Newest member of the family

[tobytools]

I'm off to collect my new parrot that I'm going to name maple, it's a mutation of the green cheeked conure (pineapple)
I used to breed birds and sadley had to sell all as family moved to oz, I stayed here with brothers.

I hope my pet iguana (Bruce) get along.

Random I know but just to share and pulse the misses is watching crap on the tv


TT

 

[nev]

will it be called Hercule?

 

[blackrodd]

Will it be a defective? Rodders

 

[Gerry]

I have a three year old African Grey, He is a cracking talker but he's very picky as to what he says. You can try and teach him a phrase until your blue in the face but if he doesn't want to know you have no chance. However if he takes a fancy to something he hears in the background then he will happily repeat it. Unfortunately it's usually what you don't want him saying. At the moment it's "kiss my arse" and I have only just managed to get him to change to "yippee ki a buggerlugs" from the original die hard phrase.

Gerry

 

[tobytools]

I have a three year old African Grey, He is a cracking talker but he's very picky as to what he says. You can try and teach him a phrase until your blue in the face but if he doesn't want to know you have no chance. However if he takes a fancy to something he hears in the background then he will happily repeat it. Unfortunately it's usually what you don't want him saying. At the moment it's "kiss my buttocks" and I have only just managed to get him to change to "yippee ki a buggerlugs" from the original die hard phrase.

Gerry

I've always wanted an African grey, I used to train one when I was younger my mums friend owned it that lived across the road,
I used to Breed lovebirds and have 3 or 4 clutches, I sold a couple and have the rest to an aviary in Bournemouth town centre so the public can view them, was a heartbreaking day.

I had to sell all my birds when my mum moved to oz, and my black headed caique was amongst the ones I sold

On a good note, maple is happy and flying around happy as me in a tool shop. She loves apple and is Basically fully tame at 3months old. She flew into the window once or twice but she's getting to know that it's not freedom lol.

I'll introduce my iguana to her in the next month, fingers crossed they get on.

I've made a few toys for her already and am planning on making an big play perch that stands in the middle of the room.

TT

 

[Gerry]

Malachi spends most of the time out of his cage sitting around where we are. African greys are extremely sensitive to their environment and often pull feathers when distressed. We had a bout of this when we first got him but now he's fine. It's amazing the amount of dust they generate, it's like talcum powder and gets all over the house.
We keep his flight feathers trimmed so we can even take him outside in the garden with us in the summer.
Here he is with his best mate, Grace my 3 year old English Setter. They are literally inseparable!

Gerry

 

[tobytools]

Malachi spends most of the time out of his cage sitting around where we are. African greys are extremely sensitive to their environment and often pull feathers when distressed. We had a bout of this when we first got him but now he's fine. It's amazing the amount of dust they generate, it's like talcum powder and gets all over the house.
We keep his flight feathers trimmed so we can even take him outside in the garden with us in the summer.
Here he is with his best mate, Grace my 3 year old English Setter. They are literally inseparable!

Gerry

That's a beautiful bird, I almost considered getting one as I prefer stocky birds like African greys, amazons, lovebirds, senagels ect,
I know what you mean about the dust, my caique Ws the same,
I'll upload some pics on maple later on this evening, I had my old birds fluffy tent sleeping thing and she snuggles up init at night it's very cute,

As you say birds are very sensitive and will pluck them selves bold if not stimulated enought,
Lots of toys and cuddles and a good diet will sort that.

Personally I don't like clipping a birds wings as it's like taking a persons get off, it's a good exercise for them and stops them getting overweight,
Maple flys around the room in laps like a racing car.
She's only a small bird so that helps if I had a grey it would e able to fly so much (small lounge)

I've always wanted a Cockatoo, lesser crested.

Thanks for the Post I enjoyed see that
And your grey look happy and healthy,

Sadly I've some very poor conditioned birds and it makes me sad so seeing a well loved parrot always puts a smile on my face
Thanks mate
TT

 

[Gerry]

He's actually looking a bit scruffy in that picture. He had just gone through a molt and the breeze is fluffing his down up a bit.
His newest phrase is the one from the Aldi advert, "Like it, Like it, Like it"

Gerry

 

[tobytools]

Excellent, hopefully my bird leans a single phrase but if not that's fine, I will get a cockatoo later on in life but for now I'm content in what I have animal wise,
And believe me I've had a lot of weird pets
TT

 

[WoodySteve]

It's amazing the amount of dust they generate, it's like talcum powder and gets all over the house.


Gerry

My dads African grey gets dusty like you said. my dad as a water spray bottle and sprays him twice a week with plain water, it helps keep the dust off them.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Oh jealousy!

