Timbersmom

Cute videos! My thought was, considering the progress he was making with the pumpkin, Teddy would pack a nasty bite!

What a pretty bird! I have no experience with plucking, so can't really comment on that.

Timber is much more vocal some days than others, for reasons only he knows. I'm sure he has a reason, but I have yet to figure it out!

LOL! Reminds me of a few incidents with my cats and Timber. There has never been a problem, but that is probably because as soon as contact is imminent I'm descending on them both like a screaming banshee... The cat and bird both freeze and look at me like I am totally insane, and are more scared of me than each other. It does distract them though! I have to wonder if that was the first time the hawk landed on the cage or if it had happened before. I was trying to figure out why the owner was so calm. I know I wouldn't have been and I certainly wouldn't have let the hawk hang for any length of time.

I believe your relationship with Dolly will improve but it often takes a lot of time. I have had Timber for about 17 months, and it was only last week that he stepped up for hubby without bloodletting. They have made a lot of progress but it has taken a long time. When it was early days for us, Timber would step up for me but wanted to bite when I tried to put him down. Not sure what that means or if Dolly would react the same way, but that is my experience. I know what you mean about the body language, it is hard to interpret sometimes. Only an avian vet can tell you for sure if there is a physical problem. Is Dolly eating well? Are her droppings normal? Is she sleeping too much? Those are things you can watch for, but they do hide illness. If I had any doubts I'd be off to the vet. I always take the better safe than sorry approach with Timber, because they can go down so quickly.

Here is a thread about how to use photobucket http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?89533-HOW-TO-POST-PICTURES-photo-tuturial I just go to advanced post and use the attachment feature there.

Yes, keep us posted on your progress!

I would just like to point out that not only are grey's expensive to buy, they are expensive to keep. The cost of the proper food, toys, vet bills etc. is more than I expected and is quite high. I'm not trying to discourage you, but you need to take that into consideration when budgeting too.

Read the directions that came with the bulb, from what I've read online it varies from bulb to bulb. The one I use says 18-24" during the burn in period (don't remember how long that is) then 12-18" after burn in period. The rays from the light are still effective even if you can't see the light itself. If your window is treated with UV protection (I think that is the right term) like mine are, your bird won't get any helpful rays through it. I know what you mean about the bird moving around and wondering if the light does that much good. I'd say some is better than none, so my policy is to leave the light on and assume he gets at least some benefit!

Timber has a variety of perches in his cage, which is big for a TAG. He has a variety of natural wood, rope, cactus, and concrete. This one looks interesting, but I'm not needing one right now.

I've came to the conclusion that Timber never fledged. His clip has mostly grown out, yet he shows no interest in flying except when startled. He flies to the ground and waits for me to come pick him up. He doesn't drop like a rock and lands OK when that happens. I guess I'll have to look into "flight" lessons. He is finally accepting my husband and stepped on his arm the other day for the first time.

Haaaa to the sofa replacement! You will have to take him to the store with you to see which sofa he thinks is "unappealing." Then he would probably trick you into buying the one he most wants to destroy. They are too smart for their own good (and ours)

Yikes! I can barely get Timber to the vet by himself. I can't imagine taking three at one time! You go girl...

Haaaa funny about "it's for you" Baileyspapa

LOL! Yes and amen to TheNewThing advice. Some toys that seem totally innocent will never be accepted by a grey. That is one of the things that I have found to be so strange about Timber. Things I'm sure he will like, he doesn't (ever). Things I am not sure about he often will take to. That's part of the wonderful world of parronthood. As to the bath, some birds like to be sprayed, some don't. I was fortunate in that the previous owner told me Timber likes to be sprayed, and he does. I do this almost daily with a spray bottle and nursery water (aloe in the winter when the house is dry). A full bath is different and they only do that when they feel like it. As Dan said, you just need to offer water in a pan. I use a heavy glass baking dish that won't tip when he stands on the edge of it. If she is interested she will get to it, if not just keep putting it out there at times. When Timber is ready for the pan, I can tell because he will start messing around in his water bowl. This probably happens 3-4 times a month.

LOL, love that Felix!

It is really early days yet in grey time. They just aren't like any other species I have dealt with. Most have only two speeds when it comes to trust and interaction, slow and slower. You are doing all the right things, just be patient and give her time. On the other hand, you need to speed up your reaction time. When she lowers her head for a scratch, be ready to move as soon as you see any movement from her. Good luck and God bless!

Hello and welcome Dean! Keep us posted on how things are going, ask any questions you may have, and enjoy these first days with your new companion.

Really cool pics! Thanks for sharing.

No, this is the first time I've seen that one.

I brought Timber home in a cat carrier with a towel in the bottom. Not ideal, but it did the job. Now he has a pack-o-bird. As it turns out, he doesn't seem to like it any better than the cat carrier!

Hello and welcome! Your Dolly sounds a lot like my Timber. He was five when I rehomed him last year (June, 2012). He had not been abused so much as neglected in a busy household. The feather fluffing can mean different things. Timber usually does that when he is relaxed, but it can have other meanings. The toughest thing for me was putting all the body language together to understand what I was seeing. Like Dolly, Timber would act like he wanted a scratch, but then would bite. In his case, I found that he really did want to be scratched, but couldn't bring himself to trust me initially. I started by scratching his head when he was inside the cage (carefully and with the bars between us). He was more receptive right before time to go to sleep. We've progressed to now, and he will sit on my arm, drop his beak on my stomach and let me scratch to my heart's content. With most greys, it is a matter of giving them time to deem you trustworthy. Feel free to ask specific questions and people here are glad to share their experiences.

Yes, beautiful birds! Thanks for sharing

Timber whistles and clicks when he is the center of attention and wants to be interactive, so that sounds like totally normal, engaged behavior to me. When I'm coming into the room from upstairs, like first thing in the morning, I always whistle and talk so Timber knows it is me. This may not be necessary and he may know my footfalls by now, but it has became a habit from when I didn't want to startle him.

Hello and welcome to you and your new companion. What is his name? Post some pics when you get a chance, we love them. It sounds like your bird is coming right along. It took my 3 months to get my rehomed grey comfortable with stepping up, so you are making good progress. Like Dan said, let him set the pace in your relationship. It takes time to build trust