lovethatgrey

Thank goodness this is not done by my parrots at the moment. Who knows? Perhaps, it tastes better that way? Or it goes down easier?

I called the store where I had purchased the oven. They told me that the self cleaning temperature is at 800 Degrees F. I will never be using the oven at a temperature higher than broil. My buddy purchased a new stove last year. According her, the first time she turned it on, it will smell similar to burnt rubber. I'll keep you guys posted. I think this topic should be a sticky. jmho.

Thanks guys. I read the manual last night and there is actually a cautionary blurb about Birds and their sensitivity to fumes from the self cleaning feature. I thought that was pretty cool. The brand is Kenmore. I intend on turning the oven on high but not self cleaning high for about an hour and I will be taking Emma and Sachi outdoors while this is being done. All of the windows will be open and I will wait a few hours later before bringing them back inside. I do not intend on using the self clean feature unless my parrots are staying over at some other place for the night.

I use both in my home. They serve 2 different purposes and are MUST haves in my opinion. They are each located on different sides of the room.

I have one. Do I need to do anything in advance for the safety of my parrots before turning it on? Example, turn it on High for about an hour and evacuate my parrots? Thanks

Oh Spock!! You sure keep those humans on their toes!!

You are such a silly Mr. Spock!!

Alfie looks absolutely ravishing!!

What a cutie patootie!!

If the parrot is doing this naturally on their own, I would not worry about it. It is very common for african greys and other species to refrain from pooping where they sleep. This is something that is very innate/instinctual and supposedly because they do not wish to attract predators to their roosting site in the middle of the night. My Emma holds it in through the night as well. Her first morning poop is a HUGE one!!

Poor you. Doesn't sound easy. Your fid needs you more than ever.

Alex was NOT purchased to be "a Pet" or to be "a companion" the way the most of our parrots have been brought into our homes. He was purchased to help with research. Unlike other "creatures" who are used for research, Alex was NOT at all treated like a lab rat. It was not easy to request or find continuous funding for this research either because very little was known about parrots and most did not take this type of research very seriously. Sometimes Dr. Pepperberg even used her own personal money to pay for Alex's needs because of a lack of funding. Occasionally, she did bring him home with her at night but this wasn't always convenient or practical. If you read the book Alex and Me.. it will all be explained. I gave my copy to another parrot owner so I am not able to reference it at the moment. Also take note that Dr. Pepperberg started her research in the 70's, this was at a time that most women were not taken very seriously in the workforce. nevermind a highly educated one. She persevered with passion and determination. She stayed the course even though she could have easily received a much more prestigious position and a better paying job for her credentials. Not too mention, she probably would have had "less stubborn and more cooperative" people to work with. Apparently, Alex was extremely stubborn and got a great kick out of playing mind games and messing with the answers he'd give her. In spite of all this, she was very fond of him. We are all entitled to our own opinions, but it shouldn't be based on "incomplete" or misinformation either. JMHO

What you see on video is an extremely small "snapshot or snippet" of moments in Alex's day and Alex's life. The videos were meant to share how "intelligent" african greys are. I don't believe that there is any perfect place in captivity for ANY parrot.. but Alex was definitely treated much better than MOST parrots in captivity. He had lots of different people to interact with and keep him company any time he wanted. He was very well socialized and LOVED being the center of attention. My parrots have to accept being left alone for 9 hours everyday in their cages because we have careers that do NOT include them. I do my best with what I have but none of the toys that I will ever purchase will ever be more valuable to Emma and Sachi than interacting with us.

If it weren't for Dr. Pepperberg, I am sure that I would have never developped an interest in parrots or african greys. She and Alex educated the whole World and the media about african grey intelligence. Reading about Dr. Pepperberg and her relationship with Alex has had a VERY big impact on how I treat my african grey Emma. If it weren't for her studies, research and science, the "World" wouldn't have even believed in the "notion" of parrot intelligence. She has dedicated 31+ years of her life towards researching african grey intelligence and continues to do so even though Alex has passed away. Alex was a very very lucky african grey who was respected and well cared for his whole entire life. He always had company, had ALOT of friendships, was never alone, neglected or abused. Yes he worked in a lab but he also had alot of fun and goofed around too. Before deciding to make snap judgements about Dr. Pepperberg and the state of Alex's life, I would suggest they read the book Alex and Me and do a little bit more research of their own. Perhaps Alex did not live in a "conventional" home, but that does not mean he was not happy or unlucky.

What a scary ordeal. Glad to know everyone is safe and fine.

I just went to view the video I said "Hi Babes, how are you?"

I will never attempt to try this type of training with my parrots. I thought I'd share this info from another parrot owner that I have alot of respect for. If you study the anatomy of a bird, you realize that they are meant to go when they have to. They have to remain lightweight at all times as they are a prey animal and be ready for flight at any given moment. They do not possess lengthy colons to store excrements. I've heard of birds having severe medical problems and illnesses, for example prolapse, as a result of being potty trained, holding it, and holding it too long repeatedly over a period of time. Exception: Nesting hens will hold it all day. I would not encourage a bird to poop on command - they will try to force one out even if they don't need to. This practice is VERY DANGEROUS as it can cause cloacal prolapse - a horrible thing!! You can encourage them to let you know when they need to go poop and make sure they are in an appropriate place to "let one fly." Straining to poop when they don't need to is very dangerous and training them to poop on command can and does lead to this. When a parrot poops they always lift their tail. If you notice they want to poop and you don't want to get pooped on, all you need to do is hold their tail down until you can hold them over an appropriate spot and then let them raise their tail to poop.

I will be taking my girlie Emma for her annual checkup next week. We will be going on my birthday. Hurrah!! I can't think of any questions to ask or any issues to bring up.. but I'm thinking there must be some stuff I should ask about while I am there. Could you guys help me think come up with things I should ask about? Thanks.

No.that is definitely not something I would say. Not in front of my parrot and not in general.

I'd like to suggest sending the original poster a private message or PM with your details rather than posting your phone number and email on the forum for all to see. This way you can protect your privacy as well as avoid dreaded Spam Mail.

I just went to take a peek. How precious!!

Here is some general info about raw potato and why it shouldn't be eaten. http://www.drlam.com/opinion/rawpotato.asp

I found out from a few other canadian parrot owners. http://www.mybirdstore.com/cart.cgi?group=232971&child=247210

Wow!! That's awesome!! Hope you're able to find fabulous homes for them I'm somewhat grateful that I don't live near any breeders or else I'd probably have more than 2 parrots by now.

Emms says she'd love to *shred paper with Dayo*