k9nurse

I took Mojo his first toy today. I think he liked it! My plan is to take it in with me each day when I visit so he has one toy that he associates with me. In a couple weeks, I will take his travel cage over so he can start getting used to going in and coming out of it. I'll also take a new toy for his cage at the store that will go in his permanent cage at home. *Happy Dance* Now that we know he is a "he", I can completely bond and fall in love. (Oh, who am I kidding, I was already there!) Thanks for putting up with my proud new mama posts! They are likely to keep coming!

Has anyone used this as a training tool? If so, what did you think about it. The guys seems like a good salesman but I'm wondering if the program actually works. Is it worth the $50? Thanks all, Amanda

Thanks for letting me share! He sure stands tall after feeding We did get the DNA results back today and he is definitely a boy. So happy for that since our other two fids are boys. I just love his stubby red tail. What a sweetie!

If you read my "Breakthrough" post, then you know about Annie, the Catalina macaw baby who broke her leg. Well, her leg is healing well and I went in today and took her a new toy. I rigged her cage with wooden dowels and she is using them to get around with her beak. I hate that the people who were gonna take her don't want her now. Jeff and I are considering bringing her home. Isn't she purty???

Dear Burt, You were the best friend I've ever had. I was so afraid of you when we first met, but you showed me that trust can be achieved through mutual respect and love. I miss you terribly. Your laugh when I would walk in the door, the way you would say "Get over it" if I was upset. You were such an individual, and I loved you quirks and all. I miss you climbing up my leg to sit in my lap, the way you demanded my attention when I was busy doing something else. You broke the mold, and began my love of birds. No one will ever take your place, but I'd like to think you'd be proud of your dad and I for rescuing another macaw in need. Until we meet again at the bridge, we love you dear Burt. And in true Burt style, I can hear you saying "Whatever". Love, Mom & Dad * Burt passed away just one month ago due to a stroke. There was no warning that he was even ill. Since we rescued him 7 years ago, we don't know exactly how old he was, but we are guessing he was around 12. With all the advances in veterinary medicine, one would think more could be done for our feathered loved ones. As the nursing manager of a veterinary hospital that sees birds, I am advocating that our doctors take the continuing education courses to become proficient at avian cardiac ultrasound. Thanks for letting me share, ~Amanda

Hi all, Wasn't sure where to ask this, so please forgive me if this isn't the place. My macaw is chewing the powdercoating off the bars of his cage. What can I do? He is out as often as he wants, I am at home all the time and his cage is open. He's new to my home and this cage which is much larger than his previous cage. I have tons of toys and stuff to chew on in with him, plus he has a 8 foot by 7 foot double tree stand that he plays on as well. Is bitter apple spray safe for birds? What other ideas can all my bird brain friends here come up with? Thanks in advance, Amanda

Thanks all! I'm looking forward to all that our big red guy will bring to our lives. It's been far too quiet with only one bird in the house. In about 4 weeks, I'll be bringing little Mojo home. To top that off, there is a 10 week old Catalina macaw baby at the store with Mojo who broke her leg on Sunday. Her owners don't want her now. I've named her little orphan Annie. She is a real sweetie! Might she come home with me too??? LOL. Good thing I have a major bird loving boyfriend, eh?

Yes, the alcohol did cause some long term problems with growth. Paco should be quite a bit bigger than he is. His body length is more the size of a Military versus a Greenwing. But, other than that, he doesn't seem to have any issues. He has quite a large vocabulary for a macaw at over 200 words. He can sing whole songs like Twinkle little star and loves to play peek-a-boo with his wings. I don't understand how people could do such awful things to these majestic creatures. I've always said there is a special place in you know where for people like that.

That is a great setup! Thanks for sharing! ~Amanda

Hi all, My boyfriend and I recently adopted a Greenwing Macaw after losing our Military Macaw to a stroke. Paco is 9 years old and has never been handled. He lived in a cage and was taught as a baby how to take shots of tequila. So far, he has been wonderful, only screaming when I walk out of the room. The rescue told us that he prefers men, but he will only talk, play and sing with me. However, he will only let Jeff into his cage to clean. He's been home with us for only 3 days now. Last night, he surprised us all by asking Jeff to pick him up. Here is the result: Thanks for letting me share To think this guy would have ended up in a sanctuary where he would never be handled makes me even more proud to have him as a flock member. ~Amanda

He's just 6 weeks old right now, so he won't be ready to come home for another 6 weeks at least. The guys at the store are great, even agreed not to clip his wings for me. I go in twice a day to feed him and play. Such a sweetheart. I'm so grateful to have the ability to bond with him now. I go in to see him every day. Today I bought him a toy that he will get to play with so when he does come home, there will at least be one toy in his cage that he is used to. Thanks all, I can't wait! ~Amanda

It's been great "meeting" you all! What a GREYt family! ~Amanda

This is my newest flock member, Mojo! I went in and fed him today, and he even fell asleep in my arms. Such a sweetie! ~Amanda

Hi all, Curiosity may have killed the cat, but all it's done to me so far is get me typing here! I will be bringing a new baby CAG home in about 6-8 weeks. I have an established 7 year old male CAG at home already. The new baby is also a male (didn't want to deal with the craziness during seasoning to get even more outrageous). I've read that Greys have a better chance at socializing with their own kind so my question is this: How do I introduce them in a way to promote positive interactions? What body language should I personally use and what things should I watch out for? The new baby won't be introduced right away for obvious reasons, but how long after bringing him home should I try to see if they will play nicely together? Should this be a gradual introduction, ie placing their cages or playstands near to each other but out of reach? Thanks for all the help! I'm eager to learn as much as I can before bringing little Mojo home! Kindest Regards, Amanda

Hi everyone, My name is Amanda and I live in Michigan. I am owned by a 7 year old CAG male named Cosmo, a 9 year old male Greenwing Macaw named Paco, and 3 weiner dogs, Pudge, Katie, and Havoc. To be fair, the two birds belong to my boyfriend, Jeff, but since we live together, I claim them too. I have been a licensed vet tech for almost 14 years. Most of my experience has dealt with dogs, cats, horses, and goats. I am fairly new to the avian world. Before I met Jeff and his wonderful parrots, I had had a budgie as a child and a cockatiel several years back. What I have learned through his birds is that I am completely smitten. They are the most loving, if not challenging, animals I have ever come across. We had an older Military Macaw named Burt who recently had a stroke and passed away. Maybe I'll be more apt to talk about that in the future, but it's been too recent for today's post. Needless to say, Burt began my love of parrots. He was all attitude, and when we first met, I'll admit I was quite afraid of that large beak of his. However, with Jeff's guidance, and Burt's patience, I learned to be confident when handling him. He was one of a kind. He quickly became "my" bird as it was apparent he had made a choice. He was always in my lap or on my arm and if I didn't pick him up right away, he would say "Whatever" and proceed to climb up my leg until I reached down for him. I sure miss him, hence the reason I am here now. I decided that I would like to have my own bird. We certainly have room in the house and Jeff is completely supportive. I have been reading up on African Greys for several months. I just put a deposit on a 6 week old baby and this weekend I am going to purchase the cage, toys, playstand, ect for him. I feel confident with what I have read that I am ready to do this. I have been training dogs for over 10 years for dog shows, agility, and obedience. Although I know there are a bazillion differences between the species, the foundation for building trust and training are the same. Patience and positive reinforcement. I've clicker trained my dogs, but I'm not sold on it for the bird just yet. Still researching. Anywho, I am so glad to have found this forum. I am looking forward to "meeting" you all and learning from the vast collective knowledge of the members here. Thanks so much for having me! ~Amanda, Michigan