BaxtersMom

Yes, we have hit our limit, too. 4 is enough and although I would love to get more I don't think I could manage anymore than what I have:( I need blinders too:laugh: We go to a pet store that usually has some older birds that need rehomed and a couple weeks ago I seen a B&G Macaw named Tatoo. Gosh I wanted him soooo bad. I need a bigger house:laugh: I know they all have really made my life so much happier. I get aggrevated at them from time to time because of some of the things pull but have to laugh at how smart they can be.:blink: I love how each one has their individual personalities. I would have never suspected how each one is so different in so many ways.

Dave, you gave me a great idea:woohoo: I should put the poop off on the house for my neighbors to see. If I don't give them things to talk about they quite eagerly make things up on their own:laugh:

Yep, it is Pretty Bird brand for ekkies. It has more vitamin A in it. He refuses to eat them. I got it because I was paranoid about the ekkies sensitivities. I am currently feeding him regular pellets which he doesn't care too much for anyway. He picks at them. I tried the Zupreem fruity blend and he seemed to really enjoy them. I'm still not sure if I'm doing right by him and the pellets though. The man I got him from didn't even give him any pellets at all and he seems just fine anyway. I do give him alot of veggies, some fruits, seeds and egg once a week. So far so good. His feathers are beautiful, no toe tapping and he acts healthy and happy. Hope it stays this way.

I kind of like having poop off around the house. I know it's not a necessity but I think it makes the cleaning up easier and faster. We do clean with vinegar and water too and I have tested both on our last cage cleaning session. Poop off won hands down. Even with soaking 5 minutes with the vinegar water mix. I think vinegar and water works fine if you can clean the poop up before it has time turn into concrete:laugh: but once it has had some drying time I appreciate the poop off much better.

I first tried to give my grey a shower and I went about it all wrong on him it seems. I had the water spraying and set him down in the tub but it scared him. So what I did was get in the shower and sit down in the tub with him. Ahhh the things we do for our birds:laugh: That seemed to work better. Now I take my shower, have him on a perch outside, when I'm done, it's his turn but I stand in there with him and he seems pretty comfortable with that. I wish I could just put them in the tubs and let the water spray on them but they just wont have it:silly: As for the pellets and ekkies....I have read many places that colored pellets are no good for ekkies, their digestive track is different, longer I think, but for some reason, not sure why it can cause them to get a twitch or toe tapping which results from some kind of defiency? They usually don't have symptons for awhile though. a year or two from what I read. They do make a special brand for ekkies only but it smells like vitamins:sick: and Tigger won't eat it. I asked at the pet store I get the food from and they told me not to worry about it too much:huh: I do trust them cuz they are a mom and pop store that only deals in exotic birds since the 50's. So everything I have heard is conflicting:S I give my ekkie the same pellets as my other flock members. He still doesn't eat much pellets, I do give him seeds but have cut back. He loves home cooking though so I get to give him all the veggies and potatoes at night that we eat. BTW, I have a grey, a conure, an ekkie and now an yellow head amazon! Keep us posted. I am really interested in your ekkie. Any chance we can see a photo?:whistle:

Tigger is doing just wonderful. Thanks for asking. We have had him a couple months now and he has turned into the best bird ever. He is an excellent talker and talks pretty much non stop:laugh: I was so worried about him when he first came to us but it wasn't necessary. He is the sweetest and most loveble bird. He wants to be close all the time:) I have noticed if we give him a lot of attention, he wants more and more. If he doesn't get it he will fly off his cage to come and find us:laugh: I couldn't imagine not having him.

You could always heat the aloe vera spray to a warm temperature. Mine didn't like the spray bottle much either so I tried taking him in the shower and he actually liked it! Now he gets a nice warm shower and seems to really like getting soaked. Have you tried this method at all? Just cuz they don't like the spray bottle doesn't mean they wont like showers. Just go slow and calm the first time. I know it might sound silly to take them in the shower with you but I know he gets a good soaking that way and the water is so nice and warm. Their body temperature (or so I've heard) is warmer than ours is so warm spray or a shower might feel really good to them. Today I gave Tigger my ekkie a shower again and it's getting cold here too and he doesn't act like he is cold afterwards but while he is drying the feathers do feel cool to the touch so I just sat with him for awhile with my hand on his back. He is quite a snuggler anyway so it makes it easy. I would try warming the spray or taking him in the shower. Sometimes I give Tigger a shower and then give him the aloe for the skin. Good luck. Keep us posted

My guys do eat the pellets, Tigger not as much. I wish they would eat more of their pellets. I have cut way down on the seed but I am a softie and give in to them. I try to start out the day with pellets only so they will get them first but an hour or two later I break down and toss some seeds in. I'm such a push over:(

