rbpittman

Just imagine what the post would have been like if they had said it was under the couch! I think it's great that you talk to them like that, Dixie has clearly learned how to say I love you, and that's all she wants to say right now. Now I have to learn to talk to her like you did with yours.

I started with 1/2 inch pvc which was too wobbly for the legs, then changed that to 3/4 inch pvc and made sure I had supports at the bottom (front, back and sides) along with sand bags across the side supports to keep it weighted down. It's about 6 feet tall (or just under). The cotton rope made the difference for Dixie - she really didn't like the sisal. Love yours Jan, it's beautiful! -- Robin

When I brought Dixie home she had several sounds that I didn't enjoy - especially the sound of the Blue & Gold Macaw screeching. This I had witnessed at the store, but didn't know that Dixie would imitate him. She's only been here for six weeks now, but she has stopped making that awful noise. Whenever she decided she wanted to screech, I walked out of the room, as quickly as I could, asking her to use her "pretty voice". When she got quiet or decided to talk in her "pretty voice", I would re-enter the room (my office) and we would have a lovely, if one-sided conversation and she would get lots of attention. At first, she would do this and then screech again, and I would immediately leave again. Yes she got attention, but her reward was only for her "pretty voice". Being the mother of four children, I learned very early about 2 year olds, and how they learn, I'm just applying it to Dixie. -- Robin

I used the Peaches & Cream brand from Wal-mart. I love the atom!

Dixie was not happy about it at first - in fact down right indignant. She disliked the sisal rope I had originally used and ended up slipping off it. Needless to say, new rope (100% cotton crochet yarn) wasn't going to change anything. She sulked for about 3 hours in her cage when it was done, and refused to come out of her cage. George and Grace (the Lovebirds) enjoyed it for about 20 minutes - thoroughly investigating every ladder and toy and climbing up the sides. Afterwards, Dixie finally decided to come out and see what this monstrosity was about - staying there and refusing to leave for over 2 hours. I built it to put into the living room so she can have another room to be in with us. Dixie's cage is in my office where I spend most of my day. This also gives her more time with my 12 yr old son. -- Robin

I used Elmer's plain white glue - was afraid of the PVC glue.

I just posted the pictures with the cotton yarn - they are under my profile. Dixie didn't care for the sisal. Guess it was prickly under her feet! Robin

Well I'll have to post the pictures in my photo album, I'm not very good at it in the forum itself!<br><br>Post edited by: rbpittman, at: 2009/06/08 02:00

I've read the forums and have been inspired to build Dixie a playstand. Here are some pictures. The first with with the sisal rope, the others are with the cotton yard that replaced the sisal rope. Post edited by: rbpittman, at: 2009/06/08 01:56<br><br>Post edited by: rbpittman, at: 2009/06/08 01:58

We just returned from a four day trip to Atlanta. I left my mom in charge of the fids and pugs, and even though I worried terribly, everything worked out fine. Dixie refused to come out of her cage at all even though she is very familiar with mom. I guess she knew I wasn't home and that things were a little different. Dixie did talk to mom on the second day of our trip after mom put the phone on speaker and I talked to her that way. By this morning she was talking with mom without me being on the phone and eager to see her. She never did come out of the cage however. As soon as I got home, I was covered in CAG love!! I think she spent five full minutes hanging upside down in her cage and rubbing her head all over my hand and moving her beak up and down each of my fingers. When she was content, she immediately stepped up, and then it was time for kisses. Then it was time for her play stand and happy as can be and has been for the last hour - that's how long we've been home! I was very concerned about leaving her, not that mom couldn't take care of her, but not being with her and the time she would spend in her cage. She seems none the worse for wear, very happy that all in her world is back to normal and good! I believe that our fids and pets are happier at home with less stress, even if their outings are limited.

