Jimmydreams

1000 thanks for this info!! I just spoke to Eva....She doesn't have any CAG's right now, but has a few pairs sitting on eggs. the location is PERFECT for me to help hand-feed the baby as it grows, which is exactly what I wanted!! YAY! Now begins the long wait for hatching, etc. Fun fun fun!!

PM replied!!! Thanks!!!

Therein lies the beauty of the internet; I would have never guessed that the site was based in Israel! Very cool! A Grey in and other country is still a Grey!! LOL

Gotcha. Thanks. I plan on getting a good air filter to help clear any lingering smoke issues. Better safe than sorry!

Ok, so not a good thing, but not something that will kill my (future) CAG like teflon pans, etc.?

We tend to have a lot of wood fires in our fireplace, and sometimes the wind will blow some of the smoke back down into our house. Aside from respiratory irritation, is wood smoke high on the list of hazards? Fairly often, I can smell the smokey smell when I have a fire in the fireplace. How much should I be worried when I get my CAG?

ALL of those toys and they play with a pencil!! Classic!!! Wonderful pics.

That'd be great! Let me know if she recommends anyone. Thanks!!

It isn't just you....I thought the same thing. Now, TELLING everyone I thought that...well, now you're not alone there, either!!

THANKS for that link! I try and keep as 'natural' as i can myself, and that will extend to my CAG when he/she arrives. I just took a quick look at mysafebirds.com and love the philosophy there as well as everything they offer. Looks like I'll be making a lot of my own toys with their extensive selections of 'toy parts'. They even have some recipes!! My partner is a certified chef, so I'm sure somewhere along the way we'll be able to add one or two of our own recipes for everyone to try.

Hi everyone.... I'm looking to get a baby CAG, and since this will be my first, I want to be sure I go with a good dealer....not one that is interested in turning over their inventory. Do anyone have experience and can recommend a specific dealer in the San Diego/LA/SoCal area? I'm in San Diego, but I'll drive a couple hundred miles to get quality over quantity. :cool: Any suggestions would be helpful!

Ain't THAT the truth! I think it's more of a "Soooo, now we're competing for attention, eh? Let the games begin!" kind of thing. I'm sure my GSD will come around. He just needs to adjust to all the changes in the house. I've seen that EXACT occurrence between my GSD and the poodles. they love to torment him and he knows he could kill them so he tempers his response. One day, he had enough and he turned around to 'hip-check' the poodle and then stomped on him with his rear leg in the same fashion yours did....hard enough to pin, but not hurt. Then he just looked at me like "Hey, this actually WORKS!" as the poodle went berserk in the newly acquired knowledge that maybe he wasn't as big n bad as the though he was!! (while still pinned beneath the GSD paw) I'm glad we're not the only ones!! Careful what you ask for on the finches!! We've had our finches home less than 24 hours and there's already an egg in one of the nests!!! I my have to buy stock in birdcage manufacturers!!!!

Background: I'm educating myself and looking (slowly) for a CAG. In the meantime, my partner wanted a songbird and a cockatiel. We bought a yellow cockatiel from the pet store (named Max) and found a cage with 8 (!) Zebra Finches (plus all the toys, food, etc.) on Craigslist for $75. We couldn't pass that up.... So... In one day we went from having 2 toy poodles and a German Shepherd to adding a new cockatiel and the 8 finches. Prior to this, the we had a big cage for my CAG, but it was out in the garage, so now there are 2 big cages plus new birdies in the house. The poodles seem fascinated by the finches, but one of the poodles seems to want to eat the cockatiel. The German Shepherd, however, all 105lbs of him are PETRIFIED of the finches and really only steals the occasional glance at the cockatiel! I've never seen a big dog so scared of little birds in my life!! The big guy is currently hiding in the bathroom, only peeking around the doorway as if to say "What the heck did you DO?" I'll post some pics soon, but thought it was funny how much reaction some squeaky little finches can generate in a large, otherwise confident dog.

