Bringing him home...

We are pretty excited about bringing our new baby grey home next week and are trying to make sure the experience is as good for him as possible. We have his cage, a stand, a few toys.....things like that...but I'm wondering what else we are forgetting. What type of food would you recommend for him? As far as his cage goes, should I have his toys in it already when we introduce him to it or should it be empty with toys added later. Seems some grays love toys and others are scared of them at first...lol. I have had a vet recommended to me that is only about 30 minutes away so when we get him home Cody has a Dr's appointment scheduled right away...anything in particular I need to ask or find out while I'm there?

I guess I'm just asking general advice on what you suggest for a new baby in the house.

As far as toys go maybe have one toy in there just to begin with for a few weeks so that its easy for him to get around the cage and not get stuck on anything. I find that younger birds are a little clumsy lol!

I don't think getting stuck will be a problem....the cage is bigger than I expected when I got it! LOL!!!

AWWWWWWWWWW please show us some photos when you can. I would invest in full spectrum lighting. I agree with going slow with toys. Greys tend to freak at something new or different. Cody will eventually like puzzle toys to stimulate his brain. You will need old newspapers also for top of grate. The stainless steel bells are loved also. I have fed my TAG Harrisions HP since she was a baby and my vet considers it one of best. The greys need the high potency for calcium. Babies love to be hand fed some nice warm oatmeal with no sugar. Cinnamon is good for taste. Enjoy Cody!!

Yest one thing you must have is patience and be calme. Let him come to you. He need time to adjust with new people and home.

Start first with the food the breeder is using. Some babies in particular won't touch a new food, especially in a new home. I would let him have what he is used to eating for a month. If it's not the Harrison's HP, I would then convert him after the first month to that.

If he is already used to toys, I would put in a few. If not, one or two. I've had birds I can give anything to, and some that are afraid of new things. My amazon, who never had toys, is particularly afraid of every new thing I introduce to him. I have to start with it laying next to the cage, then attach it outside near the bottom and gradually move it up each day. That usually works, but sometimes he gets very frightened of something even doing that.

And yes, full spectrum lighting unless you live somewhere that it is safe to take him outside year round. Some hazzards outside include dogs and cats, hawks and eagles, and mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus. You will have to evaluate whether it is safe for him out there or not. Hawks can be very persistent about getting prey. We have a member here who had one crash into her window trying to get her amazon sitting near it. We also had one have their cockatoo killed by a hawk.

I just brought my baby home on Tues. As someone suggested whatever they are feeding him now to start with. I'm a bit surprised they didn't even discuss that with you yet to make sure you are willing to feed him a good diet. Jasper came home with Roudybush pellets, Just Veggies and Avi-Cakes for his dry mix. In the morning he gets a breakfast of Bean Cuisine and cooked frozen veggies. As Spiritbird said oatmeal is good. I read in one of my books someone gave theirs warm oatmeal before bed. Last night I made a small bit and added a few bits of frozen fruits. I fed him off a plastic spoon and he loved that alot.

Toys depends on the bird. I was lucky that Jasper started playing with some different kinds there while I visited him so I knew what to get for him. I got him a pack of squirter tub toys but I think one might be going bye bye because he's gouged it up in a few places and I dont want to chance him ingesting any of it.

Star Bird Ring Around the Rainbow Large - STAR BIRD by MY SAFE BIRD STORE
He messed with a little when I first put him in. He likes his forage tennis shoe. I do have a few toys in there, he hasn't been scared of them but he's not explored alot of them yet. He does like the tub toys but I might have to try to switch him to something else since he's going to chew them up.

This site is a good place to get toys too if you haven't already seen the thread on it.

Good luck with your new baby and congrats!

Then breeder mixes her own food. She said she will send a little with him so we can have something that he is used to for a while. I've looked around at the pet stores for the Harrisons HP and can't find it anywhere. Is it something the vet will cary or can I order it online maybe?

As for toys, she says he LOVES them and has lots hanging in his cage...she makes them and tries new ones out on her young ones so she says they have a constant supply of new ones in and out and the good news is it doesn't seem he's scared of them. He is getting here on the afternoon of the 21st and we just can't wait!!!

Your vet might sell Harrison's. If you check Harrison's website you can get a list by state who sells it. I order it from My Safe Bird Store.

Well, tomorrow is the day! Got his cage set up and ready but I think I'm gonna remove some of the toys to start with. Got a vet appointment for Friday for a "new bird checkup"...lol Food....check. Heading to the airport at 1 tomorrow afternoon to meet him. I think we are ready...

Yes I would remove those two big toys and just leave the small ones in for a while until he gets used to his new home.

Nice cage. Good luck with your new baby! Gee, I'm so jealous! Everyone has given good advice. I'll just add to take things slow. Give him time to settle in. Glad to hear a vet appt. is set. You seem to be on the right track. Don't hesitate to ask us questions, or to show us pictures.

That's the same cage I bought for Merlin I really like that the play top has it's own tray and is removable, and I like the shelf at the bottom. Also with the bars being welded the way they are, it's very easy to clean and disinfect. Easier than my other 2 cages.

Glad to hear I made a good decision on the cage! I actually found it here local used on Craigslist for only $125....a little elbow grease later its all disinfected and ready to go.

Quick stupid question that I'm not clear on. The cage has the little drawer in the bottom to collect the waste...does the newspaper need to go in there or just put it in the cage on the floor?

I put it in the tray. Then you just pull it out and dump it in the trash, and wash it once a week or more if needed. I should add that I would change the paper every day or every other day. But, I generally only do actual cage washing once a week. For the birds that have grates though I wash the grate every other day or so.

Although I had to take the grate out of my cage because my bird was gnawing off the powder coating. So now she gets to rip up newspaper all the time, and I need to clean her cage 2-3 times a day.

She is the only bird I have had though that has that inclination of eating the grate!

Thanks for clearing it up!

Got a call from the breeder and her car broke down on the way to the airport so looks like he won't be here until tomorrow. The look on the kids faces almost made me take the drive to pick him up today.......almost...lol

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that!

Sorry to bug ya'll but I've got a couple more questions. Cody has been on a home made food from the breeder consisting of seeds. I've read people doing seed and pellets both for their birds. I think I need to keep up with the seeds while he is adjusting but how long should I wait before I start introducing pellets into his diet? Also, he has been using a water bowl but the breeder suggested I train him on a water bottle at some point. What's the upside to the bottle? I've always just used bowls for my birds...but they have all been parakeets, cockateils, and quakers.

The big thing I'm going back and forth on is clipping the wings. He is going to be an inside bird at least 99% of the time. I've read good and bad both ways...I was thinking of NOT clipping them because I do have 2 dogs and a cat also and thought that way he could "escape" if he felt the need. Seems from my research most people suggest clipping them...HELP, I'm SOOOOO confused! LOL

The upside to the bottle is it doesn't get food dropped in it but it still needs cleaned and it can be a big problem if the rollerball gets stuck. That means your bird can't get a drink *at all*. If you will be gone all day working I think I would just stick with the stainless bowls. They are very easy to clean and I empty and wash mine morning and evening more if I find something dropped in it.

I didn't realize about the ball in the bottle until I saw the video stickied on one of these threads..They are worth taking a look at, there's always something new to learn.