M2MM

It's great when they start to relax and let themselves enjoy your attention. Keep up the good work.

I play "got your beak" and "tickle the tummy" with my TAG. He also gets all excited when on the back of my easy chair, so I will let him pounce and beak my fingers there. We also do a lot a snuggling and kisses, and I play with his toes, and read children's nursery rhymes to him. He's not quite interested enough in playing fetch and chasing a ball, yet, but it's fun to try to engage his interest. He does enjoy tearing up facial tissues and paper towels, and finding treats wrapped in tiny paper bags. BTW, my TAG is 17 months old.

Our local fire department and township put on a show at the airfield, but we didn't go (too crowded); however, we live on the hill above the airfield, so we could see some of the higher explosions from our bedroom window. The birds did not appreciate the noise though.

Has he been to your avian vet to rule out a medical cause for this plucking and feather chewing? If not, schedule an appointment as soon as possible to run a blood panel, and full physical. Write down any questions you have for your vet and be prepared to answer lots of questions: *diet, including treats *cage, location & arrangements *toys (preening, chewing, wood, indestructible, etc) *schedule (how much out-time, how much sleep, how much in-cage time, one-on-one time) *bathing (spray bottle, shower, tub, or bowl) Plucking can be due to liver ailments among other things. It's also important for your vet to record the plucking on his chart in the event that the behaviour comes and goes for no apparent reason. If there is a pattern to it, then that will help lead to an explanation. I have a parrotlet that plucks due to illness, it came on suddenly just after last Christmas and he's been medicated since then. In the past 6 months, he's had two relapses, so it looks like it's becoming a chronic condition.

IMHO, animals, like kids, can't appreciate the time and money we spend on them. They are COWs (Centre Of the World), and everything is about them. Does he only scream when on his play gym, or does he scream in other locations too? How are you reacting to his screaming? The more attention he gets for screaming, the more he will scream. Do you reward him for making noises that you like? You'd be surprised at how quick they learn, when they are bribed. Parrots are noisy creatures, and you have to accept some of the noise as natural exuberance. If the screaming is excessive (as in your case), then some training is definitely called for. Teaching whistles and songs will give him a larger repertoire to draw on, and one that won't drive you as crazy. Training sessions should be daily, but don't have to take a lot of time, and don't have to be scheduled. Impromptu sessions, when you are both in the mood, are best. He will learn faster when he's interested and you're enthusiastic. Keep it short, and fun AND rewarding for Smokey. You want him to enjoy this. Have everyone in the household participate on a rotating basis to keep your Grey on good terms with everyone. Good luck!

Congratulations from another TAG owner! It's an interesting idea, but won't grey walls make the room less inviting? I understand you wanting your Grey to blend in, but wouldn't it be better to use a jungle theme instead? Blue ceiling, green/yellow/brown walls? We live in a log home with a natural/unpainted log interior, and have aritificial fir boughs along the top edges of the walls, and use bright halogen strip lighting to simulate sunlight. One wall is draped with foliage print curtains that our parrotlet's cages are placed against (keeps the walls clean as these little guys are flingers.) Kumiko (TAG) has a window to look out at the backyard and nearby ravine, but it's quite sheltered, so he doesn't feel exposed. Sorry if it feels like I'm highjacking your topic. Didn't intend to. :blush:

I have another suggestion. Since the eggs are duds anyway, you could substitute the real eggs for artificial eggs of the same size, that way she won't accidentally break them (and we all know what THAT smells like.) It's worth a try. http://www.theeggshop.com/

Always call the airlines you plan to use to find out their requirements. If the carrier, or certification for your bird isn't up to their standards, they can refuse to let your bird on board. Then what do you do? Even if you follow all their rules, rules can be changed, so confirm the requirements the day before your flight to be sure. (This happened to my son, boy! was he mad, but it made no difference to the airline. They didn't really care that this ruined his plans.) {Emotions-00020075}

I was told to always give them their own dish, so they can't get any of my germs. However, Kumiko is never really interested in my food once he's been offered some. There must be some ingrained need to steal what isn't theirs. :laugh:<br><br>Post edited by: M2MM, at: 2008/07/07 23:41

Do you have any idea of how old Buddy is? How many owners he's had? What his case history is? Unfortunately, the honeymoon period is well and truly over with Buddy. He's comfortable enough now to show his "true colours" and even though he likes you, he has many issues getting in the way. I have several friends with Greys that they adopted/rescued as adults. Adult birds that are rehomed are rehomed because they became unhandleable by their former owners. One of these birds is now about 25 years old and has something akin to "flashbacks" or post-traumatic stress disorder. He will lacerate his owner's hands severely for absolutely no reason, and then suddenly "wake up" and act normal again. They are assuming that he's had a very bad life at the hands of someone sadistic and something triggers a horrific memory that makes him lash out. Another friend rescued three Greys from conditions they will not describe, because it upsets them too much to think about. These three Greys will allow the wife to come near, but the husband gets shrieked at, lunged at, and treated as if he was a boogie-man. They've had these birds for three years now, and they are a long way from being ready to adopt out. (That's what this couple does - they rehab parrots and adopt out the ones that have learned to trust humans again.) Your Grey sounds like he's been through a lot in his life and he's having difficulties learning to trust people. He probably likes you, but has a lot of "baggage" that gets in the way. You will need a lot of patience and understanding to help him get past it. It's also possible that he will never be a really loving, cuddly bird ever. So, that's something you will need to think about. Are you in this for the long haul? Can you continue to live with him if he doesn't improve a whole lot? There are organizations out there that will help you in your TAG's rehabilitation. They are rescue/rehome/rehab societies that help people and their parrots. If you can find one close by, give them a call and ask if they can help you identify what his "stumbling blocks" are, and how to overcome them. Do a Google search using: your town, state, country, (rescue, rehome, adoption, rehab) parrots There is one book I know on the subject: "The Second-hand Parrot" by Mattie Sue Athan and Dianalee Deter. This is basically an overview about rehomed parrots. Barabara Heidenreich has two books: "Good Bird!" and "the Parrot Problem Solver - Finding Solutions to Aggressive Behaviour" I highly recommend that you obtain copies of these books - they are worth every penny. Ms. Heidenreich also has a couple of DVDs on training, and puts on seminars in various locations throughout the year. As for my own experience, I have a 17 month old TAG that I've had since he was 5 months old. He's currently showing some aggression, but although he does bite hard at times, I believe it just a stage he's going through as he matures, so it's not really a problem that has to be fixed. He's still sweet and cuddly when he wants to be, so I have nothing to complain about. I hope this helps. <br><br>Post edited by: M2MM, at: 2008/07/07 23:37

