bluedawg

P.S... This post is important to me because it reminds me that I am not alone. Most people seam to look down on me for living with my fully flighted and uncaged parrot (Not Parrot people of course) - In fact my sister and her husband would not come to my house for thanksgiving because of it. I always feel a twinge of shame when people ask - "don't they poop?". While my mom is not a big fan at least she is a good sport about it although I am sure if she had seen Miss Dayo fall into the stuffing bowl and quickly sink up to her neck in Dry Bread cubes she would not have eaten the stuffing!

I Just read this for the first time. OMG - this is exactly how I spent yesterday (Thanksgiving) except in the end Dayo had a place at the table and sat at her bowl and enjoyed the feast. OK a few times she started to wander to my mom's plate but mostly she was well behaved. At 4:00 after all the feasting was over I noticed her eyes at half mast just like mine I weighed her this morning and where she is always right around 400g (She's a little girl) This morning she weighed in at 435g.

Yes, I like the idea of the harness better than a more aggressive clipping. They were meant to fly so I believe they are happier when they learn they can and do it often

I know what you mean Kins 2321... That's why I don't think I could successfully make toys for someone els's parrot. Dayo doesn't like so many of the toys I buy that when I find one she likes I looked at it and saw what she likes about it and bought toy parts to make her toys that incorporate that particular thing that she likes... So my true calling is really only to make toys especially for miss Dayo

When my XBox died I gave Miss Dayo the controller... she was tickled pink at first but once she realized it was no longer "out of bounds" it quickly lost it's appeal.

Yes! This is the one. Thank You so much! I am sure this is how My dog and cat feel about Miss Dayo

I once saw I funny Illustrated Cartoon about an African Grey Parrot. I am trying to find it. I may have seen it posted here I am not sure. It was from the perspective of a family member and it was the mom's bird and the bird was a nightmare to everyone but the mom. In the end the bird dies but it was still very cute and well done. Does it ring a bell to anyone?

I have always purchased from MySafeBirdstore.com and I have been very happy with them but I just checked out Oliver's Garden because of this post and I am looking forward to ordering some stuff from them too!

Oh snap! I didn't know we had a Home made Toy Forum I will def. check that out.

So very sorry for your loss.

I want one!!! Dayo and I have added this to our bucket list

At 49 I am going back to school full time in Sept. to get a bachelors in medical technology and then wildlife biology. Still I continue to design and build websites for my own business "bluedawg Design" and also work 4 hours a night at a local printing company. However, these days I find my true calling to be building parrot foot toys...

I did notice a funny smell from the cast Iron since the food is moist so I got worried about the particulates and such mentioned above and updated our design... still works Now if she tosses the inner bowl it just tips on it's side withing the cast Iron so much easier to clean up...

