kins2321@yahoo.com

The fact that your new baby let you pet his beak, speaks for itself! This alone, tells me this bird is more than capable of learning to trust! Introduce a special platter of fresh fruits and veggies. Two veggies and one fruit. Baby will most likely throw them at the walls. Normal behavior. Continue to change diet of fresh fruits and veggies, focus on veggies. I always had Sophie out, chewing a carrot, when I was eating one. Tons of new ways to introduce healthy food. Nancy

Ronin sounds like an awesome name!Once you get to know your bird.... their personality helps make the decision. Sophie came with her name.Sunny's name was icecream when we adopted him. Icecream was chosen by his foster mom. I was NOT going to call our bird " Icecream!" As Ryan was chosen by Sunny... an abused bird that hated everyone, he got to choose Sunny's name. Nancy

Yay! GREAT choice! I forgot to close birdroom the otherday. Woke up with Kiki our Amazon, sleeping on my shoulder. She must have been very quiet.I'm usually a light sleeper. Even Zoey my dog who sleeps with me, never barked. Nancy

Whether you decide to "trim", or let your bird fly freely, is your decision. We will welcome you no matter what you choose to do. Also, be careful that you describe a " trim", if thats what you choose to do. A " clipped bird", can't fly. Even a " slight clip". Always ask for a trim. I have a groomer that could trim my birds to exactly what I wanted them to do. Tough to find a groomer that is so excellent with your request. I'm lucky I had one in dealing with Kiki our Amazon. When Sophie went in to get trimmed... it was nails and beak, and trimming the " air!" Nancy

Sophie would destroy it! I haven't ever heard a grey who is into the hut. Nancy

A suggestion.... bribary with fun! Open the cage, play a game with the family in front of her. Ignore her.We noticed within a few days of Sophies arrival, she was on the door. We played the game trouble in front of her everyday, but didn't ask her to comeout. Within a week, she climbed down on her own, climbed up on me. I said " hello", continued to ignore her.She wanted to pop that bubble soooo bad! LOL! I finally told her it was her turn. She was on my wrist and popped the bubble! ( yeah right!) She LOVED it! She wanted to pop the bubble more, but it wasn't my turn anymore. In order to pop the bubble again, she had to " stepup" to the next person whose turn it was. THATS how Sophie learned to stepup to our family. A simple game of trouble. Nancy

Remember, training begins the moment she is home. If you hear " stepup"... get into trainer mode! The most important thing for a bird to learn. Nancy

Tuki is beautiful! I wish I knew Sophie as a baby! Nancy

Felix is doing just fine! Thats what they do. Whistles, gibberish, then have something to say! In my opinion, Felix is putting sentences together early. Nancy

It is soooo interesting, that they are soooo smart! Just a simple change in their normal enviroment, is a threat, and not familiar. You don't look like mama, and have possibly hurt my mama! What did you do with her? Do your hair differently like going out, and just hang with your bird. A bird date! LOL! I Know it sounds crazy.... but give it a try. Nancy

Cinnyminis... I had three cages for my birds. I have " open cage" belief, which is very hard to have, unless you have 24/7 supervision, which I had when they were younger. We went from three cages to two. Amazon and sunconure bonded and became a couple. While trying to " upgrade" Sophie's cage, our african grey, she didn't like new cage. She decided to move in with Kiki and Sunny, and was welcomed. It was crazy! Now they treat the " mansion cage", as a gym, as well as have two playstands in front of the two cages. I DID bring back Sophie's old cage, but she was no longer interested. Oh brother! I left them with two cages, two gyms, and Sophie's old cage. Left them to figure it out. They have decided to sleep together on or in one cage, use all the others to play. Nancy

As time goes on,Timber won't last more than ten minutes either!LOL! People talk about the " honeymoon" stage in the beginning, but a decade later, there really IS a honeymoon stage.... and it is PERMANENT! Sophie has always HATED her belly being petted when she hangs upside down. Lately, she keeps putting herself in a position off our gate for me to pet her belly. I took a chance, as she seemed to be inviting me to pet her belly. I did.... said " tickle tickle Sophie's fat belly". She just laughed and blew kisses. Now she wants me to pet her belly all the time. Go figure! Nancy

