kins2321@yahoo.com

Don't stress! Do the aloe as Dan suggested. Feathers may or may not grow back. Time will tell. Bird will pick up on your stress level which is never a good thing. Provide healthy diet and continue as if everything is just fine. Nancy

Having a Grey, can be meant for anyone. You don't necessary need experience. Imagine my surprise, when we were chosen to adopt Sophie after interviewing twice out of four applicants. Others had experience, we had none. She was all over us, babbling, we couldn't talk to her dad and answer questions. The interview sucked in my opinion! We were chosen, had no time to learn a thing about a grey. Picked her up, she escaped her cage immediately while driving home. Climbed on my shoulder, wagging her tail, kids screaming! We were a nightmare family! She taught us quickly. 13 years later, she is still climbing on my shoulder, wagging her tail the moment I walk in the door. My stress level is immediately gone the moment Sophie is with me. I can't imagine life without her. Nancy

I don't want to sound like I disagree with the advice, but Sophie is NOT going to chew her feathers. I don't want her to be cold. A shower, is a shower. She HATES it, and it won't change. It is meant for her to get clean, get rid of dander that she doesn't get rid of. She preens herself well. As she avoids opening her wings, the blowdry is always just her belly. She actually likes it. While in school today, a course I am taking for two days, I took out the card they gave us to study.... there were two " dander feathers" attached to the cards. AWWWWW! Thanks Sophie! I know you are rooting for me. Nancy

OMG! I am getting old! LOL! Thats ok. Your little girl is doing just fine, as I always knew she would. Nancy

I have learned to meet my neighbors, and have met a TON of kids ( teenagers), that Sophie absolutely LOVES! Young teenagers don't have the " natural fears", that adults have. While I don't hire teenagers to care for my birds, I DO hire them to come and play. I work with teenager a few weeks ahead, to get to know Sophie. I pay them to come and play with her. She is thrilled! Nancy

Grumpy... remove the pencil,replace with a half of carrot. Eventually, it becomes an automatic response. You wouldn't let your two year old chew on a pencil...so you wouldn't let a two year old grey chew on the pencil either! What you tend to do for a child, you do the same thing for a grey! My kids are adults now. Sophie grew up with them. I no longer need to lock up kitchen cabinets for kids.... but I still need to lock up cabinets to protect Sophie! It will never change. Her behavior is the age of " two forever!" I am just better about it, the third time around! Nancy

JeffNOK Now I am worried! I didn't know you were an English teacher! Now I feel you will be grading me. LOL! I can sign my name by script! I've noticed my two children in college, whom are computer savy can't sign legal documents by script! WHAT the heck? I stink at computer stuff, they suck with the basic! Nancy

Sorry all... I do get crazy about Gracie. I will be honest, and admit, she is one of my favorites! I see so much potential between Dad and bird. Nancy

JeffNOK...Gracie is what... two? Has the intelligence... check.... great vocabulary..... check Has a loving parent... check. Now... I got my grey at the age of two. HAD a wonderful owner, who just didn't have the time to care for her. Came here at the age of two. IMMEDIATELY went into terrible twos. She is 13 now, doesn't bite, doesn't chew. Still learns on a daily basis. Doesn't bite anyone in the entire immediate family. Steps up to all of us. My point is, Gracie is young. You can't get " complacent" and think things won't change! She has the " cognitive ability" now to understand what your expectations are. WHAT is your next step? Nancy

I'm determined, that kids are going to teach me how to post pics when they get home for Christmas break! I know I showed pics along time ago of my gang. I asked a family friend. Nancy

It would be interesting, to see how many greys like to be on their back.Sophie absolutely HATES it... but tolerates it because she loves me. I can feel her tension immediately! Nancy

Time, patience and trust! In bird years, not ours. Nancy

Sophie has chewed all by books! LOL! I save my books for my sister, we trade off. She complains that Sophie has chewed all my covers. I am studying for a test, have a " loaner book", told Sophie " you can't chew it, its not my book!" She is being very respectful. I LOVE my girl Nancy

Everyone does something different! In the winter I dilute with vinegar and water, in the summer, I dilute with chlorax and water and take outside and powerwash! I have hardwood floors thruout the house. Only one room with carpet. I no longer have blinds( as they can hang themselves), removed all the curtains. ( they tend to climb up them and poop!). Why bother! I have learned to LOVE the " natural sunshine look!" Spread 16 by 20 painters plastic under the bird cage, change it weekly, but sweep it daily.( Walmart). As far as hardwood floor, soak with very warm water on poop stains... clean in 30 minutes. Make sure you have a ton of urethane on the floors, as soaking in warm water, removes layers of protection over time. When refinishing hardwood floors, best scenario is to remove birds for several days, as the fumes are harmful. Nancy

