Time to earn their keep!

[avinet]

Ernie is comiong up to 5 years old and Jamila is approaching 4, so I've decided that this year is the year they will hopefully start earning their keep and provide me with some lovely African Grey babies. Well I can dream at least!!!

One of the big problems I can foresee is their natural cautiousness about everything new in their environment - especially Ernie. Give him a new food bowl and he will stare at it for half an hour before going to eat out of it

If I suddenly introduce a nestbox onto, or even worse, in their cage they will have heart failure, so I have decided to introduce them to the nestbox gradually when they are in the shop and once they are comfortable being around it I would bring it home and it won't be such a shock to them.

Today was the first day, and to my surprise it wasn't as traumatic as I had feared. Ernie the ultra-cautious actually was willing to step onto the box (with the lid taken off) and Jamila even looked into it through the opening as well as from on top. So it might not be as bad as I had feared, and just maybe they are interested for all the right reasons - babies

Anyway I took some photos of course and two of them follow.

cheers,

Mike

[Laraine]

How cute. Fingers crossed Mike for some bubbies. I'm hoping some of mine decide to earn their keep too with some different housing arrangements and new breeding boxes this spring. So far the only babies I get are the reliable old budgies and a few Tiels.

[meandem]

Hope all goes to plan Mike. I didn't realise they were such a nervous bird. For a such an outstanding bird with such a big personality I thought they would be very adventurous.
I hope they make lots of babies for you.

[avinet]

They are not nervous - just very cautious of anything new. They seem to have to analyse everything first rather than rushing in without a care in the world. It is as if they have to consider all angles to make sure there is no threat from new things.

A very different personality to birds such as Galahs and Princesses which never seem to spend much time worrying about anything.

cheers,

Mike

[meandem]

They must be so time consuming to watch. I would spend countless hours just watching and learning from them. We watch our finches quite a bit, I love to see their little dances and actions when they are trying to woo the ladies. And when we give them fresh grass, I love to watch the nest building - they are so busy backwards and forwards.

I'm so looking forward to following Ernie and Jamila's progress.

[vankarhi]

great photo's Mike and I hope they breed many babies for you ;D

Galahs don't stress over new things??? mmmmmmmmmm well Bo needed to get "aclimatised" to anything new or she would stress out big time and from what I have read quite a few other galah owners have said the same thing. I used to think it was just Bo being a scaredy cat..........

[Lewis]

How are they going mike?

[avinet]

They have had their nestbox on top of their cage in our family room for a while now - with absolutely no interest in it from a breeding point of view. Jamila will climb up on top at times - just for a better view I suspect, while Ernie has discovered it makes a great sound if he bangs his beak against it. Moreover he can make different sounds depending on where he hits it, so he will sometimes drum out a tune on it.

The only ones interested in it as a breeding box are a geriatric pair of cockatiels. Unfortunately if Taffy ever got in it I doubt she will be able to get out - 18 years old and bad arthritis in her feet. JJ her mate is only 14 so he goes in and out and defends it against the Princess pair who are curious, but since they are also around 14, and have never bred, I don't expect anything from them.

Greys kept as pets don't have a great reputation for breeding, so I'm not holding my breath. If it happens then that's great, but if it doesn't they are still a joy to have around.

cheers,

Mike

[Laraine]

Maybe one day they will surprise you.