BaxtersMom

Thanks LindaMary, I plant flowers every year so I might as well plant some the flock can benefit from as well. I know what petunias and hibiscus are but not familar with nasturtiums yet:S :dry: . Do they eat the entire flower or just the petals, or are the whole plants ok?

Thanks for bringing this up. I was hoping to feed some of these to my flock this summer. I usually spray and kill my dandelions in my yard but was thinking I may give some to my flock and quit the spraying. Which part of the dandelion do you feed? The flower part? Stems? Leaves? I also have tulips and lilies that come up yearly and plant impatients in spring. Are any of these safe? I know lilies are deadly to cats and cause liver failure and I wont' feed them even if they are safe. Do you know what other kinds of flowers that one can plant in the garden that are safe for birds to eat?

Hi Bruce, welcome back. I just had to add that Alaska looks absolutely beautiful and you have an amazing looking home as well. I enjoyed the photos as well. I scrolled through this post, didn't read all entries but now I am curious as I seen you are trying to retire from the sea and selling your commercial boat. What did you do on the Sea? Were you a crab fisherman like they show on the TV show "The Deadliest Catch"? I am addicted to that show and was wondering if you had that kind of exciting life out on the sea too? Again, the photos are beautiful. I'm glad you have returned to share you stores about Mazy and Avi.

I haven't heard a creaking noise but when Baxter stretches he makes a yawn sound just like me. It's hilarious. :laugh: I'm amazed how he know they go together.

My thoughts and prayers are with you both.

Hi! Teka sounds very smart doing all those tricks. Wish mine did tricks. I got my grey in July and he was 12 years old. He says a few words like, Hello, Come On, Come Ere but that was about it when we got him. He is more of a sound effects bird but he has learned a couple phrases from us now too so that is good. I know he can talk if he wants to becaue I hear him do it but he'd rather make his noises which are just as entertaining. I know he can talk but mine just limits it. As Judy said not all greys talk and then there are some like mine that can but just choose not to say more than a few words and phrases. I was real glad with him that he could pick up new words at 12 years old. I hear they never really quit learning.

I have researched several sources about what a good nutritional african grey diet should be. Of course this is the basics and you can always get more detailed for your own greys specific needs but here is what I found. It is a large VARIETY made up of vegetables, fruits,nuts, seeds and pellets and people foods (not in any particular order) in most cases will give you a healthy grey with a sufficent diet. Fresh Vegetables are best or Frozen Vegetables such as string beans,spinach, peas, broccoli, snow peas other green veggies, peppers, zucchini, corn, carrots, cooked pinto, lima and other beans provide a good source of protien. Green veggies have the most nutrition in them. (This is just a small basic list but you should get the idea) Pellets provide alot of vitamins, minerals and proteins that your grey may not get otherwise if your bird is a picky eater or doesn't like veggies. Fruits are high in sugar and water and should not be subsituted for vegetables. It is better to offer your grey vegetables than fruits. Fruits can be offered (and enjoyed by many greys) but do not need to make up a significant part of your greys diet and do not need to be fed daily but is a good treat. The sugars can make your grey hyper. Healthy People Food is good to offer your grey. Products like pasta, whole wheat breads, brown rice, oatmeal, well cooked chicken or turkey (red meat should be avoided) and other healthy people food will offer your grey other nutrients it will not get with pellets and seeds mixes alone. Nuts & Seeds can be a controversal topic it seems because they do not have as much nutritional value and are high in fat and can cause obesity. Many nuts also have a lot of protein in them, too which is good. My own opinion is that seeds are okay but don't give so much that they ignore the rest of their daily foods. Organically grown and Sprouted seeds are the healthiest and have the most nutritional value. Junk food is a no no and if you do give your grey junk food it should be done in moderation. The salts and preservatives are not good for us and they are not good for our small pets either and can cause health issues over a period of time. When you offer your grey fruits and vegetables make sure they are washed to get off any pesiticides/chemicals that are still on the food. There is no one food that will be good for your grey as it's only diet but it takes a variety of all the foods mentioned above so they get the nutrients they need. A diet of pellets, veggies, people food, nuts, seeds & fruits should be a good diet and keep your bird healthy. This is the diet I give my grey and feel good about it. This is a compilation of several sources of books, avian veterinary opinions, my bird food store opinions and online websites that I refered to when deciding on a diet for my grey. Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2009/01/06 05:17<br><br>Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2009/01/06 22:28

The others have given very good advice. I've never had a baby grey. Mine were all adults when they came to me and not on very good diets. It seems most parrots really like seeds like mine did and for 2 of them thier only diet was seeds. It was hard to get them to want to eat other foods so I what I did was cut down on the seeds and offer them other foods like pellets or fruits and veggies. They were stubborn but over a gradual period of time they are eating much healtheir. In the mornings if I only put in pellets and fruits or veggies they will just sit there and look at the food but if I put just a pinch of seeds in with it, they will eat the seeds first but go on to eating the other foods I have offered. It kind of jump starts them. You say your baby is 2.5 months old. That is a young one and I am just wondering if it still needs the baby formula for awhile? Others will know more about that but maybe your baby is not fully weened and needs more baby food in it's diet, too. It can be a hard process to change the birds diet but be persistant. As Casper said I would keep it on the same diet and gradually change it. And find out if your grey still needs some more hand feeding since it is so young and maybe shouldn't be fully weaned yet.

