katana600

What a nice way to learn and share your interest in parrots. I love the message on your shirts, that is so true. Thanks for coming to share your love of parrots with us too. What kind of parrot is to the right of the grey cockatiel? It is the green one with the blue and yellow feathers in its wing. All your parrots are lovely and your friends seem happy to be together.

What a precious picture that is, holding her little ones close. Well, I say her, it could well be the daddy. I just can't stop looking at them though. It makes me all warm and cozy to see them. Thanks.

It sounds like you have a good heart and a really good start with your Buddy. Every grey and every home is unique so just trust your judgement, treat her with respect and read as much as you can on this site. That is where I learned everything I need to know to be successful with our grey. You will become more familiar and learn her signals. I do have to laugh a little though. On your first post you said you "really hope that she will be able to open up so we can actually hold her and actually pet her without fearing that she'll bite us." So, I do have to tell you we have had our littler parrot Java for five years and our TAG Gilbert for six months now and even though we hold them a lot and scratch them on the head, there is always the prospect of a bite. We have just learned to set the stage for a good interaction and to be a good sport and come back at a better time when they get in a mood. But thinking about it, there are times when someone pesters me when I want to be left alone and I would love to give them a bite sometimes too. Keep up the good spirit, Buddy is beautiful and you are going to get closer and closer and it will happen in its own time and you will wonder how you lived without her.

It doesn't ever get old. Ever. I feel exhilarated by your description and I wasn't even there. To gain the trust of such a fragile and magnificent creature which is a parrot. I just don't think it is going to get any better than this. I have had many experiences in life and my family means everything to me, but to have a parrot come perch and stay for a snuggle is one of my greatest joys. With that said, I don't have any grandchildren yet. LOL. So, yeah, it WILL get better than this, but boy is this a good time in our lives too.

My TAG, Gilbert found me on this grey forum. When my heart was broken after losing two young CAGs, I didn't notice at first that Gilbert was looking for a rehome. When I did notice, I wondered if it was the right thing for him and for me. It was a cautious time of trying to decide, but ultimately, it was the best thing for both of us. He came to us with issues and has been in several homes. He may be between seven and ten years old. He is unpredictable, delightful, unbelieveably intelligent, a little suspicious and nervous and he is just perfect for our home. He is also a plucker. Every time he shows us a new facet of his fascinating personality, I am even more smitten with him.

Oh goodness, be still my heart. My husband laments the disposal of our T-Fal collection and insists on using a battered old teflon electric skillet when my birds and I are traveling or when I am not looking. I am using stainless steel and love it but if I could get him couple of pans of his own to use, it might just be a marital compromise that we can use after thirty plus years. Thanks for the heads up on this one. I love the kitchen stores and can't wait to go looking for this product.

My heart goes out to you Jason while you get the information you need for your move. We had a three year assignment in the middle east and took two cats and a dog, but didn't have parrots at the time. I live in Georgia, have family in Pennsylvania and would be willing to help you with transport if you do find a foster home for Jackson.

Our breeder started me out with some Camacide which is spray made from chrysanthemums and is sold by bird stores as non toxic to our birds. However, in looking it up on the internet to get the quickest spelling, I am seeing that it is sold out in many places. The one thing I picked up was a citrus based "goo gone" and sprayed on a group of ants in a hurry once and it worked quickly and effectively as well. I would not spray this in the food area or bird cages, but if you can find a trail, or point of entrance, it does the trick. We live in the south, have the outside only sprayed quarterly and I use the camacide on inside sporadically if we have active invasions.

What a great start you have had with Willie. I am guessing he is fairly well adjusted having had a steady home and trustworthy humans in his life to this point. I would suggest getting as much information from his loving owner as you can get to provide him with comfort and familiarity. Ask about bathing him, how they have gone about it, what kind of traumatic events he might have had that he might associate with something like the vacuum cleaner or other loud noises. Has he had other animals in his life, dogs, cats etc. that he might name later and you would at least know what he is talking about. Maybe get a list of names in his family. We have a rehomed TAG and he talks about things and it would be something to know what he is chatting about and whether his excitement is for good or if he is stressed. You are already off to a magnificent start from what progress he is making with you. Congratulations on finding Willie and welcoming him into your home.