I found a new bird shop today! It's on the other side of town from me, but only about six miles from my house. The only other bird shop I will go into is about 20 miles from home and is where I got Dixie. The shop I found today hand raises their babies and I was quite impressed with the inventory and knowledge of the owner. The owner has two amazing Too's and two Blue and Gold Macaw's who were extremely noisy, but very lovable. Sassy (the older of the B&G's) was quick to talk to me and even stepped off her perch onto my shoulder. It was amazing. I walked through the entire store looking at the toys and perches and supplies with Sassy chatting non-stop, my own personal tour guide. The prices were much better than I had expected since my small town actually has a SuperPets and a Petsmart in it. We can't get a decent restaurant, but two major pet chains. One of the most amazing things about this little shop was the "nursery". There were two very precious baby grey's who were being hand fed - one "nurse" who's only job is to stay with the babies her entire time there and another who is there in the evening with them. Now if I only had the room to add another cage to my office, my son would get his birthday wish - his own Grey! :cheer:

This discussion took place in my home before we ever brought Dixie home. Knowing that Grey's live long lives if taken care of properly, and we expect Dixie to be with us until long after we are gone, my 12 year old son will be Dixie's caregiver. Right now she's not fond of him at all, but he is learning the one thing that only Dixie can teach him at this moment, that patience builds trust! This is a lesson that will serve him his entire life. LP, in the month we have had Dixie, has learned already that she will sit beside him and listen to him read, as long as she doesn't touch him. The distance between them is getting shorter every day as she is now interested in getting to the pages...lol. I'm hoping within the next month she'll be sitting on his lap. They play great on the floor - he hands her her blocks and she takes them, and sometimes throws them back - especially the blue ones. While Dixie and I have bonded and it was almost instantaneous, the trust and bond she's building with LP will be with the two of them forever because it will be one of choice.

Dixie started hanging upside down and chasing my fingers in her cage after about two weeks in our home. This week (I've had her for a month - she's 15 months old) she has decided that the only way she is going to come out of her cage is if she can grab my fingers and come out hanging upside down. This has been going on since Sunday. This morning she decided that she didn't want to turn upright, so I gently put my left hand under her to turn her right side up and she just let go and lay in my hand. This bird is so spoiled!!! I tickled her belly for a few minutes. When she had had enough she lifted her head and grabbed my fingers with her talons and righted herself (with a little assistance). I'm glad to see others who's CAG like to go "belly up" on occassion and that it means a level of trust that is beyond all others, and I feel so special!

I've read and read and looked and looked and keep finding differing opinions about different woods that are safe for the CAG's. I have all safe approved toys for Dixie, but my husband put up a cedar arbor for her swing to hang on - and she's determined to climb on it. We redirect her attention when she decides she wants to chew on the wood, but I don't like having to remove her from her swing or stop her exploring. We have tried using small pie tins to keep her from getting to the wood itself, but she has discovered that her strong beak can go right through them. Does anyone have any suggestions for other types of "blocking" devices that could be fashioned to keep her from getting to the wood itself. I would hate to remove her swing from her window, she loves to sit there watch the world. My avatar shows her sitting on her swing, in her arbor!<br><br>Post edited by: rbpittman, at: 2009/05/25 19:36

I always explain to Dixie what I'm doing when we have conversations and I talk to her just like I would any human. The other day when she asked me what I was doing I took great time to explain it to her. This has been going on for a couple of days now - I'm doing Maymester at school and it's a literature class. This morning when I came in and after having spent about 20 minutes cuddling with her and playing, I had to get back to research for my final paper. So, again it gets quiet in my office and Dixie pipes up again, "Whatcha doin?" I tell her more research on Robert Frost's poem "Birches". I take the time to read the poem to her and explain, I really have to get it finished and we'll play afterward. She replied "Good Girl". Forget the paper - that comment deserved 20 more minutes of play - now back to that paper!!!

