Meet Avery!

[Niner10Tango]

This is such a great story about Avery. I wouldn't give him back either. He fits right into your flock very nicely. Lucky you and Lucky Avery!

 

[saxguy64]

Thank you! Yup, he's pretty special
Now he's in the slightly bigger cage while I scope out something more suitable, he has bigger bowls... I put a really large ceramic one in so he could dive in for a bath if he wanted. Well, he doesn't seem to be a fan of that one, but he tried to squeeze himself in the regular one for a bath yesterday. Seems like a hardwired behavior since it's been impossible with the tiny water bowl for the last 15 years, so he really tried, but didn't manage to get much water on himself. The floor and bottom of the cage however.....

I'm so proud of him, and promptly replaced the regular water bowl with a great big stainless steel one. He seems comfortable with it so maybe it will help make bathing a little easier. Time will tell.
I can't wait to get him out of the room by himself, but quarantine, you know. What can you do. I don't suspect any scary diseases as he's been in the same house, caged without interaction of birds or human hands for so very long. Better safe than sorry though.

 

[wrench13]

Salty is the same way, although his regular water bowl is a 6" one. Still too small for a good bath. WHen I see him trying , I grab the water schpritzer bottle and spray the heck out of him. Cage is gonna get wet anyway, right?
He does take spray baths out of his cage, but come cold weather I hesitate to get him that soaking wet.

 

[LaManuka]

Oh just look at all that fluff, hopefully the stainless steel will be more appealing and encourage him to take the plunge. My Lovejoy has just discovered the delights of a full body dunking over the last few days, ably assisted by Val the budgie to show him how it’s done - interestingly Val shows a great preference for stainless steel too and refuses to take a bath in a plastic dish, it's just not his style apparently. It’s wonderful how Avery is taking to so many new experiences so quickly under your love and care

 

[saxguy64]

My apologies, it's been a bit since I updated on my new boy Avery.

So we're 4 months in now, and honestly, it feels like he's been with me forever, in the best possible way. He just fits.

I've upgraded his cage a second time, and he has more room for toys and to climb around and spread his wings. This one being white and bigger, was a little intimidating to him at first, so I set it near his existing one like last time, and on day two, he climbed over to it and started exploring. I added some familiar perches and toys, and the next day he moved in and made himself at home.

We've discovered the magic that is CARDBOARD. Toys with hunks of cardboard on them, and especially boxes. He gets so excited over a box that he can't contain himself and immediately gets to work on it. Thank goodness I get a regular supply from work, he turns a new one to little shredded bits every single day.

As a huge bonus, if he's busy chewing up cardboard, he's NOT so busy pulling feathers. I always have hope, but I had no expectations of breaking a habit of 30+ years. It's not completely stopped, but given his past, to me, his progress in just a few months is nothing short of a miracle. A "before and after" comparison:

Look at all those new feathers on his neck and chest! I'm so proud of the little bugger! He still plucks some when he's stressed, which isn't too often these days. I've found that he'll tolerate a spritz in the shower, but doesn't care for it really, and as soon as he gets dry and left alone, promptly removes bunches of chest feathers. So for now he just sits on the curtain rod and supervises Baxter, who shows him how joyous a shower can be. Hopefully he'll get the idea someday. At least he's started bathing on his own a couple times a week in his big water bowl.

Now, my ekkie, Tucker, is kinda... pushy. He wants to be everyone's buddy, and in trying to do so, doesn't pay attention to other's space or boundaries. Avery has been thus far standoffish and a little timid about Tucker landing on his cage. This morning, he found his courage and chased Tucker away! (From inside his cage. I don't let them out together since "the pushy one" annoys the other two and I don't want anyone to get hurt) While I don't want them to hate each other, I was proud to see Avery show the confidence to tell Tucker to back off.

Oh, of course being a grey and now feeling pretty comfortable with us, his vocalizations have come right along as well. Like Tucker, he prefers sound effects to words, but has a growing vocabulary. One of his latest sounds gets me laughing every time. Just something silly I've done with all my birds for ages. Sort of play wrestling. I hold their beak gently and wiggle it side to side and go "rar rar rar rar" in a growly rough voice. Avery decided he loves that sound and does it all the time now. He's starting doing it now if I hold his beak and just ask him if he wants to wrestle. It sounds pretty scary, actually, and you'd think it's an aggressive growl with a pending attack, but then immediately after, he'll make kissy sounds, tongue clicks or say hello in his sweetie pie voice.

Overall, Avery has pretty much thrown all my preconceived notions about greys right out the window. He's confident, outgoing, curious, and accepts new things very quickly. Boy does he love head scritches! Interesting though, he wants them under specific conditions. I must be sitting down, and he sits on my arm which is across my chest. Once the conditions are met, he puffs up his head and puts it down, beak on my chest, demanding action.

I think he's a pretty amazing little old fella!

 

[Niner10Tango]

Avery acclimated quite well and I am so happy to read that he adopted to you and his new environment very quickly. The feather growth is absolutely amazing between the before and after pics.

Good thing you can an ample supply of cardboard from work. I don't know about you, but to me, each time I purchased something that came in a cardboard box for the bird, especially from Amazon, my bird was more interested in the empty box. Whatever makes them happy works for me! Avery looks VERY HAPPY and CONTENT is his new home. You do have an amazing fella

 

[Cottonoid]

Wow wow wow!!!!! He's really found himself and it's too perfect!

