JDS5607

I don't know if anyone remembers, but a few months ago, my dad's little lovebird, Juliet passed away. Well, my dad grew fond of our Sun Conure, Zoe Ann. She had "sleep overs" with him a few nights a week where she was spoiled and loved She really seemed to brighten my fathers day as he has been going through radiation treatments for prostate cancer Anyway, we decided as a family that Zoe Ann should go to live with my dad. She's so fond of him and really loves to be anywhere he is. We made the transition gradually, but Sully seems to know now that she is gone permanently. He looks for her in what used to be her room (the den, where she and our Nanday lived). He beatboxes for her and listens for her call and seems sad when he doesn't hear her. I'm wondering if he's sad or this is just me looking a little too far into it :\ She will still be visiting us every so often, but I'm wondering if birds can really grasp when another is gone?

Thanks everyone!!! He has started beatboxing.... I could possibly have made a mistake by teaching him that one He likes going through all of the things he has learned over and over again.... Starting at sunrise

Sully FINALLY started saying his first words!!!!!! He'll be 11 months old in two days, and I've been waiting and waiting for him to begin talking! Last week, he started saying "Sully-Man!" in a super high pitched tone (that I do it in) and he's been saying it over and over and it's getting clearer! Then, yesterday he started to try to say "Hello?"... again, over and over... it's getting better. This morning, I was beatboxing for Zoe Ann (she wiggles and nods her head in unison) and I heard Sully doing it in the other room!! And he hasn't stopped! AHHHH! Sorry, I'm so excited but I've been waiting for this moment since we put the deposit on him back in May when he was just two months old!!! haha

I use PVC on tons of the bird toys I make and sell on eBay... and have been using it for years on my babies toys. I also know many who use PVC for stands and toys because it's the only thing that will stand up to a macaw or 'too. I have also read that PVC can be bad for birds... but I have read more that it is safe. I guess it's kind of like those random studies on humans that say one week that cell phones are bad for you, and the next week it's perfectly fine. Til I see some hardcore evidence that PVC is bad, I'll keep using it Use you're better judgement, if it makes you feel more comfortable to use the CPVC for Chloie, then go for it

As yucky as it is, it's his way of showing you he's accepting of you Like everyone said, totally normal

Thanks Sully is doing quite well actually He's picked up a lot of new sounds... water droplets, tons of different whistles (including the first few whistles from the Snow White's "Someday"--Don't ask lol) and sneezes, coughs and other tweets the other birds have taught him Still, no words yet. He's just passing his 10 Month birthday... So we're hoping for his first word very soon. Our Sun Conure Zoe, who we trained to "go potty" now calls me by the name "go potty".. something I hope Sully doesn't start to call me, lol. I prefer anything to that name Anyway, It's good to be back I'll post some new pictures soon! Thanks for the advice

Good Morning/afternoon everyone Well, it has been awhile since Sully and I posted last. It's been a very hard past few months. If you remember, my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer in June of 2010, and Sully played a key role in holding me together Then, my husband and I went through a separation from December until a couple of weeks ago. I had to leave Sully behind with him because where I went to stay is a smoker's house, and I didn't want to expose Sully to the smoke. I came and visited Sully every other day, and thankfully, my husband took pretty good care of him while I was away... There were days where his cage was filthy, but overall, he was happy, well-fed, and played with Anyway, We are all back at home now, and I'm re-doing the apartment. I know greys are really resistant to change and tend to stress about it, so I was wondering your thoughts on waiting to re-arrange, paint, move Sully's cage. I've been home about a week and a half, and he's adjusting quite well to me being here all the time again However, I wonder if the stress of me being gone, coming back, and his environment changing all in the span of three months may be too much for him? Thoughts? Oh- and it's good to be back I've enjoyed catching up on everyone

Well, I found some more, but the problem is that they are thin tubes. Looks like I'll have to suck it up and spend the money on the bagels. I hate to deny any of my birds anything, lol but I don't think I can afford the bagel habit!

Thanks I actually would like a whooooole bunch. The cheapest I can find them is still sort of expensive. That's why I'm hoping to find the big tubes and cut them myself... which is seemingly harder than I thought it would be

Anyone know where I can buy the cardboard tubes used to make bird bagels? I found a few suppliers online, however the tubes aren't thick like bird bagels... Any help would be appreciated. Sully goes through these like mad! Thanks

Thanks, everyone! Three of the five birds are in the living room/dining nook with us, so it's easy to keep an eye on the temperature, and the conures have a mini heater in their room that gets turned on for a minute or two just to get the chill out. As the winter gets colder we will be turning the heat on, but I haaaaate using the heat, I'd rather cuddle in a blanket with Sully

Wow I have to say I'm pretty shocked that all of you responded this way! I have kissed all of my birds their whole lives, and sure.. I've gotten bitten, even almost all the way through my eyebrow by our nanday, but it has never made me want to stop kissing them. To me, it's a risk you take when you have birds! I feel that I'm the only one in here who kisses their birds on the beak!! My "bird friends" all do it- and they've had their macaws for 20-30 years and still do it. I thought it was the norm!

