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Leave Alex's perch alone. Let him chew and have fun! Focus on " stepup, stepdown"... you know I am crazy about this level of education! Make sure once he does it... have something amazing to show him! ( a fantastic treat, or a toy that is destructable!) Nancy

Being in captivity... is sooo different then being in the wild! I try to mimmick their normal habitat, as best I can! We follow " open cage" concept. Sophie has her own room, her cage is never closed. BUT... she can fly in her room, but can only fly up, to bedrooms if we are home. She can't go to the kitchen or family room unless me or Sean open the doors. The doors are open, once we are there. Greys are dominant. They want to rule. Sophie rules, and has always bossed my dogs, guinea pigs, other birds. She is quite fair. She doesn't boss me, because she understands I am the leader of the pack! She thinks everyone is part of her family, and is always concerned about everyone's safety. If I introduced another grey,her " status", would be challenged! It would stress her... and thats a stress she doesn't need.I love that Sophie LOVES herself,and always consider new members in our family. Sophie will never be challenged! Nancy

Asharion... I am lucky that I can get to a vet hospital within 20 minutes, or my own vet whom is known as one of the best avian experts in NYS. He has kept his client list that originally started with him. Sophie is on that list. Otherwise... his practice has grown so much as much as his becoming famous. I CAN make an appointment with him... but Sophie goes to the vet once a year for a healthy visit and thats it. Her Trimmer takes care of her. She tends to care for her beak and nails and see's her trimmer once a year. If he has a concern, then Sophie would go to the vet. I am a BIG believer in " preventive care". Always wash your hands before picking up your bird, and after. If you are EVER concerned regarding your bird... get to a vet early! They don't do well when an illness has taken hold! My vet knows I HATE to come in for a vet visit. I'm more concerned they will get sick in the waiting room. I wait outside in my car, tell them to call me when they are ready for me to come in. ( I won't wait in a waiting room!) It may sound like I am being crazy...but my guys have been healthy with this practice. That being said... I would get a grey no matter how far the best Avian expert was! Nancy

Dave... what the heck are you feeding your birds? LOL! You guys are on opposing football team... I will let u know your positions. Smokey is definitely a linebacker,Greytness's baby.. a linebacker.... Still need two coaches! The bossiest birds need to apply for the jobs LOL Nancy

Sophie sucks with the letter M. So I am called " ROM". She is good at saying ROM this, ROM that, all day long!!!!! If I choose to change my clothes when I get home at work first.... I get a very certain squack... ROM!!!!! I tell her I will be back after I change, and she is patient. Sophie has never told me " I LOVE YOU". That would be awesome, as I tell her this several times a day. When I tell her " I love you", she offers her beak for a kiss. I always interpret it as " show me". Maybe I should think of it as " I love you too!" Nancy

aerial.2000 GET on it! LOL Nancy

I'm sure this is not the only sleepover I will have this summer! I will record the next one.It reminded me of the wrestling sleepovers we use to have here. ( half of them were from the wrestling days, so they are use to her.) I just watched her like a hawk since we had some new kids that probably would freak out! Nancy

I am lucky, that if Sophie is ill... she will be seen within 20 minutes of any illness. Whether it be her private doctor,or animal hospital. Nancy

Be patient! GREY time! Always work on education, trust, and above all... bird time. You can't rush a grey! Give them a few years of what I said... THEN tell me YOU can't keep up! ( your bird will go crazy with education). Be consistent. Provide social time, education and support. It takes a few years for your bird to take off! ( I love the age of four). Nancy

Sean's best friends woke up first.... they told her to go back to bed and went back to sleep. They have known her for years, and she doesn't scare them! LOL! She continued to give them all beak rubs of affection! She had a fantastic morning...For those " newbies"... they were a little concerned! LOL I watched her... newbies followed my direction and did just fine! ( the cost of a sleepover at our house!) Nancy