I believe in light clipping. BUT your baby is already use to being an awesome flier, which may have saved her life.I think she will perceive it as a punishment for something she doesn't know what she did! Sophie was already clipped when I adopted her at age two. Sure, training her was much easier, but I slowly grew her feathers out. It truly took her ten years to fly like she wanted too! Now, how many of us, especially parents of " open cage" deal.... main house and kitchen doors are meant for " emergency exit only!" I use garage only to answer all door bells, or leaving our home. We all do it! I'm not sure if our doors work anymore! Nancy

Thanks for the fun! Nancy

You have done a great job to protect your family! I personally would be freaking out! ( ask my son!) nancy

LOL! I kinda thought the same thing when I saw you had seven kids! Noise doesn't bother me either. Kiki keeps her serious screams to 15 minutes! Sophie repeats it more! I like their combo personality. Kiki and Sophie have worked it out. Kiki also took Sunny under her wing, and they snuggle together every night. I don't think two greys would have worked for us. Bonding together, or competition. Nancy

I like the name Winston or Rufus! Again.... your baby will help you decide. As far as weaning, I prefer a bird to come home around 16 weeks. BUT... if you know how to feed a baby beforehand... thats GREAT! Whats the difference? Kiki wouldn't fully wean until around nine months. She continued to need three spoonfuls of baby food, gradually weaned to a spoon. At nine months, down to one spoonful. She told me her needs, I met them! Now Kiki is the best eater. Don't ever let anyone or any site, make you feel defensive. Our birds don't come with a " letter with instructions!". Nancy

So excited the cone is coming off! The anti inflammatory your vet has put your bird on.... is AMAZING! Regarding pain and inflammation, Mobic, is a very strong and powerful drug. Nancy

Char... your vet made a wise choise, for the test he needed. It wasn't a test that took long, so I'm sure the anesthesia choice he made was taken into consideration. A quick test, will require a simple gas or IV sedation such as propafol. An extended test or surgery that is much longer, may require anesthesia with intubation. Intubation is NOT a bad thing! It is meant for extended surgery, or birds that have heart or breathing issues.( same as humans!) Just from experience with my dogs, vet also treated my birds, I wasn't happy with the post care. Any animal or human, needs to be monitored for the next 24 hours. If your vet doesn't provide this service, take your animal home so you can monitor them. Nancy

Kiki is an oranged wing Amazon! NOT the best talkers.... but Kiki makes up for it in personality, and being brave. Everyone waits for Kiki's opinion. BEST flier, BEST eater of healthy foods. Kiki is also very empathetic. Taught Sophie how to fly...Now on the downside.... Kiki also is the BEST destroyer of our home. Wood consumption. Amazon's also love to scream at the top of their lungs! Kiki will scream 15 minutes straight between the hour of 3-4 pm. Don't bother trying to stop them. Kiki LOVES opera music, which I hate, but thats okay. " Phantom of the Opera", her favorite music. Amazons are great.... but you have to have a tolerance of noise. Nancy

Welcome home from us too! Sophie TRIES to stay mad at me. Lasts around 10 minutes. Her missing me and kids, always wins over her being mad at us that we didn't take her with us. Nancy

I can't imagine that at least 48 hours before birds come home.Ask the exterminator their opinion! Bird lungs are very fragile. Whenever I redue hardwood floors, I plastic off the room, open the windows, and birds are not allowed to go in the rooms until two weeks later. They get moved to opposite end of house.( usually MY room, where they are thrilled and think we are having a sleepover!)LOL Nancy

We're all strange! LOL! Baby book here, even though two weren't babies when they came to me. Certificates, first feathers. Everything else in their book are pictures. LOTS of them! Kids always complain I have more pictures of birds than them. NOT true! I have TONS of pictures of kids.... just need to finish putting them in a photo album. Nancy

Too cute Jan! LOL Nancy

Tough to say! Kiki my amazon is a great companion, as well as Sunny my rescue sun conure. All have different personalities! Sophie LOVES to tease Kiki but Kiki doesn't put up with Sophie's crap. They NEVER bite each other. At the end of the day, after all their sisterly squabbles, I LOVE when I find them sitting on the couch together, enjoying the sunset. Nancy