I am quite relieved to hear this is supposed to be a two-person operation. I thought it was my bifocals giving me such a hard time when I tried clipping nails. One thing I did notice recently while traveling is that Gilbert's nails were much more needle sharp than usual. Then I noted that his special little concrete perch had gotten smooth feeling. I guess being in a travel cage and that being his only sanding perch, he was wiping his beak on it so much it wasn't as effective as usual. I used a toothbrush and warm water to clean it out and soon his nails were back to a tolerable level of sharpness. It made me wonder if these perches wear down or wear out..

Funny how things work out sometimes. Gilbert is delighted to be home in his big cage. He is exploring and calling to the dogs and has more energy and curiousity about his cage and toys than I have seen in him since the beginning. He has crawled over every inch of his cage and just seems to the be the king of his castle. He welcomes me to scratch his head and to hand him treats but has a hands-off approach right now. Then he climbed to the top of the cage on the highest part of his play stand and politely refused to come down at bed time. I gave him a few minutes, put an almond inside the cage in his bowl and he still had no intention of stepping up to allow me to put him to bed. Then, Java flew to my shoulder and Gilbert scampered right down to get on my hand. I was a little afraid. I was a lot afraid. But, he just let me pick him up, move him to a perch inside the cage and he ate his almond and went to bed. Meanwhile, Java is my sweet little buddy and wants to be all over me and to stay with me wherever I go in the house. She had been a little more aloof, but apparently absence makes her heart grow fonder. For the first time in six months, now both cages are left open while I am in the room and neither of them seem to be intent on bothering the other. I am not sure what to make of this, but will keep reinforcing that they each have a special place with me and hopefully this is the beginning of the two of them calling a truce and perhaps even beginning to tolerate each other. I am just thrilled beyond words that it is working out this well.

I am so sorry to have missed your posts while I was away. It is so heartbreaking for your loss of Neo and the fear that your other two may be compromised. I am glad there is a test that could ease your mind and give them both a clean bill of health. That has been my greatest fear since losing Juno and Kopi was that our home is tainted and we can't have any test to give us closure. It has to give you immense relief to know your parrots are okay and that you have the opportunity to bring Egan home and heal your broken heart.

Oh wow! He really came into your lives with panache! He'll have you trained in no time. He is just gorgeous, his feathers are beautiful and his acceptance and attitude are delightful. Congratulations on starting your grey family.

Gosh that is cool, ya got me wanting to play on it. I was wondering what you were going to do for catching droppings, etc. I give my birds treats all day and they make lots of messes flinging nut shells and other things. I know you will figure it out, you are already on top of all the things anyone could think of while waiting for your little one to arrive.

She is just precious. I love those pictures, it looks like the little clutch mates are yukking it up over a shared joke. She is going to change your life. Congratulations.

My birds are both from the African continent and both would eat the red palm fruit in the wild. I keep in mind that our birds are only one generation off from the wild and if they evolved eating the red palm fruit, it may have some essential element so I put a tiny amount in the bean mix I cook for them. Java's breed is from Tanzania, Ethiopia region and they are known to fly a thousand miles for figs, so I also give her figs as I can find them fresh. It could all be a matter of convenience and availability in the wild, but it could be something genetic. Since I can't get the red palm fruit for them, the oil is the next best thing. A small bottle, maybe 8 ounces lasts two birds for more than six months, and a great deal of that goes to waste because they only eat half or less of the one-third cup of beans they are offered daily. Our vet has recommended the red palm oil and our breeder has as well. My parrots pick at vegetables, eat some, but go for the beans, rice, grains with the red palm oil as if they were starving every time it is offered warm to them.

