Gus, our lil baby.

[murfchck]

Gus has come to us after two families that I am aware of. His first family did not treat him well and he was poked at with sticks and the cage was hit with brooms and a mop to get him to hush. Fed nothing but sunflower seeds that you would buy from store for the outdoor birds. He was brought to his next home two years ago, he is 5-6 years old. She works a pug rescue from her home and has chickens, horses and to many other pets to even try and list. She sells fresh eggs and the owners of Gus just brought him to her one day and left. Traded him for a few cases of eggs. He by right has a fear of sticks, which included perches so she had a heck of a time getting him from his small cage to the bigger one she got him. She couldn't sweep or mop anywhere within his sight but slowly got him past that. About one year into his new home, she had a family get together and had Gus outside so he wouldn't stress with all the people over. Her grandson brought him in to show him off and put him on the floor. He started to panic so went to pick him up, he darted up her arm and bit her ear. From that day forward, one year later, she was afraid of him and he has been in the cage. His diet today is a little better but he eats funny. I have seen baby parakeets take bigger bites than he does,lol. He does not know how to step up or really what to do with himself. He will not come out of his cage unless i pick him up. He thrashes about when Pat even gets near the room he is in right now. We have plenty to work on but he is worth every minute.

The rest of my flock has no problem with him except for Oliver who is demanding Gus know that he is top bird in this house. The only birds that are allowed to perch together are my greys, ( not that they do, Gabby is usually flying around and only gets on her stand to eat and drink ) the macaws each have their own stands as will Gus when he is ready. They can see but can't touch, lol. Right now Gus is seperated from the rest but little visits are done with each from afar.

[katana600]

Bless his little heart, Gus has found his forever home with someone who works so hard to understand his needs and will help him overcome his fears and be the delight he is meant to be. Oliver is going to put you on a short leash so you don't bring home any more "siblings" for him to have to train. LOL. You seem to find time for each of your flock individually, I have to admit, I don't know how you do it all, but you do. Hopefully he will grow to accept Pat as well and you will have harmony and joy in your home as Gus begins to feel safe again. I also have to admit I can understand his caretaker being once bitten twice shy. I am the only one in our home who has been in Gilbert's range when he was so scared and unpredictable. The first bite was entirely understandable, but the second one was such a shock that it was a lot more difficult to approach him and be vulnerable. It takes a lot to overcome but slowly as he relaxes and is more trusting, so am I able to go back again and again to offer him my hand. I feel very lucky that he is learning a different way of expressing himself. Can't wait to learn more about Gus. Thanks so much for sharing your flock with us.

Edited November 28, 2012 by katana600

[murfchck]

I forgot the pictures, doh! Some i posted on the intro thread but the one of him eating butternut squash was from last night. I was told he has never had that and she hoped he would eat it! Ha, he dove right into it. Could have been that i was spoon feeding them all though cuz when i put it in their dinner bowls they didn't touch it, just the spinach lasagna.

I am very lucky to have a husband who feels as i do with our children! We are able to incorporate each into our daily activities. Bongo cooks with me while Pat plays with the macaws, then he brings them into kitchen area and they help me cook. Gabby, well she is everywhere all the time! I can't say i always get direct one on one time with the macaws but during our cooking we dance and sing, get a few pets inbetween and lots of samples of dinner! Gus will be a challange to bring out since he is so fearful but i know in time he will gain his courage and join in the fun! He needs to learn to stand on my arm though, he has only clung to my chest, like in the photos. Lol That could make cooking a little hard!

[Timbersmom]

Gus clinging to your chest is so precious though! You need to get one of those baby carriers for him to ride in

[birdhouse]

I think Gus is so lucky to have finally found his way home! Love the way that spare cage & stand were right there waiting for him. lol He looks like such a sweetie. I can't wait to start reading about your adventures!

