bettyboop

Zooman , I talked with my breeder today about the beak question . She said it is very important that they have soft wood to chew on , it conditions the beak , they do go through it faster but it is necessary. She did say if you are concerned you should always go to your vet . A certified Avian vet... I buy wood from Naoni toys , they only sell wood that is safe for parrots .They are very picky not to sell anything treated. I also think wood from Home Depot is treated , not sure but check to be on the safe side. Mary

They are wonderful birds , talk to him all the time , he will talk and they have the sweetest voices. Yes IRN'S are a bit smaller .Your guy is cute . M

I never get out of my vet office for less than $150.... It's like a major investment ,I try to only go once per year for yearly check ups per bird . Blood work is expensive. The beak is always shedding , mine do some , but it usually corrects itself.She does quite a bit of chewing , so she keeps it in good shape.My CAG, his does that some but never anything that looks like something is wrong .I do know they use the wood they chew to keep it in good shape , perhaps try different types of wood, some soft , med . and hard .I will ask my breeder today and tell you what she says about their beaks. Yes , I will have hardwood floors soon , this is crazy . I was having a discussion earlier about Alexandrines , do you consider these birds to be large ? Mary

Yes , you are so right when something is over head they clue in on it like radar. Amazing sight and sense they have , but they are birds .LOL.... Yes , both of mine need nail trims , however I do have some of the gritty perches around their food sations which helps. I tried once to clip Zsa Zsa's nails , it was a mistake , never again . I just take them to my breeder , she does Z's for free for life since I purchased from her and she charges $7 for Sammy which is dirt cheap...Easier on everyone , I'm not the Bad Guy either... My Cag likes little foot toys better than anything .I buy toy making supplies from a company called Naoni , they have all kinds of things , so once a year I buy a ton of stuff , and it last a while . Plastic animals , wood blocks , shredders, beads etc.... Sammy never has gone through a molt like Z , he sort of looses a feather here and there all the time , but she went through a three month molt , her first and she was like the little green witch from hell . She was not a happy camper at all and neither were we . She even growled at us .I felt so bad for her , I finally started giving her vitamins , and it seemed to have helped. I was so happy when it stopped.How long is your Alex's tail , did it grow in length after the molt ?Z's did , I think it is longer everyday , I'll measure it and let you know . I love the colors in her tail , they are so pretty . Our Grey is all over us , and never stops talking , he is very verbal , if you say something new to him in the morning , he will say it back in the eve. He picks words up like a dog does fleas.LOL...He bites me and goes after my face , so he really is my Husbands bird .I don't handle him anymore and sad to say , he is only out when my Husband is home . He is a brat , he hates the word NO, and when you say it , make sure he is arms length away or he will bite everytime , so it is better he isnt on you , when you say it. He is very distructive also , goes after my wood tables and bar stools. He has tons of wood to chew on at his playstand and cage but just enjoys the furniture .He eats one whole apple without seeds per day , and if you don't give him more when he finishes what he has , he will say over and over APPLE , APPLE IN A BEGGING VOICE , drives me nuts ..... I just focus on Zsa Zsa and that makes her happy. Neat birds , but only my daughter will bird sit , no one else will put up with them .The Grey is so messy , throws food everywhere , I have to clean carpets once a month . I call him the PITA BIRD, pain in the a-- ......later Mary

Yes , I think she should get the bird she wants , also one that will work with the Grey you already have .Also , no one can control who the bird will bond with, our Grey who we were told hates men , loves my husband . Even though I am the caretaker, cage cleaner etc.. I have heard that Greys do not accept different species into their flock in the wild . My Alexandrine and Grey do not like each other , so it presents a problem .They can only be out at different times , which takes more time , and also it is less time for each bird to be out of their cage.My Alexandrine is so jealous if she sees him on me.All I am saying , there are many things to consider. Good luck. Mary<br><br>Post edited by: bettyboop, at: 2008/09/03 13:02

Oh my Alex isn't skiddish , only when it is windy . It seems as though on windy days , she can't settle and I see her looking outside when the trees are blowing . Right now we are getting some of the Hurricane wind from the coast . She has always been this way . Our home has a lot of windows and she loves to sit near them . I have never taken either bird out side except in a cage . I have pretty big travel cages , I use to transport them . I agree about the plexi glass , they do look hot . That is great about the lady who had your Alex before , she made the difference .My breeder did a great job , however she was so busy with birds , she didnt handle Z as much as she should have and like I said it was hard to get her as tame as she is now . I have been bitten a lot from her . Now she is totally bonded and she doesn't bite anymore . They are such great birds . Which of your birds do you like the best ? I like the Alex more because she isn't afraid and she is so brave when it comes to new stuff . I tell her NO , and she says no, no, in that cute little Alex voice .I love it Yes , the males are heavier , so look s like our birds are right where they are suppose to be .Did you say your Alex is molting , that will also affect his weight and attitude ? M

We use grams also , ounces make more sense to me .I apologize , I do not remember what the conversion is .I always ask my vet to give it to me in oz.'s. My birds are not clipped , they only go outside in their cages.When we have company , they are inside their cages the whole time .It is easier for us to stay on guard all the time with full feathers , besides my Alex can still fly when her wings were clipped.The Grey has too many accidents when he is clipped , he doesnt know he can't fly .Oh my , he just falls to the floor according to the owner before us .He has never been clipped while we have owned him . Did you purchase your Alex from Darlene Johnson at My Little Darling's Avairy ? She is a Canadian Alexandrine Breeder, very smart lady , she has helped me with some issues when I first brought Z home . Zsa Zsa molted from Feb . to May , I thought it would never end , but it did . Today it is very windy here and she has been crazy , does your Alex act skiddish (SP?) when the wind is blowing ? Feel free to post or PM when you want to chat about the Alex's or have a question . Mary<br><br>Post edited by: bettyboop, at: 2008/09/03 01:57