For some unknown reason, I have never thought of giving our parrots pistachios either. Now I will be on a quest to find the unsalted ones and give that a try. I love anything that makes them so interested. So far, Gilbert likes almonds in the shell and he calls every kind of tidbit a cracker. I haven't seen him fluff up or pin his eyes when he talks, but hey, maybe that is because I haven't offered him a pistachio. LOL. Thanks for the great idea.

Yes, that is Gilbert on his first day in our home. I wasn't looking for another bird either and even had decided it would be for the best not to be around another bird and then along came Gilbert and we needed each other and even though he is fickle and complicated, our entire family is smitten... and bitten.... LOL. We take longer than the average bird to get his subtle nuances and body language. I guess that is only fair, he has known a variety of humans way longer than we have known parrots. He is so wise and a bit jaded, but together we can overcome all the obstacles and just enjoy every miracle moment.

I was a little worried how Gilbert would go from a travel cage where he was always cozy and snug to living in his larger than life big boy cage. Well, not to worry, he has been inside and outside, on top, hanging off the bottom and moving moving moving every minute. He is making up for lost time and acts like he found all his old friends. He has used more space in his cage than in the previous three months he lived in it before we set off on our travels. As a bonus, Java is so happy to see us, she has been out full time, flying to me, cooing, snuggling and being sweeter than she has ever been. And then she noticed Gilbert again. She flew to his cage and he was out on top on the playstand. I stood at a distance where I could shoo her off if needed, but allowed them to work through the confrontation. He still can not fly and she is smaller and faster. He defended his territory with honor and he then played with everything he has never wanted to touch. It is so good to be home, I feel the same way as Gilbert. I will have the opportunity to touch everything starting tomorrow, it will take me a week to put my stuff away and clean thoroughly. Just for today though, I am going to sit quietly and enjoy my family and companions.

One person at a time, one minute at a time, we can have peace. Any little gesture is the start. We can not choose how others will act, only how we respond and I choose not to gratify them but to live according to my own compass, to do what is right and quietly light my candle of peace.

Ahhhh, I love this thread. I have been away from home and today is being dedicated just to watching my birds and letting myself be smitten. I missed my little bird Java and can relate to the movie and going to the end of the earth for either of my flock members.

Good luck with your meeting. I too have a rehomed TAG. Gilbert is somewhere between 7 and ten years old. He had some "issues" and he just watched and listened on our first meeting. He has been with our family about six months and we are still getting to know him. He is very bright, talkative and entertaining. A rehomed bird might take longer, have more issues and concerns than getting a baby, but it has been a wonderful experience getting to know him and we have a surprise from him every week. I love our little guy and I am sure when you make the decision, you will be on an incredible journey.

Gilbert slept in his own cage last night! Wow. It is good to be home. He was getting so tired of all his traveling, he scared me a little on the final two hour leg of our journey. Hope the photo shows up. He was hanging upside down, tightly against the corner of his travel cage with his beak firmly wedged in the grate at the bottom. I touched his back and wings and he never made a peep, kept his eyes wide open. I also think he is in a molt. My car looked like the inside of a snow globe when we opened the door and stirred the air. He has been a plucker, but all the larger feathers looked hollow at the end and he has lots of pin feathers and his feathers just fly when I scratch his head. He has been happy, energetic and vocal today. Java was so happy to see me last night. We arrived after two am, and I went right to her cage and held her and she cooed and turned on her back and just was as loveable and welcoming as any creature could possibly be. I am so happy to be home again.

Just read your posts and am really happy you got involved and found a good solution for all involved. I do have a TAG and a red bellied parrot. They are great to talk back and forth and during my recent travels, Gilbert "talked" a lot the way he normally would with his little red bellied friend while she was back home, so I am assuming he missed her. They are back in side-by-side cages today and have been making up for lost time with the chatting going on.

This package of goodies looks like a winner! Glad it turned out so well for you. I will peruse the site as soon as I get the opportunity. Thanks for the great review.