That is excellent news!! I am so proud of Tanner! Cooper is coming out and staying out most of the time but he still does not want us to pet him. He is stepping up like a champ though. I guess he would be perfect if we were just allowed to pet him. I guess we have to do it the hard way and work for it. Once he steps up it is just a natural reaction to want to pet him but he squaks or squeels at us:ohmy: when we try. But get this, he steps up and shows no fear, today I have started giving him kisses on his beak and he seems to enjoy it. I make a big smacking kissy noise and he just sits there waiting for another.:laugh: Go figure:huh: So why can't I pet him:blink:

I could not open the link. It wanted information from me and a code? Is there any other way to see the flyer?This is just awful what people are doing:( :unsure: :angry:

Thanks for sharing that with us and explaining it so well. When I first got my grey I heard a lot of bad things about peanuts but noticed all the pet stores I went into were offering them so I was very confused. I finally asked and they said about what you said above. They also said that since peanuts are grown in the ground, for one, the dirt is not good for them but also has moisture in it which can lead to mold inside the shell. I am not sure if the peanuts they offer in the pet stores have been roasted to get all the moisture out but am assuming so. Karma to you for taking such good care of Charlie. He probably wouldn't still be around if it weren't for you. {Feel-good-000200BB}

Oh Finley is so handsome and knows how to admire himself too, huh?:laugh: It's great that he is settling good. I was wondering how old he is?

There has to be one in every bunch doesn't there Pat? Baxter is my difficult picky eater:) It's great that the others are enjoying though. I have both the fine mix and the bigger pellets. The fine is for the conure but he would just assume eat the big pieces I think. The lady at the pet store the smaller pellets were so they didn't have to work as hard to eat them for the smaller birds. I have given the smaller pellets on occassion to my larger flock members and they like it too. I do mainly give the big pellets to the larger ones though cuz they like to dip their pellets in the water and it's tougher to do with the smaller pellets. I think my big guys would miss the dipping if I gave them the smaller ones. But if they aren't "dippers" I don't see any reason not to feed them all the same stuff;)

Yes, Judy has given great advice and so has Mistyparrot. I was going to ask also about the husbands alergies. Many people are allergic to their dust and dander and don't find out untill after they have purchased a grey. I just rehomed an amazon parrot because the owners daughter was alergic and the lady didn't care of it anyway:angry: . It's a tough call. Greys are wonderful pets but with all the kids and the alergy risks I'd be a leary of it:unsure: They also require a daily attention, out of the cage time daily and just lots of attention in general. They like to be considered part of the family and included in many things. I have rescued 2 parrots, one being a grey (Baxter) and the other an amazon & I would have to tell you that it is a life long commitment to them. They are more needful that parakeets. They are so smart and need daily interaction and toys to keep them occupied. If they do not get this it can turn into a bad situation for both the owner and the grey. It's great that you are asking in advance and am sure you will make the right decision if a grey is right for you or not.

Hi Annie, I agree with the others. You seem like an amazing person. I have taken in some older birds, 2 neglected & 2 not. I would like to eventually get more invovled with rescue and perhaps fostering. You are an inspriration to us all:) One of my flock members is a male eclectus too and I just adore him. Hope to hear more from you.

Hello and welcome to the forum. I love your sense of humor too asking Casper if she was a ghost:laugh: That was funny. It sounds like you are really enjoying Alfie and that's great. They can bring so much joy to a persons lives. There is always something to learn about greys and this is a great place full of friendly people and lots of information too. Great place to make some new friends and just talk about our greys. Welcome Aboard;)

Another cold day here. Seems to be an epidemic:) Not much going on here. Football is on TV but can't stand to watch the Detroit Lions lose every single game:angry: Other than that, just hanging out with Baxter:)

Pink Floyd is good...I'd love to see them. We could ask Britney Spears to come too, cuz she likes to talk with a British accent{Feel-good-0002006E} and Madonna, too.

Hey thats a great looking toy. Looks very professional too, just like you would buy at the store:) All mine would love to have that toys cuz they all like to chew wood;)