Hey there Texas guy , You ask for opinions about a second bird . Yes there are so many wonderful birds out there who need a loving home . Some work out to be wonderful additions to our homes and some do not . My home has both a rehomed CAG , and a brought home at 4 months Alexandrine . I prefer the Alexandrine because she has no baggage and brought nothing with her , such as bad habits . If the girl you plan on marrying wants a bird , she really should try to bond with your Grey . If she has a difficult time with him , it could be the same with any bird .Also suggest she wait 6 months and care for the Grey totally , then if she still wants one after doing research , go for it . Take care , Mary

HI , She weighs around 7 oz. Our breeder says 7 -9 oz . is normal for adult Alex's. She eats a lot . Loves her wood and shreds ceral boxes , like crazy. What does your bird eat ? Also what part of the world do you live in ? Mary

Hi Zooman , Yes I have an Alex as I shared with you in the other post . I would love to share info with you as there are not many who know about these wonderful birds . No books are published to my knowledge , so I would love to share info with you and anyone else who owns one .Please feel free to ask , and if I don't have the answer my breeder who owns Alexandrines will. Mary(BETTYBOOP)

Hello Zooman , Tiago is beautiful . His ring is awesome and he looks so well cared for . I have a 18 month old female Alexandrine ,who I have had since she was 4 months old . Her pic is on my profile page . I adore her , she is sweet and is on my shoulder non stop. She eats with us , thinks she is human , sits with us while we are watching TV , and loves to go outside in her cage with us. She is still very young , so to compare her to our Grey CAG 3 year old isnt really fair . She is just as attention needy as he is , although she does not like for us to pet her as he does .She does not like our Grey , and he gives her no attention . I actually prefer her over my Grey , she isnt afraid of anything , and she will check anything out, without having to warm up to something which is so typical Grey . She says a few words , but I think the male speaks more than the females . But our Grey never shuts up , so who cares if she talks , I welcome the silence .LOL... She loves to chew up wood and so does our Grey, however she goes through much more than he does , she has to be watched , she gets into things , like the sugar packets and anything else left on the counter . She gets in the sink , she is a hoot ..She is full flighted , how about yours? Well now it's your turn and if you have any questions , please ask ? So glad you have an Alexandrine ..They are so much fun . Bettyboop

Just wanted to share a new group with anyone who owns an Alexandrine. However I was asked to remove the link . I apologize , I was not aware it was not allowed . Have a wonderful day . Bettyboop Post edited by: bettyboop, at: 2008/08/28 15:00<br><br>Post edited by: bettyboop, at: 2008/08/28 21:21

If I read the post correctly , you are saying you didnt have a girlfriend and were home a lot ,so now you do .Perhaps this is his way of telling you most of the attention he did get from you is being shared with the girlfriend . I think maybe if you were to give some attention everyday in a neutral room alone for a while and allow him to see you from another room while you are working it might help .He may be jealous of the girlfriend. You mentioned he bites her , perhaps he does this to make her leave. My bird has to be able to see me or he does the contact call , if I send a call back he usually stops .I am not as experienced as Dan , but this is just a suggestion you might try .

Greys do not respond to punishment .Placing him in a closet to make him behave is bad.I am sure the others will have better suggestions , I would allow him to be where he can see you and see to it he has plenty of interesting toys to entertain him while you are busy .Busy beaks are happy beaks .Also ignore the bad and praise the good behavior .

Nice post Skuffy. Mary

Morning Mary, hope the fishing is good .You are welcome , I hope the info helps Echo to become the bird , that we know he is . Hugs, Mary

Hey Mary and Echo , Hope all is calmer this morning . Hopefully the advice and reply from Bobbi Brinker helps Echo and is a positive step in the right direction . Great advice and so kind of her to take the time . Have a wonderful weekend . Hugs, Mary

Mary, you go right on and take that long bath and enjoy the wine .You deserve it . I plan on that very thing myself tonight . Mary

Mary , I understand it will be hard on Echo , but safer for him , as you know .Another thing did the vet suggest lowering his perches ? Perhaps you could try being where he is just while this is going on , the things we do for our birds . Anyway , I do hope he heals quickly .I also hope you are doing better, you have been through so much . Kind Regards , keep us posted , Mary

Hi Mary, I am so sorry about Echo and the bad experience with the vet .How angry I would have been. I have no experience with this type of situation, but perhaps Echo could spend a little more time in his cage where he would be safe to prevent another injury .Just a suggestion. I will be thinking about you both. Kind Regards,Mary

Dave ,I apologize .I didnt mean a thing by my remark about what you posted.You were asking logical , sensiable questions . So please accept my apologies. Mary

Thought I would share this site with all of you.PetlifeRadio.com click on wingsnthings. Mary

Dave you are so funny ....I know you are being serious but when I read what you wrote , I almost fell over laughing , I don't know why, it just struk me as being funny. Sorry Nell , didnt mean to be disrespectful to the question . Nell my Grey Sammy does this also not all of the time just some. My Avian Vet says some Greys just do this .He says there is no explanation . However I have noticed usually he only does it when he is nervous.Sammy's is almost like a nervous twit.Is that a word ? Hope you know what I mean . Mary

You are so funny Dan Thanks for the tip . Mary

Well thats pretty neat , I think I am going to try this on Sammy . Thank you for sharing a new bath tip . Mary