You guys are so funny SterlingSL: I don't mind sharing at all in fact I have posted it here before. But here it is again (This recipe is for two so I always have leftovers for the chickens ) WHOLE FOODS DIET RECIPE FOR TWO GREYS: 1. SOAKED/SPROUTED SEEDS: - one part organic sesame seeds with hulls - one part organic wheatberries - one part black organic sunflowers with hulls - one part organic quinoa- one part organic safflower with hulls - one part organic whole oats - one part spray millet scraped off the stalk TO PREPARE: EVERY MORNING PLACE SEEDS IN MASON JAR WITH ENOUGH WATER TO COVER DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF SEEDS. ADD 6 DROPS GRAPEFRUIT SEED EXTRACT PER CUP WATER TO THE SOAK WATER. LEAVE ON COUNTER FOR 24 HOURS. THE NEXT MORNING, RINSE THE SEEDS THOROUGHLY THROUGH A PLASTIC SPROUT TOP ON THE MASON JAR AND SERVE HALF THE PORTION. LEAVE THE OTHER HALF OF THE SEED PORTION IN THE MASON JAR, RINSED. AT NIGHT, RINSE THE SECOND HALF PORTION THOROUGHLY AND SERVE AS DINNER. 2. VEGETABLES/FRUIT GROUND IN A FOOD PROCESSOR INTO RICE-SIZED PIECES : A. Choose one: organic broccoli, organic zucchini, organic green beans B. Choose one: organic collard greens, organic kale, organic bok choy (not the white part, just the green leafy part) C. Choose one: organic red peppers, organic carrots, organic LIGHTLY COOKED IN WATER orange squash (do not food prep squash, serve chopped by hand) D. Choose two: organic banana (chop by hand not food prep), organic apple, organic orange (peel and chop by hand not food prep), organic mango (CHOP BY HAND), organic pineapple (CHOP BY HAND) E. Choose one: three organic hulled almonds, three organic hulled walnuts, or twelve organic roasted, shelled peanut halves NOTE: all of the above must be fresh not frozen E. Choose one: organic raspberries, organic blueberries, organic strawberries (fresh is best, frozen is OK) NOTE: use each one of the above foods listed in any given month so establish a rotation for shopping such that all the foods are used within a month period F. FROZEN ORGANIC CORN AND FROZEN ORGANIC PEAS (use both each day) NOTE: ALL THESE VEGETABLES AND FRUITS (other than the nuts) SHOULD BE USED IN ROUGHLY EQUAL PORTIONS (JUST EYEBALL IT) 3. CHOP ALL THE VEGETABLES/FRUIT PLUS NUTS IN THE FOOD PREP (OTHER THAN THE ONES THAT SHOULD BE CUT BY HAND). USE ONE HALF CUP SPROUTED SEED MIX TO ONE HALF CUP VEGETABLE/FRUIT/NUT MIX. 4. TO EVERY MEAL ADD: - 1/3 teaspoon of GREEN POWDER (to the one cup of food) - 1/16 teaspoon of PRIMAL DEFENSE PROBIOTICS (to the one cup of food) 5. TWICE PER WEEK ADD: A. 1/2 teaspoon of ORGANIC FLAX OIL to morning meal (IE PICK TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS AND FOR BREAKFAST ONLY THEY GET FLAX OIL) NOTE: STORE FLAX OIL IN THE REFRIGERATOR AT ALL TIMES IT IS HIGHLY PERISHABLE B. 1/4 TEASPOON ZOO MED AVIAN PLUS VITAMIN/MINERAL POWDER 6. ONCE PER WEEK GIVE ONE TEASPOON PER GREY OF COOKED, FRESH or FROZEN, PLAIN WILD ALASKAN SALMON 7.. BEFORE BED GIVE ONE TABLESPOON OF SPRAY MILLET PER GREY SCRAPED OFF STALK NOTE: MEALS SHOULD BE PREPARED FRESH TWICE DAILY, AM AND PM. THE VEGETABLE PORTION CAN BE MADE FRESH EACH AM AND HALF CAN BE STORED IN A SEALED CONTAINER IN THE REFRIGERATOR UNTIL THE PM MEAL. GREEN POWDER RECIPE: • 1/3 cup Mt Rose Herbs kelp powder • 1/3 cup organic Mt Rose Herbs alfalfa powder • 5 Tablespoons Hatched brand eggshell powder 1 Tablespoon Frontier organic garlic powder MIX ALL INGREDIENTS AND STORE IN A SEALED MASON JAR IN THE DARK FOR UP TO ONE YEAR (LABEL WITH EXPIRATION DATE).

Yes, I am beginning to understand. Thanks for all the great input.

Agreed, this was very well done!

Oh good, Glad all is well!

Yes, I saw that... That's what I had in mind.

Does anyone know if any studies have been done? I wonder how much of this is science and how much is conjecture. Maybe the place to start would be a study on rehabbing domesticated African Greys for release to the wild. I believe that freedom trumps captivity every time no matter how beautiful the enclosure you just can't match all the experiences they could have out in the wild. I know I've read that all our captive African Greys are only one generation removed from the wild so in this case they would not be completely different animals from their wild cousins... Is it maybe our egos that make us think they need us so much? Of course I am not saying to just take them to Africa and set them free, but with time spent showing them the local fauna and lay of the land... who knows.

Sterling SL ... It's not too late! Just enjoy the journey

Today, while driving to trader Joes, I devised the perfect plan for my life. I am currently in school to be a Medical Technician / Lab scientist. This after a failed career in Advertising / web design and development. I shouldn't say failed but even at it's best it's a hard and uncertain road to take so I find myself reinventing myself at 49. In any case when I get my Med Tech degree I will have job security and make decent money. I figure I can work for 10 years or so socking away money to one day, in my retirement, open a rehab for unwanted African Grays. The goal being to ultimately release them into their natural habitat. Now I know I have heard they can not survive in their natural habitat but I don't know if that is really true. I have a LOT more research to do. I would really like to hear from anyone else who has had similar dream and maybe can point out some of the pitfalls I will face. I think I would need to have a base here and one in Africa. Here I can accept unwanted grays and once a year they could be flown to the rehab where they would spend a year getting acquainted with the good life until ultimately being released into their natural habitat. What do you all think?

ha ha... no, she's looking at me saying "cmere, I need a napkin" because the first thing she does is fly over to me and wipe all that on my shoulder.

Oh LOL - It's a bit confusing .

Yea, why???

Breakfast Piñata beats a bowl any day....