kins2321@yahoo.com

Beak looks good to me also. A " replica" of Sophie's! Cuttlebone, sand perches, are Sophie's favorites. Nancy

Sabina... Rio sounds happy and content. Some talk alot, some don't. One suggestion I would offer, is have a play gym in the kitchen and have bird on it when you get home. Most of our family activity resolves around the kitchen, and Sophie always wants to be a part of the activity. Six, is still a youngster, and I am sure Rio has alot more to learn and say. Nancy

Sophie will poop anytime and anywhere that she feels like it!. As she gets older though, I do notice she poops less on me.I think its because I now know her " potty dance", and will get her back to cage so she can poop on her plastic. Nancy

I wish Sophie wouild tolerate any mist or a shower. All are a failure for more than a decade. We now just treat the shower as " we have GOT to do it!" I hear " NO ROM! NOOOOOO! She forgives me quickly, and enjoys a blow dry during the winter. It sucks to be the mean parent. Nancy

katana600 I look so forward to the day Gilbert and you can enjoy those head scratches and moments of tenderness. I KNOW they will come! You have humbled me, and have reminded me not to take Sophie's affection, for granted. Nancy

Acappella.. Follow your instinct. You know, and understand your bird. You know what Dorian needs! It may take several years, but it is worth the time and effort. For Sophie, adopted at age two, with no issues, and starting terrible twos when i got her, it was another two years to find my forever friend. She was worth the investment of time and love. Now at age 14, I am LOVED to death by her. When I get home and she asks me, " how was your day", it is priceless! Nancy

Quirky... excellent advice! Contact calls back and forth, are a very important form of communication. I feel they are the " building blocks", to communication, developing trust. Of course, their maybe a time, when the " pupil", far exceeds the " master". Sophie is 14 now, and it is her favorite game. She says something, I repeat, add something else. We go back and forth... she eventually starts rapping which I can't do, and I go pick her up telling her she won. She is pleased! As far as talking, greys are similiar to children. Babbling, some words, terrible two's. Serious talking begins after the age of two, in my opinion. Ability to make decisions and understand expectations, is after the age of two. Sophie was a joy after four. Aren't most kids? Nancy

All have such great advice. Some parents get punished, some don't. Of course, we all give alot of thought into whom to care for our birds. Their safety is always top of the list. I have tried several scenarios for Sophie when she was younger. She loved all of them, but ultimately I have two people that I hire to care for her. Now when I come home... no punishment, but the kitchen sure is a mess! As soon as I open birdroom and tell her I am home, she comes running in screaming ROM ROM! Stepup immediately and lots of kisses. Then she starts talking like crazy! LOL! She is happy and had a good week Nancy

luvparrots... AWESOME! That made me really giggle! Nancy

Talon... I am sooo sorry! If you lived near me, I would help you! I also know, your birds will adjust quite well. They know their mama loves them! Nancy

THAT is a vet visit! I still believe baby is too young to be chewing feathers as a habit. Baby has an itch and dryness that needs to be addressed. Its NOT a habit! Don't freak out, as baby will pickup on your stress! Our greys pickup on our stress! If you are calm and there every step of they way, that is what calms them. I've seen Sophie " toweled", which I didn't like, but was there 100%. She has NEVER left my site and she new that. Now 14 years later, if I go to the vet, and they want her to hang " upside down", she would do it, because she knows I won't let any harm come to her. Nancy

I also would like to know how old RIO is!!! You have to watchout for those quiet ones, They are learning and absorbing! Contact calls, whistling to each other with a room separating is always a great start. I believe this is a great way to start a conversation. Nancy

Sophie was lucky our Amazon took pity on her inability to fly. Kiki taught her! Kiki could fly perfectly! Oneday Kiki flew out just a short distance and landed. Unusual for her. She was always " full throttle!". Sophie followed her. Kiki stopped several times waiting for Sophie. Once Sophie landed, Kiki took off again! I knew Kiki was trying to teach her! I watched in amazement and kept out of it. Within a week... I heard Kiki coming to see me, but it wasn't Kiki. It was Sophie. She had changed her flying habit completely! Her wing fluttering was just like Kiki. As Kiki was our only baby ever, and she LOVED Sean and myself, we always practiced with her as a baby to learn to fly. One to send off, one to receive. I always sent off as she was more bonded with Sean. We learned quickly that she had minimal conception of space. Meaning... she would crash into windows and sliding doors. We put art deco in the windows and sliding doors to help her to identify her spaces. It worked!She became an awesome flier! Nancy

