Posts by FreedomFrog

66

I Got this Parrot

by Honesty in

jw
friends

i got this parrot from a friend who used to be a jw and i don't know if i can keep him (i think he is a he) because he has a nasty habit that i can't break him from.. he is driving me crazy with his nasty habit.. i am having a hard time going to sleep even though i cover his cage at night.. does anyone have any suggestions other than cooking him in the oven?.

i really don't want to get rid of him but something has to be done... soon.. .

FreedomFrog

Also, please keep the cage clean...very important and fresh water always! Birds are pretty messy.

Yes, their water can get messy within a few minutes! I use to use water bottles and food dispensing cups. I stopped when I lost Cheeko because I have a nagging feeling that she stuffed seeds and other things in her bottle and couldn't get water. I didn't notice because her water bottle seemed like it was going down and I thought she was getting water...I'm thinking that is what caused her kidney failure. Not sure because the Dr said she could have been born with it and it just took time for it to develop.

I think I will go back to a water bottle for kitto but I will be making sure his water bottle is clear of things every single day. So if you do go the water bottle way, make sure he's getting water. Water bottles are less messy and don't become contaminated as easily.

My African Grey LOVES to take baths...I will fill up a sink with about 2 inches of water (luke warm) and he'll have a ball. Though, slowly introduce this to your bird if you choose this way. I got my bird loving baths by starting out with a bowl first...then I gradually allowed him to "test" the water. This will keep them well conditioned and their feathers in great shape.

Here's another link that may help...

http://www.africangreys.com/articles/nutrition/skincare.htm

66

I Got this Parrot

by Honesty in

jw
friends

i got this parrot from a friend who used to be a jw and i don't know if i can keep him (i think he is a he) because he has a nasty habit that i can't break him from.. he is driving me crazy with his nasty habit.. i am having a hard time going to sleep even though i cover his cage at night.. does anyone have any suggestions other than cooking him in the oven?.

i really don't want to get rid of him but something has to be done... soon.. .

FreedomFrog

OH!!! Poor Alex...I hope they find out what happened to him...restrangled is also right in that these parrots can live between 60-70 years...

More about African Greys...

http://birds.about.com/od/breedsofbirds/p/AfricanGreys.htm

66

I Got this Parrot

by Honesty in

jw
friends

i got this parrot from a friend who used to be a jw and i don't know if i can keep him (i think he is a he) because he has a nasty habit that i can't break him from.. he is driving me crazy with his nasty habit.. i am having a hard time going to sleep even though i cover his cage at night.. does anyone have any suggestions other than cooking him in the oven?.

i really don't want to get rid of him but something has to be done... soon.. .

FreedomFrog

African Greys tend to freak with new toys, depending on the bird, but they do love toys....If you get something new hang it outside of the cage but not on it so he can see it. After a week you can introduce it into the cage. Get the large parrot stuff becuase these bad boys can destroy anything.

Oh yeah...I forgot to mention that...lol Thanks restrangled!! You can even "play" with the new toy in front of your bird to show him it's safe. As retrangled said, go slowly with him. I like those puzzle (very hard plastic) toys for parrots where you can put nuts in them, my bird will shake the crap out of it but he loves to figure things out. Challenge his mind.

I sooooo agree with restrangled... if you discipline a parrot, thiswill only lead to a depressed/aggressive bird. Positive reinforcements are the best way to help a bird learn what they need. If he's misbehaving, turning off his light to his "place" or ignoring him will show him it's not what he should be doing. He should have a quiet space where traffic isn't so much especially when he naps during the day or sleeps during the night.

I can read my bird now...they do, as restrangled mention, send out messages. Once you can understand this "silent" communication, you'll be able to understand what is making your bird misbehave.

My African Grey will make a "water" dripping noise when he wants a bath. Even their eyes will convey so much if you know what to look for.

The eyes in the picture (of my African Grey) I posted are the eyes of "loving" very content bird...but he's aware too because of the person taking the picture.

