EFGriffith

I got a $550 cage from someone selling it on Craigslist for $150. It took me about a week for the right one to pop up, but bird cages come up on there all the time. It's kind of sad, because you can't help but wonder what happened to the birdies who lived there... There's usually a good explanation though! Anywho, Craigslist.org will ALWAYS have good deals. Nice second-hand cages from $350 and cheaper.

You look soooo happy, what a cute pic with your baby!

Bikermol wrote: I can totally picture a self-important little parrot marching up to someone's soup and hopping on the edge of the bowl, beaking away. Congrats on your friend making it home =) This really is a happy story.

New information! It's always good to know potential dangers so we can research/experiment/decide. Heck, when I was little and didn't know any better, my family used to give Hershey's Kisses to our dogs as rewards/treats, and it never bothered them. It's weird the things we're leery of and why, but Lord knows I don't give my dogs chocolate as an adult! I also don't feel too bad anymore for giving Tango a couple bites of cereal this morning, since it seems to be okay in extreme moderation.

I've scrolled through this thread just looking at the pics, and they're so adorable!! Makes me want to breed some babies of my own, although at my novice bird-handling level, I know better There's always future years! They are SO CUTE.

Hi everybody! We have Tango on a seed-based diet supplemented by dehydrated fruits & veggies, fresh fruits & veggies, and the occasional oatmeal mixed with baby food. (We've tried pellets, but he starves himself rather than eating them...) Fresh fruits & veggies seems to be more of a weekend thing though, with the dehydrated ones prevailing most weekdays. I'm sure fresh is best, but are these dehydrated foods any good at all? Or am I just fooling myself into thinking I found an occasional time-saver solution that's nearly as healthy as the real thing?

Karma to you Carolyn, because I feel like you've been so helpful and supportive of Tango & me during our little bump in the road. Thanks again

This morning I made Tango a mixture of oatmeal with babyfood and some seeds dropped in, just so he'd be sure to understand it's food. He's only nibbling here and there, but he's getting the point and some of it is actually making it down! I leave for work soon, so whatever's left I'll just clean out and refill with seed before I go. I'm so excited that we're branching out of Tango's daily boring diet and introducing him to new, healthier things. I don't want to cut his life short because he's seed-spoiled. I feel so great about all of this, and I'm happy for his little tummy & taste pallet. Here's to new experiences entering into the new year!

