kins2321@yahoo.com

Jeez.... I guess I should be glad I don't have one! LOL! Nancy

I know you are upset.... but in the long run, it is AMAZING that you have a breeder that is so honest with you. I hope they are local, as mine is, because he has been there to help me with many decisions on my birds behalf. More helpful than even my avian specialist. Having a beeder that you can trust.... can help you for many years! Establishing the patience you are going to need for ever, from now on, is your first lesson! Welcome to parenting 101 of an African Grey! Nancy

Of COURSE he is special... but I do remember Sophie and Kiki dunking everything when they were younger. Not anymore. Think of it as Oreo's and milk! Gotta change the milkA water bottle is a GREAT idea! I just deliver to the one cage their seed mix, four waters, a platter full of fresh veggies and some fruit. I feel like I give them breakfast in bed everyday. Oh.... don't forget the toast! The other cage they will use to play in. They like to eat together for some reason, so if I put bowls of food and water on their deluxe cage.... they ignore it. Whatever! They make some weird decisions. Nancy

Show him once.... thats all it will take! LOL! I hope he sprays you with cold water, as you're gonna need it. Nancy

Sounds like the perfect family! Nancy

hANDS DOWN...mother-in-law. She already knows her, now it is time to develop the trust.Pearl will do just fine!I've done it all. Groomer took care of Sophie, left instructions she needed to be on the gym for general socializing. ( brought my toaster as well!) she wants toast every morning! Next thing I know when I got back... offers left for me to buy her. I didn't like that at all! Next... left her with Ryan's friend, as Sophie loved him. All went well, but she learned how to swear! Next, left her with a neighbor, that had an autistic child that she loved and trusted. Highly functional, and Sophie loved him! Parents were willing to supervise. The dad fell in love with Sophie. Whatever choice I make to take care of Sophie, she is always safe.She has got to stop making everyone fall in love with her! I get left with " broken hearts", along the way. Nancy

I'm refraining myself from chewing the keys! If I do.... she will know!What the heck? Where are the new babies? I know they can't talk yet, they can just use their thoughts! Sophie PS Kiki wants to talk too... I keep telling her to be quiet! sOPHIE

Talon... birds are extremely protective of their cage! You are lucky! I haven't put my finger in for a " stepup"... for many years. I would get bit. I learned quickly. Sunny our sunconuire will step up if on the door. If he is inside his cage, I have to wear my " white bathrobe". He will bite... but I don't feel it, so why bother. He will stepup. A decade later... Sophie and Kiki will stepup anytime, anyplace, because they trust me entirely. I have to follow Sunny's rules all the time. No robe.... no stepup. Nancy

It is important to protect ourselves, given the age of " radiation exposure." I have to wear full lead safety protection, that includes a thyroid shield. When I work in interventional, I wear a collar shield, that detects excessive radiation! I know where to move too to avoid this. Poor cellphone reception, as I have to explain our walls are lead lined. Safety precaution.I DO worry about thinning ozone layer, as well as global changes in enviroment from hurricanes, tornadoes, warming temperatures. It DOES scare me, that half our goverment says " global warming doesn't exist". So this week... Puffin birds are dwindling down. People newly diagnosed with asthma and allergies, are record settings!( they suspect due to carbon dioxide being trapped, which plants love and thrive!) PLEASE shut me up! Nancy

Do you have a gym in front of cage? It is important. Birds generally don't stepup well from their cage, so if you can get them interested in a play gym in front of cage, that may be helpful. I NEVER recommend anyone to put their fingers inside the cage, unless invited. Hense... work off the door, but if you have no success, work off a play gym. I also believe in being taller than my birds. Just works for me. When I am shorter.... I would get a nip. If I was taller... not so much. Its been debated! Its called " the honeymoon is over!" Try starting with opening cage door, getting in a habit of reading a book in front of cage. Sophie my grey, was very fond of all books by Dr. Seuss. Anything that rymes. She also would come out when the family would play board games in front of her cage. She couldn't resist! We adopted her at age two, played board games in front of her cage the first week. Beyond sitting on the door, she climbed down and jumped on my shoulder. Kids and I ignored her. She had to " stepup" to the next person to take a turn. Now more than a decade later.... she is playing monopaly, pictionary...etc. If she feels she is on the losing team, she switches! LOL Nancy

Kevin welcome! It sounds terrible how the arab world treats our babies. You, adopting yours, I consider a rescue. Stop lurking, always give your opinion, and best of luck! A wild caught grey must be hard to work with, but thru love, I believe it can happen.I'm not saying its the same thing, but when we rescued our sunconure from a rescue home, he would fly out and attack people's necks! I think he was going for the jugular!He had NO experience with humans as we could see. Just fed. After getting pneumonia the first week he was here, I moved his cage next to me and lived in living room for ten days. I was very ill, but with kids help, fed him. Within a week, he was coming out of cage to see me. When I finally got better, moved back into my bedroom, he would fly up to my bed to check on me.He eventually fell in love with our Amazon, and they have been a pair ever since. Nancy

