Timbersmom

I think they need direct light. I use an avian sun lamp, and leave it on several hours each day. If you buy one, make sure you get the right bulb. Sometimes places will sell reptile lights and say they are fine for birds but they are not. The Avian Sun doesn't generate any heat, just both sun components (UVB and UVA I believe?). Like people, they need direct sun or a light that provides it to metabolize certain nutrients.

If anything could be done, the avian vet would probably have mentioned it. Timber also has a "bad toe" so I don't think it is that uncommon. If I recall, the vet said it could be a birth defect or an injury, hard to tell at this point. No comfort I know, but sometimes it just is what it is...

St. Louis, MO area, Dr. Kersting is great.

Hello and welcome to you and Lucy! I know what you mean about being the "mate." A little unnerving, but what can you do? Timber gets along OK with the husband, but I'm the favored one. Looking forward to hearing from you and seeing some pics of Lucy. It sounds like she's full of personality, as most greys are

That's interesting about Alfie not wanting your food. Timber would try dirt if he thought I was eating it. He might fling it, but if I eat, he thinks he must share. He gets quite upset when I'm eating something he can't sample, like chocolate or avocado. He doesn't like pine nuts either. In fact, the only nut he truly seems to crave is the dreaded peanut. Not even a real nut but a legume for goodness sake! He will eat nuts sometimes, especially if they are in the shell (I have to start the cracking process because he's lazy), but they certainly couldn't be used as a training treat. They are as individual in their tastes as people.

I just remembered, it was called "Rescue Remedy." The old wheels turn slowly...

Wow, that's frustrating!

Same here, that is a problem I haven't dealt with. I'm trying to remember, there was a long time member here who used something and said it worked. Was it Dee? Maybe if Talon sees this she will remember. At any rate, if it isn't harmful (and I'm sure you've done your research) and it works, that's great news!

And a lovely family photo it is!

They are escape artists. We had to zip tie Timber's doors and had a little lock for the main door. That was a really poor design but I don't know what the brand was. It came with him when I rehomed him.

If it weren't for bribery, I would have made no progress at all with Timber, ha. With him at least, positive reinforcement is always necessary when I'm trying to encourage a behavior. Hope the vet give you the OK to get them in the same room tomorrow. Even if they aren't out at the same time, I can see where jealousy on all sides would happen. They'd rather know what's going on and what the competition looks like I imagine.

Hello and welcome to you and Vannah! As Greytness said, I would give her plenty of time to adjust before pushing anything. Most greys adapt very slowly to change, and trying to rush can end up creating trust issues and make the process take even longer over time.

Glad to hear he's doing well! I've never heard of the amount of discharge from cameras being harmful so I wouldn't be concerned about that.

I thought the same thing Greytness.

I really feel for you. Timber suffers from seizures, and I have to medicate him twice a day. He has seen an avian vet and was tested for everything. Sometimes, as with Timber, birds have seizures for unknown reason, like human epilepsy. It must be very frightening not to have access to an avian vet. He has not had a seizure for two years now, since we got the meds adjusted. I'll share some of the things the vet had me do until we had his seizures under control. When Timber's started, he would have one every few weeks. I hope and pray that your bird never has another, but you might want to take some precautions in the meantime. 1. Lower his available perches. If he seizes he will fall, and that can injure him as much as the seizure. 2. Make sure there is a towel or some type of padding under him so that if he does fall it is cushioned. 3. I actually put Timber in a hospital cage (very small cage) until we had the seizures under control. His old cage was large and if he had fallen from the top of the cage (he would climb all over it even if there wasn't a perch) to the bottom, bouncing off perches and toys on the way down, he could have hurt himself. The small cage was easier to cover with toweling and kept him from falling much of a distance before hitting the towel.

So sorry to read this Maggie. I'm sure he had a big feathered escort when he reached the other side! My God give you peace and strength. He will be missed.

I pitched the nonsticks and went to aluminum and cast iron soon after I got Timber.

Not sure about the seeds. I can't seem to find anything definitive! I'm sure you've looked too. Timber isn't fond of fruit, so beyond the occasional bite of banana I haven't tried them on him. When I was trying to feed him various fruits, I avoided all the seeds to be on the safe side.

What a beautiful bird.

Very interesting. I've always been curious about clicker training. I suspect Timber would be much more interested and taking the stick from me and chewing on it than touching it. Good luck!

Rio is picking up on language fast! Fascinating to see/hear them develop those skills.

Awww so cute! Makes me dream of having a baby, which I have never had since I'm a rehomer.

I don't think there is a time limit on it. Timber talks, but he also prefers whistles and noises. Since I'm a rehomer, I can't say when he started talking, he was about 6 years when I got him. He does pick new things up, but sometimes after a few uses you don't hear them again. Other things, like his name, he says often and in different voices. Why he picks up the phrases he does I don't know, but they seem to be words or phrases said with emotion or emphasis (not all but most). I think that's why they pick up curse words quickly, much like a toddler.

I am no professional, but what I do is put a tablespoon in the rice mix I make for him every week. I freeze it in daily portions. Of course, he has a lot of choices when he eats so how much he actually gets of the red palm oil is hard to say.

Beautiful pictures Ray! Thanks for sharing