 

I hope for everyone's sake that Gus can get past his fear of sticks though. It's one of the things Phenix never got over even a little. I've never been able to find any way to make it any easier, either.

 

Phenix perches have to be cleaned in place because they can't come out & be returned to the exact position w/o him getting really upset. He'll have the shakes for a couple of days then it will be a week or so before he's back to normal. It's at least a month long process whenever he actually needs to have a swing or perch replaced. Usually longer.

 

It makes me so sad every time Phenix has to go thru it. So I really hope you won't have to w/Gus.

[judygram]

That middle picture of him against your chest is so precious and it looks like he knows he has hit the jackpot, poor dear to have had to suffer the way he has for so long but you know that time and patience will do wonders and I predict it will happen with Gus and he will gradually get over his fears or they will lessen in time.

Like Dee I don't know how you juggle all those birds especially with the big birds, you must have a heart big as the sky.

[Ray P]

Gus looks like a real sweetie.

[murfchck]

We have so much fun! The guys (and girl) are ready to play when we get home so we do! It isn't hard to keep up with them all because i have great support with Pat. We each have our duties and help each other when we need to! We have systems that we adjust each day to accomidate.

Gus is trying so hard to step up, but he always seems to end up with a leg on each side of my arm! First time he did that i thought he was trying to hump my arm. He did give me a little step up though after his dinner. I went bring him out when we were having our dinner and with just a little nudging he stepped up backwards and wouldn't let go of the bars of the cage but it is a good start. During our play time, he started hitting his beak against my collarbone like he did with a toy earlier so i let him do it. Then he threw up on me. Lol He also flew today, away from Pat when he walked in the room. I was told he flies very well, lol.

[Parrot Lady]

he is a beautifuk bird and sounds like he has a great mom and dad now

[Acappella]

Such a sweet looking boy. I"d love to have a cuddler like that, cooking be damned! Well, I don't really cook, but you get the idea.

[katana600]

When I saw the first photo of your outdoor aviary when you first brought home your first parrots, I knew you had an awesome team going there. When Timbersmom said you would need a baby carrier it brought back memories. Almost nine years ago, my teenage daughter got Bella, her Italian greyhound. On the way home in the car, I heard a cough and had her at "their" vet in the morning. She screamed in the car from her crate and that was just the beginning. She was a puppy mill puppy with "issues" to say the least. She was so sick that bronchitis turned to pneumonia and her lung collapsed. For a year, I carried that little dog in a puppy pouch on my chest and she grew up strong and healthy. That was a neat little carrier and I can imagine you could make something that Gus could ride on while he snuggles close to your chest but leaves your hands free to "serve" your flock. His pictures are incredibly beautiful. I am so glad you keep us posted on the forum of the progress of each of your rehomed bundles of joy. It is certainly enriching your journey, not to mention how each of them is thriving in a loving home.

[Greywings]

So you now have an Umbie in your heart and home-loving, very loud and very strong, did I mention creative? An attempt to out engineer the Too. Coffee cup after Too adjustments-

[murfchck]

I am going to try and find the baby sling for him!

Boy does he watch me lock up the cage, i expect him to be kicked back in the livingroom watching lifetime movies and drinking and eating bonbons when i come home from work real soon! He was already on the bottom trying to push out the tray. Had to put the grate in darn it, I hate cleaning grates! Lol

[Wingy]

One of those hand held steamers will blast the poop and bits from the grate really quick. Just lay it on a big towel and have at it.

[murfchck]

I need to get one!

So the throw up was a regurg. Then tonight he was banging my collar bone again so i tried to move him and half on my arm he started humping it!! I don't even know what to say about that. Lol

[Timbersmom]

LOL Speechless huh? Well at least you know he has certainly "taken" to you

[Greywings]

Like a child-distraction is your tool for Too's. Yes he is trying to claim you as his, beak banging is a part of that territorial behavior with Too's. Hand him a toy or go to a different room, give him a shower, start singing & dancing, just change it up before he starts protecting you from others as well. Clever birds and very good at training humans, I know I live with two Too's.

