murfchck

I will have to agree with Wingy, but will say that only you know what you can handle. We have 4 and believe me when i say it takes us both to get everything done that is required by them. When we were offered our second bird, that was an easy decision. The third was about one month of really thinking about how we would divide our time with them all to be able to handle them like they deserve. The fourth, i was shocked over because this time it was my husband who fell in love and said, at this point, whats one more. Lol. Dealing with all the personalties is tuff, one grey likes things one way, the other likes things another way, heaven help if we get it backwards. It may also just be that 2 of ours are macaws that since we homed them have been sickly and vet visits have been constant, but it is really felt by us that there are just not enough hours in our days anymore. Please don't get me wrong, i am not saying don't do it, i wouldn't change a thing in our home if i were given the chance. I love all my kiddos. Just don't go into this thinking all another bird means is another mouth to feed and more love to give and receive. Its also more time, more money, less vacations, did i mention more money? Lol 3 stands, 3 cages mean less room in your home also, i almost had to rehome my living room furniture.

Star Wars huh? Uh, i'm scared of that one! Laser sounds being repeated by 4? Baby steps please, lol!

Gabby bit the snot outta my lip tonight! She was giving the hubby so much love it lured me in... Darn it i am dumb, she got me right above the one that was just about healed from Bubba. Arrggg! Lol

Gabby and Bongo turn those chicken leg bones to dust. As far a wood goes, Gabby chews all wood except the ones we lovingly call toys. I am just going to go get baseboards and hang them in her cage, if she thinks that they are okay to chew, maybe she will leave mine alone cuz it won't be a challange anymore! Or just start telling her no no when i put a new toy in her cage or on her stand. Lol

Bubba seems to be opening up more now than he ever has. Around 4 every afternoon he starts talking, hello, pretty bird, i love, dog barking, go, Pat, bye, la la la, clucking like a chicken and making monkey noises for HOURS! Oliver tried the clucking yesterday, he will get it in time. He has mastered the macaw aarrrkkk sound so he does that with every word Bubba says. Then Gabby starts in with them, hello over and over with a few whistles in between. Then Bongo joins in with his whisting and dog whining and barking. By 6 pm i am ready for the rubber room my hubby said he would make for me! He better hurry with that or he will come home one day to find me in a corner repeating hello, hello, hello over and over! Lol

Your not weak, you got your point across to him. I haven't shown my family how mad i can get yet, it will happen one day though.

Bubba and Gabby only see each other from afar. Bubba has been ill so he has been having weekly visits and has had two mini surgeries by the vet in the last few months. He is just mad at me but getting better. Yes, i wish they would talk in front of us! My knees hurt crawling around on the tile trying to hear by who and what is being said! I just re-read your post, Bongo is my other grey, Bubba is one of my macaws. Bongo is so laid back, he could care less who comes into our house as long as they leave him alone and he gets his stuff before they do. He's a weee bit spoiled.

99.9% of the stress for me now with taking Bubba to the vet was getting him into the travel cage so we ended up making a deal, if he would get him in it, i would take him, lol. He did great getting in and the girls at the office said they were going to miss him next week, that he is just so sweet. I guess they keep him out during the day while they have him, he has them wrapped around his talon!

Atleast she has stopped attacking me now. She even gives me kisses and lets me pet her, i just have to be careful i don't confuse my pettings. Lol Gabby is pet only, do not even try to ruffle her feathers, Bongo on the other hand likes his feathers moved in the other direction, if i try going with the feathers he gets grumpy. Thank goodness Oliver is bald, i don't have to worry or even think about how to pet him, i just have to do it! Bubba has taken a step backwards and we are working on getting to pet any part of him again.

The dawn came from two vets when i was asking about his previous owners giving him baths with it. One said safe, the other said as Greywings said, not as an everytime bath, maybe once a month. Both said just a few drops in a tub full of water. They get aloe mists after baths. It is Bongo, my fully feathered grey that doesn't get wet. We even noticed that his leg feathers don't get wet when he stands in water, really weird to me! Bubba is lump free!!! Nothing in his bumm, nice and pink and all healed up. ( well till he put his finger up there today, little irritated tonight ) He goes back in two weeks just for a follow up! Dr Moore was very happy with his progress as are we! ( i actually have not spoken to Dr Moore about the dawn, one vet is my mother in laws and the other was dr clark who saw bongo ) Heehee, the dust bath wouldn't work in our yard, my kitty goes out to potty and she would use that. Cool idea though!

Wow, Gabby opened up tonight, musta really liked her dinner. She was talking full sentences, having a complete one sided phone conversation, shouting out names we didn't know and doing an evil laugh for the upcoming holiday, saying i love you. Too bad hubby and i were on our hands and knees hiding in the hallway outside her room so #1, we were sure it was her and not Bubba cuz we heard his laugh also and #2, we didn't want her stopping. While starting dinner tonight she flew onto the door of the fridge while i had it open, i asked her what she was doing and she promptly pooped down the front of it. Okay so we get the good with the bad!! Worth it!

How fun! I don't know the answers to any of your questions but i will be waiting to know them! Sounds like so much fun i wanna try it!