66

I Got this Parrot

by Honesty in

jw
friends

i got this parrot from a friend who used to be a jw and i don't know if i can keep him (i think he is a he) because he has a nasty habit that i can't break him from.. he is driving me crazy with his nasty habit.. i am having a hard time going to sleep even though i cover his cage at night.. does anyone have any suggestions other than cooking him in the oven?.

i really don't want to get rid of him but something has to be done... soon.. .

FreedomFrog

This is "Sweety"...a bird I fostered and trained. Here he was very thin and started picking his feathers. He was sprayed with water bottles for punishment. The owners also threw shoes at his cage. He now lives with a wonderful couple in Dayton but it took me almost 2 years to get him use to a water bottle (for bath only) and he wasn't screaming as much.

alt

This is Cheeko...I lost her to kidney failure about 2 years ago. My sweet sweet baby. She was the best bird ever. Also a rescued bird.

alt

And this is my African Grey...he was stuck in a pet shop for over two years and had a horrible time with biting people. He was very aggressive. Now he'll lay upside down in my hand (because he has developed trust in me) and I can pet his belly. I have him on my chair by me as I type this. So you CAN retrain birds...don't give up. African Greys are the sweetest.

alt

66

I Got this Parrot

by Honesty in

jw
friends

i got this parrot from a friend who used to be a jw and i don't know if i can keep him (i think he is a he) because he has a nasty habit that i can't break him from.. he is driving me crazy with his nasty habit.. i am having a hard time going to sleep even though i cover his cage at night.. does anyone have any suggestions other than cooking him in the oven?.

i really don't want to get rid of him but something has to be done... soon.. .

FreedomFrog

Here's a link that may help you...

http://nh.essortment.com/africangreypar_rkli.htm

"You can discipline your parrot by telling him no very firmly. He will associate no with doing something wrong. He will actually have temper tantrums and when this happens I just ignore him for about ten minutes or so then come back and gently talk to him. He can learn to associate your leaving when he pulls these little tantrums and realize this is not a good thing to do."

Sorry, HL, but I disagree with this statement here....

"So maybe, when it says something you don't like, make a noise."

Sure, maybe a firm "no" but if you make too much noise or too much drama the birds can actually like that kind of attention and do the thing more. I find it more effective to say "no" then walk away and ignore him...they don't like to be ignored.

Never spray the bird, don't hit his cage or yell at him. It will only make things worse. I've gotten in birds that were scared to death of water bottles because their previous owners would spray them for a punishment option.

66

I Got this Parrot

by Honesty in

jw
friends

i got this parrot from a friend who used to be a jw and i don't know if i can keep him (i think he is a he) because he has a nasty habit that i can't break him from.. he is driving me crazy with his nasty habit.. i am having a hard time going to sleep even though i cover his cage at night.. does anyone have any suggestions other than cooking him in the oven?.

i really don't want to get rid of him but something has to be done... soon.. .

FreedomFrog

Also try to avoid teflon, this can be toxic to birds...no chocolate/avacodos because this can kill birds instantly. I use stainless steel when I cook. Oh, and don't let him eat after anyone because humans can give them bacteria that can kill them also. It's a chance I won't take with my bird.

Get him on a good pellet diet because seeds are like Big Mac's to birds. They eat berries/seeds/nuts/and other kinds of foods in the wild. Plain 'ol seeds are a bit too fattening for them but are good for treats.

Try to remember, birds need naps too, just like small children. They will become grumpy if they don't get proper rest.

I will also try to help you to the best I can. I am well aware of how to handle grey's and cockatoos since they were the birds I had mainly when I was working for the rescue place.

Restrangled is right, they bond with their owners and are very sensitive creatures. A bird can become depressed which can start into feather picking. My bird is very attached to me that he blows kisses at me.

restrangled, I'm sorry you lost your bird. I don't know if you guys remember when I lost Cheeko...she was the sweetest thing. I had a very hard time with her death. You're right, they become like children.

I can also try to help you with questions...still, get a good book on African Grey's at Barne's and Nobles or some other book store. That will help out quite a bit. Learn, learn, learn...when you understand your bird, you'll find that he'll be easier to train and it can be very rewarding.