They can also push out the grates unless you find a way to secure them our Umbie has a minor in Mechanical Engineering.

[murfchck]

Ah, did not know that about the beak banging. I thought he was just playing because he does that with anything he puts in his mouth. Beside the fact that it gets painful after a while i will start distracting him from that.

I had our first scream session with ALL the big boys yesterday at the same time when i got home from work. Goodness, i was waiting for a window to break! Lol Bubba has already been doing the Too yell. It is okay though bc it isn't as loud as his macaw scream! I also heard Bubba telling Gus to shut up as i was unlocking the door coming in. He was starting his build up to the scream and i guess Bubba didn't want to hear it.

[Greywings]

Do keep in mind that your Macs should avoid breathing Too dust, not good for humans either but I do love the scent of Too.

[Acappella]

I had our first scream session with ALL the big boys yesterday at the same time when i got home from work. Goodness, i was waiting for a window to break! Lol

 

And that is why I will never get a Too, no matter how cute. On migraine days Dorians' smoke detector beep is bad enough (although he's usually a pretty good by if he senses momma isn't feeling well). There's no way I could handle the Too scream.

[Luvparrots]

Oh my, I have three medium parrots that love to talk and sing when I am on the telephone. My callers always comment on "who's over". I cannot image, nor I do I want to, the sound of a cockatoo scream. You have nerves of steel. I commend you!

[JeffNOK]

Wow, Gus is a little gem. Such a miserable history, but new beginnings and adventures await in an atmosphere of love. You certainly have a heart for birds.

[murfchck]

Our birds are all seperated so to speak,lol. We have the big boy room for the macaws and now a room we have dubbed our "Too, grey room". Oliver has breathing issues as it is so we keep him as safe as we can. Last night was a total blast with our flock, if that was a sign of our future then i know we will die laughing. Gus wouldn't come out of his room when i came home, he wanted to play in there so i took everyone to their stands but him and let him have at it. As all our birds do, he went right to Bongos cage and to the top. I had shut all the cage doors so he couldn't mess with anything. Being the smartie pants he is, he opened all the food doors and dumped eveything to fit in. Got him to the living room to his stand and all was fine till Pat approached him, he took off flying and did two circles around the living room and crash landed on Bongo and Gabbys stan. Gabby flew and Bongo just looked as if to say "what the...". He took off again, few more times around the rooms and crashed on the floor so we let him wander around. I went to pick him up and he went right up my arm to my shoulder, as i said i am not a bird on the shoulder person so i turned into a stiff dork. But i just started singing and thats when it happened. He just broke loose and looked like he was on Dancing With The Stars! Pat got it on video, i am waiting for it to upload to photobucket to share it with ya'll. It is funny in its own right but at the end when we said the song was over he just stopped and in the back ground at that moment Bubba dropped the "f" bomb. We never even heard that until we watched the video back. It was like he was mad we stopped singing and dancing.

[murfchck]

Well the video on photobucket last long enough for me to send it to the woman who gave us Gus, went back to get the link to post it here and now there is an error video not found message! Fustrating!

Gus is mumbling up a storm today, it is in perfect timing with an actual conversation too. He has said hello and hi and the lady we got him from after seeing the pictures said he has a cuddle song she use to sing to him, its in spanish. My spanish is limited so if the title isn't " Si, Taco " we are in trouble! He started his display and hiss today too, that was something! Lol Pat was coming in and out of the house today making Gus very mad. He also had a meltdown today, i really thought he was going to hyperventilate, lasted quite a few minutes. He couldn't see me and freaked out. He also started banging his beak on me again so i tried the distraction. All that did was get me beat with the toy i gave him, lol. Next time i am going to try something softer, cottonballs maybe, hahaha.

[Greywings]

Maybe that vid will magically reappear again after it's self imposed time out.