Life will never be the same... - Page 3

hylia · 08-29-12, 10:39 AM

Congrats! Your little Timneh is beautiful! How did the vet visit go? I see you didn't have his wings clipped yet, are you planning on keeping him flighted now? I think that's cool, I have always kept my birds flighted. They've learned pretty fast and it gives them a great opportunity to exercise.

That cage he was in at first makes me so sad. It reminds me of my first parrot, also a Timneh, who came in a 18 x 18 Cockatiel cage in which he had lived for decades. He has since passed on, but we now share our lives with another Grey. You might want to invest in a HEPA filter, these birds make a lot of dust as you likely have noticed. The Timnehs seem to make a bit less than the "Congos" though, at least in my observation.

Hope the vet visit went well and he did not end up having any deficiencies. Looking forward to hearing about how this guy thrives in you care.

Rogue628 · 08-29-12, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaunyboy

and what about the parrot ?

cheers shaun

p.s.did you see what i did there

Yes I did...lmao

rmfsnakes32 · 08-29-12, 12:12 PM

Congrats I have always wanted a large bird but not very cost effective right now! We have a love bird that talks a little but very hard getting her used to us she was not handled much at all so is very gun shy so to speak! You are very lucky he came around so fast our love bird is 10 months old unlike yours so I hope with age she will mellow out a little and not chomp on my fingers after a few minutes. She loves to babble at you and repeats a few things her new one is the word "no" very cute but does get old after a bit lol Good luck with your new addition

CK SandBoas · 08-29-12, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

I'm jealous. Seriously.

Annnd tell John I feel his pain. Cut his hair short now. It's for the best lol

You are so bad!!!!

Will0W783 · 09-04-12, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Aaron_S:Annnd tell John I feel his pain. Cut his hair short now. It's for the best lol

LMAO Aaron and Shauny!! I tease John about his receding hairline sometimes, but he's super sensitive about it. LOL.

Will0W783 · 09-04-12, 08:59 AM

Ok, so update on Baby. The vet visit went pretty well. He is in the process of molting, so with all the blood feathers coming in we could not have his wings clipped. The vet found evidence of Baby having been exposed to second hand smoke at some point, and I found out that my friend's mom, the original owner, smoked. Poor Baby has degraded papillae in his crop.

He also has a mild Vitamin A and D deficiency, so I am supplementing his diet with yogurt, fresh leafy greens, and a full spectrum Avian UVA/UVB lamp. He goes back to my vet for a checkup in two weeks.

We made a TON of progress this weekend. I saw Baby beginning to play with some of his toys- he is still tentative, but he will poke at them with his beak, and he was pushing his swing back and forth while standing on a solid perch underneath it. John had to go down to VA to help his mom and step dad with their truck so I was home alone. Friday and Saturday were awful...I had several emergencies at the house and got in a fight with a friend, so I was sitting on the couch, exhausted and depressed, and Baby looked at me and said, "Whooop. You ok?" It made my day. I told him what a sweet bird he is and I love him. Sunday we practiced stepping up onto the bowl he likes and stepping back onto my arm. He was being very good about stepping up, all the while saying "Ohhhh." "Wanna" and "Good Baby". LOl...soo cute.

Last night, John came home and wanted to spend time with Baby. He didn't put the dogs upstairs though (my pitbull is awful with the bird and tries to get him if he flies), and then he was trying to get Baby onto his bowl. For whatever reason, Baby was having none of it and flew into the other room....and the dog went after him. John caught Rory and I heard Baby growling. I ran in, and John was trying to grab Baby and pick him up while holding the dog back. I told John he can't grab Baby because we are trying to get him over his fear of hands, so just hold the dog and I'd get Baby. John held Rory and I gently coaxed Baby onto the bowl, then onto my arm. Poor John seemed angry and jealous...lol.
I went upstairs with Baby on my arm to the bedroom where it was quiet and talked soothingly to him. He had some ruffled wing feathers, so I tried reaching to gently smooth them.....and he let me! I stroked his back, and then I gently reached and scratched behind his head....and he let me!! He leaned into it and said, "Ooooh". I teared up, I was so happy! I sat with Baby and scratched his head and pet his back for about 20 minutes, then he hopped up to my shoulder and snuggled under my chin. <3 <3. He was chattering away, whistling and muttering and saying things like "ohhh", "oh boy" and grinding his beak contentedly. I wanted to cry I was so happy...I know, I'm a silly sap, but it's awesome to see him warming up to me and trusting me.

