danmcq

So I have been working from home full time now for about 3 or 4 weeks now. Dayo is getting used to it and his cage is directly behind me when I sit at my roll-top desk and PC. I decided to place my camera on the desk today as I started working and hit the record button as I work and I hear him start chattering. The first video is of him just chattering and playing as I work. The second is of him giving Kim his breafast requests as she starts preparing his veggies. She makes a comment about "Hating" doing that, but hey I am busy working...OK??? She's just trying to make me feel bad.... Notice his "mmmmms"as she or he lists items to prepare.

Crystal - The cheese you are giving is fine and much healthier than cheeze-its. Kudos to you for switching the reward. Your patience and the clicker training seems like it is going to work out well for you and him. The happy sound of your voice and use of "Good Job" is a great way to build his confidence and trust with you. A couple of observances, if you don't mind. In your behaviorist visit thread, you mentioned what you are going to do when the beak or nails need trimming. My recommendation would be NOT to have this done. His beak is fine and from what I can see of his nails, they are fine as well and perhaps clipped a little too short. To keep nails and beak in tip top shape and also provide him with some good activities, I would recommend including almonds in the shell for him to crack open and also placing toys made of wooden blocks he can chew to pieces. This will keep his beak in good working order and provide the natural way of keeping it up. The nails will stay at a good and proper length by simply adding some cement perches where you know he will frequent and stay on most the time. The perch mounted on the door would be the first place I would install one since you are working with him on using that perch in training and as his outside of cage preferred perch until he gets more settled into the new surroundings and used to all the new people and pets. I commend you for going to such lengths in trying the various avenues of helping him gain trust in humans. This will only be done with time, patience and love. You do not need a behaviorist to come over and add more stress to the mix as others have commented on. Just the way you are working with him is already showing he is willing to interact. But only in his own timing and space he is comfortable with keeping you and he apart until he is confident he can trust you and especially those hands that have been the "Pain Inflicter" he has known them as all his life. Those snatch and grabs in to a towel he experienced to only constrain and do what he considers torcherous things to him, namely wing clipping, nail trimming and beak trimming. His view of hands is the mean torture. With this thought in mind, I think you can understand why he is leery of hands completely. With your path set in the clicker training, with loving energy and patience, I guarantee he will come around to trusting the evil hands in time. The key is time and patience as I have probably worn out by know in this comment.

Cute video. I don't know if that is a large enough helping though, a second bowl may be required of those yummy veggies. Thanks for sharing this, I always love Emma's video's.

How sweet that he gave you kisses before leaving. I am looking forward to an update when you get a chance later today. Please know you and Kopi are in continued prayers.

Nice video of Tesla's clicker training session. The cheese you are giving is fine and much healthier than cheeze-its. Kudos to you for switching the reward. Your patience and the clicker training seems like it is going to work out well for you and him. The happy sound of your voice and use of "Good Job" is a great way to build his confidence and trust with you. A couple of observances, if you don't mind. In your behaviorist visit thread, you mentioned what you are going to do when the beak or nails need trimming. My recommendation would be NOT to have this done. His beak is fine and from what I can see of his nails, they are fine as well and perhaps clipped a little too short. To keep nails and beak in tip top shape and also provide him with some good activities, I would recommend including almonds in the shell for him to crack open and also placing toys made of wooden blocks he can chew to pieces. This will keep his beak in good working order and provide the natural way of keeping it up. The nails will stay at a good and proper length by simply adding some cement perches where you know he will frequent and stay on most the time. The perch mounted on the door would be the first place I would install one since you are working with him on using that perch in training and as his outside of cage preferred perch until he gets more settled into the new surroundings and used to all the new people and pets. I commend you for going to such lengths in trying the various avenues of helping him gain trust in humans. This will only be done with time, patience and love. You do not need a behaviorist to come over and add more stress to the mix as others have commented on. Just the way you are working with him is already showing he is willing to interact. But only in his own timing and space he is comfortable with keeping you and he apart until he is confident he can trust you and especially those hands that have been the "Pain Inflicter" he has known them as all his life. Those snatch and grabs in to a towel he experienced to only constrain and do what he considers torcherous things to him, namely wing clipping, nail trimming and beak trimming. His view of hands is the mean torture. With this thought in mind, I think you can understand why he is leery of hands completely. With your path set in the clicker training, with loving energy and patience, I guarantee he will come around to trusting the evil hands in time. The key is time and patience as I have probably worn out by know in this comment.

Tobie is always so enjoyable to see on video Jan. Thanks for sharing this. He is just too endearing.

Cute, very cute. Thanks for sharing this!

I have had birds of various types all my life. Parakeets as a child, a pigeon I found in a field, picked her up and had her for 2 years when I was about 10. Jiffy would fly to my shoulder as I rode my bicycle down the street as fast as I could. She was a wonderful experience, until one day she went for her daily fly around and never returned. Broke my heart and I would ride my bike around all over town looking for her. I just had to let go and imagined she met a male friend and started a family...you know how children like happy endings. Throughout the remaining years, we had a mynah named "Jack" for 23 years, bred finches for 7 years and finally with the children gone I started out with a conure as a first parrot that I suspect is wild caught, then a year later decided to get a Grey, after researching them for a year and deciding we could provide all they need.

