Popsicle

I'm happy with your decision. Seem the right thing to do for now. I read in many places that African Senegals are great pet birds. They are similar to the parakeets I had. And they were easy to look after and lots of fun. Keep us posted!

Hey Abbie, that sounds good. I haven't read them yet. Would you mind keeping me posted whether they are good or not? I'd like to read them if you think it's worth it. Thanks.

He's a fussy eater, huh? hehe I understand now what you mean with not knowing how to deal with him in the first years. I was the same with my previous parrots. That's why I'm trying to learn everything I can to do things different this time. And this forum has helped me sooo much. Hope I succeed. I think you should contact Dave anyway. He's called Dr. Flock here as he understands a lot about Greys. hehe He might be able to help you with ideas for treats, training, etc.

Aww... hugs. Sounds a bit frustrating trying to fix Zak's behaviour and then having your BF bringing back old habits again. It's funny that you came into Zak's life a while before your BF and still he's Zak's favourite person. Is he a re-homed parrot? Is that why you said you missed his baby years? What you teach them in the first years does seem essential to how they will grow up to be. But you can always change behaviour with training, love and attention. Dave007 is the moderator here and he's a great person, always up for helping. He's got re-homed parrots that came to him troubled and he turned them into loving birds. Maybe if you contacted him he could give you some good advice. I was thinking about treats you can use for training... parrots love dried fruit and nuts. Greys seem to particularly love walnuts and hazelnuts. And they are easy to be found in supermarkets, health product shops, etc. Have you tried them before? Or is it something Zak also eats on a daily basis? Well, I'm really hoping you can turn things around with Zak or at least get some progress this summer and also get your BF to understand how important training is. If he wants a well behaved parrot, that doesn't scream, etc, then that's the way to go and he needs to help. Good luck and if you ever want to talk about anything, you can contact me in private message.

Ermm... hard one. I got my first parrots when I was around 20yo. I was in college already but still living with my family in Brazil. I got 2 parakeets and after 1-2 years someone asked me to take care of his parrots (2 Amazons) and I accepted. Big responsibility that I didn't think through at the time. Result: After a few years I got married and moved to the UK. My poor parrots had to stay with my family, very far from me. And I was their favourite person in the house. My parents couldn't stand the Amazons screaming anymore. The neighbours were complaining as well. With me gone they felt they had the right to re-home them. I couldn't do anything about it. After all I left them to my parents, who are now 65 and 71yo. I wasn't there so they did it. They kept my 2 parakeets but gave away my Amazons. Thank God it was to a member of our family. Which means I can still visit them when I go to my country. However, it's sad to the birds that keep being re-homed. Now I'm 29yo and I'm thinking of getting a Grey. I'm only thinking of it now because my life is finally stable. I have my own place, with my husband, who also likes parrots, and now I know exactly what type of responsibility it is to care for them. You will go to college in 2 years, God knows where, might not visit often, will find boyfriends and will probably lose interest in the parrot. It's my guess. So I'm truly sorry for what I'm gonna say because I know that's not what you want to hear but I believe you're not ready yet. I wasn't either when I got my first one. I thought of them as just another pet. They are not. They require different care and attention and don't forget a parrot can easily outlive us. Think twice before getting a Grey. He might end up with your parents and being re-homed like mine were. Maybe you could get something smaller, like Cockatiels or Budgies. They are easier to handle. Just a thought. Ahh another thing, if you do end up getting a parrot, I'm not sure you have the experience required to get a re-homed one. So probably better not. Good luck!

And reggie sounds like you did the right thing re-homing your Amazon. If he's happier with your ex that's what matters, isn't it? I would have done the same. How did your Grey stop screaming? Was it naturally (probably after he became an adult and felt more independent) or did you need to train him?