We had a pair of Red Lored Amazons in the 1990s. We had to give them up when the children arrived (little fingers at risk, etc.). I miss them hugely.

Charlie, the hen, could fly really well (self taught - she couldn't when we got her), and would come when called. She was fairly safe in that regard - I used to answer the door to the postman with her on my shoulder. She was also mischievous, fond of interrupting my work by walking over my computer keyboard, and begging scraps at mealtimes. She liked tea to drink, bathtime, and chillies to eat, and was anybody's for a peanut in its shell. She'd also preen on your shoulder (and go to sleep there), and if she pulled out a secondary, would deliberately tickle your ear with it. When I was very ill and had to sleep in an armchair she'd come over and snuggle against my neck, and we'd both doze off together. She was housetrained too - would fly over to her climbing tree, which had newspaper underneath (after a couple of years we had very few "accidents" at all, and anyway parrot droppings are pretty benign).

Joey, cock bird, was older and bigger. Very beautiful markings, but had been rather abused by previous owners (round cage, too fat, no exercise, etc.). He couldn't fly at all when we got him. Always grumpier and slower, he didn't really like humans (understandable), and once took a chunk out of my cheek (Charlie was on the other shoulder - I think he was simply jealous).

We eventually gave them away, after "fostering" with a bird garden and a parrot breeder in S.Wales. Charlie did lay eggs, I know, but it was a 'stormy' relationship and I've no idea if they eventually bred successfully.

I'd get another like a shot if SWMBO and funds permitted. Wonderful company and great urban pets.

I assume you know about the dangers of PTFE (Teflon) with them: fumes are invisible, but almost instantly fatal to parrots, typically caused by overheating frying pans, etc.

I still have a few jumpers with Charlie-made holes in them. Happy memories.

E.

PS: Someone was asking about Walnut tree disposal elsewhere -- I got a branch from brother-in-law's dad's garden - it made an excellent climbing tree.

 

[tobytools]

Oh jealousy!

We had a pair of Red Lored Amazons in the 1990s. We had to give them up when the children arrived (little fingers at risk, etc.). I miss them hugely.

Charlie, the hen, could fly really well (self taught - she couldn't when we got her), and would come when called. She was fairly safe in that regard - I used to answer the door to the postman with her on my shoulder. She was also mischievous, fond of interrupting my work by walking over my computer keyboard, and begging scraps at mealtimes. She liked tea to drink, bathtime, and chillies to eat, and was anybody's for a peanut in its shell. She'd also preen on your shoulder (and go to sleep there), and if she pulled out a secondary, would deliberately tickle your ear with it. When I was very ill and had to sleep in an armchair she'd come over and snuggle against my neck, and we'd both doze off together. She was housetrained too - would fly over to her climbing tree, which had newspaper underneath (after a couple of years we had very few "accidents" at all, and anyway parrot droppings are pretty benign).

Joey, cock bird, was older and bigger. Very beautiful markings, but had been rather abused by previous owners (round cage, too fat, no exercise, etc.). He couldn't fly at all when we got him. Always grumpier and slower, he didn't really like humans (understandable), and once took a chunk out of my cheek (Charlie was on the other shoulder - I think he was simply jealous).

We eventually gave them away, after "fostering" with a bird garden and a parrot breeder in S.Wales. Charlie did lay eggs, I know, but it was a 'stormy' relationship and I've no idea if they eventually bred successfully.

I'd get another like a shot if SWMBO and funds permitted. Wonderful company and great urban pets.

I assume you know about the dangers of PTFE (Teflon) with them: fumes are invisible, but almost instantly fatal to parrots, typically caused by overheating frying pans, etc.

I still have a few jumpers with Charlie-made holes in them. Happy memories.

E.

PS: Someone was asking about Walnut tree disposal elsewhere -- I got a branch from brother-in-law's dad's garden - it made an excellent climbing tree.

That's a beautiful story, sorry you had to get rid, heartbreaking when you have to let go.
I'm after some apple tree I'll get some soon enough and make a stand ect using pegs to join and what not.

I introduces maple the conure to Bruce the iguana and I have to say went very whell Bruce climbed onto her cage (there's a huge purch with bowls up there) and just sat there, maple on the other hand wasn't happy at all she was whipping around the room shouting at the top of the beak get of my house!! Was very funny to watch but she may of been a bit destressed so I put Bruce away (woman do over react)
She will get used to him in time but where he is so much bigger she's scare bless her,
All in all a great triumph, better her scared than Bruce as if he lashed out with his tail he would break her wing or worse and better not think about if he bit her as he and taken a few chunks out of me in the past.

I keep meaning to get some shots of them I will do so when I have the pasiance to upload pics
TT