Peanut butter on toast is one of my flocks favorite, too. I just recently tried it out on them and it was a super big hit. The austin peanut butter crackers are also a hit and they like to get the peanut butter out and toss the crackers. Atleast I know they are getting some protein out of these:)

Oh Shut Up Kimberly. :angry: Just kidding :laugh: I know there are so many reasons to quit. They stink, they are expensive, they shorten life spans, they take up too much time, it's not a very pretty habit and the list goes on indefinately so why do I want one so bad. I am trying to stay strong. I've tried to quit before. I can't do it cold turkey but I've only had 4 today which is a huge improvement. And Kimberly, I was just kidding:laugh:

Sheila, good for you getting the band off charlies leg. I have 3 with bands and since reading some topics on it I would like to get the bands off, too. But what I am doing right now is being mad, angry, short temptered, arguementative and just ready to bite anyone & everyones head off. :angry: Yes, that's right, I'm trying to quit smoking for my New Years resolution and it's not going so well for me right now{Characters-0002007C}. I want a cigarette:angry:

I think what Maviarab was asking and what I was wondering about was if we were to make our own seed mixtures at home..what would the best seeds to include in our mix that we make ourselves not about the diets of our greys but so far no one has come up with any ideas:(

Happy Birthday!!!! So,:side: :silly: :lol: :woohoo: Wheres' the cake?

It's just not right that people can bend like that{Communicate-0002011A} It's just not right.

That was a good one. :laugh: I used to get real aggrevated with the telemarketers, then tried to give a little back to them. Sometimes I ask them if they can "hold on for just a minute" and of course they say "Sure", then I put the phone down in front of the TV and just leave it there:laugh: I am surprised at how long they sometimes wait. They are patient little boogers. Another thing I do sometimes is tell them that I only have a few minutes and could they please give me their name and phone number so I can call back. They never seem to want to do this which usually leads to a heated conversations when I ask them why is they can call me but I can not call them. You have to learn to have a good time with them and if there's any telemarketers here on the forum, please understand it's all in good fun;)

Hi Tammy, I just chatted with you on the IM window. Welcome to the forum and congradulations on getting a new grey!!! They are wonderful companions. Please check through the various rooms we have here. There are tons of information and if you ever have any questions just post it. There are many knowledgable members here always ready and willing to help.

This is a very good topic and I hope others will tell us what a good mix is, too. I have been buying the seed mixes at the pet stores and it is very expensive. Seems I'm always running low on it and I don't give them very much either but with 4 birds they seem to go through it. Last time I bought some seed I mixed with cracked corn to stretch it. I figure this is ok because the seeds are just a filler anyway with not much nutritional value so didn't think it would hurt. We also feed the outside birds with wild bird seed mix and I can buy 50 pounds for about $15. I haven't given it to my birds inside but have been wondering why I shouldn't. Wouldn't it be just as good? Also I went to a new grocery store today and they have several different types of wild bird seed to offer in smaller 5 pound bags for about $3 to $5. I don't want to give it to them if it is bad for them but would like to switch over to a more reasonable type seed if it didn't make a difference. Does anyone know?

That is great news! I know I always get so excited when Baxter tries new things especially since he is such a picky eater. It's taken months but he is doing better. I still get discouraged when I go to the store and find some cool new kind veggie or fruit for him and he turns his nose up at it. :angry: But that's just him. I have found that he likes vegetables more than fruit. He rarely eats any fruit. At dinner time I give him what ever kind of vegetable we are having. I always set a little aside for all the birds and they have come to expect it now:laugh: Have you tried baked potatoes or sweet potatoes yet? My birds really like those. I have tried giving it to them plain and they nibble at it but if I put a (very) little margarine they seem to gobble it up and love the extra flavoring. I always keep the salt off though. It has been fun for me try and feed them different foods. It was depressing when I was always going out to buy fresh fruits and veggies specially for my birds but found it works better for me and is less stressful when I just share whatever I am having for dinner with them. It's also less expensive. They always have their pellets and a little bit of seed every day and I always give them something off my plate at dinner time. I have found they love egg noodles and rice too. But each bird is differnt, too. Just a few suggestions to try. Keep us posted.

