Advice??

[lizzy]

Hello from Wisconsin, new to the board. Getting ready to bring a new CAG baby home in a couple of weeks providing he/she is ready. Just curious to know of any products to stay away from or what anyone else has had great luck with,, cages, food and such. Thanks in advance. Can't wait to bring Alex home!

[TooLover]

Welcome to the board. Whereabouts in WI? I grew up in WI, Columbus near Madison.

[FeatherLover]

Welcome to the board, Lizzy.
Have you read up on the foods that are a "no-no" for birds?
I will most definitely forget some, but others will add them:
-chocolate
-caffeine
-avocado
-apple seeds
-really salty foods
-really fatty foods
-carbonated beverages
-alcohol

My CAG is very scared of change, as are most. I would suggest if there is a toy or food dish in Alex's current cage that you can take with to his new cage at your home, do it. Anything for comfort.

I'll post more as I think of it (as I'm sure others will as well).

Congratulations!

[cfulhage]

Welcome to the board! I have a 9 month old CAG, I've had her since she was 8 weeks old. It has been a blast!

A few other things to stay away from:
honey
onions
mushrooms
milk and other dairy products- yogurt is okay, and hard cheeses as an occassional treat

You may want to invest in some Zupreem Primate Biscuits for comfort food. My baby still has one every morning. Ollie also likes chopped steamed sweet potato. What is your baby being weaned on to?

You'll also want to invest in some full spectrum lighting if you haven't already. Joel may post later about that- he is the resident expert. Otherwise contact him and he will give you all the specifics.

Grey's as a rule do tend to be scared of new things, so try to introduce him/her to new things and show him/her they are nothing to be afraid of. Introduce her to lots of people so she will be friendly.
Work on touching her on her wings and under her wings to making clipping (if you're going to do that) easier, also, touch her toes a lot to make trimming her nails easier. (These are things I wish I would have started working on sooner with Ollie...)

Good luck! There are quite a few grey owners on the board, so you will find tons of information!

[TooLover]

Lizzy - I am also a new mom of a TAG, so I love this place! I need so much advise and information as I am the lover of the cockatoos!

[lizzy]

Loganville, WI, about fifty miles north of Madison. My breeder has already got Alex eating pellets, oranges and apples. We are making regular visits and are doing great with stepping up and getting our nails done.Already a bit of a cuddlebug:)

[Kristi]

As I found out the hard way, make sure your breeder shows you how to handfeed your baby before you bring him home....I brought home a weaned baby that I had been visiting for weeks and now he's back to handfeeding three times a day. He's adjusted very well as far as everything else goes, but he is still a baby and loves his handfeeding...he doesn't eat much else other than birdie formula...he'll eat nutriberries and crackers and sweet potatoes...that's about it. (He was eating fruits, veggies, and seeds before I brought him home).

And foot toys...especially the acrylic ones. And those whiffle-ball looking things...my Grey loves to chase that thing across the living room floor:-)

Good luck with your new baby!

[poi_lover]

Welcome to BirdBoard! Don't forget to post some pics of Alex. We love baby pictures!

[cfulhage]

How old is Alex? I can't wait to see some pictures of him/her!

[lizzy]

Will be four months in March. Not sure if this link will work but going to give it a shot..

http://tinypic.com/n36n13