KarahEve

Does anyone else's Grey take preference to plastic or wood toys over the other? Bailey seems intrigued enough by the plastic ones, but only very briefly. Then its back to wooden-type toys. Biggest question being, should I start straying away from buying plastic toys all-together if they don't seem to hold her attention for more than a matter of seconds and then not played with again? Or is a variety best in case she changes her mind?

Ok... so I'm not the only one that thinks this way! I adopted Bailey about a month ago and she came into this house "birping" and "farting" up a storm! It didnt take me long to follow her bodily function noises with a chastising "excuse you!" which she's already picking up on. Cant wait for it to get just a little more clear and have company over. Heck, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right? Not terribly happy about the fact that she makes those noises, but at least it'll be a good laugh for company in due time

So, it's been nearly a month since Bailey and I found one another (YES! We FINALLY successfully changed her name!) and I must say, she has settled in quite nicely We've gotten into our little routine and done some clicker training. We got to where I could get her to walk over to any part of the cage I want her to with nothing more than a stick and a clicker. And let me tell you, that has been a savior as far as getting her into her cage at night for a Grey that is not stepping up yet. When she got here, I got her all new toys (still looking into a cost efficient choice for a new cage for her b/c this one is about shot, but that's a story for another day) because the old ones didnt have much left of them to speak of. Needless to say, she was a bit nervous about them at first, but Oh My Goodness is this bird happier than a pig in sh*t now with one of her toys! It's nothing more than a few pieces of wood criss-crossed hanging from the top of her cage with a bell on the bottom. THIS crazy bird hangs upside down, slowly moves herself ONTO the toy, starts swinging and hangs on for dear life! It is soooo funny to watch! If I can manage to get it on video I will! Coming from a home that she was NEVER taken out of her cage for fear of biting, she is doing much better! As long as I'm home and its daytime, Miss Bailey is not in her cage. And biting? NON-EXISTENT! (Knock on wood) She has not bitten me yet. We have been transitioning together just fine if I may say so myself! Last, but definitely not least, WE HAVE A STEP UP! So, even with clicker training, she was EXTREMELY cautious of hands. I mean, week one and she was letting me pet her all the time. But put a hand in front of her body and her whole mood changed! She got very defensive and would run away if she could. Well, with clicker training, I got her used to my hand getting closer and closer in front of her body, never demanding she step up. Again, if she felt like she was being pushed, she ran away immediately. So, I figured this one was going to have to be taken slow. And now I am soooo glad I took my time At one point she finally started grabbing my hand with her beak and bringing it down in front of her then grabbing it with her foot. You could tell she wanted to step up, but was still very hesitant. I didnt even push her then. We did everything in HER time. And now, she will step up on her own! Ugh, so proud and so in love!

I recently adopted a Grey myself and she seemed to only want to hang out on the cage door. I agree with everyone that your Grey and your belongings are much safer if your Grey sleeps in the cage. The problem I ran into, was actually getting her into the cage at night when she wasnt used to me handling her yet. Trust takes time to develop and I didnt want to have to force her to step up onto me or anything else for that matter. What works for me is establishing a feeding schedule. She is fed breakfast every morning and dinner in the evening. Snacking during the day only when I am working with her to do clicker training. To put it more simply, I DO NOT keep food in her dish all day long. Some will likely disagree with this. But for her and I, it works! We have a relative schedule for feeding setup. She hangs out on her door or the top of her cage almost all day. But come dinner time, she is hungry. So when that food hits that bowl, within minutes, she goes right in. Again, by no means am I an expert. But this is what I've done to get around that problem without getting bit. Good luck!

Yes... she does that nearly every time I interact with her. I know its a good thing as far as the fact that it seems that she is quickly gaining trust for me. However, I also know it's not the best thing to provoke that type of behavior so I try to distract her when she does that. She's already allowed me to pet her a few seconds at a time and also acts like she DESPERATELY wants to step up (lifting up her leg and grabbing my hand and pulling it toward her. Then doing the same thing with the other leg) but I'm trying not to push her too fast. As excited as I am that she seems to be warming up to me quite quickly, I'm trying to only move at a pace that is comfortable for her. And as far as renaming her, I honestly dont know how bad of an environment that she came from. All I was told is that she wasnt taken out of her cage for at least 6 months and one of her talons being gone is a mystery. When I picked her up, she was very aggressive toward the person I got her from. It honestly didnt even take 24 hours before she started OBVIOUSLY getting comfortable with her new surroundings. Either way, it seems obvious that I am providing a better environment for her than she was likely used to. And not truly knowing how bad her past may have been, I really want her to have an absolutely fresh start.

