hammco

After 11 days with me.....Well, the past 2 days have NOT been good, seems like Timmy is starting to hate me! I cannot get him out of his cage at all, he pins his pupils, hisses, sticks out neck feathers, bobs head up and down VERY hard and tries to go in for the kill on my finger. He plays alot with his toys and likes to go on top of his cage to the play area up there, and he comes and go as he wants to. When he is out of the cage its fairly easy to step up, but I can tell he dont want to. Im scared he is the one doing the training and he is training me to never get near him. I havent heard any noises at all excent a couple whistles the other day. Im starting to wonder if the people I got him from sold him because he is mean and dont like people at all. I got a feeling he will never let me pet him. Do yall think Im making a conclusion too fast, or is there a good chance that he will just be mean?

Timmys leg band reads: WK NC (sideways) 7 Is there any way to find out who the breeder was? I would figure this maybe: WK- breeder NC- North Carolina 7- born in 2007 OR 7th chick from the mom

Jilly- Come to my house and kiss Timmys foot! GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!! hahahahah He will remove ur lips with one quick snap of the good ole beak! just kidding! thats cool u have him that close to you, congrats!

At this point Im pretty sure his previous family put him in a cage and after a week or two with him not talking they gave up and he was just a critter in the corner they gave seed ONLY too and finally sold him to me 3 years later to make more room in the den. He is a diamond in the rough, and as soon as he trust that I aint out to hurt him (and I give good treats) he will be the BEST parrot ever! He sees the whole family all the time and I take him in the den, living room, sunroom, kitchen...where ever we are hanging out so surly he will soon understand we like him and want him to be with us doing whatever....Id give anything to see my 1 year old kid to scratch Timmys neck and take a pic, My fingers are crossed!

Barb, I sure hope so!!! Thanks alot!!!!!!!!

Well guys, heres an update: 1. He knows to ring nis "new" bell to get my attention, sometimes he steps up, sometimes not but I can tell when now. 2. As soon as we wake up and start moving around he is up too...ringing the bell 3. He comes and goes out of the cage as he pleases 4. He likes apples and pringles chips as a treat...shelled pnuts are a no-no 5. He has whistled a few times in the evenings, nothing consistant tho 6. He likes to pull the hairs off my arm, one by one 7. He takes food and treats VERY gently and ALWAYS wants more of what he likes Heres what bothers me that I am working on: 1. He does not liked to be touched AT ALL, except his feet on my finger "stepping up" 2. He screeches, flashes pupils, and raises neck feathers when he dont want to be fooled with (touching or stepping up) 3. He perfers to step up when he is out of the cage and when on the "food" side (left) of the cage, and he HATES to step up on my left hand I have a feeling that he is gonna be a fellow that wont be very verbal and dont want to be messed with too much, and Im fine with that as long as hes happy and healthy...however, do yall think even tho he is 4 and rehomed (1 week) that he will adjust better and be a guy that will interact with the family and make a little noise for us? I know Im being impatient probably and I know Im worrying too much, but my cockatiel is very content being cagebound and having no interacting with people and I dont want Timmy to end up that way...What do yall think? Thanks!!

Thats just AMAZING, Thanks!

Everytime I leave the den he rings his bell alot like he wants me back, but he wont step up and will come out on his own and sit on top of the cage...maybe since he is new he just likes us in there to observe and have company. Im in the stage of learning what he likes right now!

thanks for sharing! I might try a playbox too after Timmy is more comfortable with his new home!

kikkim, no I didnt, but half of yall can see my pics and the other half cant...I have no idea how to fix that! Ill play around tonite and see if I can do something different.

Timmy starts ringing the bell as soon as he hears us up around 6:30am....he is in and out the cage throughout the day...he naps then gets rowdy again hust after sunset for an hour or so. Thats what Ive noticed after 8 days of owning him, so as soon as he settles in Im sure its gonna change!

I got a "rescued (long story)" tiel about 6 months ago that always has poop on his tail feathers and vent area, and his stool is always loose. Heres the thing, I have a parakeet thats great and a new TAG and 2 kids, wife and business so my time is really streched and I dont think I have the time or $ to do anything more than I have already have. I am pretty sure he was a breeder and he is just plain MEAN, cant even get 3 feet from the cage and he goes nuts. He is supposed to be 3 years old or so. I can handle him but its stressful for him for sure and I need to make a change. How would yall go about rehoming him? I need at least $50 for the cage and accessories to help offset the cost of my TAG and thats gonna be hard to get for a mean Tiel...any suggestions? Heres a pic of him (Sam) and my keet (Pete)

I can bribe with a Pringles chip VERY EASILY, but its fat and grease and I dont want to give him too much of that, so Ill keep trying until I find something healthy he likes (every treat I like is unhealthy, so I can relate to him, hahahaah).

Thanks Barb2! I own a handyman business and always have left over materials, some even exotic wood that I usually cant afford, so I have always made stuff for around the house and for my kids. I have some bird feeders and houses in the yard with $200 in materials that cost me $0!!!! I just love to create stuff and Ill be posting more pics soon of ideas for parrot stuff I have in mind. I am welding and powdercoading a couple bird perches and playsets and experimenting with concrete perches here and there.....Everyone on this site might own a "Hammco Acccessory" soon hahaha just kidding, but Im saving money on this stuff and having fun at the same time!

they show up on my laptop and desktop...hummmm, weird. I will try to host them on picassa and send a link to an album so yall can see......by the way, I feel like today was a good day with Timmy! He let me know he wanted to be left alone about 3 times and I did so (pinning, hunched over, flashing, neck feathers fluffed.....I guess he just wanted to rest cause in bout an hour he rang his bell nonstop and i said step up and out he came, happy as heck! Also he was in and out of his cage throughout the day and didnt give me a problem goin back in to go to bed! I am learning patience guys, I promise!!!!

...or this maybe??

OK, how....bout....this!

Im gonna try this picture thing again, here goes nothing... Timmy Cage and playstand...He has MANY MANY toys in the cage now! My homemade playstand

I was wonering if Timmy makes any noise at all when I aint here, so I set up a video camera where he could not see it for 2 hours while I ran some errands this morning. needless to say, I sat there for 2 hours watching the recorded video and NOTHING at all! What a letdown, I was hoping for at least a tiny peep or whistle. He rang hig bell as I was leaving, preened for 10 mins, then sat frozen still, and upon my return he rang the bell when I walked back in the room. Today is one week at my house...honeymoon phase, I know!! haha! Maybe within another week or 2 he will start doing usual grey sounds like my parakeet and tiel do. We will just have to wait and see!

the photo is showing up on my end, yall cant see it?

Some may call me a redneck or southener...South Carolina in the US baby!

Great article! thanks!

gotcha! will try that. I just gave him a nonsalted salteen cracker and it was a hit! I carved my kids pumpkins and roasted the seeds (i love them!) and Timmy likes them too but I aint giving him many.

Guys, I really appreciate all the info! Ive ALWAYS wanted a Grey and heres my chance finally! I just want to do everything right and keep him happy. I will spend time reading and searching posts for questions I may have! Thanks again!!!

THANKS GUYS!! As far as the peanuts, they are the ones that come in the mixed seed bag of his food, so I feel they are ok. Wonder why he flaps his wings as soon as I let him out in the afternoons? excercise maybe? He also flaps alot when out of the cage as soon as hears or sees any of us...