Hello and congradulations on your new greys and karma to you for taking in older birds. They need love and homes too. I too have adopted 4 older birds and have never experienced the joys of having a baby bird to raise but I find it very rewarding to take in neglected birds and really turn their life around. TinyTimneh has given some great advice. Some greys are more difficult than others so time is the key. I would first work on letting them have out of the cage time with "no worries" about training. Once they get used to going in and out, they will love it but it can take some time though. You may even have to remove them (gently) from the cage and put them on top the first time or two. They will realize it's fun to be out of the cage:woohoo: . Give them treats by hand which helps them understand that hands are not a bad thing. Talk to them alot, sing to them, read books, tell them about the weather, the kind of day you are having, etc:laugh: just spend as much time with them by their cage so they can get used to you. When it is time to try and handle them and teach them the step up command I think it is a very good idea to take them away from their cage. Perhaps a bathroom or a bedroom where they can not see the cage or have any other distractions. Even if it's only for 10 minutes or so. I know when mine first came to me, they would see that cage and it seemed like that's all they could think about was getting back to it. Just go slow, like TinyTimneh said, don't set high expectations at first. They will need to settle in. You will be able to tell when they are feeling a little more comfortable with you and willing to try new things. One of my greys was so willing to do new stuff and was pretty easy to deal with after the first month but another parrot I got is fighting us on everything it seems:laugh: They will differ so if one seems like he's catching on more than the other don't worry about it too much. I wouldn't worry too much about one liking men and one liking women. Sometimes they do have preferences because that's all they are used to but 2 of mine have been owned by men but now prefer me:) Either way a good relationship can still be formed with both of them. Keep us posted and don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have. Good luck!

I am so glad to hear this. I read your original post and how he came to you and you are just working miracles on him. I think you are doing everything right and time will take care of the rest. I bet he is so thankful and I'm sure the trust has already begun and will continue to grow. He must feel so much better already.

Here in the US, Bristish accents are the latest craze. I too love hearing a British accent and I've notice that many of our TV shows have Brits in them now:) . Even my soap opera:laugh: Yesterday I turned cartoons on for my flock to watch and don't know the name of it but it was a cartoon with 3 Bristish children playing. :woohoo: . I wish the US would pick up the British accent for good. It sounds much more proper than our sloppy English slang;) .

Carolyn, you did a great job on that toy!! I too save all my old destroyed toys and try and use them later. It's a great money saver!

If you have taken him to the vet already this year, maybe this time he has something totally different wrong with him and needs another type of treatment. I would take him back to the vet as quick as I could. Especially if he has quit talking and is having problems breathing. I would make an appointment immediately. It may be very serious. :unsure: Please let us know how he is doing.

Cooper has been with us for 2 1/2 weeks now. For those who don't know he is a 1 1/2 yellow head amazon we rescued. He is coming along really good but has us baffled in some ways too. He is coming and going from his cage all day long. He has learned the step up command. He hesitates at first but then goes ahead and steps up. He is not afraid of us at all which is really good but He does not like to be touched on his feathers at all He makes little crying noises if we try to pet his wings, chest or back and will try to get away if he can. He will let us touch the very top of his head finally but I know he don't like it. He does allow us to pet his beak. He hasn't shown much interest in biting us. He will get our fingers in his beak but wont bite down. He loves to play!!! We will take him out and put him on the floor and dump colored blocks and he has a blast with them. If we pick one up he will run over to us and take it out of our hands:laugh: I have been setting him on my lap with a toy and he loves doing that too. He will run up and down my legs. If I play with his toys he gets mad and has to get it back. He doesn't like to be petted but at the times he is playing he will grab our hands with his feet and bump into them with his body but still he does not want to be petted. He is totally comfortable with us as long as we don't touch:( He will say an occassion hello or hi mainly to my husband. This only happens in the mornings or late at night though. Any time we turn something on with a motor especially the vaccuum cleaner he gets really really vocal. He knows quite a few words. He talks and talks and then he laughs hysterically and then will cry exactly like a real baby. He does not stop untill the motor or vacuum is turned off. We do listen to music alot here but we did not get a reaction from him untill we put on country music. Then there he goes again. he won't shut up:laugh: . More talking, laughing & baby crying. We were making toys the other night and he was so much into that. We brought him on the table with us and he was into everything. There was so much stuff to play with he didn't know what to play with first. He seems to have a short attention span, too. He will be doing one thing and then all the sudden it's off to do another. I will put a new toy in his cage and he will play with it and hang from it and tear it up as much as he can, after the initital play he doesn't show much interest anymore. I guess he is really doing good but I was wondering a couple of things about him. Why won't he ease up and let us pet him and what should we do to be able to pet him. Keep forcing it? And I was wondering why does he mainly only talk when there is other noise like country music or vacuum cleaners, mixers, washing machine, etc? He has quite a few words..He says Hello, Hi, Hi bird, Hello bird, Oh my God, What are you doing, Old MacDonald Bird eieio:lol: , and a few other things...Oh yea, he is starting to say Cooper now too:) Of course all these words only come out if we are running the vacuum or something. All in all I think he is coming along really good. Just thought I'd give you guys and update on his and wondering if anyone had an suggestions so we could get him used to being petted? And do you think he will only talk with a motor running? He talks right in front of us as long as there is noise in the background.<br><br>Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2008/11/22 22:31