chimaysmommy

So in prepping for my grey's arrival, I bought "The Healthy Bird Cookbook" from Amazon.com and wanted to bring up a topic that made me raise an eyebrow...the author states that when she prepares chicken either for her cockatoo or her family, she'll allow the bird to chew on the larger bones. He cracks them open and eats the marrow. I don't doubt that the marrow is safe, but I was suspicious of how safe it is to allow bone-chewing. Seems to me that given the splintery nature of chicken bones, they could be dangerous if swallowed. Does anyone here allow their greys chicken/poultry bones? Would a grey even have enough strength in their beak to crack a thigh bone for that matter? I could be totally wrong in my suspicion, but figured better safe than sorry. Thanks everyone!

Thank you guys for all of the reassurance... This is really very exciting for both myself and my BF. He is very allergic to cats/dogs/anything with fur. Fortunately after a series of visits to petshops and such to let him handle birds, we were confident in his lack of reaction and committed to getting Chimay. Before we moved in together, I gave my two beloved kitties up for adoption. That was the most heart wrenching decision I've had to make, and even though I miss them every day I know I made the right decision. For him, this is very exciting b/c it's something he thought he could never have because of the severity of his allergies (particularly to cats). As for me, I had just came to terms with the fact that pets just weren't going to come into the picture again. So naturally we're both nervous, excited, and of course feeling a bit of impatience in the waiting. Lol!

LMAO!! Yeah he's definately a keeper! I can't wait to see my BF's reaction when/if that happens to him...

Greetings!! I'm getting my baby CAG from a breeder in Georgia and she's been absolutely wonderful to us. She has a website www.canopycreatures.com. Last I heard from her, the five grey babies she has are spoken for but not sure when she's expecting a new clutch. Look forward to hearing more!

One more try :blush:

I guess I didn't do it right....image is too big

Here's a new pic of Chimay that our breeder sent me today! I hope I attached it right:S

Hello!!! Your baby grey is such a cutie! Can't wait to read more about her arrival...best wishes for tomorrow!!

Is nutmeg a safe spice for greys? I actually just found a butternut squash risotto recipie (calls for nutmeg) that I'm making for myself and my boyf for dinner tonight and started thinking that it might be a nice treat for our CAG later on...

Thanks!! I've picked up a few books, and both myself and my boyf have been reading. Though he hasn't touched the birdie recipie book (I have a feeling that's b/c I'll be doing all of the cooking for any special treats and meals--lol). The dollar store is a great idea! Thanks!

Thanks everyone! Though I completely agree that we BOTH need to quit, regardless of what happens there is ZERO smoking that will be happening in our house from here on out. The furniture question actually was inspired a bit by these claims of "third hand smoke" I've seen on the news. Where the toxins from the smoke can be passed on to others from your hair, clothes, etc. even when you're not smoking. Made me start thinking about how much exposure our furniture has gotten as a result. I'm not a fan of shit stains either. Lol!

I think my younger brother became a member of this club and didn't even know it! We had a TAG named Shady when I was in high school, and he was terrified of her when she first came home. About a month after she arrived, my mom was trying to sit down with my bro to get him acquainted with her gradually. He finally worked up the courage to hold her, and at first it looked like it was going well. He was talking to her softly and just letting her perch. She didn't beak his fingers or anything, just casually sauntered her way up his arm to his shoulder. We all thought it was a touching moment, until she took full hold of his earlobe and bit down. He was too afraid to scream so his face just kind of scrunched and he didn't show pain until after she was safely removed from his shoulder. No scars, it healed up nicely and he wound up getting both of his ears pierced anyway about five years later. Ha!

My boyf and I are both smokers (well hopefully not me here pretty soon...the patch is on my purchase agenda for this payday). We've already established a "no more smoking in the house" rule to allow our apartment time to air out before our CAG arrives over a month from now. But I read in a Grey book that the bird can absorb nicotine from our skin and/or hair if we've recently had a cigarette. Has anyone heard of the same? Makes me wonder if it would be beneficial to have the furniture cleaned as well...