Dixie has learned a few new words since I posted our last conversation. While our conversations are nothing like the ones posted above, I still love them. For the most part, Dixie will sit inside her cage while I'm fixing her breakfast and that of the Lovebirds and say "out out out". I explain to her that she can't come out until I'm done fixing breakfast and take LP (my son) to school. When I get home from that she starts "out out out" as soon as I holler "Dixie, I'm home" from the living room - Dixie's cage is in my office where I spend my day and most of my free time. Once she's out - she sits on her front porch or her swing and chatters constantly - out, house, pretty girl, whistles. I'm always responding to her words - out - you are out, you're on your swing. house - yes, that's your house, it's a very pretty house. pretty girl - yes you're a very pretty girl, i love you gimme kiss - i gave you kisses, it's your turn to give me kisses whistles - i whistle back and tell her i love her (these are wolf whistles) Today to my surprise, we had gone through the entire routine and she had been sitting there looking out her window and it was dead quite in the room - I was doing research on my computer - Dixie piped up "Whatcha doin?" I almost fell out of my chair. She's been mubling for a couple of days about something and that must have been it. My husband always walks out and asks me "Whatcha doin?" when he see's me intently staring at the screen. Now if she would just tell me she loves me....lol.

Of course, everyone who is in here knows how smart Grey's are and won't be surprised one bit by this post, but I have to tell you about Dixie's lastest bit of intelligence! I was sitting on the floor with her, small blocks ready for play, a few foot balls to entertain with, some nice pine nuts to munch on and no other distractions....except. Her ladder! It was still visible. It was still attached to her perch swing. It was calling her. She had just left the perch swing (which sits in front of a window) and was ready to play. She had been talking to me and calling to me, and seemed to want to play. Well she played all right. She got a few pine nuts, and my attention, and then made a bee line straight to the ladder and up she went to her perch swing. Talk about smart - my attention and munchies and back to where she wanted. I can tell I'm going to have to make sure the ladder is not anywhere in sight for our next floor adventure!

Here's our conversations on reading Steinbeck yesterday - Dixie of course has a very limited vocabulary at this point, but we're working on it. Dixie: Hello Me: Hello Dixie: Wolfwhistle! Me: Pretty Girl! Dixie: Out!! Me: You are out! Dixie: Hello Me: I have to read a story for tomorrow. It's by Steinbeck. Dixie: Hello Dixie: Why? Me - totally astonished: Because it was assigned. Dixie: Why? Me: Because I like Steinbeck. Dixie: Hello Me: Hello

Dixie has quite a vocabulary for 14 months. She says hello of course, rings like a telephone and makes kissing noises. Those were with her when she came home. In the less than month I have had her she has also learned to say "gimme a kiss" "come here" "step up" "i love you" and whistles for the dogs. I believe she's working on something new since she is whispering again. Yes I'm wrapped tight around her little talon's, she's great though, today we spent the afternoon reading Steinbeck (I'm a full time student) and she ended up with her own book to look through.

An update on Dixie's strange behavior - which isn't strange at all - when I took the great advice, we learned something new. I was scratching her head and she was happy as can be, when she stepped up on my finger she cuddled next to me she started rubbing her head under my chin. What a dramatic display and what a wonderful feeling. I'll post pictures of her as quickly as I can.........she truly is a dream!

Thank you sooooo much. I do love this bird - more than I have ever loved any of my dogs, I guess because she really does seem to understand me and respond to me in an intelligent way. When she displays this behavior again, I will gladly cuddle her and see how she responds, she is really a great companion, to me, my son and my husband - she loves us all it seems. Thank you again. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I'm new to owning an African Grey but am absolutely in love with my Dixie. She is a 14 month old, dna sexed female that was hand raised and I've had her about a three weeks. We've gotten along wonderfully the whole time and I'm learning her body language with great response from her when I get it right - she now gladly comes over and gives me a kiss - literally - for no reason. The behavior in question is new as of this week. When I scratch her head and neck and she nuzzles my hand, she seems to want more. She doesn't flatten out her wings, but rather raises them slightly at the shoulders and squats down and whines. I can't find anything else to explain this behavior. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.