It's beginning to get rather chilly here in good old Baltimore... We live in an apartment complex, and our neighbors have their heat on already--Which heats our apartment enough to the point where we can lounge around in sweatpants and t shirts and be comfortable. It stays about 70-72 degrees in here during the day, and during the night and early morning, it gets to about 67-70. We hate to have the heat on unless it gets SUPER COLD. I guess my question is, will Sully need higher temperatures than this to be comfortable? I mean, I know usually the warmer the better, but with prices here, we cannot afford to run the heat to keep it at 75-77 degrees, nor is it comfortable for us. He IS by a big glass door- but it's very well insulated, and there is NO draft. At night we pull the blinds so it keeps the chill out... but like I said, it still gets down to about 67 degrees. We usually keep the apartment at 70-72 degrees all winter, and our little birds don't have a problem. Any ideas?

Yep- Showering him with kisses is what I mean by crazy kisses That's what I call them to him- I gotta remember to start speaking human! lol, and yes, his wings droop down and out and he wiggles... he does the same thing when I'm getting him out of his cage in the mornings and when I start shaking the cashew jar! I am hoping he is just getting super excited. I did it a little bit ago, and he bit my nose, but when I said "ooouch!!!" he backed of and gave me gentle kisses on my forhead. He knows how to make up for it

When my husband and I were deciding on a Grey, we decided on a timneh because of the "stereotype" information given to us. We went back and forth about the benefits of a congo vs a timneh, and really fought about it! I also have always been attracted to larger birds such as 'toos and Macaws, but my husband was easily intimidated by them, and wanted something smaller. I wanted a bird that was going to begin vocalizing early, especially because we got Sully at three months old. He didn't care either way, but just wanted a bird with the ability to speak and the intelligence to figure out bird puzzles, etc. Then there was the look. I'll be honest, the light grey head of an adult congo coupled with the yellowish eyes, kind of intimidated me... but they were beautiful. It was a battle back and forth for awhile. Then, Sully found US. I happened to come across the website for our breeder by accident. I had hit the wrong link on google images, and was re-directed to her website, and saw her contact info. I contacted her a few minutes later about pricing, and she said that someone had JUST (like 2 minutes before I called) backed out on Sully, and that he was available. I knew he was the one meant for us. He just happened to be the Timneh, which wasn't the size I wanted at first, but he fits in really well! And we can't imagine life without him! The only thing I can suggest, is when you begin looking for your bird, if you can meet the birds first, I would say let the bird choose you. Go look at Congos and Timnehs, and just see what bird sticks out to you. You just know when you've met your bird If you can't meet them, as we couldn't with Sully, perhaps going and volunteering at a rescue or a bird fair to interact with both types may be an option? We were not impressed with any breeders around our way either. We flew Sully in from Georgia!

Since we picked Sully up from the airport, I have always given him "crazy kisses" on his beak and cheeks. He spreads his wings just a little and makes little excited grunting noises, and can't get enough of them. However, over the past week he has begin to bite a little harder on my nose and lips, and it's beginning to hurt. I'm wondering if this is him just kind of learning what is "too hard", or if he is trying to tell me he doesn't want my kisses anymore Any ideas? He doesn't do it any other time, but he does bite a little hard on our fingers sometimes. I know it comes with the territory, but I don't want to keep giving him crazy kisses if he doesn't want me in his face.

AH! How adorable!!!!

I'll freeze some! I gave Sully cranberries with his veggies this morning. I gave him a whole one, just to see what he would do with it. He didn't like the sour, but seemed to like the texture, because he would pop them, and then shake his head over and over while he ate them Ah well, cranberries on the wall it is!

We bought a bag of raw cranberries, not the dried kind ;\ I'm going to give him one and see what he does with it. They are a little sour to me, and I don't know if he'll like them-- but I sure hope so because there is NO WAY I can eat a whole bag! Lol

I can't remember, in all my reading, if cranberries are okay for Greys? I got some at the store this morning, and I wasn't sure if Sully could have them!

OH- and inspecting pans is also key. I double check my pans everytime they are washed, for scratches, dings, and anything else that isn't right. If it is scratched, it gets thrown out Thanks for the articles! Very interesting readings!

I have used teflon in my home, forever... I use a breadmaker as well, and just make sure that EVERYTIME I am cooking, no birds are in the kitchen, and that the fan is on, and a window is open. Also, making sure not to let the pan overheat is important... I know it's not something you are "supposed" to do, but I think done with caution and common sense, it can be done.

When I bred lovebirds, I had bands on the babies. I made up my own code, which was JBSA (the initials of my aviary) sideways, 10-(# chick of the year) and ordered the bands online. I never registered my bands with anyone, except when I told other breeders of it, and called the vets in the area, so that if one of my babies every came to me, I could help them find the owner. It actually worked too! I had a lady call me saying she had got my info from the vet, on a lovebird she had adopted from someone I had sold the baby to! Quite interesting

Sorry to hear about the passing of your Aunt, hopefully the tiel and you can find some comfort in each other We have two lovies, two conures, and a grey. I think it depends on each birds own personality, as to who they will get along with. Our lovebird Romeo gets along with our Sun and Nanday, but cannot stand to be near our other lovie or Sully. Sully won't go near anyone, and Zoe doesn't like Joe.. it goes on and on, lol. I would suggest allowing them to get used to each other presence for a few days, then perhaps letting them both out at the same time for a few minutes... they may get along right away, or they may never get along... it just depends on personality

Sully is intrigued by the pretty leaves blowing by. We don't have a tree near our back door that he is by, but he gets a little ruffled when the wind blows the leaves by his window. He runs over to it, and looks sideways peering down onto the porch with his neck stretched as far as possible so he can see! It's pretty funny to watch! I'm tempted to bring a couple in so he can see them. Any thoughts? Is that safe?