My boy

[marybeth]

Hi guys! I haven't had a chance to really get a good photo of Gabby yet, but I got impatient tonight and went ahead and snapped a few. The lighting was very bad, it was dark in the house, and he doesn't want to move from the top of the cage door so I couldn't set up a really nice shot, but at least you can see his sweet face.

 

 

By the way, how long do you think I should wait to offer him a bath? I feel like he probably hasn't had one in awhile but I don't want to freak him out either.

 

Also, his beak seems a little crooked. Is that normal? We're getting in to the vet tomorrow but I just wondered.

[Cupid]

Handsome bird for sure...

[Ray P]

Good looking grey

[Morana]

Very pretty bird, but it looks like his lower beak is overgrown. The vet should take care of it. Make sure to buy toys for him to chew and correct his beak on his own in the future. Also a perch for nail and beak grooming could come useful. I bought my Zak a safety pumice perch. Other members have something else..a cement perch, sandy perch,...It is a personal choice, what you think might be the best for your bird..

[marybeth]

Thanks guys, and thanks for the advice Morana. I don't think he has had any sort of care for issues like that in his past, and no special perches or anything to help out either. The cage he came to us in just had one small wooden perch. I will go out today and get a few different types of perches like you suggested and also be sure the vet does what he can.

[Morana]

Before you buy anything, do search the web a bit for information about all types of perches. I'm telling you this because there are a lot of reviews on the web why is one perch better than the other. Of course, in the end, it all comes down to what you believe in, but it is always good to inform yourself. Maybe you'll end up preferring one type like most of us do from the beginning..Btw, I also read Manzanita perches are the best wooden perches because they are hard (hard wood) and bumpy so that is good for their feet.. Zak has them and I am very satisfied with them. Do research a bit..;-)

[MarcusCAG]

Your Gabby is a very attractive Grey, very sweet-looking but if the beak is just overgrown then when it is filed down (through Gabby's own devices with a perch or toys, as mentioned, or if the vet thinks it needs to be tended to by humans) then it should look normal and not 'crooked'.

[marybeth]

Thanks guys! Morana, ty for the suggestions, I am very very big on researching everything so I will definitely do that. I did go ahead and get him a few perches today but I will be researching and doing some trial and error and see what he prefers. The vet was closed today so we can't go until after the weekend.

 

He has been in and out of his cage quite alot today, we've just left his door open so he can do as he wishes while we are here. I so wish he would check out his new cage but I'm not going to force it.

[judygram]

Gabby is a handsome fella, thanks for sharing the pic with us. His beak does look like it needs a little work done on it but the vet will take care of that when you take him in, being new in your home he should be checked out anyways.

He will check his new cage out soon and to help it along hang some interesting toys in it and maybe put some type of foraging toy and let him see you put it in there and what you put in it so it will entice him to go inside to have a look, they are curious creatures.

[chezron]

Such beautifully expressive eyes! thanks for sharing

[marybeth]

Thanks guys! Yeah, we are headed to the vet this week. We were planning to yesterday but didn't realize the only avian vet in the area isn't open on Saturdays. Boo. So probably tomorrow if they can fit us in. I just hope it doesn't stress him out too much, I am so anxious for him to settle in here and feel comfortable. He is so different from the quakers and conure I had years ago, I can tell that he is much more particular and cautious, although surely some of that may be due to his life so far. My others were with us as babies and he has already experienced alot of life, and no way to know really what kind of life it has been. I am hopeful it hasn't been too bad for him though, because he is not terribly skittish.

 

I did scare him tonite though, ugh. I was trying to put a perch in for him on a corner at the bottom of his cage because we are realizing that he is actually pretty handicapped and I think we are going to have to structure his living space around that . . and when it popped into place it scared him to death and now he hasn't come out of his cage since, and he fluffed his feathers at me which I am assuming is "stay away" body language. Dang. Before that, last nite, he was being so, so sweet . . turning his head all the way upside down for me to scratch him, and even giving me kisses.

 

I'm glad he is in his new cage, and he seems really ok with it, but I feel like I have moved a blind person into a new home that they don't know the layout of. He was obviously comfortable in his old cage and I am just so worried he is going to fall and hurt himself in this new cage.

[birdhouse]

AG's are notorious for being afraid of new things, even when they've grown up with all the advantages. They're just so intelligent & emotional. Not at all like quakers & conures who I think are pretty much party animals lol! Especially quakers ;0 No insult intended to anyone's intellect, just very different outlooks on life.

 

And yes, it is a lot like you "moved a blind person into a new home that they don't know the layout of". It might be easier on him if you let him get used to it before you make him live in it. Let him explore a few times & put good stuff inside for him to find. Once he's gotten comfortable enough to stay awhile & play or eat, then close the door. Doesn't matter if this takes days. Like you said, he's very comfortable in his old cage & he was acting comfortable in his new home, too.

 

btw, read all your posts leading up to this. Very greyt story. Big kudos for taking him in!!

Edited July 18, 2011 by birdhouse

[marybeth]

Thank you! Yeah, that's a good idea. So far we have not closed him in the new cage, just left the door open with him in there. But he hasn't come out (I just looked over and he is thinking about it right now). I think it would really upset him if we reached in and removed him and put him back in the old cage over night. I've got it open next to the new one so if he goes in there before we go to bed I'll let him sleep in whichever he chooses.

 

Oh, and I adored our quakers, but you are right, they were little party animals. I absolutely adore their personalities. And we've never had a rehomed parrot before so this is all new territory for us, but I am really in love with this guy and I love how crazy smart I can tell he is, I just want to win him over and see him feel comfortable in our home sooo badly. It's so crazy, a week ago I did not even know this guy existed, and now every little whistle he gives me is more precious than gold. I love it!

[birdhouse]

If you do feel it's ok to let him sleep in the new cage, you might leave a light on for him & some towels at the bottom. Just in case. If you decide to wait until another day, I'd really suggest you make the decision to close the door by supper time. Birds can be less accepting of anything new after they've started to settle for the night. And he's going to need extra time to find a good perch.

 

Please trust me when I tell you (from experience) you do not want to hear him crash in the middle of the night.

[marybeth]

Ty so much for the advice, I had no idea it would be good to close the door by suppertime. I will 100% put some towels down tonight if he stays in the new cage, that is a great idea.

 

I know they need a good amount of sleep. But he has had an active, friendly period every night since we've had him home, right about this time of night actually. He seems to doze after supper for an hour or so and then he is active and interacting quite a bit. So far it has been his most friendly time. Of course it's hard for me to deny that when I want to interact with him so badly.

 

I don't cover his cage, I just let him sleep when we go to bed and he does doze throughout the day, he has very distinct sleepy times and awake times. Is that ok do you think? I could cover his cage but he is out here with us and would be able to hear us anyway so I don't know if he would sleep.

[birdhouse]

That's probably the schedule for most of us who work. But parrots in the wild tend to find their night roost a few hours before sunset. The flock socializes, takes head count & get settled in.

 

After that, they tend to be more reactive to anything new. Because, let's face it, there's plenty of scary things that can eat you after dark.

 

Our parrots still have those survival instincts. So, it's just maybe easier to give them the daylight to let them get used to anything new. Especially if there are extenuating circumstances like with your guy being handicapped & likely having undiscovered baggage.

 

You'll get all kinds of answers as far as bed time & cage covering. I think it boils down to the individual fid & his parronts.

[marybeth]

Yeah that totally makes sense. I will make sure I put anything new in his environment during the daylight hours from now on. Thank you so much, these are things I had never considered.