# Lucky's BFFs



## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

What a cute crew! Had to smile seeing Happy riding high with his goggles (sunglasses?). He looks like a celebrity.


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## sidewinder (Feb 3, 2016)

Loved seeing your menagerie!!


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

:love2:I love all your animals...especially your Gray! I bred and hand raised everything from Parakeets to Macaws for 25 years! I also had a pet Gray named 'Pooh!' She was a riot...she would call the cats "Here kitty kitty" in my voice and when then they came running she'd laugh and cackle at them! When you turned off the lights at night she would say "Goodnight" and when I went past her cage in the the a.m. to go make my coffee she'd say "I wanna eat!" She also knew the dog's name and would share her pelleted food with her .......she'd tell the Macaws in my livingroom to "Shut up stupids!" She had an extensive vocabulary and used words in context! She was ammazing (just like Alex but did not pluck like he did!!!) LOL! I raised her from a 2 week old chick from a breeder friend who was going to let her die, as she was born with a curved spine and severely splayed legs that could not be effectively reset ...........her feet could grip though and she got around by using her beak to pull herself from perch to perch and she had a platform to sleep on. She lived for 15 years until the curvature impeded her organ functions...............I miss her.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

That is so cool that you knew Alex! Your zoo is quite the mix of interesting and cute types. Thanks for sharing.


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

Wow! what a great bunch of animals.


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

*So cool!*



MollyMuiMa said:


> :love2:I love all your animals...especially your Gray! I bred and hand raised everything from Parakeets to Macaws for 25 years! I also had a pet Gray named 'Pooh!' She was a riot...she would call the cats "Here kitty kitty" in my voice and when then they came running she'd laugh and cackle at them! When you turned off the lights at night she would say "Goodnight" and when I went past her cage in the the a.m. to go make my coffee she'd say "I wanna eat!" She also knew the dog's name and would share her pelleted food with her .......she'd tell the Macaws in my livingroom to "Shut up stupids!" She had an extensive vocabulary and used words in context! She was ammazing (just like Alex but did not pluck like he did!!!) LOL! I raised her from a 2 week old chick from a breeder friend who was going to let her die, as she was born with a curved spine and severely splayed legs that could not be effectively reset ...........her feet could grip though and she got around by using her beak to pull herself from perch to perch and she had a platform to sleep on. She lived for 15 years until the curvature impeded her organ functions...............I miss her.


Thank you for sharing your story and especially rescuing "Pooh". Rearing a baby parrot is very involved. I remember feeding Socrates formula four times a day for a few months. You are completely right about how they do know exactly what they are saying. Dr. Pepperberg's birds actually had requests..heheh: "Want a shower", "Want a nut", "Want to step up". When I met Alex, when he was about 28 years old and didn't really pluck very much. His roommate Griffin did and is almost completely bald. I know Griffin isn't as famous as Alex but he is just as smart, he just looks silly. :aetsch: Griffin was my favorite because he was less manipulative and the best at counting. I don't know if the articles about Alex mention this but they can do basic arithmetic (add/ subtract). For instance, you take away objects and ask how many blue objects are left. I specifically remembered the math lessons in the training sessions because I was so impressed. Socrates and I have been running through similar sessions but she mostly enjoys barking like a dog. Every time when someone is at the door, she barks before any of my three dogs. :alberteinstein: Dogs are also very smart. My last dog knew the word "walk" so well we started spelling it but then she figured out what "W-A-L-K" meant and we switched the word to "stroll". :angel2:


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## NatalieAnne (Jul 23, 2016)

You sure have a nice little family there. I've read & watched everything I could find on Alex & was so sad when he died. My little grey also has some vocalizations. Some of the things she says are: "Be back soon." when I need to run errands. "Want a little popcorn dear?" Calls the dog & then says "Want to go potty?" "I love you." When the phone rings she says "Hello." Tells the other birds when a bit noisy to "Quiet down." She's a bit comical in that when I lie down to take a nap on the couch she snores. She makes many sounds but funniest was when we were watching "Winds of War" and the ships were firing. Immediate after the firing ended my grey continued with the firing sounds. She loves to have cardboard boxes to chew up & the bits are nice to add to a compost pile.


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