Luvparrots

Congrats on your two greys. You are in for a great treat of personalities. TAGs and CAGs normally have two very different personalities. I can't wait to hear more about Apollo and Ares. I have to ask, about the profile picture. Is that you? And under what circumstances please!

Some things you need to know (just the tip of the iceberg): 1. Parrots are not domesticated. Domestic animals have been bred for hundreds of years to live in the care of humans and as such are distinct from their wild ancestors. Parrots normally have long lifespans which can range from 20 to 50 years or more. Being owned by a parrot can be a life-long responsibility. 2. Parrots, particularly cockatoos and African greys continually shed feather dust or dander which may aggravate asthma or other breathing problems in some people. Many homes with pet parrots have hepa-type air filters installed to control allergies or respiratory problems from bird dander. 3. Parrots are normally noisy. Squawking, chirping and imitating sounds are an important part of any parrot’s social communication. Parrots are active and inquisitive creatures and must be provided with ample safe space to flap their wings and move about . Safe wooden toys and clanging stainless steel bells are a must for a happy, healthy parrot. Having an unhappy bored parrot is detrimental to its health and the health and peace of your home. 4. Parrots eat continuously throughout the day and think nothing of dropping, tossing and flinging food everywhere. In plain words parrots are quite messy. 5. Parrots instinctively chew and shred wood and can be very destructive. Chewing electrical cords, window blinds, curtains, kitchen cabinets and other household furniture seems like great fun to parrots. You must be vigilant and observant if you want your cabinets, woodwork and glassware to remain intact. 6. Parrots must be provided with ample healthy foods and a varied diet. A parrot cannot live on seeds or pellets alone and should also be given an ample supply of grains, beans and leafy green vegetables as well as some fruits sparingly. 7. Light exposure is a necessity for a healthy parrot. Parrots must be exposed to Vitamin D from sunlight or at least full-spectrum indoor lighting on a regular basis. Vitamin D promotes Vitamin A absorption, which is critical for upper respiratory health. Parrots must always have a minimum of 10 hours of sleep at night. In the wild parrots normal bed down from sundown to sun up. 8. Parrots are very sensitive to air quality. A parrot replaces nearly all the air in its lungs with each breath. Because no residual air is left in the lungs during the ventilation cycle of parrots, they transfer more oxygen and more pollutants during each breath. Parrots should not be exposed to tobacco smoke, hairspray, household cleaners or other chemical fumes, and most definitely not Teflon coated overheated materials. Exposure to toxic inhalants can cause immediate death in some cases and premature death in others. 9. Parrots are often compared to human toddlers in their need for emotional and social nurturing but unlike human children, parrots never grow up. Parrots are very intuitive and nosey. If they see something they like they might inspect it including moving ceiling fans and large glass windows. It is up to you as the caretaker to keep parrots safe from their own curiosity. 10. Parrots are prey animals and therefore hid any illness. You will need to be very vigilant and be able to read your parrot’s body language for any unusual changes in eating or other daily habits. Proper avian veterinary care for parrots can be very expensive. You should think nothing of at least $100 “just to walk in the door” on your first veterinarian visit. 11. Before you bring home a parrot ask yourself: Do I have quality very day time to spend with a parrot. Am I ready to raise a toddler who never grows up. Perhaps this parrot will choose someone else in the family to bond with and dislikes me to the point of daily bites and nips. Will I be unselfish enough to continue to love and care for this parrot all in the hopes that someday this parrot will at least tolerate me. 12. If my parrot should outlive me, do I have someone in mind to care for this sensitive and intelligent parrot after me. Good luck in your decision. I made my decision 5 years ago. I am now owned by four (4) birds: 2 greys, 1 amazon and 1 male singing canary…… and loving it! (Note: I am no expert. This is information I have gathered from personal knowledge of owing 4 birds; from reading posts in the Grey Forums; and from reading numerous books about parrots and different published articles. In other words, things I have read from here, there and everywhere.) These are my opinions and others may not totally agree with what I have written.

Great video! I loved your jumping Too!

Well there can be a problem. Sterling Gris whistles very loud and when we are outside in the sun he wolf whistles at the young wife that lives next door. It is very cute to watch her straighten up while mowing the lawn and look around for the "guy" whistling at her. I haven't the heart to tell her its only my grey!

