ozziebird

we (me n hubby or kids)play with what ever new item we are trying to introduce and laugh and carry on like total idiots making the new item look fun, this usually engages ozzie's attention but we do it from a comfortable distance and then leave it on show at the far side of the room, so its not immediately threatening to him if he is unsure of the item and depending on size/colour/interest it can be immediate and wanting the item or take several days or sometimes (rarely) not at all...eg parrot piniata and a puzzle chest ozzie wasnt having any of it, was scared, didnt want to know, we played with small donkey piniata and chest for weeks on end and he was still terrified if you went within 4 or 5 foot so we gave those up as a dead loss lol, just remember to make them fun, never force them on him andbe patient, he will sharp let you know if he is interested or not lol, good luck

do they ever really come out of the terrible two's lol

with ozzie I guess I am really fortunate, I always use a really rough thick cardboard thing emery board and we do a little every 2 weeks just to keep on top of things, he is that used to it now he angles his head just right so that when I file, the back of his head is given a rub with the other end of the file lol, he must have an almond when its done tho.... I too find the cement perches not awfully good for keeping nails trim on their own.

yep, sounds like your doing all the right things, just make sure you get all his gear sorted first so he can see familiar stuff around him and have a safe haven in his cage until he adjusts to his new surroundings, perhaps also place a few toys around the room/house too which he can see from his cage, and as usual talk like a psycho happy person as you enter/get set up and sorted so he knows its a fun place to be:) best of luck hope the move goes well for you too :cool:

ozzie is the same, especially if he is excited and/or in a lovey dovey mood sometimes he hangs his wings down real low too

I would have done the same as you, cant stand to see greys ill treated, sounds like they have found a wonderful home with you and some things will take time but you sound like your doing the right things, just cool the water down a bit lol. its great they are warming to fresh fruits and veggies esp having just been fed seed, the step up will take a little time as said above they are companions and need to accept you too, I used a dowling broom shank, cut down at first and offered a nut with the command of step up', if ozzie went to bite he bit the wood rather than me but fortunatley oz wasnt a big biter and he soon went from wood to hand with a nut, just read the forums they are a wealth of info and there is nothing quite like real life experiences over a book, there is always someone on here that has had similar problems and always several solutions which hopefully you will find one to work for you, if not your experiences help others until you do find a solution best of luck and fab different names too!

sorry your having problems, I echo everyone elses thoughts, telling him off just makes him think 'ooooh this is fun I get a reaction' so will do it more - also most birds shut up when they are noshing their food anyways definately reward the good behaviour, whistle a fun tune when he makes his alarm noise, divert his attention with something fun rather than shouting, little things like him eating at the same time as you etc (esp if you sit down for evening meal) make him feel like he belongs and is part of 'the flock' , and as said above explain what your doing, they are so blimmin intelligent and will soon associate certain words with actions! treat him like you would a 5 year old, ozzie sometimes does this but luckily its only been occassional for eg when we come back off holiday,or he is in a mood over something, I have always whistled some daft tune or sing a song he likes to join in with to divert his attention and within moments he forgets he was making such a din, when he has done it out of the cage I have sometimes put him quite 'uncerimoniously' (but gently) down onto the floor and turned my back on him, immediately he has quietened and climbed back up to his cage or java and stopped the noise, there are always times that the little monkeys are just darn right obnoxiously noisy and in a mood about something or nothing, just like we are at times, but this is part and parcel of owning a grey and the benefits believe you me far outway their noisy outbursts, dont get me wrong when they are in full flow, sometimes you want to yell 'for goodness sake shut up' but its all about being one step ahead of them and although it can be ear piercing its about being patient and thinking through your response and what will eventually settle your bird or create an ongoing problem, it IS something that can be sorted but it will take time and patience;)

blimey. the poor but lucky little soul, we had such a bitterly cold january too, the poor mite with those other birds too As for the lady who would not let anyone see the bird, i cannot understand why the police were not involved at any point as even looking after the little fella did not give her the right to refuse everyone, yes be cautious but not let one person see the bird....mighty worrying!

Ozzie did the same one day a few years ago, only we were in the garden having a bbq with the back door wide open, and he was tootling about the living room, i did wonder if i had not shut the cage properly but I always check so observed him over a few days, sure enough he had fathomed out how to open the cage and did it several times, i did think about a padlock but as I am ever the optimist i worried in case we had a fire and couldnt get him out, so he now has a shiney new lobster clip taken from a dog lead from the pound shop, it clips on and off easity and because it is outside and away from where his beak can reach it has worked brilliantly, i also have 2 clamps, 1 on each of his food bowls as it took him all of 3 days to learn how to twist and flip them out lol.

ozzie blows raspberrys everytime he has to go back into his cage or when he is not happy with something lol, and he has a terrible habbit of flying over and putting the kettle on (flicks the switchdownthen flies off) but his worst trait is that he defiantely knows when my hair has just been washed and styled as when I clean his cage each morning and it co incides with a hair wash day he tootles back and forward over the top of the cage trying to 'aim' at my head!

of course lol x

how cruel and sad!

8 years ago (uk) I paid £650 for oz (met him at 8 weeks and he came to usat 18 weeks) and an additional £200 for huge cage, parrot proof water bottle, 20kg bag of seed, 4 toys, a textured concrete perch and textured swing, bell, large ladder, vits, cacivet and some food he was already on, He was from a trusted friend and the extra deal was excellent for set up, to be honest £650 is a drop in the ocean for the sheer pleasure you get from these 'pets'!

you know your a Bird owner when...... the carpet is replaced by laminate/wood/tile flooring, the sofa changes from material to leather and you mainly wear cheap earings until you go out!