SRSeedBurners

Schooner will soon be training you 🤣. Actually, sounds like it has already started! You might have your work cut out for you. Once a Grey has been mishandled, they never forget it and will carry that baggage forever. That biting down and grinding is most likely the result of being handled with gloves and learning how to bite down into them. Greys usually don't bite like that, they are a bite and release type of bird. The effects of mishandling can lessen over time but they can still be wary of things that trigger them. Our Huey (22 y.o.) was abused by a male two families before we got him and does not like men. His previous owner treated him well for 10+ years and still got the business end of Huey from time to time. We've had him for just over a year and I've made great strides with him, to the point where he will show me he doesn't want to be put down by, of course, biting the hell out of me (hoomans can be dense sometimes). Took about 7-8 months before I had my first real break-through with him so it can take a while but if you are patient it's rewarding. I'm getting better at reading Huey's body language. He does not like me banging on things in his kitchen drawer (he's the proud new homeowner here apparently) nor does he appreciate me putting up new ropes and toys in his aviary. He flew at me and bit the crap out of me just yesterday but I knew it was coming and was ready. It only took a few times before I realized what was triggering him. A nice flying bite attack helps speed up the learning process. I also have to be careful when my wife's around. She's his wife now and I've been given several eviction notices. But as much as he has it out for me, he loves to spend time with me and LOVES to be around me when I'm playing loud music and bouncing him around. Took a long time to get him to that point though. I'm just north of you (Allen). I'm not familiar with anyone down that way other than the guy who runs J.C. Aviary in Austin. You may try to contact him and see if he knows of anyone or maybe he can eval the Schooner and give some insight. Also one thing you might try is making a tight fist and bending your hand so the skin on top is nice and tight. Then offer treats for step-ups onto your fist. They have a hard time getting a nice grip on that tight skin. I had to do this with Huey for a long time till I got him stepping up without blood-letting. Schooner's a cutie pie!

I feed a base of Volkmans soak & serve and birdeez buffet. To that I will add different things: sprouts, apple, jalapeno, banana, peppers, whatever is safe frozen mixed veggies - whatever is safe in the fridge. I have had two birds come to us that were dirty and smelly and within a month or so you could see the change in their plumage and overall health. They brighten right up. If you can see the improvement in the bird, you're doing something right. Baths help too....

Be interesting if you are able to finally get Alfie in his harness. I would love to put a harness on Huey but I like my fingers too much. GreycieMae was easy, she was a baby. Biggest problem with her is I need one made from steel cable as all she does is chew on it.

How old is the whislter? Mine started talking a tiny bit in her first year but was a big whistler. She doesn't talk at all now. If you talk to the new baby and he's got it him to talk I don't think the non-talker will have any bearing on whether the new one talks or not.

I don't recall seeing this thread either and I was here in 2014. I can't believe I've been here this long, still feel like a newbie. Glad to see you've come back. This forum has grown real quiet with Facebook destroying the landscape. Stick around, I love seeing posts and stories about the birdies.

Same thing in the aviary...so much work to do. But it keeps Baby Huey off the streets gettin into trouble. Need to find him a wooden hammer.... https://photos.app.goo.gl/pc5v6AZzj9dVNfZo8

We're doing good over here, although were very very busy with the constructionings. Took over Mommy's cutlery drawer. It's Huey's now. Has his own cutlery now, and boxes and newly fashioned sides to the drawer to nibbles on. Very very busy here....

I'm convinced that birds, like toddlers, have the inability to connect the whole body with the head. When a human toddler matures they go from drawing stick bodies with big featured heads to drawing the whole body full-featured. Since our birds are assumed to have the same intelligence level as toddlers, I think they have the same predicament: your hands and toes don't belong to that face they are lovingly attached to. Several of our birds will viciously attack our feet and are complete sweetys otherwise. I have a conure that will go after feet and hands as if they are there to kill her but will run to my face and cuddle and preen me. White-cap pionus, same way.

Can you post a video of his head twitching?

Tell Alfie to be careful with news updates, most of it is biased fake garbage. He's better off asking for cartoons.

