lovethatgrey

Jardines are very nice parrots. Congratulations! I think that if it is possible.. then it is best that parrots have the company of other parrots when their humans are not present. Afterall they are flock creatures .. so being alone is not very natural for them.{Feel-good-00020114} <br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/07/25 22:12

I was wondering... how does one bend a spoon in order to make feeding their parrot easier?:huh:

It's great to read that she is taking to the Harrison's. I personally provide two type of pellets. Roudybush and Harrisons. I feel it's a good idea so that I don't ever have to be completely dependent on one company. It's good to have a backup plan just in case one product is not available for some reason or the other. {Feel-good-00020114} <br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/07/25 22:02

So how's it going with Ecko since you made a few changes Caitlin? {Feel-good-00020114}

Les jouets Rosie NOW sells parrot food and is having a Sale on food 20% off. Les sell almost all brands including Harrisons, Totally Organich, Lafeber and Zupreem. They also have Harrison's Sunshine factor Palm oil tool. Click on "On Mange!" when you reach the site. This will take you to the food section. http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lesjouetsrosie.com%2Ftopic%2Findex.html&langpair=fr|en { Feel-good-00020114} Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/07/24 23:21 Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/07/24 23:32<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/07/25 00:02

Personally I would NOT pay for such a program. I believe that parrots will talk if they so choose to. If they don't then that is ok with me.

I don not have a strict policy, however she is not allowed to invite herself onto my shoulder. I am the one who permits her to be on my shoulder and I only allow her there 5 percent of the time.<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/07/24 14:41

I am really sorry:( . I can sense your sadness. His behaviour seems so drastic and unpredictable for such a young parrot. I don't have those kinds of issues with Emma. She is quite stable and when I do get bitten it is usually due to not paying enough attention in advance to her body language. Nonetheless, it still hurts a bunch and I get mad at her, snap at her and walk away. It is usually very effective because Emma doesn't like being ignored by me. I'm trying to imagine what I would do if I were you. First of all I would make a decision to no longer accept Ecko's painful biting and then I would make sure to follow that decision with an action plan. I think you need to take a few steps back and start to behave as if you are meeting Ecko for the first time and getting to know him all over again. The past is the past, so leave it where it belongs. Today is the present and frankly he sounds like a little terror and a spoiled brat. It is my opinion that our parrots are masters at reading our behaviours. In my case, I know that Emma knows that I am very trustworthy and that I love her very much. She definitely owns a big piece of my heart. For the most part I am quite a softie towards her but occasionally when she is "defiant" I have to switch gears and I will tell you right now that she KNOWS when I mean business and I have no time for crud from her. She can sense it in my energy or vibe towards her and my tone of voice. It is a tone that is stern and fully expects compliance and cooperation and she knows it. She has complied each and every time. Once she obeys, I praise her immediately and give myself a mental pat on the back.:blush: This is not something you can "fake". I understand that you may be scared because of the pain that he has inflicted on you already so it might take a few practice tries on your part. You have to believe that enough is enough and Ecko is done screwing around with you. I think Ecko also has to sense that you are stronger and non tolerant of his crap also. All of this is just my opinion, I am simply a first time african grey owner too so I am learning along the way also. I think I would also consider hiring a credible parrot behaviourist to help me. They could come to my home and observe my parrot and I and point out things that need modifying and provide practical advice. I know some also offer phone consultations also. Be strong {{{Caitlin}}}}.<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/07/24 04:14

That was very nice to watch. He's very funny! I will have to try the ice cube thing with Emma. I'm sure she'll have a blast.{Feel-good-00020114}

I'd also like to remind you that Macaws in general have very sensitive respiratory systems so housing them with another african grey may not be the best idea even if they might be in different cages.

Here is a video of my pionus parrot Sachi. I have 2 parrots and she was my very first. She is sweet, gentle, playful and affectionate. I really love her dark liquid eyes. In my opinion her eyes are absolutely beautiful. It is thanks to my great experience with Sachi that I felt that I had the confidence to be the parront of an African grey. In this video Sachi is hanging out on her gym. Her fanny is going through a bit of a molt and in the background you can hear my loudymouth African grey Emma. Sachi is my quieter parrot. With all the ruckus Emma makes, I sometimes feel that I have 4 parrots instead of 2.{Love-0002011E} edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/07/19 03:29

Usually I don't feel the need to be stealth but today they both seemed to really need me close.