Thank you and congrats on getting your grey!! I can't wait till my Chimay gets here...his "target" wean date is March 22nd assuming he isn't an early/late bloomer. Secretly I'm hoping he's an early bloomer so I can see him sooner. Ha ha!

I've been making a running list of nonstick coated kitchen items that I'll be replacing by the time our CAG arrives, and wanted to get some feedback on silicone cookware. Was considering silicone muffin tins and baking mats...on bed bath & beyond's site they call their muffin tins nonstick, but I don't know if that is b/c they're coated or if it's just the nature of the silicone. Anyone out there using these sort of items as an alternative to nonstick? As far as larger vessels go I've got two cast iron skillets and a dutch oven that I live by. Lol!

Thanks for the reassurance...I just want to make sure that this is a great experience both for us and our CAG

Hello all! I wasn't sure if this is the right place to put such a post...still getting the hang of the forum thing. Lol! Anyway, our CAG won't be arriving for a while now (end of March), and I'm getting jittery. NO second thoughts whatsoever, just a little nervous. So many "what if" questions running through my head, and no way to answer any of them until Chimay gets here. I wonder, "will he be alright during the day while we're at work?" "what if we have problems bonding despite the best efforts at developing trust?" "what if I'm 'what if-ing' for no reason at all?" Lol...I prolly sound entirely too paranoid but can't help it. My boyf and I have a good timeline on the when's and what's (i.e. avian vet, cage selection, toy accumulation) but I think that the fact that our breeder is out of state it adds a bit of mystery to the arrival of our baby than what would be expected from a more local breeder. I am very confident in the breeder we've chosen to go with, but the fact that I can't see/touch/interact with him before he arrives in our home leaves me feeling out of control in a situation I want total control over. Not sure what sort of responses/answers I'm looking for out of this post, I think I just needed to vent. Thanks to anyone reading!

Oh my gosh I am so sorry for your loss...That heartless little B should be ashamed of herself and NEVER allowed to own/visit/think of any animal again. I don't know if this is too soon for you, but if you are interested in another companion I have been working with a breeder at www.canopycreatures.com. Her name is Casey and she has been WONDERFUL!!!! I'm sure she'll feel for your situation as we all do

Yes I was so disappointed to hear that they only sold unweaned babies. My mother worked at Petsmart when I was a kid, and she used to have such a blast with parrots on the occasion that one came in. But a coworker of hers went to this local "unweaned only" breeder and fell in love with a baby CAG. Healthy, but the poor thing had to sit in the break room all of the time and she was running ragged going back and forth to feed him and deal with customers at the store. After he was weaned he was SOOOO dependent on her and would scream incessantly when she would leave the living room just to use the toilet or something. We were sold on the GA breeder in our first conversation with her....she was very open, and took her time with us. The patience was really necessary b/c I had left my "Gotta Ask" list on my desk at work. Lol! As soon as I get home from work tonight I'll post pics of the baby on this thread. I don't have them saved to my work computer.

That is such great news! I am so glad that Noodles is healthy after all...that had to be such an ordeal to go through. Can't wait to hear more about him!

Unfortunately we won't be able to visit the baby before he comes home with us... We're in Ohio and we found a GREAT breeder in Georgia that we decided on. There was a breeder pretty close to us in OH, but they ONLY sell unweaned babies which I didn't agree with. I'd love to be able to visit him before he comes home but we'll just have to wait and see!

One question I forgot to add to this post was on the cage I'm considering. I'm fairly confident in choosing this cage, but was hoping for some more feedback on it! http://www.bird-cage.com/p38/Kasterra-Play-Top-Bird-Cage/product_info.html

Hello!! As my "about me" says, my boyfriend and I are eager to welcome our new baby CAG into our home at the end of March. We're very nervous as well! Lol. I've had some experience with greys as my mother had one when I was in high school. I was SO excited to find this website...I didn't at all expect to find a forum/site dedicated to greys!