It's Been A While

[tracie]

Hi Guys- Not sure who is still around from a couple years ago, but thought I'd stop in and say hello. To jog your memory I have Chicken my TAG whom I had gotten when I first started posting here. I was hand feeding him and you all helped me through my nervousness even though you were all worried too. Then I adopted Lilo (CAG) who had gone to live with Judygram for a short while before I got him. Lilo was more than a handful and we all got busy, so I was unable to post. Now that I am home full time and getting my bachelors degree online I seem to be on the computer all the time. So I thought this would be a good time to say hello again and hopefully be able to add my two cents now and then. Enough about me, you just want to hear about the birds. Chicken went through his terrible two's and after more bites than my family can count, he is now settling down with me as his favorite but pretty tolerable of everyone else as well. Chicken doesn't talk he only mutters under his breath very quietly and says shh constantly. I don't know why he chooses not to speak. His best friend Lilo on the other hand repeats everything and has recently learned the dog toy squeaker which is awful and drives my pomeranian crazy as he thinks someone has his toy and barks about it. Lilo was very spoiled before we got him and had zero limits so as some of you remember he had to have a wing clip when he first arrived, or he would have killed himself. Unfortunately soon after that he began pulling out his feathers and after he was nearly bald he went to work on Chicken too. Needless to say he didn't get to play with his friend Chicken for a bit. After several months Lilo got more calm and grew most of his feathers back. Now we have to be very careful with Lilo. Any change at all and he frantically pulls out his feathers. We can't move his cage, put up a Christmas tree, rearrange the furniture, or do anything different or he will remove all the feathers he can reach in a very short time. I know that this began because he was spoiled and left without any rules and then forced to move to new homes. I still blamed myself and still do sometimes. Lilo does still pick at the feathers on his chest, but he is much better now (as long as we don't change anything). It was difficult with Lilo at first, and sometimes it's difficult to make sure his life stays exactly the same every day, but I can't imagine my life without him (even though I am not his chosen one). I have learned a lot as I tirelessly researched what I could do for him and saw several parrot behaviorists. My family also added a Lessor Sulpher Crested Cockatoo to the flock. My son got her/him for his birthday several weeks ago. The greys have decided she doesn't exist lol. They ignore her completely even if she is on the same playpen as them. It's better than fighting though. Okay enough babbling from me. I hope everyone and their fids are doing well. I look forward to hearing how you all are doing. Tracie Oh, and I know how you all love pics so I will make sure to get some fresh ones together for you.

[Ray P]

It`s always nice to see a family member return to the flock and with that i will say welcome back.

I have only been a member from Aug of 2010 so I am kind of new but I have read your post before.

It sounds like you have an active house and you have to stay on your toes.

Edited February 8, 2012 by Ray P

[judygram]

Welcome back Tracie and it has been quite a while since you last posted.

I see Lilo is still a handfull and I did make the right decision to let someone else handle him but you are quite right that he was spoiled, waited on hand and foot and was too much for me at the time. He was a lot calmer than my grey and handled grandchildren running past his cage better than Josey does, sorry to hear he is plucking now but that is how some of them handle stress. I do think of him from time to time and wondered how he was doing and now we know. Would love to see some pics of him and Chicken too.