Oh no, not again. You and Kopi are in my thoughts and prayers.

This type of action in regards trapping his Talons between your fingers and letting him flap for a long period is going to make him more nervous of your palm, in my opinion. Being trapped is not a good feeling to a prey animal and I suspect it will not be very long until he gives you a severe bite if you try it again or maybe 3 times from now. Using a positive reward and soft calming voice as you did is great, but perhaps I might suggest you have his favorite treat there with you so you can give the reward instantly to ensure it is entirely associated with what just happened. A delayed reward could have been interpreted for example as for being a good boy on your shoulder ride to the kitchen to get the carrot. Each bird is different as you know and may react differently than what you read or hear of others experiences with their bird. Since this even, is you grey now more fearful of your hand? That is the real gauge of whether he considered it a positive or negative event. I appreciate the effort, time and thought you are putting into making sure you grey has a good learning experience and a gentle way of teaching him the ways of human to bird acceptable social interactions.

The amount of time you can leave in direct sunlight is proportional to the temperature. If it's a 100 outside, they should be in full shade, 90 part of the cage should be shaded so they can move in and out of the shade to sun as they wish. At 80 they can by in full sun with no shaded parts for around a half hour, at 75 they can be in the full sun , but I still leave part of the cage shaded so they can choose. In the higher temperatures, always watch your bird and if you see they are starting to sit with the wings away from the body a bit or beak open take them in the house, even if they are in the shade. Those are signs they are starting to overheat. The birds coming back into the house which is kept at 78, from an outside temperature of 90 to 95 is no problem. Ive been dong this for decades with various types of birds from Mynahs and finches, to conures and greys.

Hey Janet, you stole my scale! I have exactly the same model/manufacturer. Dayo actually looks forward to perching on it and just kicking back.

Thanks for the great information and official introduction Don. Very nice.

EeEEeeEeEEeEEwwwwWwWWwwwwwWWW... One thing that irks me is people that have a cellphone stuck to their ear everywhere they go..restaurant, movie, attraction parks CAR??? etc. What did people do before cellphones??? Well, we actually enjoyed the peoples company we were with, the scenery where we are or the meal we are eating etc.....

Very nice video of the blue bird feeding.

You did refer to "buttons", thus my reply concerning them..... Your Grey is 1 year old. He is just trying to establish who he is and let you know he has thoughts of his own, unlike his pliability when he was an infant. They get testy and just want to try and get by sitting off on their own as you are describing. It has nothing to do with your having lost his trust. It is all about him learning that he has a brain, how to get his point across to you and you learning that what you want and when you want is not necessarily going to be his desires at that moment in time. The shoulder is fine as long as he does not bite you and you trust him there. My Grey has loved the shoulder since we brought him home at 15 weeks old and that is where he sits or rides most the time. The shoulder is each individuals preference and whether or not you trust your bird there.

I paid a little more, but decided on one made for birds. You can see the models on this web page: http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/bird-scale.aspx?engine=adwords!10654&keyword=%28bird+scale%29&match_type=&gclid=CKKV9IOGvKQCFcRS6wodoxkULw

GreYt photos of "Happy's" first official bath.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.... You need to add.... The Amazon throws some tin foil in the microwave just to watch the "Lightening". Thanks for posting this!!!

Right On, as per Jay re the height dominance theory out there on the web. In regards the buttons, just place your hand over it as you say no button and hide it from view. I cannot count the buttons my grey cracked before he understood..... well he understood, he was just stubborn about it!!!

Georgia sounds like a sweetheart and is getting along GreYt in your home. YOu are doing everything just fine in letting her go at her own pace. Thanks for the background story and how she is interacting with you already. Some are not so lucky. It sounds like you are already picking up on her body language which is great. The stand and items you described sound like a good way for her just hang out with the flock.

Welcome Dogu and Jack! It's GreYt having you here and thanks for the cute photos of Jack.

You can sing and play! I enjoyed listening to Dorian trying to carry you through it. Thanks for sharing this.

Donald, you do indeed have a gifted child. Of course all parrot owners believe theirs are gifted and they are. I am looking forward to hearing and seeing much more about Stella!

Welcome Jedimaster and thank you for taking in an older grey in need of a good and loving home. Since you are an experienced parrot owner, you are introducing him to the new home well. Letting him decide what and when he wants to interact and at what level is the best path. It is amazing you have had as much interaction with step-ups as you describe. He sounds like a wonderful Grey that has just been waiting for a home that has the time and love to give him he yearns for. To stop the biting, please pay very close attention to his body language. Also, ask before you start moving your hand or arm for a step-up or try to give a scratch. He is very intelligent, knows human language and will show you through body language long before he bites if you give him the option by asking and observing. I am looking forward to hearing more about how the vet visit went and seeing photos when you get a chance,