What a great video!! I love the look on Sunny as she says "oh yeah?" When you closed the top door. I'm surprised the Beagle doesn't weigh 100lbs!!

Thanks everyone. I'm still reading and learning....I'm not going to jump the gun and grab the first bird I see because that's not fair to the bird nor myself!! As for the biting thing, I had this thought last night as my German Shepherd nipped me on the chin because he was trying to assert his dominance: occasionally he'll nip me, and yes, sometimes it hurts a bit, but usually I see it coming and/or did something to warrant it. But I'm not afraid of my dog at all....others, on the other hand, see the big guy and are immediately fearful because they simply don't "know" my dog, his mannerisms, etc. I'm the same way with CAGs. Once I get my bird and begin to learn his/her body language, mannerisms, etc., I'm sure I'll get nipped but like my dog, it'll be annoying and almost expected: I see my dog nip to get his point across, others see a blood-thirsty monster ready to rip them limb-from-limb. Same animal, two different viewpoints!! Thanks again, everyone!!

Hi everyone... I'm searching for the right CAG, and in the meantime, I have a cage very similar to this: Is it a good idea to put a ladder or rope so that the bird can get from the cage to the floor (assuming the door is open) and from the cage to the 'play perch' when the top section is open? I don't know if the bird would climb up to the 'play perch' on his own or if it's better to leave them 'stranded' on the top after being placed there by hand. Or will he simply climb all over the inside and outside regardless?? And if a climbing device is good, which is better; ladders or ropes? I'm just thinking ahead for how his playtime will be when he's not interacting physically with me.... Advice and suggestions welcome! Thanks!! Jim

Thanks for the replies, everyone! About the biting: the reason I was fearful is because A) I was uneducated and B) my only experience was with a B&G Macaw that had me spooked a bit because of A). I've learned so much in the past few days that I'm confident (and very excited) to get my CAG when the time is right! The learning curve will be fun for both of us...it'll be a few more weeks before I'm ready to start actually hunting for a bird. I have more learnin' to do as well as pick the right cage, prepare the house (by ditching the Teflon pans) etc. etc. Lot's to do!! Sadly, the avian hospital called me back and doesn't have any rescued greys...a rescue would have been more work, but saving a bird instead of going with a breeder is worth it. Perhaps one will show up in the next few weeks....who knows? But I agree with the sentiment that "the bird will pick you". Strange how that kind of thing happens, eh?

Hey everyone...my name is Jim (HI, Jim!)...my partner and I are thinking about getting a bird and since I've always wanted an African Grey, I am here doing my homework!! We live in Oceanside, Ca., just north of San Diego. We have 3 dogs (a German Shepherd Dog (GSD) and 2 toy poddles). Between the two of us, we can smother our pets with love and attention, so I'm not too concerned that adding a bird to the equation would present much of a problem. I will have to keep a close watch on the GSD, however, as he's very inquisive. I'm fairly certain the first word our bird will learn will be NO! from hearing me say that to the GSD. :rolleyes: We have about 6 hummingbird feeders that we keep stocked, and go through an enormous amount of sugar keeping them fed. At peak times, we'll have upwards of 15-20 hummers buzzing about. If I get my way on primary cage placement for our parrot, the Grey will have a nice view of a couple of these feeders so while we're away, it'll have some birdy friends to watch. My biggest concern with getting a Grey is getting bitten....I've never BEEN bitten by a parrot, but I know those beaks are strong, so I have visions of losing a finger!!! (someone please lie to me and say that the bites don't hurt!) We also have a very good avian vet/hospital only a few miles away. They do rescues, so I'm waiting for a callback from the director there to give me some advice on getting either a rescue bird or recommendations for a good breeder. I'd take a rescue in a second, but because they may have behavior issues, etc., that might not be the best move for a noobie bird owner. We shall see. Anyhoo...I look forward to visiting the forums often as I learn about these wonderful birds....this seems to be a good, vibrant, active place to get my info. :cool: Adios from sunny SoCal! JimmyD