest vibrating seems some times to be a positive emotion with Tobie. He does this some times when he has reason to be excited or happy.

Tobie does the same thing to certain sounds and when I play the keyboard in certain instruments. I still play the keyboard. I don't think it is hurting him.

Loved the video. What a lucky bird to have found you!!

Tobie is the same way. I have tried sunflower seeds, barley, oats, peanuts. I've had a hard time finding a treat to reward with. He loves cheeze but I hear that's not good for him. Any one know what works best. Also, If I'm trick training and give him a barley seed (he likes these best), he has to chew so long that I loose interest in doing the next trick before he finally eats the seed. After about the 4th or 5th seed he just starts dropping them.

This is a silly trick that works with Tobie but apparently doesn't work with some other greys. I posted this once before and the person said it didn't work. Try it though. If Tobie won't step up when I ask him, I put my hand-index finger up, under his hocks (leg joint below the feathers) and just hold a little pressure there. Without fail he steps backward. He hasn't figured out that I got my way yet.

There is no story funnier than a parrot story. I think they do it on perpose. They all have a great sense of humor don't they

Great tip. I can't wait to check it out. thanks

Tobie eats pretty bird pellets almost exclusively. He gets seeds as a treat for doing tricks but isn't all that excited about them. After 5 or six he starts dropping them. He gets veggies at dinner time and if he doesn't eat them all I put them in his cage in a bowel. What kind of seeds do you buy and what kind of seeds do they like most. I have trouble getting Tobie excited about anything as a treat for doing tricks. He seems just as happy if I just make a big deal with verbal praise.

Know what you mean about the stress of leaving them. I have dogs too, but they are used to us leaving. Or at least I thought so. Tobie learned to whine like a crying dog while we were gone. It's his favorite sound now. I guess the dogs cried all day while we were gone. What can you do. Jan

thanks for your response. No I've never been to the great barrier reef. Australia in general and especially the diving would be a dream vacation for me. How wonderful to snorkle it. I assume you also got to see the kangaroos and other unique australian animals. We've only been to various islands in the carribean. Bonaire is our favorite and we've been there several times. Tried to send another picture but couldn't sorry. Jan Post edited by: Janfromboone, at: 2008/09/06 02:23<br><br>Post edited by: Janfromboone, at: 2008/09/06 02:24

My husband and I went scuba diving in Bonaire and just returned. The last day before leaving I decided I didn't want to leave, but of course at that point I had to go. I had visions of Tobie with all of his feathers plucked out, or lying dead in his cage when I returned. Every time I added a last minute item to my suitcase Tobie would say "What's that for?". Tobie was definitely aware of my anxious state of mind. He used one of my expressions of frustration -- "OOOOH WELLL!!!"-- and I've never heard him say that before. He's heard me say that if I can't find my car keys or my glasses etc. Well I'm back and Tobie is just fine. I'll try to share a picture of our trip.

I don't know if you were talking to me about the book. I bought Tami Robars book and then someone gave me her video on trick training birds. She has a series of videos and books for different levels of training. I found the videos helpful because she trains birds that don't know the trick ahead of time and you can see the behaviors and learning process.

Tobie does some tricks like turn around and shakes hands and the wave. He can be stubborn though. Sometimes he just stares at me like he never heard it before. I think african greys are so intelligent that they know they have a choice to ignore you if they aren't in the mood. Maybe a more instinct driven bird is easier to condition to have an automatic response to a cue? Tobie still won't do a turn around with just a verbal cue and he's been doing it for 10 mo's or more. here is a link - if it works you can see Tobie doing some of his tricks.

I tried another forum because it was easier for these old braincells to figure out. Then I tied again to negotiate yours. Your site is hoppin'. Always a response to my questions and opportunities to tell stories about my bird. I know someone is hearing me when I talk. Don't know how you do it, but it's a wonderful service. Wish I had more time for your forum than I do because I have learned something each time I log on.

Sweet pictures. I know you have to be so excited. I don't know anything about birds that young. Wish I had see Tobie at that age.

I wonder if anyone who has had a stubborn grey refuse to step-up has tried what I find to work 100% of the time. Tobie can get stubborn especially if he's on top of his cage and I have to leave the house in a hurry. When he refuses or pushes my hand away with his beak, I put my hand under his hocks, heel or whatever you call the joint below the feathers. He feel the pressure and immediately steps backwards onto my hand.

I understand that CAG's don't talk meaningfully until after a year. Is that true. Tobie started saying the occasional word or phrase at 6 mo. The scary thing is they seemed to be right on target. They were never again repeated making me think I was imagining it just a day or two from the event. This will be a long post if I tell all the stories, but the funniest one was after a game of towel play, that Tobie really didn't like, and I ended it by throwing the towel across the room and said "that's enough of that". Later that night, Tobie was on a perch and I came up to him saying "your mommy loves you! Do you love your mommy" -- to which he said "So-so". I said "oh Tobie, I know you love your mommy. Let mommy give you a hug" and proceeded to squeeze his little head up against my cheek saying MMMMMMM! To which he responded "that's enough of that". The first repeated phrase he picked up from my husband. "What's Up". Now his vocabulary is expanding from that to "what's-up Buba" (my husband's fault), "What's up with that", "What's up baby", "What's that", "what's this", "Whaaaat" and my personal favorite, "what's up mama". These have developed from 11 mos. to now and he is 1year 2mos. I must say here that if Tobie never spoke he has thoroughly entertained me in so many ways it wouldn't matter. Aren't these bird's great!!<br><br>Post edited by: Janfromboone, at: 2008/08/21 03:03

Thanks for your response. I took him out in the car today without the flight suit- only 20' or so to get from the door to the car, but I was really squirrly about doing even that, although he's very used to being out and doesn't try to leave my shoulder. I'll try the aviator harness.

I am confused now. I bought my grey Tobie from the store as a 3.5mo. old baby already clipped. In the year I've owned him he has learned to fly in the house rather gracefully and land without hurting himself. He can fly short distances from my shoulder to the back of the other part of the sectional couch or 30 feet across my livingroom, foyer to the bedroom and land softly enough on the carpet. He has 5 feathers clipped but not too short. When we go out he has a flight suit on. What I'm confused about, is how you think a bird is at greater risk of getting lost with clipped wings. More than once our porch door has been pushed open near Tobies cage and left that way. Human error is bound to occur. I think we would have already lost Tobie if he was fully flighted.<br><br>Post edited by: Janfromboone, at: 2008/08/20 04:05

Well I guess I'll have to toss the flight suits. Over the summer I have had Tobie wearing flight suits, although he has a conservative wing clip. We go for rides in the car and walk around the yard and even go for walks around the lakes around Boone (he even went to Walmart with me once). He never has stopped picking at the straps and front of the suit and in the process he breaks feathers off in that area. I kept expecting him to get used to it. I replaced and lengthened the straps thinking that as he grew he needed more room. He doesn't pick if we are actually moving, driving or walking, but if things get quiet, and we sit down, he picks. Anyone else have this experience. Do you think they tolerate an aviator harness better? I'll miss the poop pouch.