Well congradulations on getting Tango to eat fresh fruits and veggies. I know how happy you must be about this. Baxter was very difficult when it came to eating fruits and veggies and it still can be discouraging at times. Like you, I was very excited when I seen Baxter first eating them and thought everything would be good from here on out but don't get discouraged if he stops eating them for awhile. That is what Baxter did. He started eating them, so I was under the assumption that he liked them now and I would feed him his fresh fruits and veggies the next day and he wouldn't even touch them:( Then I found out some days he would eat them and other days wouldn't even touch them. If I served somethings too often, like 2 days in a row, he would eat around them. He was so difficult to understand. I know I wasted a ton of the fresh fruits and veggies but just keep offering them and try to give a big variety. Hopefully you will find some kind of fruit or veggie that he will like all the time. I hope he continues his healthy eating habits:) Just don't give up. Keep offering them even if he doesn't eat them all the time. Repetition and patience is the key;) I keep pellets available for him all day,too. And if you want to start cooking food for him check out the recipe/cookbook thread in the bird room at the top of the page. There are some pretty good recipes in there. You can hide the veggies in some people food like scrambled eggs or oatmeal. Sometimes Baxter wouldn't eat it plain but if I hid it in the oatmeal or eggs he ate it every time. <br><br>Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2008/12/31 00:30

It is amazing how the medical technology is getting so advanced. I do sympathize for your wife having to fast and go through this procedure as it does not sound very pleasant. 8 year cancer survivor is great! Just know my thoughts will be with you both. I don't blame her for being grumpy. Perhaps you should buy her some flowers today:) And Karma to you for being such an understanging guy.

Thanks for providing the link Shanlung. I definately will go through it.

From reading your post I think you are expecting to much out of Charlie. They can communicate quite well if you pay attention and you said that Charlie seems to be saying "leave me alone" That is probably exactly what he is saying. I think you are interpeting him correctly with that. I'm not sure what "hot potato" game you are playing with him. I played that as a kid and had something we tossed and got rid of as fast as we could as if it were a hot potato and would burn us. I hope that is not what you are doing with Charlie:unsure: And if he did not want to go to the boyfriend you should respect that or someone is going to get bit real hard. You say your son "demands" Charlie to behave. A grey can pick up on all these things and it simply will not work. He will (if he doesn't already) resent your son terribly. If anyone "demanded" my grey to behave I wouldn't let him or her near him. You say "it's getting where no one wants to touch him except me and my husband" Why do you want him to be touched by so many others? It's one thing to socialize a grey where they will tolerate other people but you can not make them like people or force people on him. It has been my experience that greys are very cautious and reserved birds and do not like to socialize with groups of people. They tend to pick a favorite but if well socialized can tolerate and have relationships with more than one person but you are asking way to much if you want him to be comforatable 8 grown adult childrens and 14 grand children. It sounds like he is comfortable with you, your husband and your daughter and think you should be happy with that. Greys aren't like cats or dogs that like to socialize with lots of people and be petted by all. You might want to check some of the threads here on the forum about the personalities and grey behavior or get some books on African Greys and do some more research. I think you are expecting way too much out of Charlie and wanting him to do what is unnatural to him. You should slow down with him and just enjoy him with your husband and not expect him to get along with the entire family. And I wouldn't force him or try to control him in situations. That is probably why he is biting. He is being force into going to people or doing things that he does not like and the only way to show his displeasure is to bite. If not corrected this could become natural for him to bite all the time. These are just my opinions on it.<br><br>Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2008/12/28 05:09

My next door neighbor lady came over this evening to see the birds. Everyone was out on top of their perches except for Baxter and she asked about him. His door was open but he was just relaxing inside. I told him he had company and put my hand in the cage. He stepped up gracefully and came out all puffed up with pretty feathers and his head tilted to one side. He looked like such a noble & majestic creature coming out of the cage:) She told him he was beautiful and he started bobbing his head. She reached out to him and he head butted her hand which is a high compliment from him. Then he even went to step up on her hand. That was shocking. I think he has a crush on her. He was so interested in her and started dancing on my hand and I could tell he really loved the attention he was getting. Baxter is usually so laid back and relaxed but he really put on a show for my neighbor. He was a total ham. I think he was smitten.:silly: :laugh: Hmmmm....I think I may have found my future bird sitter if the need ever arises:) .

I think when you make the decision to buy or adopt a grey they should be immediately be considered a family member and treated as one just like a new born baby. You go through the ups & downs and changes together~as a family. If a grey was considered a family member the question of selling or rehoming would never even come up. It wouldn't even be an option. It is very sad that people can dispose of them so easily:(

I think you should rethink getting rid of your grey and look at it from a differnt angle. After your baby is born, your wife is going to be spending alot of her time with the baby or doing baby related things. She will probably be consumed at first, even if the baby is sleeping alot (and newborns sleepalot). Alot of men after the birth of their baby don't get as much attention from their spouse as they did before and have extra time on thier hands. Not saying this will happen in your case but it does happen in some instances and when your wife/fiancee is with the baby, you will have plenty of time to give to your grey. Your grey will probably be a bigger blessing that your realize. Everyones household/relationships has major changes from time to time but doesn't mean you have to get rid of your grey. Things might be different as the family grows but the grey can and should still be part of the family. It is much better to keep him than to rehome him to some strange house where he may not be properly taken care of. I just don't think having a baby is a good reason to get rid of grey. I think you will regret it later or worry how it is doing, if it's being taken care of properly, does it get let out of it's cage, is it happy is it depressed, does it pluck,...atleast I would always wonder that. I have heard other grey owners say they might have to get rid of their grey because a baby is on the way but I honestly don't understand why. Can you explain it to me and what your concerns are so I can understand better. Maybe I am missing something or maybe we can put your worries to rest, too. Why do you feel that since you are having a baby you might have to part with your grey? I am curious.