Hi Morana, The things you said are interesting. Got me curious about something though. Were you going out with your boyfriend already when you got Zak? Was it a joint decision or did it happen before your BF? Why doesn't he like Zak? Any specific reason? About training, maybe you just need to learn some new things, to help you improve the quality of your training. Here is a video that teaches how to make training interesting for your bird . Maybe you just need to get the right information and use the right training techniques? How about reading this book? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0793805627/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller= I am halfway through and really enjoying it. It helps us understanding why our parrots behave the way they do and also give some tips on body language and training. It's good. Maybe you could check as well some training videos of the same woman that writes the book. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Barbara+Heidenreich&aq=f. And this video teaches how to use positive reinforcement for your parrot to stop screaming . It is difficult, I know. But I think it's worth trying. Don't give up! You can do this! Also, is there a way you can try to encourage your BF to get more involved with Zak? Right training and harmony in your household would probably make everyone happier. Good luck!! My husband is actually quite excited about getting a Grey as well. We read the book together, I'm always sharing information I learn with him. He's keen to participate and love our bird. I think that's important. And I'm hoping he won't change after the parrot is here. Regarding travelling, I don't have anyone to leave him with. My parents live in another country and my in laws in another city. But I intend to take our parrot with us for short trips (i.e when we visit my in laws). I think it's good to socialize the bird with other people. And I already looked up lots of pet hotels around my area for when we go on longer and distant trips. I know people who leave their pets in hotels and say it's a good option. And they are not too expensive (here in the UK varies from £5 - £15/day). Thanks for your comment. I like hearing from people who have more experience with Greys. I'm taking everything into consideration before actually getting one.

No you didn't offend at all. Sorry if I sounded upset. I actually had a laugh with your cheekiness. Thanks for all the advice and help.

haha Charming! I'm relaxed. I had parrots before in my original country, Brazil. Didn't need any of these things there. So I'm just trying to clarify my doubts. That's what this forum is about, isn't it? Thanks.

My only doubt now is because I can only find cool or warm. And I'm worried the warm one will warm up the room too much in summer, for example. :confused:

Nice. How often roughly do you need to fill up 1 gallon? 12h-24h would be ideal for me. Are these humidifiers too noisy?

That's cool. Same brand I found, Vicks. I'd prefer room temperature too. Can't find the same one you have. Maybe they changed design? Do you know the name/model? Here are the ones they got at the moment: http://www.vicks.com/humidifiers-lineup/

Since I started thinking of getting a parrot one of the things that worry me the most is making sure he will be happy even when we're not around so it's always a relief to hear they usually adjust well to our routine.

Any other brands you recommend, that maybe I can find here in the UK?

Ah that's brilliant. I did look up for humidity based on the advices given here. I dont want my Grey to suffer with dryness, itchiness, etc. So thanks. Should I choose warm as in the link? Which one do you use?

Dan, I really like your advice. Is your humidifier warm or cold? And do you use it 24h, every day, all year? Or only in winter? I didn't find the one you bought here in the UK. So found some other options. Can you tell me if you think they're ok? http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&q=Humidifier&cid=11295963062156054960&os=sellers http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&q=Humidifier&cid=7707590250571463201&os=sellers Thanks.

It's good to know they are not so demanding as I intend to start working full time soon.

I like your answers, RudysMum. Thanks. Love the fact they are friendly with the whole family and haven't destroyed anything yet. lol How do you bird proof the rooms? I worry mainly about cables, even though we don't have many cables exposed... only laptop cables and the cables behind the TV stand.

Felt quite sad when I first read the post. I'm really happy you found Val and everything is good now. Hope I never go through the same. I'd be totally devastated. Hugs and thumbs up for buying a harness.

All your posts disappeared now chezron. I managed to read it though. Thanks. x

Thank you all for the new posts. It's been great for me to see the differences between each of your birds. I feel mainly happy to know Greys are not particularly loud. My Amazons were the equivalent to Cockatoos in terms of screaming. And our neighbours would always comment on it. lol Also glad to know they are rarely aggressive and that in most of the examples given here the Greys get on well with more than one person in the family. Me and my husband are hoping ours will like both of us. So thanks again. And please keep posting. Every information is welcome.

I'm sure everyone feel like pulling their hair out sometimes. Don't feel guilty about it. What matters is that you love him and will take care of him forever. Thanks for your honesty.

It's all been very informative for me, guys! Thanks! And to other people reading this thread, especially those who have a TAG, please take 2 mins to answer this. It's important.

Thanks you all for answering my survey. It's good to know how the average Greys behave. Shame I haven't had anyone here with a Timneh. But it's been good so far. haha I know parrots love to chew and explore new stuff and in the process they can end up being quite destructive. But my parakeets used to be pretty good. And I've seen people saying their Greys are not very destructive either. But I also see others saying their house is totally destroyed. lol So I'm trying to grab info about how bad it is in average. You said 2. 2 doesn't sound that bad.

Aristotle's cage is amazing. I'm thinking of buying one very similar. The one for the lorikeet seems quite big as well. They must love it!