Very cute. Sterling Gris has decided that he loves to repeat this: I want to come out. Open the door. I want out. Hello Sterling. He changes emphasis on certain words as he repeats this or parts of it. Changing it around in his hopes that I will come let he out! Hopefully he will choose other phrases soon because hearing this when the sun comes up is not my cup of tea. I love to hear how Gracie is changing in her interactions with you. She certainly knows what she wants and how to get it. Smart little lady!

My CAG, Sterling Gris, made sounds and whistled before he talked. He is now 2 and talks up a storm. He also can carry a tune. Frankly now that he talks, he no longer whistles but he still barks, rings like a phone, coughs and makes other obnoxious household sounds. I believe greys make the sounds and noises they like and that includes human words which are basically sounds too.

Hi Len, welcome to you and Penny. Sounds like you and Penny have a great routine going. Looking forward to seeing some pictures of Penny and hearing more.

I have three, a 4 1/2 year old TAG I have had since weaned; a 2 year old CAG I have had since weaned; and a 5 year old ZON I have had since he was 1 1/2 years old. I got them for me and only me. They tolerate each other and probably would be just as happy as an only parrot in the household. They are all different and are my companions. They give me something to do as I am retired, older and live alone. Unless you have the time for another grey/parrot, I would not get another parrot as a "friend" for my bored/lonely plucking parrot. I would try to find out why my current grey is plucking, that would be my goal and I would spend my extra time and money to try to correct its problem. This is my opinion as an owner of multiple parrots who do not particularly like each other but like me.

Oh you can post amazon pictures by the bucketfuls. I love to watch zons and the antics they can do.

My parrots are banned from the office/my computer. After the loss of about 3 keyboards I had had enough and put up mesh screening over my door. The parrots can see me but are not allowed in the room. Ana Grey can get my keyboard no matter where it is. She is a sneaky little fiend and quite cunning.

My PM was not working for awhile but I let Talon, the administrator, know and it is fine again.

I have a Procter Silex 1 1/2c food chopper. It works great for chopping my parrots' fresh veggies to whatever size I choose or they like. I also make scrambled eggs with finely chopped spinach and a dash of red palm oil for the gang.

Just ordered one. I'll see which of the gang likes it best. Thanks.

Really cute. Thanks for sharing!

Works for me Jayd. No problem.

I am talking about while sitting on boings or perches in the outer rooms. They reach over and open their beaks to each other and touch beaks. No aggressive just touching. They do also go into each other cages to steal food but never when the other is in the cage. If one goes in another's cage, the cage owner just watches.

Kiwi is quite handsome. My ZON and TAG have done some beaking, as I call it. I too was fearful but it has never been done in a threatening way. Perhaps someone will have an answer to this "beaking" situation.

Hi Chris and DJ, welcome to the Grey family! Looking forward to learning more about you and seeing some pictures (hint,hint).

One thing to remember is that it is hard for anyone, grey or person to know when it is okay to do something and when it is not. How is a grey to know when it is okay to be on a shoulder or counter-top and when it is not? You must be consistent in what you let your grey do. Either a grey can be on your shoulder or it cannot. It can be on the counter-top or it cannot. To remove any confusion, you must be consistent and persistent in what is right and what is wrong.

I get hot peppers for my gang. I am allergic to them and my throat swells and I cough and cough so I have to be very careful not to touch the peppers. It's a challenge for the gang love their peppers.

Great pictures by all contestants. I feel honored. Thank you for your votes.

Happy Hatchday Chloe, wow you are certainly becoming a grown up girl!

Very nice update! Looking forward to hearing more!

My zon normally shrieks or makes loud sounds once a day. It is just him clearing his pipes I guess. If he get on my nerves about it, I just start singing or humming. It gets his attention and he stops. Another thing to do is when you leave Kirby in another room, turn on the radio or stereo and see if that helps. I believe our parrots just want to be part of the family and in the middle of things kind of like small children who always want to be with the parent. Good luck.

Whenever I give the parrots a new toy or gadget. I just place it in their cages when they are out or on a ceiling hanger and just let them "discover" the new thing. I never make a big deal out of anything new and so neither do they.