katana600

It has been seven years since our baby grey experience. When I brought Juno home, he growled just a little bit in the car and then I made the mistake of setting his travel cage on the front stoop while I unlocked the house door. Then he growled a lot! It took one or two days of just letting him stay in his big boy cage and then he was ready to come out and sit with me. As hard as it is to want to love on her and be close, follow her lead and take it real slow. Our breeder told us that if you don't listen to their subtle clues, once they start biting to get what they want, it will be the first line of defense. I was able to see Juno every couple of weeks and spend a day with him once a month while our breeder helped me learn his body language. She also warned us not to establish a routine where he was always being on one of us and entertained or he would become a Velcro bird. We backed off and let him learn to play on his own etc. It is the first time Poppy has been away from her clutch and her "mommy" figure at the breeder. She will be quick to realize you are her friend, probably less than a week.

What a relief it is when you can go somewhere and come back with everyone pretty much the same as when you left. It always makes you savor being home after a short excursion. Inara has the same outlook as you, its best to be home with just the three of you, but two will do in a pinch. And if Joe doesn't do her bidding he might just get a little pinch.

Hi Ciara, welcome for joining us. I'm sorry it is for the situation you are in. I don't have experience with this issue, but someone else will check in soon that can do better. How old is Ruby? I did have a young grey (under 18 months) and when I needed him to take medicine, I would place him on a table top perch and ask him and he would drink it from the dropper. However, that was after the first time when I toweled him and got more medicine on the towel than I did in him. As strange as it sounds, I talked to him, told him what I wanted and from that day on, he would allow me to put the dropper in the corner of his beak and take it himself. You also might try something tasty from a dropper such as Simply Limeade. If you can get her to see the dropper as a positive thing, you can work the medicine routine in between one dropper for Limeade another made up for meds and switch to meds and quickly back to Limeade to keep her interested. Good luck, I hope you help her get relief soon.

I hadn't even thought about it until now. Java will sit on David and pinch holes in his clothes until they are ragged. Gil does the same to him. Neither of them ruin my clothes. I wonder if they do it because he gets frustrated and shoos them off when they are chewing his shirts. When I first got my parrots, I bought 5 or 6 tee shirts with button fronts. I cut them off at the armpits so it was like a little cape to protect my clothes. I didn't care if they chewed on them or pooped on them. Neither of them chew or poo on me but they do on hubby. The first time Gilbert bit me really hard, I went to go lie down with ice on it. No sooner than she chomped my finger, she started saying "Sorry. Sorry. Gilbert's sorry" over and over in the most plaintive, pitiful tone I have ever heard. For the longest time, when she would permit me to rub her head, she would spin and try to bite me. Then she would say "Ohhhhh sorry" like Alex Trebec on Jeopardy. It had just a twinge of sarcasm that made me suspect she was sorry she missed. It has been ages since I have heard that.

I am remembering those last few weeks before our baby was ready to fledge. I just realized Poppy is on her way to you today. It will be a lovely homecoming after the long wait and all the anxious moments watching those flights between her first home and her forever home. I am so excited for all the wonderful moments coming your way.

My husband's sweet grandpa kept them well fed in Pennsylvania. He could stand near a feeder and hold real still and the hummingbirds would land on his fingers. I so loved going there and watching the hummingbirds. I found books about hummingbirds for gifts for him and learned a lot at the same time. Pop and Grandma have been gone for more than ten years so this friendly little hummingbird and her not-so-friendly mate have been bringing back fond memories. I am working between thunderstorms so when I have a chance to stain the deck, I watch the pair of hummingbirds. The female will hover just outside the screen if I am sitting in the screen porch. The male "buzzes" me the entire time I am working on the deck. I only see one pair at a time, so I am wondering if there is one pair or many.

When Gilbert was still afraid of hands, I put the perch close to the big cage and used plastic zip ties to make it stable and firm. It has food cups so I was able to put enticing almonds, pine nuts and nutriberries just out of reach so it was encouragement to step out onto the perches. Alex will slowly get less fearful as he learns to trust you. Take tiny little steps forward until he signals for you to stop. It is so difficult for us to wait when we know how many wonderful things we have in store for our rehomed greys. But long ago, the sage advice from this forum shined the light and led me down the path. We are starting to see that elusive trust being built and its an amazing transformation to watch a scared, plucked wild-eyed "bird with issues" become a trusted friend. It will happen for you and Alex as well. We don't get to choose the time frame but we can choose to love them every day as we wait for them to show our love returned.

I was so nervous about picking her up because I was afraid I might hurt her. She was already so stressed. But once I got her outside and opened my hand she stayed. It was a great relief when she flew away unharmed.

Last week this little female hummingbird came into my screen porch. I got a broom and she landed on it and I carried her out the door. Then she hovered right at my kitchen window while I was washing dishes. So, I looked online to make sure feeding her wouldn't interfere with their migration. Then I set up a feeder and she has been coming back. Today I was pressure washing my deck and she found her way inside again. This time she was exhausted so I picked her up. When I took her outside she stayed on my open hand for five minutes.