I just found a great recipe for brussel sprouts! Planning on making it when kids come home for Christmas. I'm sure Sophie will be testing it. Let me know if not healthy for our grey. Nancy

Give him the fork! LOL! I know I am a bad parrent, allow Sophie to come to the table for dinner, She pretty much eats what we eat, has her own plate. NO sauce, italian, she pretty much can taste what we taste. Root veggies, her favorite is chicken. Kids in college right now, so when they come home, they want a three course meal. I am not the greatest cook, but they think I am awesome! I just use common sense. Acidic foods... not good for a bird. Veggies are best. Proteins are great. Sunny, my sunconure, is old, always needs to be fattened up. I am okay with giving him some carbs. Mac and cheese, he LOVES! Yogurt in the morning, is shared. I don't go crazy about their diet. They have an excellent blend of minimal seeds, Harrisons diet, additional veggies, some fruits, and devinitely some table time. Nancy

Moral of the story... eat lettuce all you want, but get the nutritional values from veggies in first. My guys like lettuce, but offered as a snack. Nancy

So glad it worked out! Nancy

When you have had a grey for 13 years, you get use to the " guilt trips!" LOL When I struggle, my oldest Ryan, will step in, tell Sophie to " knock it off"... she listens. It amazes me, that Ryan sees her two times a year, even though they skype weekly, Sophie listens to him, It is going to be challenging when Ryan comes homes during Christmas. Nancy

goldilocks.. Avah is adorable! Unfortunately, many parrents think they have time, since they live a long time, to " bond", expect the bird will eventually love, or tolerate them. It is NOT true! A new bird adopted into the family, will pick one owner, or favorite. It is important, for the entire family, to " work off that bond!" The goal should always be, for the rest of family to be introduced to the bird, be involved with flight training, feeding and training.This always needs to be done within the first six months. I believe with all my heart, if the bond is NOT practiced ( birds learn to trust), it won't happen. We have MBS( multibird syndrome). May birds... but we practice this belief, all are well. Nancy

It is sooo much more important that birds are messy. They are doing what they do best. Katana600 So happy your bird is being messy more. So much better! I will take " messy" any day.I finally invested in a " Shop Vac". It can handle what they throw. I ruined sooo many vacumn cleaners that couldn't handle their debris. I'm always an inch ahead of them. BRING IT ON! LOL Nancy

Inara.. LOL! LOL! NO way are you getting away with that adorable phrase with out serious attention!. A " smartypants parent," makes a smartypants bird!" Kudos to you. Nancy

Greys are made of latex alright! LOL!! They are better than an umbrella. Sophie age 13 hates the shower, when it is done, it is a necessity! I of course am killing her... i'm use to that response. Watching her friends shower, whom LOVE the shower, she will watch, be happy they are having fun. When it's her turn, I get a " NO THANK YOU!" Her answer is unacceptable, I apologize beforehand. She understands. BUT Miss latex still avoids the water, while yelling at me " ROM ROM.... NOOOOOOO! When I tell her " I don't want you to be a stinky bird", she gets offended and tells me " Sophie is not stinky!" I was in class today... pulling out forms I needed for class. There was two down feathers attached to my forms. Sophies. Jeez! Nancy

Dave.... excellent post! What I find amazing... is birds that pluck, tend to be very happy, and have parrents that put the extra time in with their birds! Excellent parents! When I was put in a situation, where our sunconure in foster care hated everyone, was out of forever homes, we were his only hope, I took it to heart. Kids knew I would NEVER allow us to have a closed cage. Just me. We would have to dedicate a room for the bird. A cage, and a gym. When we were all on the same page... Sunny our sunconure, was adopted. Next came Kiki our Amazon. Another cage and gym. Then came Sophie, another cage and gym. WHOAH! What was I thinking? They adapted quickly to each other, and eventually the Amazon fell in love with the sunconure, Sophie the grey, ruled the roost. They eventually moved in together. ALL of them into one cage! Their exposure to each other was limited and monitored. 24/7. Kiki flew away several months ago. Sunny was heartbroken. When I got home today... Sophie was quiet, unusual, I went in to pick her up... found her snuggling with Sunny! I am so happy she took Sunny under her wing. Sophie has a heart of gold. Nancy

Delilah sounds like a jewel! Now be careful.... she sounds intent to " favor" David. It is important to establish relationships with the entire family. Greys will choose one family member, if they are allowed to do so. If you confuse them, with the entire family, being strict and on the same page.... a Grey will learn to love all. Sophie LOVES Ryan for his guitar playing, teaching her to rap. She LOVES Sean, for his " crocs", running and playing tag with his feet.She loves me as her mom, I keep her safe. Put us all together, she will be soooo excited, and jump back and forth. Nancy