Might as well get Alfie his own credit card to use for purchases!

Alfie busy assimilating another hooman. Good job Alfie!

Sad to hear this too. She was a long-timer here when I got here. I hope Precious is in good hands, I know she loved her dearly.

Happy New Year to everyone too. I feel blessed every day when I reach in to the sleeping perch and find my lil Grey waiting for me.

Good for Tali! I'm pretty sure the Aviator Harness is what helped save my GreycieMae's life. When I trained her early on to wear her harness I would take her on daily bike rides down a trail to a duck pond 2 miles from our house. She must have ridden that trail with me 50-100 times at least. When she got out thanks to my idiot sister-in-law, I found her after two days sitting in a tree on that exact trail near the pond where we had been riding to together. I'm convinced she knew the trail and was waiting for me, especially since she called to us at the end of the second day in the dark after we had given up for the day and were headed home. I still take her to Home Depot/Lowes all the time in her harness. She's a store favorite, they love seeing her.

I saw that story on BBC earlier today or maybe yesterday. I got a kick out of it. There are several videos on youtube of Greys interacting with Alexa. But this story was too funny because of the order history: watermelon, strawberries, light bulbs, ice cream and a kite. That had me rolling....

How dare those punks. Did you tell them to get off your lawn? Haahaaa

I manage with daily Wednesday night beatings (joke: you're laughing right now). Actually, I have three sections in the aviary/birdroom. One for lils, one for midls and one for my Greybies. Then they get rotated in to help work in the office until they can't be good and out they go.

Awwww...Fynn's a sweet boy. As Huey would say "want play toy, watch tv". They don't always grow out of the sweet affections. GreycieMae has always been a super sweety when she's not on Santa's naughty list. I'm also managing to turn Huey around. Apparently he was in the kitchen yesterday repeating all the sweet things I tell him plus he's been asking to come sit with me lately. He's always hated scary mean men.

GreycieMae is ready for the severe cold weather and she's also not butt hurt over a 50 year old song 🤣 Interesting note: I posted this photo under the caption "Baby it's cold outside" on the FB group 'African Grey Parrot Club' and was swiftly silenced and the post removed. Prior to that some guy commented that I was being cruel and I swiftly told him he was an expletive moron since GreycieMae loves to have wrestle matches either in this very hat or a blanket. She loves being wrapped in it and play peek-a-boos. So I thought either my little entanglement with this idiot or the caption got me booted. It turns out I ran afowl of their rule against posting photos of birds in clothes. Bwaaahaahaahaahaa

Being they are so young they will likely get along at some point. Putting them in the same cage that small is a risk. Greys need their space at times. I always recommend a second Grey if you can accomodate one. Greys get along or at least the playing field is level with one of their own kind. I hope your taking measures against losing your birdy when out in the yard. I get so tired of reading the lost bird posts on FB that I just skip right over them.

Hi JoJo. I've never used the Mediterranean Bread by TOPS. But I did notice it has a very similar ingredient list that matches Harrison's High Potency pellet. In that case I would not make it a mainstay food unless your bird is under-weight. My suggestion would be to give it to your bird 2-times per week. Whatever they'll eat, it's not about the amount but he frequency. That's something I would feed to an under-weight bird frequently.

Another Grey 🤣 I couldn't trust my GreycieMae with any of our other birds. She's just to big and can easily hurt them. Enter Huey, a strapping male African Grey and he put her in her rightful place! She tried to bully him but learned real quick it was no contest.

At nearly 2 years old chances are Larry would not befriend a cockatiel unless you are very lucky. If Larry acts like a normal Grey and decides that bullying the cockatiel is fun and easy to do, you will have to be ever vigilant and one small accident can severely injure the cockatiel. I keep my birds in similar sized groups: greys together, my Viking mid-size ruffians together and my lils together. Even with my lils, my conure likes to bully the cockatiel but there is no size difference so he can hold his own.

GreycieMae puffs up and gives me her best rendition of a back-alley thug when it's time to put her to bed. She's had the same routine for 7+ years now.