Oh how funny. I was very interested to see how this toy was assembled...magnets? holes and hooks? hmm? It took a few minutes to recognize the photo was turned and they were not stuck to the ceiling of the cage. It's getting late, I pressured washed the deck today.... excuses, excuses. Seriously though, sometimes my photos look upright and get rotated and I go round and round trying to figure out the combination between how they look on my computer and on the post here. Timber is so much like Gil girl, even to the point of renaming you. That setup does look like a lot of fun. You can stuff things into the cups for him to discover and destroy.

The recommendation for 12 hours of sleep a day, isn't as much for rest as it for regulating daylight and dark. The reason for that is when there are long days of sunshine, parrots in nature are mating in the optimal season. The theory as I understand it is 12 hours of daily darkness is for the prevention of egg laying and mating signals. Miss Gilbert is an older parrot, she will ask to go to bed by 8 pm and it is generally dark by 9. She gets up about 7:30 and she often sleeps during the day as well.

When you say you have a room mate who works during the day, would the room mate be home in the evenings the four days when you are gone? If the room mate is home, Lola would have some company and reassurance for your long shift. Also, when it gets dark, Lola would go to sleep, so she would be alone about six hours during those four days. A lot of people who work full time have African Greys and they find ways to cope with the absence of their humans. Your schedule is not under your control for a while as you go to school and work. Since you have a month before school starts, it will be real tempting to spend every minute with her, but it might be good if you try to start that schedule with her gradually when she arrives. It would be very helpful if your room mate is on board and willing to help with Lola. Also, you might find a friend or family member willing to spend time with her. It is good for her to be around a variety of people while she is so young.

It is a never ending chess game with her. Neither of us are willing to concede and in the end, we will both be winners. I have a few surprise moves in my game. One is a super special elixir Val (birdhouse) used with Phenix, Limeade. I use those favorite things at just the right time to get her to go the extra step for me. I started by letting her have the first sip from my glass on rare occasions. Then I got a smaller glass so she can see my fingers and decide "Do I want Limeade or do I want to bite a finger?" Now I am giving it to her in a small clear shot glass so she can see and reach my finger. Next it will be on the other side of the kitchen table to see if she is brave enough to cross the forbidden land to have a sip. She doesn't overdo it, just a few swallows but it sounds like she is slurping and making a big deal of it. For six weeks we have had a really good forward push this time. She has not come close to biting me and she has the opportunity about thirty times a day. Another unexpected treasure of a second (? or fifth) hand parrot are the little gems she comes up with when least expected. Recently when I approached her she started to shy away. I pulled one out of her little hobo sack of baggage and used a slow southern drawl to speak as she did when she first came here "Come on over here buuuuudddy!" To my astonishment she came right out of her retreat position for a step up from inside the cage. I'll tuck that away with the Limeade for just the right time. I don't think her adventure will ever end.

The Sterling Ranch has all the cool toys! We are sweating it out in Georgia and decided to take out the motorcycles. My poor old fashioned carburetor just can't cut the ethanol. We sat on the hot road in construction gridlock for an hour. It may be time to put the Katana to rest. I sure would hate for that pitiful experience to be my last ride though. It was a double pleasure to sit down with a cool drink and watch your three cool chicks in the amusement park rest station.

It has been said that a mother is only as happy as her unhappiest child. It holds true for our much loved parrots as well. It is a much happier place when Miss Gilbert is finding her way too. Ever so slowly she is breaking down the boundaries. On a good day, I can reach through her open door and rub her head. She will stop, raise her head and then agree that it is okay for me to reach in again. Even on a less good day she will just slowly back away from the cage front rather than to charge the bars with focus and fury. She is learning that when she gives the subtle nuance of "stop" we can stop before she has to teach me a lesson. I offer her the floor stand very judiciously when I know she is already in a state of cooperation. This week she started asking "wanna go outside?" and while that has always been her reminder to me that the dogs want out, I am taking advantage and when she says it, I offer her to come out. It only took a few times of that until when she says it, she really means it and she consistently asks and takes me up on the offer. Of course, I make sure she sees me preparing her gift wrapped almonds and placing them on her floor stand. Also, I created a step from the floor stand to the table. I will wrap an almond and "forget" to hand it to her. The first couple of times, I would put it on the table and leave the room. She would look around furtively, make her way to the treat and scurry back to the floor stand to enjoy it. Then I started playing a game on my computer and leaving the almond just out of reach where she would have to come onto the table while I was "occupied" but close. Now I keep the almonds to my right while she is on my left. She will come to the table and nudge my arm and I hand her a treat. Our next step will be for me to hide the almond behind my laptop so she will extend her comfort zone to the entire table top. Life is much more exciting when we have these little moments.

