nims

Hi All, So its been a week and a half since we have had ice and what a sweetie he is!! He now bows his head to me and allows me to give him head scratches everyday!! He still hates my husband but adores me!! He sits on the sofa whilst I watch TV and wants to be near me all the time. Earlier this week he decided to jump in his water bowl and thrash around in!! He likes to bath once a week! Diet is still bad though even though we offer him fruit and veg everyday. Other than that he is settling in just fine. Im so glad we chose Ice and im even happier that he chose me! :lol:

Indy had oatmeal everyday for breakfast and I put bananas in it or crushed pelletes or honey. Whatever you want really. Indy really enjoys it first thing in the morning and starts to scramble in her cage as soon as she hears the kettle.

well doneon george's progress. I think he is doing really well and seems to be settling into his new home. Keep up with the updates.

awwwwww they look lovely. Cant wait to see more pics!

Hi Redkim, Not all parrots that are looking to be re-homed have "baggage" if you know what I mean. There are birds out there who just need new homes because the owners dont have time for them, have allergies or change in circumstances (have a baby, move home, new job etc) My only advice is to look into this as others who have rehomed will tell you how rewarding it is. Thanks Nims

Hi, Welcome to the forum. I have two congos(male and female)I keep them purely as pets. I have had Indy since she was 3 months and she is now 8 months old. I also have Ice who is a boy and is 4 years old. He is a rescue andwe are working on him. You seem to be doing the right thing by doing the research. In terms of boy or girl it really depends on who the bird choses?! Indy has chosen my husband and Ice it seems has chosen ME!! There is no guarantee that if you a male bird that he will bond to you and vice versa...........if that makes sense. As I have two congos I really cant comment on timneh/congo as I am sure they are both different birds and have their on traits. I am sure others may be able to advise you. Are you thinking of getting a baby grey?

Hi Penny, I too buy rabbit toys for my lot. There is much more selection and they are cheaper. Most of the wood toys are made from willow (bird safe!) and mine love to chew them up. Great post penny!

I hope I am doing the right thing by her (I feel that I am). Being clipped will enable her to spend more time outside with us without the worry of her crashing into everything. We also have wood flooring, so no carpet to cushion the blow. She is confident flier but I would hate for her to have an accident and become scared of flying or lose her confidence. Nims

I give Indy baby corn and she loves it. She actually picks it all off the cob!! very cute to watch! :laugh:

Hi, Thanks for your postings. My only concern is Indy's welfare. I am worried that one day is she is going to have a really bad fall and do some serious damage to herself. I would never chose to clip but have to for her safety. She does have an avian vet and we will be sure that she is clipped properly. Thanks Nims

Hi All, We have decided to get Indy's wings clipped as she is getting into serious trouble. Because we have high ceilings (very high!!) she is getting very tired when flying and crashing in walls, beams and all sorts. I am getting very distressed and worry constantly when she is out of the cage. {Feel-bad-00020063} I really dont know what to do. Also she doesnt come to me anymore like she used to and when I approach she flies off. I just spent an hour trying to get her into her cage.

Hi Dizzybird, I too have taken on an older bird. These guys have given you some great advice. I make my own perches too. Go to your local hardware store and find some decorative dowels (i have got a twisty one and a ridged one) they come in all sorts of thicknesses too! I would avoid using sandy/concrete perches as they can lead to sores, go for natural perches as Dan has suggested. If he seems scared of the toys leave them out by his cage so he see them and get used to them before placing them in his cage. I hope this helps! Please keep us posted on how the little guy is doing.

i feed my grey mash potato sometime and they love it its also a good way to sneak in veggies!

I like the names sampson or miguel!

hi gourdlady, Keep working on george. I think he will take a while to come round. Please keep us posted on how george is progressing. Good luck! Nims

Hi, I am having the same problem with Ice. Mind you Ice has only been with us for 6 days. But he will lunge at all the time. The weird this is that he does want to be with me but I can't have him out alot because I would have no fingers left! He come out and sits on his playstand for a few hours a day. I am also having difficulty because he always wants to be on my shoulder and if I try and get him down he bites!! What can we do to reduce the biting situation.? Nims Ice - CAG Indy - CAG

Yes Sallas that's correct!

I use an oil filled heater to keep my greys warm. Works a treat!

Hi, So I am now posting daily updates!! So yesterday I attempted to touch his beak in he bit me (ouch :ohmy: ) I didnt react but he seems so think its fun. I now have to work on discouraging this behaviour. I have also noticed that he is scared of my husband (men in general) so I think someone was nasty to him. He has had two previous owners and I think it was his first owner who I think didnt care for him well. He is really mellow and will just sit there yapping away. His current behaviour leads me to believed that he wasnt handled much and had little contact with people. Hands are in a state at the mo! But Im persistant and wont give on the little guy! Nims

He is lovely and has got a great little personality! I think he needs time to adjust to his new surroundings but I dont want him to feel cage-bound with little contact from me.

Hi Erika, He will bite when I am trying to touch him (in and out of his cage!) He does step on to my arm but doesnt know the step-up command yet. He has flown onto my shoulder twice now but I must admit I dont know how to get him off my shoulder once he is on it :blink: He seems to love bathing so thats not really a problem. I will keep working on him Nims

Thanks for the advice. The funny thing is that he did eat the veggies on the first night and now he just seems to through food out of the bowl! He has also been to the vet and everything is OK. When I tried to get him out of his travel cage he held on for dear life. I then go him and wrapped him in a towel. He was pretty happy being wrapped up and I could stroke his head. He was also very well behaved at the vets! Once I un-wrapped him and put on the table he flew onto my shoulder!!! I think we are making progress I just have to keep at it (even if it means being bitten ) Should I handle him as much as I can on his terms? Nims<br><br>Post edited by: nims, at: 2008/11/04 12:55

Hi All, So Ice came home to us on Saturday and I think he has settled in well. He has started to talk on Saturday evening and ate well too. I have now noticed that he is really fussy with his food. He is on a parrot mix diet (which is mainly seeds!) He loves it! He likes chips, crisps and Cheese! All of which is bad for his diet. How can I get him to eat more fruit and veg? He is also very nippy and will bite (with no warning!) at any opportunity possible. Will he stop as he learns to trust me. Has anyone else experienced this and how do I discourage such behaviour? I think thats all for now. Any help and advice is appreciated as always! Thanks Nims PS. He loves having a bath! :laugh:

welcome!

Hi All, ICE is finally home! We are currently putting his home together! He is been very quiet which is expected and has bitten me twice! Again its expected. He has seen Indy but is a little scared as I think he is more used to dogs! Anyways I just wanted to welcome him to the forum no doubt I will have loads of questions. In case of you who dont know the full story............... I have been wanting another bird since Indy has bonded closely with my husband and I wanted Indy to have some birdy company also. Ice is a 4 year old male who has come to because his owner is unable to keep him. I have been told he has a very large vocab too! Nims