BirdsAreGrey8

Congrats on graduating! Get a bag full of popsicle sticks for like $3. Mine loves them an tears them up.

Duece does this rubber chicken thing often. He once did this to my neck when he lost his footing and went on to pull himself up by his beak only. Much to my agony he succeeded!

Welcome and congrats on your Grey! Feel free to ask questions and take a look around. From the U.S. here..

That's the exact way to do it. Works just as well on dogs too!

Duece was on a strictly pellet diet until he showed big interest in the salad we were having. I went in the fridge and brought him a fresh baby carrot, broccoli, and cucumber slice. He chomped it right down without hesitation. Suprisingly he won't touch the $13 bag of Pine Nuts I bought him. Go figure.

I already replied once to this thread but here's an idea not yet mentioned. There are temporary foster home programs for birds out there that will allow you to care for a bird until it finds its forever home. That could be an avenue that you might look into. It'll give you the opportunity to have the bird in your home and see how well things go.

You guys are very welcome, hope it helps!

I give Duece small pieces of fresh carrots, broccoli, and cucumber 3 days a week, apples and grapes 1-2 times a week, and green beans with a pinch of bread and cooked egg once a week. If it's not gone in half an hour I throw it away and refill with fresh pellets.

Wow that's crazy! Gotta love Florida.. The most snow I've ever seen was on a business trip to Nashville last month; 6-7", no big deal.

That's funny! Glad Roscoe liked it so well!

Congrats! It's great to hear he's adapting so well!

Totally normal, nothing to worry about.

Sweet, good job!

I browsed the dog section of Pet Supermarket but no luck. Next time I'm in I'll ask somebody. I do have some farm/feed stores nearby as well. Thanks!

There is a very informative sticky on the step up command in this forum. Here is my experience with my 6mo. old Grey and what worked for me. These pics are not the best and were taken with my cell phone while I tried to handle the bird and photo tips for my fellow Grey Forum members. :cool: First, expect to be bitten. The bird is just checking to see how stable your finger is. My Grey was in a fish tank with some newspapers on the bottom and did not have any interest in the perch he had other than chewing on it. Needless to say stepping up just wasn't happening. I picked up the bird by cupping my hand underneath each side of his claws and used my thumb to hold down one wing to keep flapping and falling to minimum. You may get one or all of the following: The beak grasp onto something.. The palm bite to stabilize on something since he's no longer on the ground.. Here totally off the ground and lightly biting my pinky, the claws are exposed and I slide my other index finger underneath. He may flap his wings while grasping your fingers to get balanced. After the flapping stops keep your arm and hand as still as possible. Now you might notice that the bird is somewhat unbalanced and not too secure on your hand; and maybe out of breath. Let him catch his breath by petting his head and calmly talking to him. I lightly pin the foot that he has the most weight on for two reasons; it makes him and you feel more secure, and if he falls or tries to fly away you will have some control to pull him in tight to you and keep him from falling and hurting himself. My goal here is just to show the bird that my finger is stable. I held him on my hand for as long as he would stay, and talk, pet his head, etc. This is trust building and it's best to keep on alert not to let him fall. I kept my other hand nearby just in case he got spooked or off balance. For two days this was about the extent of the routine with the exception of saying "Up!" when I placed him on my finger and cheered/praised when he gripped onto my finger. Day three I attempt to pick up him up with my index finger. I chose to start on the floor since the danger of falling is a short distance. I assertively say "Up!" while stroking the feathers on his lower abdomen. This should happen: Yes, a good snug bite to test the waters and see how you'll react. If you flinch back and pull away, you're taking steps back and showing him that this will keep your hand away from him. Be assertive and go in for the pick up! You may get the bite and foot up at the same time. This is good news because he's attempting to get on your finger! He may be a little skeptical about committing the second foot but give it time. Notice how straight and sturdy the finger stays. Here the claws aren't really pinned, but the thumb is over the claws just in case. After a couple of days your bird will be more stable on his feet and more trusting with your hand and you can begin slowly walking around with him. Continue with the "Up!" command with consistency and gives lots of praise when they do it! Now if biting continues issue a stern "No!" each time. Before long you'll have a successful stepping up bird! The last step is telling your success story to the great members of Grey Forums! Duece recommends logging on every day!

Keep with it and good luck!

Trim the nails a little bit, roll up the sleeves and put some coconut lotion from your shoulders to your elbow. The decreased traction will definitely slow the bird down and you might get some raised eyebrows from your significant other!

Better than having a burnt pizza! Ha!

I've just had Duece three days now and have not brought him to a cruise or a show. It would be easy to put some grip tape around the roll bar in the Monte for him to sit on. That would work only while the car's parked. The throttle is extremely sensitive and I about sneezed myself into a lane change last week.

If you use pallet wrap (found at Office Depot for $30) the cores are extremely thick and my Grey loves chewing on it. I never tried cutting it, it's like 1/4" think at least.

Sure, shoot away. What are your questions or concerns? I'll answer what I can. A lot can be learned by reading the stickies in each thread.

You'll be totally fine as long as you make sure the bird doesn't bite them. At one your baby will be walking soon, keep an eye out and make sure little hands don't go into the cage. The thing to think about is these birds require a lot of attention and if they become bored they can pluck feathers, become aggressive, etc. With a new little one on the way you will have to make the judgement call on if you (or other people in the household) will have the time to spend with the bird. If it were me I would see on how you feel four months after having your 2nd baby. By that time they are on a more regular sleeping schedule and you will have a better idea on what your day will be like. Another thing to consider is that these guys mimic sounds extremely well and can pick up on just about anything. Think crying baby sounds.. multiplied by more than two. Also, every bird is different. Just because some of our birds may be loving towards our kids or ignores them is no promise that yours will do the same.

Be careful with having him outside. These little guys are prime targets for hawks and ospreys and have even been known to swoop down and take them off people's shoulders.

Just wait until you get the egg timer, oven timer, door bell, and dryer buzzer!

That's good advice. Like Dave said, start slow and don't rush him into it.