lovethatgrey

Swearing occurs very rarely and on the exceptional basis in this home:) !

The potential for biting is always there if you have any parrot. If I use my Emma as a reference, I think biting can be avoided once your grey trusts you and you have learnt how to read his body language. Learning body language takes time and effort. It doesn't happen coincidentally and it doesn't happen overnight either. 2 days of knowing each other is very very little time. I would give it a few months. Right now I think you should just spend alot of time simply hanging out with him and talking to him. Do this without obliging or pushing him to do anything he is not comfortable with. Observe his body language and respect it.<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/09/13 03:20

As I have already mentioned, I do not purchase any type of premade seed, nut and dried fruit mixture. It is my opinion that it isn't necessary and the nutritional value is very minimal. There was a time when my parrots were offered this type of mixutre because they were used to eating this at the petshop before I brought them home. I continued the trend because this is what they were accustomed to. About 5 months later, I slowly decreased the amount that I offered each day until there was no more to offer. My parrots are very easy going when it comes to eating and are offered a great variety of foods each day so I don't think it bothered them so much when it was no longer offered. Today, they always go for the fresh stuff first. With that being said... If I were in your shoes I would allow your baby parrot to grow up a little bit. I do feel that too much change too soon can cause regression and stress. When she is much older I would start to decrease the amount that I offered very gradually during the course of several weeks. The only reason that I suggest this method is because this mixture seems to fill an emotional need for her rather than a nutritional need. There's no reason to traumatize her. In the meantime, if you haven't already I strongly suggest that you work on introducing her to new varieties of food to get her used to change and to allow her to discover that there is more to eating than just her seed mix. When you say she nags you what exactly do you mean?:unsure: Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/09/12 04:49<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/09/12 04:50

I do not provide a "seed, nut and dried fruit mixture" but I do occasionally give my parrots organic sunflower seeds mixed in with their fresh vegetables.

Not sure what I think of this. http://www.birdsny.com/test/js/birdgallery.htm

JohnNJ wrote: Again, same question. Throw out the pellets after 24 hours or 3 days - why, if they are dry and look OK. Is there some guideline from the manufacturers or from vets? Thanks, JohnNJ To answer your question, there is no guideline. It is a personal preference to remove and replace with a fresh supply. Aything that tends to sit there for long periods of time collects dust and debris. I don't feel comfortable with that.

I have fed my parrots pears with no problems.

Congratulations on bringing your new baby home. Have you chosen a name for her? I commend you for not being deterred by her biting. Who knows what she has had to endure while she was at the petshop. Clients can be so obnoxious and unkind sometimes. I purchased my Emma from a petshop so I have an idea of how clients can behave. For now.. I would just give her time to become familiar and comfortable with her new environment and her new family. In time she will learn that she has nothing to fear and noone will hurt her but of course that will take a little while. Her biting probably comes from fear or from being on the defensive. I am sure that she is not a mean spirited or wicked parrot as you probably know too. For now I would keep the shoulder off limits to her until you both have become better acquainted and trust each other alot. You want to set her up for success and your relationship for a win win situation. If she happens to bite you in the face out of fear it won't help matters for either of you. You have to be the one to take charge and not allow her to be on your shoulder. I believe she needs to earn the right to that privilege. I have confidence that she will be able to learn not to bite but you also need to learn how to read her body language a little more. When she bites in an innapropriate way I would not ignore it. I would probably say "not nice" in a much sharper than usual tone and then I would stop whatever it is that we are doing together by calmly walking away and ignoring her. I'd come back in about a minute or two and resume as if nothing had happened. Should she bite again.. then I would repeat the same behaviour. The key is to get her to want to spend time with you and to associate you with fun, positive and happy moments. When you walk away after she bites she will figure out that biting you drives you away. If she likes you enough then she'll figure out that she doesn't want to cause this. Some greys just hate showers and baths. I think if I were you I would VERY slowly introduce her to a spray bottle filled with warm water. If she seems ok being around it then I would try to squirt water over her head so that it gently falls on her like a light rain. If she freaks out by the sight of the water bottle then you'll have to proceed in very tiny baby steps. It may take a couple of days or even a few weeks or months. Try different things. Maybe offer her a shallow dish with water in it at the bottom of her cage. Some greys love to bathe instead of shower. My parrots LOVE to shower in the bathtub while I spray them with the handheld shower head. I've been showering each of them at least once a week since they came home with me. It takes alot of time before they look like they enjoy it. Familiarity is very important. With greys, patience is the key. I have found in my case that once my parrots decided that I was someone who was trustworthy then there wasn't very much that I couldn't do with them. Good luck. Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/09/09 06:22<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/09/09 15:10

Yay for Smokie!

What a lucky fid that Ana grey is!

I did not hear Emma make noise until she was about 6 months old. At 10 months old she started talking english. I wouldn't worry about it.. you'll find out soon enough. {Feel-good-00020114}

I don't throw pellets out. They get eaten pretty well. If they were not being eaten very well... then I would replace the bowl with a fresh supply after 3 days and discard the old. That's just me.

Persistance, patience and gentle determination is essential on your part. I know it can be frustrating and pretty annoying. Parrots will eat what they are familiar with. I would continue to offer the pellets even if they are ignored, wasted or tossed on the ground. Try making mash and adding your pellets to it. That is essentially how I got Emma to eat her Harrison's pellets. Some parrot owners make birdie bread and sneak pellets in the batter. I would think that a certain amount of routine and predictability is important but it is also vital to mix things up a bit and get your grey familiar with change. This doesn't apply just to her diet. Change can be exciting and fun. She just needs to discover it at her own pace.<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/09/09 04:22

Love it!{Feel-good-00020114}

Pecans and mango!

Hyacinth parrots are awesome!

I give my parrots grilled salmon the size of an eraser on a pencil. I would not give them swordfish, shark or mackerel because these types of fish tend to contain much higher amounts of mercury. Occasional bits of cooked fish is fine for your parrot as long as there aren't any heavy, greasy or fatty sauces included.<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/09/08 04:19

Somehow I don't think that anything containing caffeine can be good for a parrot. I don't even think moderation is appropriate either but to know for sure consult your parrot's vet. They should be able to give you some good advice.

In our home there are 3 bowls in each cage. The pellets are in a bowl by themselves. One bowl contains water and the third bowl is for any type of wet food and seeds. The wet food may consist of cooked or raw vegetables, mash, fruits, natural unsalted rice cakes etc. There is a 4th bowl too but it contains foot toys.

Quite the acrobat!

Well at least he's not afraid of his shadow like another african grey I know.:lol:

They are very cute and you are so creative. You could sell them on etsy.com I'm sure there's a market for them.{Feel-good-00020114}

Gracie seems to have a very nice setup.

I think Steve Hartman has responded very appropriately. Thanks for sharing that letter.

He's a very calm collected... take charge parrot. No need to worry Dayo's here!{Feel-good-00020114}