66

I Got this Parrot

by Honesty in

jw
friends

i got this parrot from a friend who used to be a jw and i don't know if i can keep him (i think he is a he) because he has a nasty habit that i can't break him from.. he is driving me crazy with his nasty habit.. i am having a hard time going to sleep even though i cover his cage at night.. does anyone have any suggestions other than cooking him in the oven?.

i really don't want to get rid of him but something has to be done... soon.. .

FreedomFrog

One more thing, you CAN retrain him not to say those things by getting him to say things you desire. It will take time and patience. You've got to remember, it didn't take the bird overnight to start saying these phrases, so it's not going to be overnight getting him to not say them. My bird use to say "Paco"...because I use to take in birds for a bird rescue place to retrain them for a permanent home. He's not saying a"Paco" anymore because I'll say "good birdie, I love you Kitto (my grey's name) or "pretty Kitto". He now say's those phrases and I haven't heard him scream "Paco" for a good while. He doesn't hear it anymore.

Please, if you can, be patient with him. He can be an awesome bird for ya.

66

I Got this Parrot

by Honesty in

jw
friends

i got this parrot from a friend who used to be a jw and i don't know if i can keep him (i think he is a he) because he has a nasty habit that i can't break him from.. he is driving me crazy with his nasty habit.. i am having a hard time going to sleep even though i cover his cage at night.. does anyone have any suggestions other than cooking him in the oven?.

i really don't want to get rid of him but something has to be done... soon.. .

FreedomFrog

I actually have an African Grey...he had some bad habits too because he was in a pet store for two years getting mistreated. I've had him for over 4 years now and he's much calmer. He use to bite to draw blood and he use to scream.

You need to try not to "react" when he does the things you can not tolerate. When he does good things, praise him with gentle words.

Is he in a quiet space? If he's in the living room, it may be too much stimulation for him at the moment. My parrot has his own room (walk-in closet)...when it's around 7pm I put him in his cage and cover it up as well. I live in an apartment and he's not been a problem but that's because I've worked with him for several years. I bring him out of his "room" to be with use during the daytime but they also need to be in a quiet space when they try to sleep. Parrots need to have about 10-15 hours of sleep especially during the winter. If they do not get the proper rest, they will act like misbehaving children. They also need LOTS of toys because they are very smart birds and can get bored very easily. I also allow my bird to rip paper up, my bird can do that for quite a while and is very content.

African Greys and even Timneh Greys (which are a bit smaller and have a maroon tail) can be very good birds.

The best thing I can tell you is learn ALL you can about these birds. Once you understand their behavior and their body language, you'll be able to handle him and he may end up being a beloved pet for years on.

Good luck to ya.

18

YouTube link NBC Nightly News Child Sexual Abuse 21 Nov 2007

by GBSJG in

i uploaded the file to youtube not sure if it's against there copyright rules and gets cancelled.. but here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlac9ks_eqm.

FreedomFrog

I'm marking this so I can find it later...

Thanks for the thread. I just wish my mom and dad would see it on their news...maybe that will wake them up.

18

Hi all....wow

by -Tank in

jw
friends

hello folks.

i posted one topic in the "relationships" section of this board, but just wanted to say a few words, and introduce myself, i am tank.

i was just curious, this is a jw board, i was expecting to find 80% of the members, or posts, to be of diehard, hardcore jw's, trying to preach there beliefs or there views, but yet, almost every thread i read has to do with someone leaving, already left, or a story of when they left, nonetheless, all the stories lead away from the jw religion.

FreedomFrog

WELCOME Tank!

Phew, that was a close one. That's how my former BF got her husband in the controls of that religion. He wasn't a JW but she was and he loved her way too much. He's been in since '91 as far as I know. I'm glad you were able to hide from them. Hopefully, they will leave you alone now.

I was about 6 or 7 when my parents became JW's so I had been in for over 30 years. I left in 2004 without very few regrets. I don't regret leaving the religion but I do regret having to lose everyone I've known. The regrets I have is very small compared to my kids being forced to learn their ways.

Anyway, welcome!

~Froggy~