lovethatgrey

{Feel-good-00020114}Until I became an african grey owner I knew and understood on a conceptual level that they were intelligent, and complex, however I did not realize to what extent. I would think that most people are in the same boat. Here's an example of what I mean. For the most part my 18 month old african grey Emma is very gentle, cooperative, agreeable and compliant. A few weeks ago I discovered by ACCIDENT that if I wanted her to cooperate with me when she would rather NOT then I would have to negotiate or offer her something that was a better payoff than not obeying me. I have been applying this knowledge ever since and the rewards have been win win for both of us and as a result our relationship has really strengthened. Best of all is that there has been no bites and no bad feelings. This is what happened. It was her bedtime however she was still on her Atom and had no interest in getting off when I asked her to step up. Each time I would try to get her to perch on my hand she would move away. She did this 3 times. I was very tired that day and I knew that if I kept persisting in the same manner she'd most probably resort to giving me a bite to get the point across. I really did not want to have to deal with physical pain or with feeling anger towards my Emma so without thinking I looked at her from the side and said " Emma, I am so tired, if you step up right now, Mommy will buy you some corn tomorrow." (Emma loves corn and asks for it everyday) What happened next was amazing to me. She looked at me and paused for about 2 seconds then stepped up beautifully. I said "good job, I guess now I really do have to buy you corn don't I ?" Then I took her to her cage and tucked her in. At that moment I realized that I had to really start treating Emma differently than I have been. She understands much more than I ever realized and rather than impose my will upon her I have been treating her more like someone who has the right to choose and refuse. I urge all of you to verbalize a lot with your african greys, learn to read their body language, always be mindful that they are so intelligent. Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/08/26 20:36<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/08/26 21:18

Welcome aboard. Bismark looks adorable.{Feel-good-00020114}

You should purchase your Jollyball at WWW.pionusparrots.com. {Feel-good-00020114}

What a nightmarish ordeal. I don't even want to imagine it yet I do know that something similar could happen to all of us. So glad to know that she is back home with you.

What a good Bella!!{Feel-good-00020114} Thanks for sharing!

Besides everything else that everyone else has mentioned, it is also very costly to own an african grey even if they are not sick or unhealthy. Vet care is not cheap. They also do require alot of out of cage time, care and personal attention in order to thrive. I would think that 2.5 hours of out of cage time per day is a must. Arrangements need to be made when you are away or on vacation. Cleaning up after them is a daily chore that never goes away as well. It's a very serious responsibility and a longtime commitment.<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/08/25 02:09

I don't have any advice regarding the biting but I would like to say that I have never allowed any of my parrots to fly around my home willy nilly. It just doesn't happen and to tell you the truth.. I can't imagine them flying into the kitchen unless I was there and something spooked them enough to be there with me. I believe in consistency, structure and boundaries for all pets. This is just my two cents. I hope your situation with Zero improves for I am certain that neither of you are having a good time.

Today I asked Emma - "Whatcha doing?" while she was hanging out on her Atom. Her reply to me was "I'm working!" :woohoo: :pinch: <br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/08/23 02:26

Thanks guys. She's pretty awesome and a very good complement to my african grey. {Feel-good-00020114} <br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/08/22 22:43

She turns 27 months old this month. Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/08/22 17:30<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/08/22 17:30

The cage itself is fine but the canvas is very cheap quality. I replaced all the snap buttons with high quality ones and had the interior lined with leather. Now my adventure pack is truly a GREAT product.

I have often found businesses to be quickest at responding in the beginning in order to have your business. It is the after purchase experience that is not so great. I believe customer service should be seamless and easy from beginning to end as well as afterwards.<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/08/21 15:13

I think wing clipping is a personal decision to be left up to the parrot owner. I don't think wing clipping is right or wrong since we all live very unique and specific circumstances. When Emma came to live with me she had already been clipped twice. Wing clipping did not seem to have a negative impact on her personality. She is almost 18 months old now and I have decided to not clip for now. With that being said, I also spend a fair amount of time training and socializing her too so that we can both both coexist happily in the same environment. I hope to not ever need to clip her but I also won't hesitate to do so if I feel it's the best option.

He is a beautiful parrot!{Feel-good-00020114}

Thanks Dan for the additional info. I am thinking of purchasing the Pakobird carrier too however I'm wondering if there is adequate air circulation while travelling. This is a very important factor for me. Regards, Adina:)

Regarding the packobird carrier that a few of you have written about. I'm curious about whether there is a tray at the bottom to collect droppings and about how big the mesh openings really are and how much space the parrot really has to move around in. It seems to me that it might be a little crowded in there with 2 stainless steel bowls but I really don't know for sure. I've read Scotty's review but I also wonder about the above. Flying South may be crappy about customer service but the adventure pack is a very decent product and I'm wondering whether the packobird carrier really is a better carrier. If it really is.. then perhaps I'd like to purchase one for my parrots.

I would not pin my Emma's talons unless I was helping her with her wing flapping exercises. I don't understand the purpose of doing the feet pinning each and every time you handle him. I would stop it if I were you and only do it if you happen to bring him to a place he is not familiar with or during very exceptional situations.

Sorry to read about all your grief and aggravation with the Flying South Company. I had already written a post about their substandard follow up and terrible service. I guess you did not have a chance to read it and I am very sorry that you are experiencing a bad client experience too. I will never do business directly with FLYING SOUTH. They are pretty bad.

I think this is a very funny clip of her.

How so exciting! You will be amazed by how quickly he will pick up new words from this day forward. Congratulations to Ecko!!!!

He sounds awesome and you two sound like a wonderful match!{Feel-good-00020114}

I would have to say that it takes at least 1 Year. I have my Emma as a reference.

Hi Welcome aboard!{Feel-good-00020114}

I would just keep an eye on her for now. If the situation worsens.. then take her in to her vet.

Welcome aboard!{Feel-good-00020114}