After a while, I took him back downstairs, and John tried to get him to go to his arm, but Baby didn't seem to want anything to do with him and bit him.

I guess he was still mad about the whole grabbing deal. I would be...that had to be scary for poor Baby, but I know John was just scared the dog would hurt Baby. I walked back over to Baby's cage and he stepped off of my shoulder into his cage and settled down for the night. I went to bed with a big smile on my face. He is so soft and warm. I love petting birds!

Gungirl · 09-04-12, 10:57 AM

That is an awesome story Kim.. all the good and bad but at least Baby has trust with you. Keep up the good work and it will pay off a thousand times over.

Will0W783 · 09-04-12, 11:31 AM

It's been amazingly fast progress. I never expected Baby to come around so quickly, with having never been handled for at least 15 years. He is really smart...sooo smart. He chimes in with the funniest, appropriate little things to say at just the right moments..it's like having a little kid who's just learning to talk, lol. I just have to get John to be more gentle; it's what worked for me. John usually has a way with animals, and it seemed like Baby liked him better at first, but now Baby seems to be uneasy with John, and I think it is because John tends to grab him up in his hands rather than patiently try to get him on the bowl perch when he flies away. Once Baby is done molting, he will have his flight feathers clipped, and then it should be easier to keep him safe from the dogs. I can't wait to get home from work and spend more time holding and petting Baby.

Gungirl · 09-04-12, 11:33 AM

It is amazing how smart they are. I am always amazed at the stories birds can tell. How is your other bird dealing with having Baby in the house? Do they chatter?

Will0W783 · 09-04-12, 11:39 AM

Tweeter is another part of the house, but when Baby hoots or whistles loudly, Tweeter will answer. I'm trying to convince John to let me buy a freestanding floor cage for Tweeter too so we can move him to the same room and let them keep each other company. John is afraid that they will just squawk and screech at each other all day and night. What do you think?

Right now I'm dividing my free time between Baby and Tweeter. Tweeter sits with me while I do office work or read or take a bath. Baby gets one-on-one time with me when I have done my other chores and am relaxed and can give him my full attention to work with him.

Will0W783 · 09-04-12, 11:39 AM

I'd like to have Tweeter down on the main floor where we are most of the time though. I feel badly that he's upstairs and only gets to see us when we go to play with him.

JustBitten · 09-04-12, 11:56 AM

Congrats on your new baby! I know what it's like to bring home an unexpected featherhead who becomes a love muffin, so I'm right with ya on that one! My Alexandrine was owned by an older lady living with her son and his family. They hated Kado so much for screeching (he was bored and frustrated in a tiny cage) that they made her keep him on the porch as soon as it was light out. Not such a problem unless you live in Canada! We were doing some work on the property and I couldn't resist talking to him, so the lady offered him to me for free and we have loved him ever since (7 ish years now).

Mom has a Congo and I can attest to their difficulty level. Jack is a scaredy cat and new things even on the other side of the living room make him throw himself on the floor of his cage :/ He has bizarrely subtle expressions and the only way you can tell he wants to bite you is a particular tightening of the bare skin around his eyes so the eyeball itself looks almond shaped. Unfortunately we didn't know that yet when she got him as a hand-raised baby, and I ended up with a puncture through and permanent scar on my upper lip. For him, biting is a ninja style sport all about getting you before you know what he's doing. He is still in his difficult teenager years so we are all praying that he settles out... soon. Hilarious to watch him run while playing. He is over 600 grams and has massive dinosaur feet so countertop soccer games are a hoot.