Thank you all so much for the kind words

Imara means strong or resolute. I think Marco is a realllly cute name... Especially for a girl I'm going to try out Imara for a while... and really just see what happens. If it sticks, great. If not, either on to the next one. I'm sure we'll get it down soon enough. And I like the idea that if your bird can rename you, then you can rename the bird. Cute

Thanks for all the help guys! I'm leaning toward Imara. It's Swahili (spoken in the Congo) and a unisex name and she seems to be responding to it (she can tell I'm talking to her by the intonation in my voice when I say the new name)

Well from what everyone seems to agree upon, I'm glad to know she is growing so fond of me so quickly? I barely got her a few days ago! I haven't gotten her in for her vet appointment yet. As soon as I got her, I scheduled her to go in for the earliest checkup I could. But that isnt for another month or so. The local Avian Vet isnt in all the time. Oh, and she is perfectly able to hold her wings tightly against her body. Just when she does that little act, she widens them out away from her slightly.

She says Rebel. But as far as associating it as her name... I can't really tell? Only other words I've heard her say were "hello", "whatcha doin" and then some mumblings before saying "video".

So, as stated in my intro, I just adopted a 2 yr old CAG named Rebel. It's believe to be a she, however, she hasnt been DNA sexed yet. I am not fond of the name Rebel at all and would like to change it but could use some advice as to how to go about doing so. Also, Im trying to shoot for a unisex name (just in case "she" turns out to be a he). Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Ok... so being new to African Grey's I never really assumed they would display body language too terribly differently than other large birds might. But this has thrown me for a loop To me, this appears extremely affectionate. But my lesser cockatoo NEVER did anything like this! So, I'm kind of at a loss for what her acting like this means. This is the second time she's done it. Input anyone? Please ignore me sweet talkin her. Lol... its corny I know!

Hey everyone! I just adopted a beautiful little CAG a few days ago. As much as I love the idea of getting a baby, I know there are so many birds out there that are desperate for good homes. In my case, I previously had a Lesser Cockatoo back when I was in high school. She was a friend's, but was not in the best environment and not getting enough positive attention. Needless to say, anytime I was around, she gravitated toward me. So when the nipping and screaming and aggressive behavior finally got to be too much, my friend gave her to me. I had never had a parrot companion before and truthfully, found myself a bit in over my head. Luckily enough, my mother's boyfriend had some experience with birds and helped me to gain her trust and socialize her. She wound up being an amazing family companion! Sadly, when I joined the military, I asked my brother to keep her for me while I was away in basic training. When I left, much of the behavioral problems quickly returned, and with that, he got rid of her without my knowing, and to an unknown party. So when I found out, I didnt even have a way of finding my Cleo. Ever since, I wanted another large bird! I spent 8 years in the active duty Air Force and did 2 tours to Iraq. With my long hours, frequent travel, and hectic lifestyle, I couldnt bring myself to get another parrot, knowing I would not be able to provide the attention it deserved. I recently separated from the Air Force and just so happened upon someone that had rescued an African Grey from an elderly man that kept her caged for at least the last 6 months straight. She was missing a claw from unknown reasons and was slightly shy. But BEAUTIFUL! I immediately offered to take her for this person, as he had no intent on keeping her as his own, only to find her a good home. So now, that home is mine So a bit about this pretty miss lady: Her name is Rebel, a name I am definitely NOT fond of and would like some advice as to how to go about potentially changing her name. "She" has not been DNA sexed however, so if I were to find her a new name, I'd like it to be a unisex one (any suggestions?). She is said to be 2 years old, but again, no certain information on her (she has developed the yellowish creme color around her pupils, so she's at least that old (if I'm not mistaken). So far she says hello & whatcha doin among other mumblings. She farts, burps, barks, meows, hisses, purrs, sighs, whistles, and makes the EXACT beeping noise my door makes when opened. And last night, barely 24 hours after I got her, she let me pet her! Something she wouldnt even let the person I got her from do... and he had her for weeks. Anyway, I am so excited for us to learn and have new experiences with all of you! Training diet started tonight and will be starting clicker and touch training in the morning. I'll be sure to give everyone updates on how everything progresses with the new member of my family Ta Ta For Now!