(Please forgive me for being long-winded, but I wanted to post this particular piece in full. It's been a great year, full of learning, and these two resolutions are how I hope to apply my newfound knowledge): I have two this year, and both of them make sense concerning where I am in my life. Both improve my life as well as those near to me, and I can’t wait to see the impact they have. It will take a while for them to fully saturate my life, but that’s the goal I’ll be working toward. 1. Run my home more efficiently. Zach and I are moving out of our “starter apartment” Jan. 6, the day after our 1-year anniversary, and I find the timing to be quite significant. It was our first year, with all the experiments in living together being set in motion. I feel that we’ve come a long way as a couple, but obviously we’re still working toward that firm grasp couples who can boast longevity may claim. At this point, we find ourselves letting the laundry and dishes pile up, and we eat more like we live in a barracks than a home with a kitchen. We’re not living in a dump or anything, but improvements could definitely be made. We talked it over, and we really want to start eating more healthy, meaning we would prepare meals instead of just microwaving things, eating cereal, or whipping together sandwiches all the time. I want a crock pot. Laundry will be easier for us to handle, as it won’t be a matter of “we can do laundry when we have quarters.” The laundry facility is nice at our new place, and once we get our pile under control, it will be easy for us to keep up. We’ll have lots more space to store out-of-season clothes, and will be able to take moving as an opportunity to sort through the things we never wear. As far as the dishes, we’ll have a dishwasher, which will help also. We never let the dishes pile up when we had a dishwasher before, but since ours has been out-of-order and both of us practically detest doing dishes by hand, having that appliance will help immensely. 2. Make personal behavior modifications that will not only make me a better individual, but also strengthen my relationships with others. This one sounds a little out-there, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about ever since I was introduced to Karen Pryor’s book, “Don’t Shoot the Dog.” Pryor is the pioneer who introduced “clicker training” into the world of animal behavior modification, and in my psychology of learning class, we studied her book. Although she is best known for her work with animals, her book relates those lessons to people as well. My initial reaction to the book was to classify it as a manuscript on how to manipulate people, but upon further observation, I realized it went much deeper than just that surface assumption. Yes, there is an entire chapter devoted to how to get people to do what you want, but there‘s a catch; the foundation of that chapter is changing your own methodology in a way that will naturally assist others in changing theirs, oftentimes with no noticeable reaction to the fact that they’ve just modified themselves. Sneaky, I know, but the book only teaches us how to use this power for good. The improvements on both parties individually assist in the growth of their combined interpersonal relationship, which improves the quality of life for both of them. Allow me to give an example. Let’s pretend Zach came home from work grumpy every day, which resulted in regular afternoon fights between the two of us. One method from Pryor’s book involves discovering the root cause of the problem and working from there. Say I discover that the root cause is that he never has time for lunch, and is grumpy when he gets home because he’s always hungry. If I had a snack ready for him when he came home that could bridge the gap until dinner, it would fix his hunger, which would cause the grumpiness to cease. So like I said, by modifying my own behavior, I can improve others’ lives, which will in turn improve my own. Pryor has eight different methods, one of which she describes as practically never working, one of which is the ideal method, and another six that are used in more specific circumstances. I hope to gain a better understanding of these methods, becoming aware of the times when I naturally default to that ineffective method, and finding novel ways to substitute the others. I’m equally excited about both of these resolutions, and have slowly begun implementing them in just the past couple of days. A few mornings ago back in Maine, I wanted Zach to wake up early with me, but when I roused him from sleep, he refused to get out of bed. After nagging and tapping at him, he still didn’t want to get up. I fussed my way back to the computer, trying to pass the time until I felt I could try again. Siem (Zach’s step dad) made some fresh-roasted, fresh-brewed coffee, took some to Kate (Zach’s mom & Siem’s lovely bride) in bed, and told me there was a good bit left if I wanted to fix some. I doctored it appropriately with cream and sugar and headed back over to the computer, situated between windows where I could gaze outside to the still, snowy backyard. I just sat there, thinking about life, sipping coffee, and enjoying my solitude for a while, when it hit me that I want every day to be like that. I want it to start off with beauty, slow enough for me to take in the life around me, whether that life is watching birds twitter between trees or batting Pogo’s slobbery tongue out of my face. It’s all so beautiful. And I want to give that to my husband, to be able to share it with him. I want to make “us” better by making myself better, and I feel these two resolutions are the best way to do it. When I went back upstairs in my next attempt to garner his companionship, I snuggled up to him in bed and gave him gentle kisses. Once I had his attention, I fed him grapes, one-by-one. The extra half hour of sleep combined with a much nicer wake-up were exactly what he needed, and he came downstairs for that quality time. So here’s to a 2009 that promises to be just as wonderful as my amazing 2008 was, if not somehow better! Happy New Year everyone! I hope you are all as blessed in your lives as I feel in mine. If not, please take some time to reflect and find out how to wake up thankful for every single day. We only go around once, and I really do hope that all the people I love are happy in their lives. If there’s ever anything I can do to help anyone, honestly, let me know. I’d love to do my part to make your day a little brighter.

I've never been able to get Tango to eat fresh fruits or veggies -- he always only wants seed or that dehydrated pet-store fruit-feed that comes in a can. But this afternoon, for the first time, he's eating FRESH fruits & veggies. I have a mix of carrots, pears, and yams, and he's munching away! I think he's throwing the carrots overboard though... Anyway, I'm so excited about this milestone. I want to start feeding him fresh all the time, and I think this may be the first step. Although it seems I *am* right, and all the carrots are sailing away. I feel like preparing meals for him instead of just tossing seed in his dish is a great way for us to bond, and while I AM a busy gal, Lord knows I have enough time to feed him better. I'm rediscovering the excitement of being a "parront." I'm gonna go cruise the boards here and try to learn how to give Tango complete nutrition without having to supplement his diet with seed. I'd also like to find out how to not use pellets, as he refuses to eat those. I don't want him to lack vitamins/minerals/nutrients, so it's time for some research.

My Tango doesn't talk in front of me, but I've been told he says "Tango" and "uh-oh." He's 6 & 1/2 months old at this point, so I figure that since he's started talking a little (just within the past few days), it'll ramp up as he gets older. I'm looking forward to hearing him talk for the first time now that I know he does! A friend and coworker I mentioned in another post who is a professional bird trainer (not employed by me!) is the one who heard him talk, so I can't imagine she misheard or is making anything up. I must say I'm very excited.

When I turn music on, Tango sings along with it. I sign on MySpace sometimes and play around with their Karaoke feature, and Tango pretty much always chatters along while I screech out my own version of the song =) It's too cute.

I got this book from my mother-in-law for Christmas. I've only finished the first chapter so far, but how sweet! I'm a slow reader, and can't read for too long at a time, but am looking forward to the rest.

