Timbersmom

They constantly amaze me too. I'd give a lot to know their thoughts. One of the things that makes them so endearing is how they can bite one day then be such sweethearts the next. I envy the people here who say their birds "bite but don't draw blood." When Timber bites, he always draws blood. Guess he's an all or nothing type. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's pretty bad. I won't lie, I've been upset enough a few times to consider parrot skewers for an appetizer in my darkest thoughts while I'm trying to stop the bleeding. I think it hurts my feelings as much as my body. At the end of the day though, I'm more attached to that little grey dander-shedder than I could have possibly imagined. That's the life of a parrot owner!

This kind of situation comes to all of us at some point! Glad Dorian is well.

I am a single bird owner, so can't help. From what I've read on other posts, you are doing things correctly as far as introduction. You've indicated that you already know they may never choose to become mates or even friends. Hopefully someone with more experience will come along and have more input. Good luck!

In my experience, their relationships with other members of the household (other than the favored one) evolve and change as time passes. Greytness gave you good suggestions for the others in the family to build a relationship with LuLu.

What a neat idea! Glad he went for it too. You just never know.

I find their different responses and interactions with people fascinating. Timber acts totally different with my son than with my grandson, though he likes them both.

Sound but no video?

Merry Christmas from our house to yours, and thank you for all you do!

Hi Dreamy and welcome to the forum! Greytness is spot on, you have to learn what her body language means. I'm also a rehomer, and had several bites before I learned a little more about what Timber was really "saying" with his body language. Also remember that your bird is a prey animal and trust comes very slowly. I had to remind myself that Timber was biting out of fear, not out of meanness. Didn't make it hurt less, but helped me understand. Take it slow and steady and you'll get there. Trust me, though it gets very frustrating, developing a relationship is one of the most rewarding things you will every do (it was for me anyway). It took Timber and I about 6 months to adapt to each other, for him to trust me and for me to respect his fears and body language. The background thing is important, and something a rehomer often can't know. For example, I quickly learned that Timber was terrified of hands. Why, I don't know, but probably a past experience. He will only step up on my forearm. Also, I learned that the "step-up" command didn't work for him. Again, I'm assuming something in his past. Instead, I say "want to go?" and offer my forearm. If he wants to step up, he will, if not he will pin his feathers a bit (slick them down) and turn his head slightly away from me while side-eyeing me. If I pushed it at that point and insisted, there's a really possibility he'd bite even after 9 years. Good luck, give it time, and God bless

Timber feels the need to compete with other sounds sources too. Fortunately, I'm retired and not trying to work. When of his standards is when I'm on the phone. After a minute (apparently he thinks that is the acceptable time for me to focus on something other than him) he will start saying "OK, Bye" at full volume. He's loud enough that I've had the person I was talking too ask what I just said or what that was.

You certainly aren't alone in this battle. Timber has yet to try any of the pellets (and I've tried them all) over the last 9 years since I rehomed him. He does eat a bit of carrot (probably because it is sweet, will eat mashed sweet potato, and actually likes peas in the shell. He responds best to the peas if I put them on a skewer and hang them. I guess it's the challenge, ha. He'll also eat cooked fresh grean beans (a bit). Once in awhile, he will nibble on the broccoli on the skewer. The battle continues, but you've actually made some progress and that's great!

That's great! Patience and time usually pays off with a grey.

Happy Hatchday Corky!

Happy birthday Dorian! Doesn't time "fly?"

Sounds totally normal to me!

Hello and welcome! I have nothing to say about potty training, since my bird is about 15 years old and still goes where he wants. However, in my experience, greys usually have a "favored" person (which may change over time). As for others, they do seem to have definite preferences and dislikes. Even so, they will usually develop some sort of relationship with everyone in the household they have regular exposure to. If your daughter keeps working on it and builds trust, their relationship will probably improve with time. The short answer is, yes they do have definite preferences and likes and dislikes with individuals.

That is absolutely true. Timber is much more receptive to scritches and handling in the evenings. He's always been more "mellow" then. In the morning? Not so much.

Hello and welcome to the forum! As the others have said, it sounds like things are going very well for you. God bless and good luck!

Beautiful! Glad to hear Murf is still alive and kicking too. I miss those who used to be around a lot and now aren't. Life happens though I know.

Every bird is different. Timber doesn't pluck or anything like that when he goes through this. On the other hand, I can't say that others wouldn't. I think we just have do do everything we can, which you are already doing (limit touching, distractions, lack of nesting materials). It will pass!

I wish I knew the answer but I don't. You are already doing the things I know to do. When this happens with Timber, I've just "ridden it out" and it passes with time. My understanding from the posts I've read is that it isn't harmful so much as uncomfortable for your bird for males. For females, the egg issue can be a problem. I'd be happy to hear input from others, since this is something a lot of us go through.

There are some cooked mixes like Birdie Bistro and Higgins Worldly Cuisine that Timber likes. He will NOT eat a pellet under any circumstances, I've tried them all. Also, I keep a quality mix of seed available. To some, seed has a bad name, but as Dave007 (one of our valued members who had a lot of experienced but has passed away) said, seeds are a natural part of their diet. I mix safflower seed, hemp seed, a few sunflower seeds along with some nutriberries from LaFeber in Timber's bowl all day. They also have the advantage of not having to be changed every few hours. You can also feed boiled egg white and occasional helpings of lean meats like boiled, baked or roasted chicken.

I don't have experience with plucking. Seeing the vet would be my first step, which you are doing. The one thing I thought of was do you have a light for her? I use this one: AvianSun 5.0 UVB Compact Fluorescent Bulb. I've seen others dealing with plucking say UVB light can help. Meanwhile, hello and welcome to the forum!

Hello and welcome! I don't have any advice to add, but wanted to say I'm glad to see another caring rehomer on the forums. Good luck and God bless with Boomer.

Ah yes, that awkward moment when they realize we really DO have a purpose. The only time Timber let me hold him on his back was a time when he literally was hanging by one foot and beak. I put my hand under his back and he released immediately and relaxed into my hand. It's been several years, but I remember thinking that I had finally really earned his trust.