NikB

Be careful with carpets as sometimes they can be treated and this could potentially be harmful to your bird especially if it is a stain resistant carpet.

You have to be very careful as greys are experts at hiding any illness as this is what they would do in the wild. Consistent watery poos are not a good sign and even though it could be the veggies keep a check on it. A trip to an avian vet for a check never does any harm. Pellets can take weeks and even months to convert to. If it's beneficial to your parrot's overall health I would keep trying

Anything that is treated (the wood, rope and jute) will not be safe so avoid these. Coconut shells are fine and if you bake them in the oven a little it dries them out Food colouring is fine for colouring wood and rope. Just dilute it down a little and if you add a little vinegar it makes the colours brighter. Baby toys are fine - just be wary of anything with small rattle balls in them incase sharp beaks manage to break them out. Glue I would avoid unless it can be hidden away from where your bird will get to. Are you able to get a vetinary disinfectant like F10 for cleaning. This is excellent for ensuring all things are safely cleaned before giving to your bird. I hope that is of some help

Yes it's all the same thing with a different name. My 2 love it and always look for their toast in the morning

If she is female also ensure that there are minimal opportunities for nesting as this will increase the hormonal behaviour and could incur problems such as becoming egg-bound or being aggressive. try not to touch her below the neck - just give head rubs as any other part of the body will stimulate her. Good luck with the distraction

I give my 2 a finger of wholemeal toast every morning spread with palm fruit extract Yummy for them with some health benefits too

My 2 like their TOPS and it's the first pellets Billy tried. There's only one supplier in the uk

The whole male/female thing is a myth and at certain ages and stages parrots can often change who they like best. It's a shame they can't give you more info. When you are spraying Peanut if he is fluffing out his feathers and shaking then he could be enjoying it. If he was trying to run away and had his feathers flat to his body then thatwould be a sign he didn't like it. I like to give my 2 a light spray 2 or 3 times a week and once a week they get a good soak. He is still settling in and it sounds like you are doing the right thing and taking your time

Sounds like maybe he was preening and one came out? Not sure. If you could try to get a photo that would help. He could also be moulting. The important thing is to try not to show stress or panic about it around him as they pick up on our emotions very easily. Try to see if there are certain times it's happening and keep trying with the pellets etc. You are obviously a very caring owner and want the best. It could be the beginning of a moult though.

Thanks everyone! They certainly enjoy it. I do watch tv through brances at times and will probably soon be sitting on their swing myself lol It's worth it to keep them happy, active and entertained

Here is a photo of my 2's playstand me and Hughie made. It's branches from an ash tree and lots of fun things to do. Here is their castle that Hughie designed And their King Kong swing lol Will take a more up to date photo of the whole set up tomorrow

I agree it could look plucked in that area. Do you see lots of feathers in the bottom of his cage or have you seen him plucking? Sounds a bit like he is defending his territory in his cage. Please try persevering with the pellets and mash - it could take some time to convert so try to be patient and keep at it It is worth it in the end

Can I ask what kind of seed you use and have you considered trying any sort of pellets? Has there been ay kinds of sprays, smoke, cleaning products used around him? Sorry for asking all these questions but it is to get an idea of what the problem might be. How much time does he get out of his cage each day and where is the cage situated?

Yes this is completely normal and means your grey is happy, content and comfortable It's a great sound to hear

Thank you for the lovely comments We are always making new things for the 2 of them to play on - I will put some full photos up later when I'm at home. We like to think they are happy anyway!

I managed to convert Billy at about 11 years old from a nasty cheap seed diet (and other foods he shouldn't have had) to a diet of pellets, fresh fruit and veg, sprouted mix and cooked pulses and then did the same with Echo. I started with Billy by mushing TOPS pellets in warm water and giving it on a spoon, gradually making it less water until he was taking solid pellets. They both now get a mixture of TOPS, Harrisons and Hagen along with their other foods

Hi Peanut - plucking can be due to many different reasons. What is his diet like and how much sleep does he get? Do you cover his cage at night? It could also be from all of the changes but if you answer some questions it could help elimanate some things. Do you regularly give him a spray or a bath?

Thank you very much. I feel lucky to have them and I'm very fortunate that they have bonded so well too. Billy feeds Echo too and they sometimes even cuddle up - so sweet.

I don't know what my 2's first words were but they both say lots of words and phrases - they have favourites for a while and then move on to something else. At the moment Billy's is "Oi!" and Echo's is "Billy, no!" I find that they will repeat things that are not said directly to them rather than trying to teach them something specific

Thank you - I have posted some photos with a bit of info about my boys

Here are a few photos of the gruesome twosome, Billy and Echo and a little about each of them. Firstly this is Billy Billy is approximately 12 years old going by what we know about him (he does not have a ring). We rehomed Billy in March last year and he has since had a dramatic change in diet, exercise and human contact. He is a very chatty boy and extremely cheeky. He likes to stick his tongue out at me and blow raspberries. He can also be polite, asking if I want a coffee (even though I don't like it) and says pardon after he burps Billy is a much more confident bird and is now trying to fly. Here's a couple more of Billy And this is Echo Echo came to us in December 2009 and will be 3 years old in November. He is always on the move and is very playful. He is going through a bit of a difficult stage at the moment but knows who the boss is. Echo loves to feed Roxy (our dog) and barks at her when she comes in the room. He teases Billy while telling himself off and likes to watch tv while hanging from it. I believe having Echo has helped Billy become more confident and the two of them make me smile every day Here's a couple more of Echo

Hi Toria - fancy meeting you here

Thank you for the welcome. I have lots of photos and will post a few up in the photo section I have lots of stories to tell and ideas to share.

Hi there, my name is Nikki and I'm the proud owner of 2 African Greys. I have Billy who is approximately 12 years old and Echo who will be 3 years old in November. They are both male and live together in the same cage. Both Billy and Echo are rehomes and are very different characters. Billy is not a confident flyer (doesn't really fly at all) and is quite a laid back old man. Echo is hyper - flying everywhere and swinging from anything he can get a grip of. I also live with my partner Hughie and our staffy dog Roxy. Looking forward to getting to know you and your birds