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Meeting a Timneh


jeffcampbell

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The bird is a family pet; she has 2 teenage children who are upset about losing him; so is she for that matter. We talked about visitations, keeping her informed about any changes in my situation, etc.

The main thing for me is that this is a chance to meet a bird in a home environment rather than store; we also talked about a trial period. With a store, I seem to have to make a decision, plunk down a big wad of money (for bird, cage, toys, food, etc) and then hope it works out

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I was finished.

The lady told me this grey is a real clown, very playful, involved with people (not just one person); should be no problem with the toy poodle upstairs; is toilet trained, used to being handled, talks and imitates sounds; doesn`t pluck itself, doesn`t bite.

So far I just plan to meet the bird and see if we like each other. However, taking him away from his present home is bound to be traumatic for him; he`s not likely to understand why (actually, I`m not very clear on it myself; something to do with him being too loud for some younger special needs children.

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I phoned the vet`s office this afternoon for some advice and they said...

* see if the bird`s eyes are clear (I`m not sure what an unclear eye looks like). The eyes on the tiels here look like glossy black beads.

* see if the droppings look normal

* ask about the bird`s diet. The owner feeds it pellets (as she thinks seeds are too oily) and also I think she mentioned table scraps.

A basic checkup is going to cost $48 CDN plus (if necessary) $160 for a blood test and $85 for a culture(?) plus any treatments needed.

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in it, not runny. Although if highly coloured pellets are used they might be psychadelic! whereby a plucked pellet fed grey was put back onto seeds and it regained its feathers.*some* table scraps are fine. Nothing salty,spicy,greasy etc. mind doesn`t come cheap. Actually if you wanted to save a little, avian biotech do disease testing for certain diseases. I am using them to test for chlamidia,pbfd and something else which I cannot think of as I have taken my painkillers. The cost is ?18 (uk). If you feel confident to take blood you might consider doing it that way. You can also try to deal direct with a veterinary lab so you supply the poo sample and blood sample and they do the testing.

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Good Luck with your search. I had wanted a CAG (love those red tail feathers) but couldn`t find one after months of searching. I finally located a Timneh baby who has now been with us for a little over a year. He`s wonderful! Except for the fact that I was the one who wanted a Grey and he bonded more with my husband (who is loved by all animals) and now he bites me...he didn`t at first but does now. He started talking right on schedule...at one year of age. He takes showers with my husband...this morning he greeted him with "good morning"...Jack said "good morning Simon"...and Simon replied "how are you?" So he`s starting to speak in context. Also, as evening approaches, he knows Jack will be coming home soon and he starts calling "Jaaaack"...sort of just like I do when I want him to do something. He also calls our dog by name.

He`s not a very good eater...turns his nose (or should I say beak) up at "salads"...what I call fruites and veggies which our canaries love...he much prefers pellets, cheese and noodles. I just read that birds are lactose intolerant and shouldn`t be given milk or milk products...we thought it was OK because they need calcium....so I`m not really sure about the cheese.

We have two canaries, a cockatiel and Simon. We also have a dog and have had cats in the past as well as many other small animals as our kids were growing up. Birds are by far the MESSIEST of all animals. But they are also the most fascinating. I think they are wonderful additions to the family. Not for everyone though. They need attention to thrive. As with any animal...the more you give the more you get.

You already have birds so you know the basic care. Having a larger bird is more like having a larger animal. They eat more, poop more, need lots of interaction. Their bigger cages take more work to keep clean. They can eat through toys quickly. You can spend $20 on a toy and it will be chewed through in a few days.

But it`s so worth it. All of our birds have distinct personalities. I wish Simon like me more...I knew that there was a risk in letting Jack hold him...but I haven`t given up. I`m still hoping he`ll warm up to me again. It`s just so darn hard holding my hand out for him to step up knowing he`s going to dive at my fingers with his SHARP beak! My reflexes make me pull away and Jack says that`s just what he wants to leave them there...but it hurts!

I hope your new bird works out for you...it sounds like you have done your research and know what to espect. I read about Greys for a long time before we got Simon...my kids thought I was nuts...but it`s good to be well informed. Look forward to hearing how it goes on Saturday!

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