Back to the vet this morning. I hope it is for the last time with this, his bottom is nice and pink again and he is talking and playing! Yesterdays word was "ouch", it would be too funny if he said that today when the dr goes for his bumm! He also started saying "Pat", that was an easy one for him though, real close to his normal macaw sound of "aaccckkkk" lol. All the kiddos got their bath yesterday, with a few drops of Dawn. After freaking out over the first picture i got of Bubba in a bubble bath, i now have learned that it is great for naked birds, feathered ones too. Keeps their skin moist and the feathers shine. As many times as they have gotten baths, Bongo just doesn't get wet, i don't get it because we soak him even flipping his feathers up and pouring the wather on him but he stays dry as a bone. Gabby looked like a wet noodle, Bubba was wet and Oliver looked like a frozen chicken thawing out (okay, that was mean of me but an accuract description, lol ) We have sprayed him, put him under running water, put him in the tub and even a garden hose over the outside aviary, nutten, dry dry dry... He will take baths in his water bowl and although everything around him is soaked, he is not.

You have made a wonderful decision! You two are so lucky to have found each other. After the stress of making this decision, go relax and give both of yourselves a big hug from me! I am here for you both!

Well, you just brought tears to my eyes! Thank you. And friends i have indeed made and will cherish each one!

I whole heartedly agree that you need to do what you are comfortable with, i will support you either way. These are just options and things i have found that work with my Gabby goo and the boys. Her wings still spread open so the balance will come for her, right now she is still just a baby finding her feet. I myself have never had a baby but i hear they are awkward as crap at first and that all babes need that little extra padding to start with. You do have a healthy bird minus the flight feathers though! I kept meaning to mention also that my Bongo is fully flighted and has only flown when i make him. He is a walker!

I use old pillows around the stand and cover with lots of paper, lol. We have tile floors so the hit is much harder than carpeted floors! ( of course my dogs use them as beds too so a good washable pillow protector is a must cuz the paper just doesn't stay in place! Body pillows work great, kinda like bumper pads )

She won't be a baby long and will learn to adjust to her cage in time. Meanwhile just pad the one you have to ease the falls. She will still be able to climb around and play. In a few months you will be happy you kept a larger one for her. By padding i am meaning towels, no extra cost to you. For now you could also limit your perches, food water, treat and sleep perch. Try the rope perches also, that way when she does slip, it would be softer for her to hit against. It is funny but my one grey, Bongo, who has no physical issues has more cuts and scrapes than my other ones. Just goes to show that having all the limbs God intended, does not make one more graceful than another. She will be just fine, think of her as having her wings clipped without the cost of having it done. As far as the java stand you have, get a boing and wrap it around some of the wood to make smaller perches and much straighter places for her to stand without slipping. I had to do that on the one we got our macaw. It really looks cool too. Don't buy boings from pet stores, they gouge you in the price. Amazon or feed stores have them for way less. I get mine for 14 bucks each at the feed store verses 39.99 at our pets stores.

Here is my view, this was my decision, in no way am i saying this bc i may not agree with yours as only you know whats right for your family. I will say i agree that you have more power right now with your breeder than you think. I feel if she goes back now, she would be put down or worse, put in a cage alone and ignored. I would think your breeder would take less now and recoop some money than to lose it all. Ok, now our decision to take in a disabled bird. At first it was out of pity, she was in an icky home sharing space with a litterbox, we had no clue how we were going to deal with her, our 3 other birds, our 4 dogs and our cat when she has a dead leg that hooks on stuff as she drags it along. It took her one day to show us her stuff and what she is made of! This is something our vet told us she was born with. She is 20 yrs old now and a joy who challanges us everyday. My point is that if her first home hadn't given her a chance, her outcome could have been much different. My other two big boys have bad wings also and will never fly either but that hasn't stopped them. One is 7 and his wing is frozen, the other is 5 and his joint doesn't lock so it just flops like jello. They were babies once too and learned how to manage a flightless life. Here are a few photos where you can see their issues. They are all rescues and are perfect to me!

We have lots of rain here today, birds are out bugging the dogs but Bubba is keeping them in line. Gabby starts to get into something, like chewing my furniture or nipping a dog butt and we hear a loud "no" out of Bubba now. Everyone is napping but me and Bongo, my bliss continues.

I sent her an email. This could be fun and informative!

If i could keep hitting that thanks button i would!

I have one grey and one macaw that escape out of their water dish doors. Funny, never the food doors, just the water. In Gabbys cage i moved the water bowl, same thing will happen soon, she is working on it. Bubba just came out the one time but when i go in the morning to let them out, he is hanging on the door waiting for me to get to his cage and when i get in front of him, while i unlatch the bottom lock, he kindly unlatches the top one for me. I think he is just being respectful of me because we all know he can get out any time he wants to, but he waits for me.

I had reality hit me tonight as i was sitting outside with my windows open. There is nothing more peaceful than hearing all your birds chirping, singing, talking and just being theirselves when no one is watching. Knowing they are really happy. That is the most at peace i have felt in 9 months. Like an assurance that we are doing something right and that we will all be ok! Lets see where we are at now... Bongo, doing great and still not talking but now i know what he is saying! Oliver, sweet as ever and gaining weight a little at a time and still pretty bald but so much better than when we got him. He has gained almost 100 grams in 7 months! Gabby, oh my Gabbygoo, she played with me for the first time and gave me kisses with all the sound effect. Bubba, he seems to be feeling much better and has started talking, making his chicken noise, his lalala's and outches, even his version of what about Bubba and really trying to learn more words! Stepping up and letting me hold him again. ( okay, he did today anyway and i am being an optimist that it will continue! Thank you Greywings! )

Heeheee, i am not a mean person, really but.... I now call him Captian Oblivious!