 

[saxguy64]

It's funny, I love to post updates now and again, but I always worry that I might sound like I'm bragging. Definitely not the case. It's always entirely them being amazing birdies. I'll happily brag them up for the exceptional babies that they are. I can only take credit for being unbelievably lucky to be able to serve them the best I can. I often ask myself, why me? Not complaining

 

[LaManuka]

Jon, I'm SO thrilled for you and Avery I just can't tell you!! It's a miracle that you found each other, but no surprise to me how well he's doing now that he has you to love him - it just shines from his eyes how happy he is!!

 

[SailBoat]

WOW, what an improvement! There is a chest to be proud of!!
It really helps them, even if the feather recovery is for a short period of time as it reduces the demand on their stored energy. But, finding a job (reduce boxes in to bits) is always a great thing with these highly intelligent Parrots.

So very happy to hear that he has become comfortable with his new home. And, to think, there is much more to come!! Enjoy good friend!

 

[texsize]

that's an incredible improvement.
I wish my Bella looked that good.
I had almost as much of an improvement in Bella at first.
But she still barbers her feathers all the time giving her a ragged look and she seems to pluck her chest during molting.

But I have a question.
How have you protected the wire for the heating plate you have in the back of the cage?
Can you post a picture of the back side of the cage?

 

[saxguy64]

that's an incredible improvement.
I wish my Bella looked that good.
I had almost as much of an improvement in Bella at first.
But she still barbers her feathers all the time giving her a ragged look and she seems to pluck her chest during molting.

But I have a question.
How have you protected the wire for the heating plate you have in the back of the cage?
Can you post a picture of the back side of the cage?

I haven't done anything with the wire yet. He *mostly* leaves it alone. It's covered with a plastic coated flexy conduit kind of thing, and it's low voltage DC current coming off the wall wart. If he starts showing interest in it, I have a length of 1/2" PVC pipe to encase it, and zip tie it in place. Might have to find some bird safe strong wire though, since he seems to go right after zip ties.

 

[texsize]

I haven't done anything with the wire yet. He *mostly* leaves it alone. It's covered with a plastic coated flexy conduit kind of thing, and it's low voltage DC current coming off the wall wart. If he starts showing interest in it, I have a length of 1/2" PVC pipe to encase it, and zip tie it in place. Might have to find some bird safe strong wire though, since he seems to go right after zip ties.

That is how I protected my small warming plate.
I have 2 larger warming plates but the wire has 2 problems.
1 they have 110 VAC going directly to the hot plate not low DC voltage.
2 the diameter of the connecter on the wire is too big to fit through the 1/4 inch diameter PVC pipe I have on hand.

Next trip to the hardware store I need to fix that problem.

 

[saxguy64]

Alternatively, if you're up for it, you could cut the connector off, run the wire through the PVC, and re-connect it. A little solder and electrical tape and hide the splice inside the PVC pipe

 

[texsize]

Alternatively, if you're up for it, you could cut the connector off, run the wire through the PVC, and re-connect it. A little solder and electrical tape and hide the splice inside the PVC pipe

I am a retired electronic technician.
Why didn’t I think of that.

 

[onamom]

Avery’s feathers look so good and it sounds like he’s really settled in to his new home! Don’t worry about “bragging” I think it’s great to celebrate how wonderful he’s doing! He sounds like a wonderful bird.

 

[chris-md]

Hi Avery!! You’ve landed in a wonderful home, and will be well cared for - however long you might be there

 

[saxguy64]

Silly Avery update...

He's settling into the daily routine around here very well, and totally understands things like, it's almost bedtime, so it's time to do the little pole dance/slide down the cage bars by the door so dad will take me out for some goodnight snuggly scritches. He's learning new sounds, some of which are exactly Tucker's, so I have to look to see where it came from. He's super talkative at exactly 6:00AM every day, regardless of the time for sunrise, and my alarm doesn't go off until 6:30. I love it. He's not loud at all, and I just lay there and enjoy it until it's time to get up. Lots of "hello!" and whistling and calling the dogs and such.

Now a couple of silly ones that are showing me his comedian side. First, he started mimicking exactly Zoey's (my dalmatian) bark. So now he does her bark, and then laughs about it if he gets me to look up to see what's going on.

Can't remember if I posted this one, but I'll do it anyway, as the sound pertains to the next thing... Beak wrestling. He thinks it's quite funny if I hold his beak gently and wiggle it side to side, and I ask if he wants to wrestle. He immediately goes, "Rar rar rar" in a deep grumbly growl voice, then reaches up for beaky kisses.

Now, the best one yet, and his use of the above mentioned growly voice...

Yesterday morning, he argued with me! I wasn't going to bother, but now I'll HAVE to get him DNA tested. We were having his morning scratch and snuggle session before he goes back in the cage and I head to work. He was being his sweet funny self, and while I'm scratching his head, I said, "awwwww, what a good boy." He stopped cold, looked up at me, straight in the eye, and with his grumpy growly wrestler voice yelled, "GIRL!" then put his head down for more scratches. OMG I was dying!

 

[onamom]

I agree it sounds like you have to get the blood test now to prove the gender! What a sweet, funny guy (girl?!).

 

[LaManuka]

What an amazing thing for Avery to say, and in perfect context too! I love hearing stories about how happy he is now that he has you to love him, Jon He, or she, is one extraordinarily lucky bird!