YUCK! MOVING! I hate just the thought! I'm sure Jake will teach Dayo how easy it is. Amazing how conures settle in so easy, and yes, our big scary African Greys, can be such frightened babies. Keep cool and hydrated. I'd help you, but thankfully you live too far away! Nancy

LOL! I think Brat Birds was correct about the vegetable shortening! Maybe Biscotti was a cook in his previous life! I think you should continue to post videos, we try to pickup as many words as possible, and we post back. See who can find the most words!!!! It would be fun Nancy

We love Judy. All about her, and give her the bars she deserves! Nancy

Okay you new babies... time for you to talk to us, even though you can't talk! I want to here how you are all settling down, and how you like your new parents!My mom, I call Rom. I can't say my m'mss, She is great, but sometimes she doesn't understand me. Like when I chew off all the keys of her computer, she doesn't understand I am making it better for her! Jeez! Let me know how you are doing.... but don't let your parrents know we are talking! Sophie

It makes sense that he is trying to say " black eyed peas"! LOL Needs some music! Nancy

How adorable! TALKING... and will make complete sense eventually. I heard... carrot, corn, bootie. Then Farmishough. Okay big bird, Gotcha your back, Helloo? Bambootie, carrot, corn, and pea. Peekaboo times two. Just me.... I spend alot of time interpreting as I am half deaf. Nancy

The only thing the vacumn does, is get Kiki to show us her feathers! She LOVES it, but pretends to hate the vacumn. I know what she loves and hates. Sophie lands on the vacumn and " helps" me. Kiki will get in the shower anytime you ask her. She expects a blowdry after.I LOVE watching her during a blowdry. Lift of wings... " dry me here I said!" Sunny our sunconure also loves a shower and blowdry. He will say " hello over and over". He can't talk... as he was abused and ignored during most of his lifetime, but I know what he is saying. His hello, is not a normal hello. Nancy

I'm feeling much better with Kiki. Thanks all!The otherday I opened up the birdroom the moment I walked in, both Kiki and Sophie flew in as usual. Then.... they had a " battle" of who was the best flier. As Kiki taught Sophie how to fly this past year, I thought their was no competition. Kiki has always been the best flier. Hands down. Our kitchen is the center of the house. Family room and livingroom on opposite sides. So you can do a full circle flying thru our bottom level.At first, Kiki would fly off, Sophie would follow. Then Sophie would take off, Kiki would follow. Eventually, they reved it up flying nonstop around and around with me ducking and not interfering. Whoah! They were crazy, and I knew not to get involved! I called to Sean.... he told me not to interfere! It was a matter of the " student", challenging the master! WHAT?( Sean very involved with Chinese culture and martial arts.) In the end... they both landed on the couch and watched the sunset together. They were both happy. ( I personally thought about " whose penis is bigger"? As they don't have a penis.... not sure how it worked out! Nancy

I agree with carolz7.I don't know alot about toys to chew, but I'm pretty good with eliminating toys that I don't think are safe.About to buy new toys at end of June, July. Wingy has offered me some suggestions. Does anyone else have any ideas? Sunny loves anything with a mirror or bell. Kiki seeks destructions. Sophie LOVES to shred. Nancy

I'm soooo boring! No imagination, so I let everyone else pick out their toys. I DID find an awesome toy the otherday at the birdstore that you have to hang from the ceiling. It is huge! Of course, doubted myself, thinking about it. Nancy

carolz7 I'll take one of the ones on right and bottom. How much?I'm serious. Kiki would LOVE the right one, Sunny would love the bottom one. Sophie thinks of us as her toy, as well as my checkbook and anything she can shred. She does get alot of pinatas! LOL I know this sounds crazy.... but I never pick out toys. I get birdstore personel to pick them out. I stink at picking out toys, so I just don't do it. Nancy

JeffNOK... I'll send her your way!Just to let you know though, she is better at creating dust than giving a helping wing. Nancy

All have great advice. In my experience, babies don't pluck. BUT.... they do suffer from dry skin, mites, etc. An avian vet visit is more than welcome. Nancy

Sophie has been saying new things past several weeks, that she has never said before. Working on opening my pool. Ryans friend, Dan, has been helping.When he walked into kitchen the other day, Sophie, as usual, was hanging in the kitchen with me. Before he could give me the " damage report", Sophie said " Can I help?" LOL! Its something I have always said to my kids when they got frustrated with something. I KNOW, she knew what she was saying! Nancy