Having had three birds of different species, sunconure, Amazon and grey, that all lived in harmony together, I can say the Grey was my favorite. Sophie my grey, would FREAK out over the most silliest things! We all just had to think like her and would know what is upsetting her! While most greys pick one owner, we never encouraged that, so she loves all of us. Sean home from college, and Sophie wants to be with him all the time.He DOES spend a ton of time with her, but closes his door at bedtime. Sophie has chosen to sleep on the tub( next to his room) recently. Bathroom is child proofed, so once she figures out his room is not going to open, she puts herself back to bed. Open cage concept is alot of work! ( doesn't mean she can fly everywhere and anywhere! ) Nancy

Keep him happy and SLOWLY get him use to fresh veggies and proteins like we do. The key to Sophie's heart, was grilling. She LOVES grilled veggies, and eats dinner with us. Not sure, if that works for u, but dinner time has always been a bonding time for all of us. She knows if she doesn't stay at her place setting, she has to go to her birdroom. ( I have the BEST bird at dinner!) I'm not a fan of seeds and use them rarely, but have never had a bird that destroyed their feathers! I think my priority would be... not to chew their feathers, and then work on diet. Provide supplements as needed. Nancy

chezron... Brutus is named appropriately! LOL! I would think he should be on the defensive team. A linebacker for sure. LOL I would move " non-cooperative Sophie" regarding the weight scale, to assistant coach, as she LOVES bossing everyone around. Especially her loving to say " come on! " We still need a coach. The bossiest bird ever! Any takers? Who has the bossiest bird! Nancy

I will miss Peck... He was a GREAT bird! Nancy

Gracie is on our team too. ( I don't know enough about football to create her spot!) LOL! If she is only 390... I am wrong about Sophie's walk across the scale. She is not petite and looks bigger. Nancy

I LOVE watching Sophie having her moments! She calms down quickly....but everyone STOPS and listens to her. While she is the QUEEN, if she freaked out like this, she always had a point! The animal kingdom was needing a reminder, who ruled! ( she got her point across). If all were out of control, she let everyone know. ( including dogs). Nancy

Excellent advice from Dave. I'm lucky that Sophie just gives us a little more " down", during molting. Even from the age of two-fifteen... the only sexual excitement was with my son's feet if he fell asleep in family room. Sophie has a foot fetish with my two boys. Oldest Ryan, is definitely sexual, youngest son's feet is to get him to play hide n seek! It hasn't changed in a decade. Nancy

So Sean had a wild party here the other night. I was happy to see, everyone stayed over, which is my number one rule. Sophie was " thrilled" to meet new people! While everyone was " passed out"... she jumped from one to the other, on their butts, offering love and affection. ( thankfully they were fully clothed!) I watched her for two hours having the thrill of her life! LOL She had no fear, and I know she was waiting for someone to wakeup and play! It didn't happen, but she had fun! Nancy

While having Sophie, my grey since two, an Amazon from birth, a conure rescue, I never feared Sophie;s bite! Greys can clamp down... but a Sunconure can " tear"... I'll take Sophie clamping down a little harder, doing no damage, telling her " that kinda hurt!" She would feel bad in a heartbeat! That was when she was two! Fifteen now. No bites and is my best friend. Nancy

luvparrots said it well! Let them forgive and forget.They DO for give quickly! Just commit, and never be afraid! Be committed and provide routine. Nancy

Greytness... also to let u know, I investigate everything to death, and count on my trimmer and vet to help me with decisions. One inch seems to be the decision. I purchased both suggestions! Not that I have a ton of money... but I started with three birds of different origins, open cage concept, and needed three cages. Those three cages, led down to two. Fancy cage was for sleeping, second cage was for hanging out and eating. All of my birds played and ate in one cage ( they had two jungle gyms as well). Sophie would sleep in fancy cage. Nancy

One inch spacing on both cages... The food and fun cage is " horizontal ", the sleep cage is " vertical". I wouldn't go more than one inch. I remember all my birds when younger struggling with the bars, and occasionally getting stuck. The bigger spacing would be very dangerous! Hope this helps! Nancy

So if we had a football team... Sophie, Gracie Mae and Maalik are on defense, timber is a quarterback,.tankaray's baby is a running back,... come on guys... we need to develop our team!( plus find an opposing team!) Come on guys... lets have fun! Nancy

Sophie has her moments! LOL! Nancy

LOVED it! Okay... I'm not so normal! BUT... I love that my extended family that loves me so much, tries to adapt Nancy