:huh: :silly: Well I had to resort to doing this today. I was so tired and needed to get some sleep with zero interruption. This afternoon I placed both parrots in their cages, said "see you later" then went to the front door and made sure they heard the door unlocking and locking. Thanks goodness they don't have a view of the front door!:lol: I snuck to my bedroom and slept for 2.5 hours. They were quiet also. I think they were both surprised to see me later without hearing the door unlock though{Feel-good-000200B9} Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/07/18 22:30<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/07/18 22:38

I have one of his gyms and my parrots ABSOLUTELY love it and I am very pleased with the finished product.{Feel-good-00020114} On a more important and serious note.... Wayne offers a great product but his "business and organizational skills" are pretty substandard. If you truly wish to purchase one of his creations, I strongly recommend that you consider purchasing it from a retailer like the "Golden Cockatoo". At the moment he has numerous clients who are feeling extremely frustrated and angry with him because they still haven't received their merchandise and they paid him over 6 months ago. I know someone personally who is still hoping to receive her Gym that she ordered in December 2008. It is extremely poor client experience and I can not imagine myself ever having confidence to purchase directly from him in the future. Purchasing should never be this complicated and stressful. I feel alot of sympathy for the many parrot owners who have already given him their hard earned money only to be left with exasperation, discouragement and no gym. If it weren't for forums like this one most would have no idea that they aren't the only ones having a very poor experience.<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/07/18 16:54

I really like this video of Emma. Here you get to see a glimpse of what she is like in real life and what I must contend with on a daily basis. Very animated, expressive and active. In fact she is pretty full of herself. All of the prior reading that I had done on african greys did not prepare me for having an african grey like her. Truthfully, I had expected more along the lines of a parrot that was similar in demeanor to my pionus (meaning, reserved, introverted, quiet, shy), except larger in size, a grey suit and perhaps the skill to speak the human language. Below is what I have. :blush: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZFqHs5b3lw<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/07/18 04:44

That is pretty neat. Don't need it in this household but I can see how many parrot owners would purchase it. Thanks for sharing.{Feel-good-00020114}

First and foremost, she doesn't hate you. She just isn't as comfortable with you as she is with your husband. I think you that for now you might want to just respect her wishes for no direct handling/contact. You can be her pal from a distance by singing to her or just being in the same room as her while going about your own business. As you mentioned, you are her 3rd home and she is 8 years old, therefore it will be a challenge because you don't know what she may have experienced in the past. {Feel-good-00020114}For now I would just respect her comfort zone and allow her to "observe" that you aren't dangerous or scary. Speak calmly and gently when you are around her and don't make any abrupt sudden movements. I know it's disappointing but she needs alot of time and stability. She may never be as cuddly with you as she is with your husband, but I am confident that in time she can learn to trust and be comfortable around you. It is wonderful that you both chose to give her a home.

Microchipping wouldn't help me to pinpoint her just by visually looking, but I think your guys are right in that Emma would cerainly recognize me and the way she looked at me would be distinct. I'm pretty sure I would recognize her voice as well. Thanks for the response guys.{Feel-good-00020114}

As I was hanging out with Emma today, I thought about the many stories of parrots that end up lost or stolen. My heart went out to all of the heartbroken parrot owners and I thought to myself... would I recognize my Emma among other african greys? She has extremely beautiful feathering and looks very healthy but I'm not certain that I would be able to pick her among other african greys who looked very similar. It worries me a bit. If I were to ever lose her and she was gone for a long while, would I recognize her when I saw her? I know that I shouldn't be pessimistic but it is something that has crossed my mind and frankly, I'm a bit worried. I feel more confident about recognizing my pionus Sachi though..not only because of her coloring but also because a portion of her beak is deviated and I would just "truly" know when I saw her. Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/07/17 02:04 Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/07/17 02:04<br><br>Post edited by: lovethatgrey, at: 2009/07/17 02:05

I think that it is a good decision to not delete this thread. It serves as information for those who browse through the forum without posting. Alot of you may have covered this topic many times in the past to the point of ad nauseum but for many people it will be the first time. It was my first time. For future readers it will be a FIRST also.

You might also consider reading the book Alex & Me by Dr. Irene Pepperberg. It is a nice read and more insightful about the close relationship they had. She loved him very much and probably more than anyone else in the world. Jamal, Stop spreading hate about Dr. Pepperberg and consider educating yourself ALOT more about her research and contribution to all of us.

NO shampoo is needed unless........... you bird happens to fall in a pot of oil:blink: . Do not waste waste your money. What a bunch of rubbish.

Not sure if this is weird but occasionally Emma will grab my index finger with her footie and very gently beak my finger at the same time. I'm thinking that this must be some kind of love gesture… I usually say let go and gently try to pull my finger away from her.

I use both Roudybush and Harrisons. In my books they are both great products.{Feel-good-00020114}

Your parrot is VERY young. I would not recommend bringing your parrot outside until they are physically stronger and FULLY feathered. Baby parrots have very weak immune systems and are vulnerable to all kinds of germs and diseases. They also get chilled easily when they are young and drafts are not good for them.