That's wonderful to hear Sameera! Zahzu must be sooo relieved to be rid of the pain. She can be herself again.

Welcome, welcome! I believe you will really enjoy our site and benefit from the wealth of knowledge contained by its members. Everyone here is friendly and wants to assist in any way possible. Wishing you all the best.... M2MM & flock &:-)

New additions should be kept in quarantine for a minimum of 30 days before being introduced to your existing bird(s). Following this protocol will give you ample time to hand feed and get acquainted with your baby Senegal before Irie ever meets him/her. After quarantine, introduce them very slowly, and try not to handle the Senegal too much in sight of your Grey. Greys can be quite possessive about their companions and may very well see the new bird as an interloper. So use some discretion, and caution initially. Always make a big fuss over your Grey, letting him know that he is still your #1 birdy! Will they be sharing a room eventually? (bird room) If so, keep their cages on opposite walls and never let them both out at the same time. When one is out and one is in, you still need to supervise them. My Grey HATES one of my parrotlets (who was added to the flock AFTER the Grey's arrival) and will fly over to his cage and try to get him right through the bars. If I didn't intervene every time, I'm sure he would kill or at least maim him. My Grey doesn't bother the parrotlet that was here first, he knows which one is which (they are different colours and very different personalities.) Greys, generally, prefer their own kind, but will sometimes tolerate other African parrots. They really don't enjoy the company of any "new world" parrots (Amazons, Macaws, etc.) Keep in mind the size difference. If your Grey takes a disliking for your Senegal, he won't have to do much to seriously injure the smaller bird. So it's up to you to prevent them from getting the opportunity to get close to one another. I hope this is helpful.

I have a friend that took in a 22 year old CAG (3 years ago now) and he'd never seen a toy before and was never allowed out of his cage before. He was understandably frightened by such a radical change in his routine. But now, you would never even know it was same bird. He talks, plays, and is such a happy boy! Thank you for rescuing this lovely girl from such an unhealthy environment. Have you given her a spray bottle bath yet? I'll bet she'd love one.

If the formula somehow got into his sinus cavity, your vet will likely want to exam him, and possibly flush his sinuses. Food residue can lead to sinus infection, that can't be good for a young bird. :ohmy: Fingers and toes crossed that this is just something very minor. Keep us posted. :dry:

I believe it's imperative that your breeder is the best you can find. I searched high and low for the right breeder, then waited, and waited. All really good breeders have a waiting list, but as hard as it is to wait, you need the time to prepare yourself, your home, your kids, and get all the best stuff that you want your baby to have, it also gives you time to save up the cash for the baby itself. You will NEVER regret buying from the best breeder. My baby is 17 months old now, been with us for nearly 13 months and his first "mom" still keeps in touch (by email), she really cares about the welfare of all her babies. <3 <3 <3

Wait! Please! Let your vet examine him before you try trimming those nails. Baby Greys need those long nails to perch safely. I know they look very long, don't worry about that. My TAG didn't get a nail trim until he was 7 months old. Even then, it was just enough to take the very sharp hook off the tip (my arms and hands were getting badly scratched up and bleeding a lot.) My avian vet told me that they should always have fairly long nails, but the razor sharp tips can be trimmed as needed.

Hey Pat, I found this ad on Craigslist: Found Bird (Yarrow) Reply to: sale-737252100@craigslist.org Date: 2008-06-29, 5:35PM PDT Anyone lose their pet bird. Seems pretty tame, lets the kids pet it and sits on your finger/hand. Sitting on our doorstep when we got home. Sorry don't know what kind.

{Communicate-00020121} Welcome Envie! Glad you found us. Anything you need to know about Greys you will be able to find either here or in one of the many recommended books. http://www.greyforums.net/forums/african-grey/82495-grey-reading-list.html#82495

Being patient and waiting for him to be comfortable enough to talk in front of you is all you can do.

Kumiko will let out that deafening tone, and I won't look at him or talk to him until he makes an "approved" noise. This has cut down on his shrieks considerably.

I only give human grade, raw nuts without shell. They taste WAY better than the roasted ones and are better for you (and your Grey.) Peanuts are something that I avoid except in the form of natural peanut butter, and that's reserved for a treat on toast once in a blue moon.

I really feel for you Demonio. This must have been a very difficult decision to make. I hope you are able to find the right home for your baby.

I love Kumiko like he was my child. (My two have long since grown up.) He's more important than any best friend that I've ever had, and if he doesn't outlive me, I will be devastated! I come by my thinking honestly, my mother is the same way about her dogs. <br><br>Post edited by: M2MM, at: 2008/07/06 00:37

When they start to lose weight and beg to be handfed, then you know she's regressing. This happened to Kumiko after he'd been home for a month.