It has taken an incredible amount of encouragement from our forum members to help Gil girl get to the beginning of her potential. It makes me giggle a little that she wants lots and lots of head scratching now. While there are still days when she is out of sorts, they are fading away as she gets just a little more courage every day. Her vocabulary is leaning toward all the sweet things she knows. It is delightful the way she calls to me and whistles like she does for the dog. "C'mere, c'mon over here" and "Wanna treat?" What impresses me most is the mess she makes every day now. Sometimes I think "be careful what you wish for". The truth is, her happiness and play make all the mess worthwhile. She is really working to embrace life lately.

When we brought home our first baby, his breeder put a little sleep tent in with him and his brothers. She would change them out every day so all three of the boys had one to take with them to the new home. Your breeder might give you some good ideas of what your baby plays with now. If it is practical, you could give your baby some toys now so when you set up the welcome nursery the toys are already familiar. I second the motion on the bell and the basket full of shredables and paper rolls. Another suggestion is to look into getting baby a harness and start using it from the beginning to mean super fun things happen when you go for a ride etc.

Oh dear, is that is not the cutest little thing ever? What a sweet little girl. I love the punctuations of "right now". Zoe is precious and obviously well loved.

You are absolutely right Ray. She seems to take a deep breath, wondering if she is going to be successful in my training. Hahahaha. No matter how long we have been together and what she has taught me, I am still amazed with her on a daily basis. In the past two weeks she has really been entertaining. She has gotten serious about paper shredding and the delights of a simple paper wrapped "gift". Yesterday, I stopped for a sweet moment when she rushed to her "spot" for a head rub. Instead, she went to the bottom of her cage and handed me one of the paper discards and asked me for a treat. She is also doing a lot of mumbling lately punctuated with a new name "Mildred". I have no idea where that comes from but she is very clear about it. She is still calling me "LuLu little lady" so I don't think she has decided to rename me. It would serve me right since I tried to rename her Gilda once upon a time. There just aren't enough words to express the joy she brings us and she is on a rapid pace to change a few things in our daily interactions.

The good news is you have adopted a well adjusted sociable African grey. A lot of rehomes will sit and growl for the first weeks and generally express their displeasure at everything and everyone. Oscar is taking a step back, re-evaluating and feeling confident to make his own decisions in his new home. Everyone has given you good advice. It seems personal, but likely has nothing to do with you and everything to do with Oscar realizing his vacation is over and he isn't going back to where he called home. For whatever reason he seems to have decided to take it out on you. As much as that hurts, try to give him the space he needs so he will come to you eventually. The "doing nothing" part was exceptionally difficult for me when Miss Gilbert came our way. Now that I am an old pro at giving her space, now she is starting to want to be with me. Congratulations on finding Oscar and giving him a good home. Love him unconditionally and he will surprise you. Thanks for joining us. Hope you find some ideas that will pave the way for you to get close to him again when he is ready.

As expected, Gil girl took a step back. She barbered off feathers and is tattered again. The good news is it lasted only for a day or two and then she was right back asking for head scratches and after a day or so, I could leave the door open and scratch her head through the open door. She came back to the floor stand to sit next to me at the table again and now when I ask if she wants to go back, instead of eagerly lifting her foot, she will turn her back to let me know she isn't ready just yet. She has been wanting contact and will request a head scratch when I am bringing fresh food, really every time she sees me walk through the room. The funniest thing has been today. When I leave the room after a particularly satisfying head rub, she is calling me back like she calls the dog. "Hey, come over here!" "C'mere!" along with the whistles and laughing when she gets her way. She has been talking a lot lately, even when she is away from her cage. Long ago when she first came home, she met a man named Walter in our travels. She liked Walter and says his name a lot and says he is a good boy. Now she has started saying "Mildred". I have no idea where that came from. She was whistling Dixie last week and this week it is Christmas songs she is whistling. All in all, she has been happy and good natured with only a mild cuss word every now and then to remind me that she isn't quite ready to go public yet.

You are making great progress with Alex. What you are doing with him now is what has taken me five years to accomplish with Miss Gilbert. One of the things she likes really well right now is a floor stand with a perch. It has wheels and a stainless steel basin to catch messes. I can roll it to the kitchen or next to my chair in the living room etc. She can sit next to me and watch as I wrap things with paper. She will unwrap almonds, foot toys, small pieces of leather, plastic straws with pine nuts etc. It keeps her busy while she keeps an eye on me.

That is adorable. I love the way Isaac learns happy things from you.

Congrats to you Jeff for finding your loveable little Gracie. She is a favorite of ours. Happy Hatchday to your little grey ball o' fluff! She is a joyful little singer and she has a very nice companion too.

Your work in progress looks wonderful. We don't have a bird room but have used a flooring from Home Depot called Allure. It is inexpensive, really easy to put down, looks good and is easy to keep clean. You are well on your way to creating a beautiful environment for happy birds in your home.