Perch

Does anyone have experience introducing a Macaw to your flock? I was considering this in the fall with a Blue and Gold Macaw. My CAG Gracie is 18 months old, and I thought it might be better now, then when she is older and more set in her ways. Any thoughts / experiences?{Emotions-000200C1}

Gracie LOVES toys with the little white balls like the ones shown in the picture. Sometimes I shove almonds through the holes....and she actually hangs on the toy to get at them! [Of course this encourages destruction...but she seems to like it.] :lol:

I am the only one that can pet Gracie under her wings, she lifts them up for me, or on her belly. My 9 year old can sometimes pet her head, and he can take Gracie out of the cage no problem. Gracie will step-up on anyone, but absolutely no petting allowed! I think she looks at herself as equal, and chooses who gets to give the affectionate behavior. My son spent hours each day, just sitting near her to build trust. Once the trust was established...and after Gracie watched him do his spelling homework enough... he reached out and with no hesitation Gracie stepped-up. My wife loves to watch our birds, but her body language clearly shows apprehension in handling them; and I swear our CAG and Conure pick up on it. Her nervousness is transferred to Gracie, and I think because she expects to be nipped...she is! In my limited experience, patience is the key. You must be willing to put the time in to establish trust, and your demeanor and body language are part of what the bird will read as it accesses you for trustworthiness. I think one person may be chosen to be closest, but many different levels of interaction are possible. Kind of like with any relationship. Contrast this behavior with dogs and you can see how people can easily get off track with a CAG. Within 5 minutes of coming to our house for the first time, you can rub my dog's belly and play catch. I wouldn't recommend that near the bird cage!:cheer:

Gracie just threw up on me. Guess we're engaged now.:laugh: Thanks Dave...great stuff, and so true!

I agree with Dan for the most part. Gracie comes in and out of her cage frequently. It seems she doesn't mind going back to the cage; probably because the next "field trip" could be at any time. One thing that I have noticed...and was pleased by...is that I don't need to maintain a totally predictable schedule. It is impossible for me to do so, due to the nature of my work. Feeding is the exception of course! Gracie can count on her meals being regular, because other family members gladly participate. Extensive playtime outside her cage occurs mostly with me however; and because I am a firefighter, I work a constantly rotating schedule. She loves to visit different rooms, especially the bathroom for shower time.

Here comes Gracie-Claus, Here comes Gracie-Claus.... Come on now everybody, you know the words! Me thinks I had a wee too much egg nog:silly:

I don't smoke cigars, but I did find that a local tobacco shop is willing to give away empty cigar boxes for free. I took some shredded paper from next to my desk...gotta shred those bills anyway...and mixed in some peanuts, almonds, and little plastic toys. I put it on the bottom of the cage for exploration. OK, so it does get a little messy. But I have to clean the cage-ma-haul anyway; so what the heck. I almost want to make one for myself...:woohoo: <br><br>Post edited by: Perch, at: 2008/12/10 19:40

What a great link...I bookmarked it as well. This is exactly up my alley. Gracie is gonna make out for Christmas!

After reading through this thread a bit, I went to my local bird store here in Connecticut and purchased some AVI Sunshine Factor. It's only ingredient is certified organic Brazilian dende or red palm nut fruit oil. It comes in solid form, which liquifies when the container is placed in warm water. You then thoughly mix the liquid with whatever dry mix you use, coating the pellets. When dry, feed as usual. I don't think Gracie has noticed any difference in the taste or texture, and my Conure Gelsa's feathers actually look better since I've use it. The label on the bottle had a web site, so you can read up on the product and decide if it's right for you. Try pasting this link into your browser: http://www.exoticdvm.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=avixproducts.collection&productGroup_id=74&parentGroup_id=96& It looks like there are a few other products worth looking at as well. Does anyone have any experience with AVI?

Julie- I am still new at this, but have made lots of observations during my time with Gracie; who is a little over 8 months old now. I took some advice from this site and my friends at the bird store about initital cage placement in our home. Gracie's line-of-sight lets her peek into two adjoining rooms. I have 5 kids, so there is much talking between rooms and movement. While reading up on Greys, I found they have the ability to embrace the concept of places out-of-site, which are still within the overall area. The idea is to continually tour the Grey throughout the living space, so they develop a concept that when you leave their sight, you are not actually leaving the flock area. I was worried about my weird schedule when it came to purchasing Gracie. I work constantly rotating hours. I am starting to think however, that this may be a benefit overall, in that she never knows exactly when we are going to hang out together in a 24 hour period. Today for example, we are spending the morning puttering around the house. I bring her to each room with me, and she perches to watch whatever I'm up to. When she goes back to the cage-ma-hall, like when I have to clean the gutters later, she is content to play and wait for the next outing. I think the most quality time is spent on a perch in the kitchen, because we spend a huge amount of time there. If it's too busy however...she can still see the kitchen from her vantage point in the adjoining room. I think somehow she keeps track of her flock in her mind, and to some extent conceptualizes where we are in the house. Gracie only uses one particular calling whistle for one of my teenage sons. She knows when he is in the house, even if he is out-of-sight for long X-Box periods. She calls out once or twice...he responds...and the mental note is made. Again, I am too new to offer advice; only observations and what I have learned from others. I find this whole adventure facinating.

I love the idea of making inexpensive toys, re-using, and seeing what works. I too have collected the little parts that fall off or are discarded as the rest of the toy is utterly demolished. If you don't; it really could get way expensive. So far I have learned simple twine knots, braids, and balls are very likeable to Gracie. She like to shread the twine. I have also used old kid-toys like Lego people, dinasaurs, and teething rings. Two whiffle balls as well, but don't tell my kids.

I guess you could call this a Wahtchamacallit Variation! I used some 1/4 inch twine, and loop braided it with a technique I remembered from camp about 30 years ago. I secured it to the lower perch in Gracie's cage, and to the top of the cage. She uses it constantly to travel between perches. Somtimes she hangs on sideways and chatters up a storm in some CAG gibberish, and whistles to me. Alas, no talking yet. See post in other area on that.<br><br>Post edited by: Perch, at: 2008/11/26 18:01

I couldn't get the table top perch in the first post... I just put some news paper under it and move it wherever we are hanging out. Like right now, next to my lap-top!

I made a simple window perch above my kitchen sink using a two foot dowel, heavy twine which Gracie likes to chew, and eye hooks mounted between the cabinets. It is a practical play for her to hang out, especially since I only have to rinse the sink when she has a bombs-away episode. This table top perch however, is the thing that saved a couple of bucks. Is is made from one piece of 1X4 pine 6 feet long. Cut two 16 inch uprights, fasten to two 12 inch feet, and screw two dowels in between to stand it up. I found a metal dish at the pet store, 7.99 and attached it to one side. This is perfect for toys and treats. I don't know if you can see it, but I wrapped a piece of 120 grit sand paper to the top rail for Gracie to clean her beak on. Total cost under $20. Post edited by: Perch, at: 2008/11/26 17:44<br><br>Post edited by: Perch, at: 2008/11/26 17:45

OK, should I be worried about my girl, Gracie? She was born last March, which makes her 8 months now. We whistle to each other, and click or cluck, but she is not talking yet. Is this unusual? I mean she is active, curious and playful; but alas, no trying for words or other imitations. I didn't decide to have a CAG for a companion because of talking, but it would certainly be interesting. And after reading "Alex and Me", I was kind of hoping... Any suggestions?