judygram

I say go for the living room, you want him where the family spends the most time, besides him being where people could see him thru the window might invite intruders who might steal him. My birds cages are in the family room on the opposite side from the windows so they can still see out butyou really don't want to put them close to a window for sometimes other birds outside and cars and such might frighten them. My sun conure is very watchful of the windows when she is out sitting on my shoulder and I am on the couch close to the windows, she will see a bird fly over and startle and fly off.

I think that first week she was still in the honeymoon phase which means she was on her best behavior since she was in new surroundings, this is normal and then you start to see her true personality. Sometimes they ruffle all their feathers up to help get them back into place but if they stay that way then it is a sign that she is irritated but just back off a bit and talk to her sweetly, it may take some time for her to take to you again so do not be disappointed if she does this, you will gain her trust again.

Pardon me but if you are referring to me being a yank then you are sadly mistaken for I have never been nor will I ever be a yankie, I am from the South and proud of it!

Oh Jane that is too funny, no one gets away with it while the grey crew is in charge, thanks for giving me a big laugh this Monday morning, greyt story.

She is a happy camper and just being along with you even in her cage was wonderful enough, maybe she will take to the harness another day but thanks for sharing the great pictures of the little camera ham, she is so photogenic and so pretty.

Josey has never regurgitated for me, well she has gone thru the motions a couple of times but nothing came up so I don't know whether they count or not but others have said their birds have had a fixation on inanimate objects so it doesn't surprise me.

I have never handfed any baby birds so I wouldn't know but if Jay says they should be fed regular as clockwork then that is what you should be doing and he has had much practice at it so from now on you should stick to the schedule and arrange everything around them. You can do that for the next couple of months can't you Tanya.

Don't be discouraged, this is just a minor setback and she will get over it but do not banish her to her cage just because you think she doesn't like you anymore. I am guessing that your husband is probably going to be her favorite person but that doesn't mean she won't like you but if you refuse to handle her then your situation will never improve. You are showing apprehension about handling her and she knows that, they are very perceptive of our emotions so if you want to have any kind of relationship with her then you must not be turned off by her behavior, yes don't push her but interact and handle her as much as she will allow, you won't regret it in the end. She may be jumping off because she is anxious to get back to her cage but please do allow her out and that is a good idea about getting down on the floor and let her come to you then play with her. Don't worry so much about her not trusting you, she does not trust you yet, it takes lots of time for that to happen and you have to earn that trust it doesn't just happen but keep at it and you will be rewarded.

Looks good to me Jess and congrats on finally getting the harness on her and yes you will have to keep distracting her to keep her from trying to chew the harness off but you are off to a great start, thanks for the pics.

My grey goes to bed around 9:30 and her cage is in the family room where we stay up longer watching tv or reading, we turn the volume down and the lights lower and cover the cage but some people use a sleep cage that is somewhere else in the home.

She won't give up on you if you don't give up on her.

Yes that red tail gets brighter red after the first molt, you will be in awe of it!

They need to be in the busiest room in the house and the family room in most homes is that room, they like to be in the middle of what is going on.

I think the eyes are the main thing and maybe the way they stand, I think mature greys tend to stand a little straighter, they just look mature, other than the eyes I really can't pinpoint a physical difference but the difference is there.

Please don't give up on handling her as it could be a real setback in her learning to trust you, you need to do hands on and not be afraid of hurting her or the relationship, it has just started. About the shoulder thing, just use your other arm to prevent her from going to the shoulder and do it over and over again until she gets the message, it might take a long time but it will be worth it. Its only been a week now and that is nothing in terms of winning over her love and trust.

I understand completely and some people are more comfortable with starting off with a baby for with rescues you never know about their past and how they were treated, I just thought I would mention it. I see you are in the United Kingdom, we have quite a few members who are from there and maybe some of them will have some ideas and suggestions on where you might find good breeders near you. To learn more about the grey just read thru the many threads we have here for lots of useful information.

Just saw your post after I posted mine, those are red factor feathers and nothing to do with plucking, some greys have them on any part of their body and some people really like them, but there is nothing wrong with your grey because she has them, they are right cute.

Its hard to tell without knowing more about her but she may just want to be back to the safety of her cage especially if you have not had her for long. But do not be hesitant to get her out for fear of her hurting herself as she will sense that make it worse. My grey would jump off from her cage a few times when she is startled and she does not fly either, she has chewed some of her flight feathers on one side and has not regrown all of them enough for flight. Jay is right about keeping her from going to high perches so she has less room to fall and pad the area around her cage so she does not damage her keel bone. She needs time to settle in if you haven't had her that long and since she is a mature bird she may take longer before she comes to trust you. Learning her body language will come with time and observance of her postures and reactions for they can differ from one bird to another. Just remember not to take it personally if she should nip you, its just one of the way she has to tell you what she doesn't like but continue to allow her to come out of her cage and interact with her, you cannot damage the relationship but only reinforce it.

How long have you had this grey?

Now I remember seeing him, we have so many members that I forget who has posted a picture and who has not, thanks for indulging me again. Jules is right, he is a baby right now but in the coming months and years you will learn more about his personality and whether you can trust him near your face, right now is probably ok but some greys prove they should not be close and some can, mine is one that I trust to be close to me, she gives me kisses.

A reminder is always welcomed, thanks Jay.

Yeah, thats the ones, definitely not a geordie!

Well the adjustment will continue for some time but it is off to a great start so keep up the good work Heather, you are doing fine. Have you shared any pictures yet, hint, hint!

I'm sorry Jules but I have to laugh, better a Janner than that other one which I can't remember at the moment, senior moment!

I must have the exception to the rule for I have no problem with Josey going back into her cage at bedtime, in fact she goes in on her own accord, of course she doesn't fly at the moment so I have that on my side since she can't take flight to get away but she never fights going back. She is usually on top of her cage or the playtop on the side and she goes in willingly. I expect to maybe have some problems when she regains flight but that is something I will deal with when it happens.