They tend to pick their favourite person and everyone else falls into different levels in the hierarchy(which is all below them), and their favourite person can be anyone at all. Jack picked my brother, not my mother... I think Tims are better about that, but John should be quick to spend some quiet time with Baby to avoid becoming his least favourite person. Trick training can be an awesome bonding experience

We love Jack and he is absolutely spoiled rotten, but his moodiness determined for me that I'm happy with my Alexandrine!

Depending on his personality, you will likely find that stick training will be very helpful as well and is common to be able to handle larger birds when they get hormonal. Taking a chunk out a broom handle when they are in season is far better than your finger

I would recommend this forum as a source of great support and information. http://www.anafricangrey.ca/forum

One warning, don't use non-stick cookware. If it overheats, the fumes can kill birds in minutes. They have very sensitive respiratory systems so aerosols and room scents are dangerous as well.

I would try to switch him to Harrison's pellets as soon as possible. Premium Certified Organic Pet Bird Foods. Harrison's Bird Foods - let the results speak for themselves. There are other types but Harrison's has the best reputation and quality. The high potency mix is best for greys as they need more of the nut oil and protein than most birds and it has the vitamins and minerals he needs. The pellets should be fed with a mix of fresh fruit and veggies as often as possible to keep it from being boring. (Mom gives Jack his veggies/fruit on skewers to demolish every day so it's enrichment as well as food) Think of it as Crested Gecko Diet for birds as we have a bad history of feeding parrots as though they were chickens

The UV light is a great move.

Jack and all of my birds are flighted, and have great fun swooping around the house and buzzing people's heads, but we always have doors and windows locked when they are out, and with dogs around I can understand having Baby's wings clipped. I would be tempted to keep the dogs in the other room when Baby is out simply because he can fall, they can jump, and if he can't fly he has no defence. Research the best clipping style for grey wings, because it is very easy to over clip them as they are heavy bodied and just a tiny bit too much can turn a graceful glide to the ground into a plummeting stone and risk injury. Vets can be bad for doing a general clip when species specific might be better.

So happy for you! Good luck with your new baby Baby and keep us updated

Will0W783 · 09-04-12, 12:06 PM

Thank you so much for your information, JustBitten! I threw away any scratched nonstick cookware and we haven't used the remaining pan at all since getting Baby. I plan to keep the dogs in the upstairs whenever I have Baby out, whether he remains flighted or not. I'm more concerned with him flying into a wall or window and injuring himself, really. He isn't terribly graceful about flight, since he had no chance to even stretch his wings in his old home. My vet is a very well known avian specialist in my area, so I trust him. I brought some of the food Baby came with in to show him and he said it was good as long as I give him his fruits and veggies too. I am looking for a better all around food for when this stuff runs out though, and I will check into the one you mentioned. I want him to be as healthy and happy as possible.

He's eating a small hookbill-specific combination pellet/seed diet now mixed with Dr. Harvey's Perfect Parrot food (basically like a trail mix) and fresh fruits/veggies. He is a bugger about the fruits and greens though...he likes to toss them on the ground and go for the peanuts in his food.

TeaNinja · 09-04-12, 01:06 PM

i'm jealous. african greys are REALLY cool animals.

Will0W783 · 09-04-12, 01:17 PM

Thanks Zak. Baby is really AMAZING. He's probably the coolest animal I own, and I own a lot of things I consider really cool. He's very personable, and interactive and that funny little voice (sounds like he sucked on helium) piping up randomly just cracks me up. I want to do intelligence training with him, much like Dr. Pepperberg did with Alex, when he fully trusts me and is motivated to please. At the rate he is going, it won't be long. I had expected it to be at least 6 months before I was able to handle and pet him, but it's only taken three weeks!