My birds, were playtop aggresive! Meaning, they were fine unless I tried to get them to stepup if shorter! Everything was fine, until I thought I was crazy, tried to pickup my bird being shorter, and got BIT!!! I got comments about " about time you got bit"... wasnt happy. I went back to being taller. This was when they were younger. They stepup all the time. It doesn't matter now, if I am tall or short. They stepup no matter what. Nancy

Glad all is well! Dave always has good advice. Nancy

luvparrots had excellent advice! We all have different experiences, and only you can make the decision. I would suggest though, if you want birds of different species, to get them young. They adapt better when raised young together. Sunny our sunconure was our first bird, and we had no choice, but to adopt him. Out of forever homes, would attack people's jugular. Met my son at daycare when he was nine and fell in love with Ryan. Ryan is 22 now, and Sunny still loves him the best.Kiki was an Amazon baby, and Sophie came last. They all slowly learned to get along, but I know that doesn't work for everyone. I knew I made the right decision, when Sunny came walking out, said " hello" twice, as we had been working at it for several months. He launched into " bird" talk, "people talk", I caught on what he was saying. He was mad that Kiki and Sophie were climbing into his cage, and sinking his rope! He had a " serious" complaint! I told him... " tell the girls to go into their own cages, and give you peace!" He understood and walked away so proud! It brought a smile to my face, that Sunny was truly home Nancy

How adorable! It wouldn't scare Sophie unfortunately. She'd land on it and talk to her new found friend. NOTHING scares Sophie, which really is NOT a good thing. She will trust any animal or person to keep her safe. Give her an hour, she will stepup to you and treat you like her new best friend. I know everyone will think thats great, but it makes the " safety factor", triple in size. Nancy

We are so happy for you guys! It took Sophie a decade to learn how to fly as she was clipped until we adopted her. Now she flies like crazy! So happy Dorian can too! Next time Dorian says " come here"... you say " YOU come here!". LOL! Nancy

OH NO! Thats a no no! Charlie shouldn't be allowed to say " shit bag", and would land in time out for ten minutes! Dont ever encourage a potty mouth! Nancy

I don't think I can do a thing with the roof as we are buried under two feet of snow on average! Sean came home this weekend. Our pool was under soooo much pressure, the walls were buckling. We decided to clip the cord that protected the cover. Sean was concerned about the pressure, and worried we could get hurt , so I removed the clippers from him and did it myself. He was in " mid sentence". He was sooo mad at me. but it worked! He complained that I " make choices", that are NOT necessary safe! BUT... our pool would have been destroyed, if I didn't do what I did. Still won't know until Spring if we can save the pool. I have always made difficult choices with my birds as well. I always choose to " dive in" with 100% I NEVER doubt my choices with my decisions. Once I make a plan... I NEVER stray! Just happy to have my kids always on board, and birds do well with my decisions. Nancy

Aerial.. I suggest, YOU get this bird! Of course Marco is a handful... he is your first baby. Being an owner of multy birds ( we call it MBS), your grey CAN adjust! Sophie learned to love and trust our birds of different origin. Since Kiki our Amazon flew away over the summer, we still feel her loss. Sophie has also had to take on the responsibility of caring for Sunny our senior Sunconure. She has done so, even though I know he bores her! She is kind to him, snuggles when he really needs it, as Kiki our Amazon always snuggled him.YOU, as the parrent, establishes the family dynamics (within reason).When you have a trusting relationship with a grey, they accept whomever you feel is important. Nancy

I will ask Sean how to download. I took my livingroom, removed curtains, etc, made it their room! I spent a ton of money on curtains and blinds. Found my birds pooping on curtains, choking potential on my blinds. Gave it all up... wasnt worth it! They now have a room they can call their own Nancy

Sophie has several jungle gyms and two cages. Her main landing perch is me or kids. Other than that, I expect her to land on what is hers! After having her for 14 years, I don't tolerate anymore chewing furniture and windowsills! She understands now. I still have to clean family room rug every three months. I am okay with that! Nancy

I dated alot, had two marriage proposals, after getting divorced. My birds or dogs were never an issue! It was never ever a question about them. Sophie " tolerated" them. She would never bite them! BUT... I learned " I tolerated them as well!" LOL! I think Sophie knows me better than I know me! Nancy

I hope she is calling girlfriends, rather than boyfriends!! LOL! If its a boy she is calling, and she is only fourteen, doesn't that make her too young to date? As far as her imaginary bill... LOL!!!!!! Its one bill I am willing to pay! LOL Nancy