Val27

On the Zupreem, I give my Grey Pretty Bird Pellets for African Greys and the Zupreem. I give the colored pellets, which I just read are not the best because of the dyes in them. I will be trying the natural colored ones next time I buy some. Pellets are definately better than seed mixes. I give an occasional treat of a few seeds only. It is best to get them used to pellets and good things right away. just like a child, I suppose. If you never had it...you won't know what you're missing...right?

He/she is so cute! I remember how their eyes look when they are babies, they are very dark. They will change as he gets older. I have 2 birds myself. A TAG and a Cockatiel. I read as much as I could on them before I even went looking for one. There is alot to know. They are so smart. They seem to have a reason for everything they do and how they behave. I ALWAYS leave a radio on for them esp when I am gone. I read that the noise makes them feel safer, since in the wild, if there was a sign of danger everyone would be silent. The silence can be stressful to them for that reason. I sure am not an expert but I have had my Grey for 10yrs and Tiel for 13yrs. I love them both so much and can't imagine life w/o them. I will watch for any ?'s I can help answer. Good luck and congrats on your new baby! I named my Grey, Finney (short for Finale) since I hope we are together for the 'Grand Finale' in life (since they live for so long). I never really had to TRY to teach my bird to talk. She just picks up things she likes to hear that we say to her and each other. With that in mind, be careful what you say around them if you don't want them repeating it. I had heard they can very easily pick up curse words since most of those words are one syllable and said w/ such emphasis. It might be funny to hear birds say stuff like this but they won't always say things at the appropriate times. If you should ever have to give him up you want him to have enough manners to go to a good home. Hopefully this would never happen. Watch out for the Teflon cookware too. It can be deadly to birds if it is overheated. Once the bird inhales fumes from overheated Teflon I think it is too late. Check out the food lists of SAFE food you can give them too. It is best to learn everything you can and if ever in doubt don't do it until you find out. Good luck and congrats again! Val

I know what you mean. When I was thinking about getting a bird I visited several pet stores. They all said they had hand fed babies. I asked to hold one of the birds (cockatiel) at one store and the lady proceded to put on heavy duty gloves to GRAB the bird out of the cage. Poor bird was scared to death I'm sure. Another store I went to I asked the same thing and the lady gently put her hand in the cage and 'my bird to be' got right on her hand and then on mine. What a difference! There is definately a difference in the cleanliness of places too. You just have to do some research of where to go. I think this forum should be a great place for advice too. I am new here and excited to find out new things about my feathered friends.

I made 2 playstands for my birds out of PVC pipe and dowel rods. They are great! East to move, clean, and change to make more interesting. Very low cost to make too. I originally bought a stand from a pet store made w/ PVC and it was $50 (marked down from $100). Crazy price for something you can make yourself. Just wish I could find more food cups that fit right into the pipes. Always good to have extras. I am always up for new ideas too.

So sorry to hear about Linus. I pray he gets better soon. I am new to this site too but welcome. I hope you have good news about Linus soon.

Hi, I am new to this site but have had birds for 13yrs. I started by watching a friends Canary while they were on vacation. I loved the singing and thought about getting one. Alot of people told me to get a Cockatiel. I was afraid I wouldn't have the time they needed. I got a book on them 1st and read as much as I could before making a decision. I don't believe in getting an animal and then deciding later that they are too much work and get rid of them. They are not disposable. It is a lifetime commitment. I love my Cockatiel! One of the best companions! I then looked into Greys and got one after learning about them. So much fun. They make everyone laugh! Birds are great pets esp. if you are alone. I am now married and my birds love my husband too. I am so glad we can both handle them. We also have 2 dogs that are great around the birds. They are all my children. Always looking to learn new things about my favorite things in life!

I think this is because when you aren't in the room Coco is calling you to come back to join the flock. Once the flock is together they don't need to call to you. If you are not paying attention to him and in the same room he may talk then. My birds will talk directly to me sometimes but do most of their talking when we aren't looking. They are so smart! They know how to get what they want. The cuter they are the faster we go to play w/ them.

I have a friend that had a Cockatoo for 37yrs. I asked about her bird, as I always do, and she told me she passed away. The bird started acting odd and died within 45min. So sad. My friend told me she always fed her fruits and veggies but never tried avocado. She had given her some (how long B4 the bird got sick I don't know). I had heard they are very lethal to birds but didn't want to say anything. I didn't want to make her think she killed her bird. I will definately say something to her if she gets another bird, which I don't think she will. I think deep down she might know now. Just thought I would share this since it could save lives. Please check on EVERYTHING you are unsure about B4 giving it to your bird.

I use an ice scraper to get the big pieces off the grates in cage. Doesn't scratch powder coating either. I've been looking at steamers to do more deep cleaning w/o chemicals. Tried the Shark handheld and it worked pretty good, just took a long time. May purchase a better one like the Vapor Clean II or the Vapamore. Does anyone use anything like this? What kind works best?