Since I've made the decision to find Tango a new home, things have been different. I've given him more attention, done more reading on birds, and even cried a couple times thinking about our impending separation. I'm wondering if this change of heart is part of the emotional preparation of saying goodbye, or if it really is the little kick I've needed to really jump into our relationship. I'm keeping in touch with anyone who's interested in possibly taking Tango in, but I've decided to slow down a bit and take another one or two months to make sure this is the right decision. I can't tell if things really are better for real, forever, or if things are just better because I'm sad and emotional about it all. Please keep the our family in your prayers as we're making this decision. Thanks to ALL OF YOU for the amazing support I've received in this tough time. This is honestly a spectacular community. You all are wonderful to have around.

I will definitely keep you guys updated. I'm on my way out the door for the holidays and have a dear friend and professional bird trainer, trained through Moorehouse/Moorepark/? (sp?), watching him for the week I'm gone. I'm sorry this reply is so short, but before I left, I wanted to thank everyone for all the warm support. This really is a wonderful community.

Trust me, this is an embarassing message to post. Please don't chew me out... Or do if it would make you feel better, but know that it's awful for me to post this. I'm doing this here because the Grey Forums are such an amazing community of bird lovers, and maybe through this network, Tango can find a home that will be better suited for him than the one he's in now. It's humbling to come before everyone like this, especially those I've gotten to know over the past few months, but I think this is one of Tango's best chances for a lifetime of happiness. Tango is a healthy, 7-month-old baby, who doesn't screech or pluck, who is well-socialized, was hand-fed as a baby, and came with a health guarantee from a local bird store, Bird Crazy. My husband and I take good care of him, but know we won't be able to continue this regimen, and are not enjoying this new addition to our home the way we hoped we would. I understand that it's irresponsible of us to make this decision, but I think in the long run, this humbling and irresponsible decision will be what is best for Tango. We just can't take care of him the way he deserves, and he is more than understanding. He's an amazing boy... We're just not up to the challenge like we thought we were. I don't want to ship him, but blessings come in unforseen ways sometimes, and it's something I would be willing to look into if absolutely necessary. Please send me a private message if you're interested. My husband and I will be out of town for a week starting Monday, but we would love to being making arrangements as soon as possible. We want to help him find a forever-home that's deserving of his great little personality. Thanks for any help you can offer.

That was really freakin' cute =)

Oh my lord, those pictures are SO CUTE. Makes me want to get one of those net things so Tango can play like that -- Angel looks SO HAPPY! I can see the other baby in that first picture looking back like "Hey, who stole my spotlight?" :laugh:

I'm a new Grey mom, and this forum has absolutely been an invaluable resource. The senior members here definitely have my trust. The hubby and I went with a baby (4 months), as we wanted to have complete control in molding him into a well-adjusted birdie. We decided we didn't have the skill-level neccessary to handle any social problems an older Grey might bring, and elected to bring home a little one rather than trying to seek out a well-adjusted adult. I just don't trust people's ability to care for other living things as much as I trust the potential of an untainted baby Grey. I'm SO glad you "stumbled" upon this forum. You'll find lots of great information here. Welcome to the family!

I have Tuesday off from my evening job, so I'll actually be able to stay home and watch it all unfold. I'm one of the few out there who is excited, I suppose. But it's because I'm former military and my husband is in the military, and I want to know what kind of commander in chief we're bringing in to determine the fate of my husband and our friends. Additionally, don't forget about the important propositions up for vote as well! I have to admit that I'm looking forward to seeing how those turn out. I can't just check the Gallup polls to see who's for or against this or that in my state, ya know? So it'll be a total surprise.

How adorable is that! I love how you could just tell when she was done and felt all clean and happy =)

I know I'm a bird person because... I'm okay with a companion who only poops on me sometimes, just occasionally screeches me awake, and bites but at least never breaks the skin! =)

I think one of Tango's favorite toys that doesn't come from a store is... Me. Ta da! We can spend forever just "stepping up" from one hand to the next, or playing peek-a-bird in my hair, or nibbling my ears while I'm at the computer or reading a book. I REALLY like the rolled-up newspaper idea. Tango gets computer paper a lot, but a whole section of a newspaper rolled up is a great plan. And the coffee filters with treats hiding inside some, but not all, to keep 'em guessing. I love this thread =)

I got nervous when I first started letting Tango on my shoulder, so I can empathize with your concerns! He nibbles my ears and will groom my hair, but nothing ever harder than nibbles. Even so, every now & then he nips my fingers, but is never bad to my ears. The only thing I worry about now is him pooping down my back :sick:

*hugs* I'm so, so sorry to hear about the loss of your little loved ones. The previous members mentioned anything that would make sense to me... Think about fumes, and think about anything new. I hope you're able to get this figured out.