Acappella

Baby steps are good. They add up, and when you look back you won't believe how far you've come. My first (and only) bird was a re-homed CAG so I've been where you are. Lots of us here have birds with 'baggage' so feel free to look around and ask questions when you want.

Welcome to the forum. He's a sweetie. Thanks for being his forever home. There's lots of great info here. You might find some interesting info in the rescue and rehome room.

So he's a stinker and a thinker. Get'er Gilbert!!!!!!!

Yipeeeeee!

Hee Hee Hee. grumblebutt

Luck, luck, luck, luck. You can do it. Just remember if you break down and give Sam attention after an hour of screaming, you just taught him to scream for an hour When Dorian is in obnoxious birdy mode I mutter 'I'm not answering that' under my breath until he chooses an acceptable sound.

Jay's point about key phrases made me remember something. Dorian was neglected by his previous owners. No bad intentions on their parts, they were just a bad fit for a grey. Anyway, I couldn't ever get him to step up. Every time I said the words he would back away shaking. Then I found out the only time he was told 'step up' in his previous home was once every few months when they would force him to step up and take him out, towel him, and do a severe clip. I changed my request to "wanna come with mom" and that's when I started having success. My point here is it can be something really small that finally clicks and it takes really listening and watching our fids. I would buy those foam ear plugs that compress when you pinch them and then expand when you put them in. You can still hear but it takes off the edge of the screaming. I had to use them at one point with Dorian when he was going through an anxiety screeching stage. They helped me stay calm and that allowed me to continue to approach him with calm body language. Also, go back and read Reggieroo's posts about his first grey Murphy and screaming. There was a point when they were at their wits end but they got it solved. I don't think their screaming problem was as bad as Sams, but it can be fixed. I'm sending lots of love and calming thoughts yours and Sams way.

I'm not here, I'm packing.

Car's clean. Talk to you tomorrow.

Oliver really is looking so much better, especially his wings and tail. Fingers and toes crossed that the feather in helps with his nakedness .

OK, deal. I forgot about the time difference. Can we agree that the 2nd chapter will be done by this time tommorrow? In return, I'll post pictures of my packed boxes in the moving storage locker.

You and I are very different creatures my friend. I loved subjects like philosophy and civics and completely stunk at math and science. I'll make you a deal. You get through the philosophy chapters this afternoon, and I'll stop procrasinating and spend the afternoon packing. What do ya think?

At this point the behaviour is so extreme that I suggest contacting a behaviouist. I would suggest Barbara Heidenreich at Good Bird Inc. IMHO she is at the top of her field when it comes to extinguishing problem companion bird behaviours. There will be a fee for a phone consultation, but it'll still probably be less than the hearing aids you'll need to buy for the family in a few years due to hearing loss Take a look at her website and the material there and see what you think. You have my upmost respect for being determined to work through this. There are a lot of people out there who would have re-homed Sam by now. He doesn't know what a lucky little guy he is. Remember you can always come on here if you need to vent. <3

You're right Joe, it's a great picture. Now, get off the forum and hit those books young man!

Congrats! Now . . . MORE PICTURES PLEASE. I'm seriously in need of a baby fix right now

Sounds like a happy and curious grey who feels safe in her environment. Like a kid, all you can do is make their zone as safe as possible, which it sounds like you are doing, and watch over them as they explore.

Just let her see the treat in your hand, then put it in the treat bowl and step away. The idea is to start letting her associate hands with good things. Maybe put the treat in and then sit down in a chair a couple of feet from the treat bowl and ignore her (well, look like you're ignoring her but spy on her). If she doesn't approach move the chair a little further away. Where you are when she approaches will let you know her 'safe' zone. Then the goal becomes moving the chair a tiny bit closer every few days until you're very close to her but the cage still separates you. Then you can try offering the treat from your fingers through the cage bars. She doesn't take it, shrug, drop it in the dish and 'ignore' her. When she does take the treat tell her 'good girl' in a happy voice with a happy expression and don't push her. Let that be your little step forward. This is the process I had to go through with Dorian. To see where we are today, take a look in the forum Homemade Toys and Playstands room, "Playstand I Made For Dorian" thread. It was worth every teeny, tiny step forward.

You're making me homesick. Well, father's homeland sick anyways. My Dad was from Scheemda in Groningen, so about as far away from Zeeland as you can get and still be in the country. lol I'm hoping to get over for a visit in the next year.

Dorian's life before coming to me sounds very similar to Titi's. When he got here in October of 2007 he was about 4 yrs old, totally cage bound, terrified of hands, very cage defensive. It actually took him months just to venture outside his cage at all. It was literally years before he would step onto my hand at all (sometime in 2010), and another year before he felt safe enough on my hand to venture outside of the room his cage was in. He started stepping up from a perch outside of his cage. He would move to a certain perch, of his choosing, and that was his signal that he was ready to step up. He's been stepping up from inside his cage only in the past few months. During the months and years of working with him I also yearned to introduce him to his world, and would sometimes get jealous of members here who could cuddle with their birds, take them out to socialize etc... It's easy to get frustrated because WE know they're safe and that we have a whole bunch of new things to show them. Problem is, they have to figure that out on their own, and any attempts to rush them along can endanger the trust they're starting to feel for us. The members of this forum were here to encourage me and listen to my frustration and sadness, and celebrate every little success. Some birds progress faster than Dorian (I think that's he's a very cautious guy, even for a grey), but even 4 years is a drop in the bucket of time we have to spend together. Just let Titi observe her new flock and learn to read her body language so that you can tell when she's ready to try something new and when she needs to retreat and process her new environment.

Are there any other sort of terms when it comes to a grey? lol

It's funny. After posting here I went into a pet store yesterday and they had, amongst other beautiful birds, a clutch of baby greys about 6 weeks old. They were so cute. I felt the baby tug on my heart. I think especially since I never had the baby experience with Dorian the babies are a huge temptation. But then I thought about Dorian and the changes that might have to come to his life if I introduced another bird. He's used to his cage door being open all day if I'm home. What if the birds don't get along. Any new bird would be fully flighted and because Dorian doesn't fly his cage would have to be closed if the other was out. Would that set back all the progress Dorian has made? I'm not saying I'll never add another bird, but it's a big decision and it needs to be well thought out no matter what the circumstances. I guess for now I'll have to be strong and limit my shopping to stores that do not have live animals to pull on my heart strings.

From reading others experiences here I know the biggest thing to consider is the very real possibility that they will not like each other. They may not be able to be out of cage at the same time, and you may have to monitor them very closely at all times. It's a case of 'hope for the best, but prepare for the worst'.

Joe, look up Dave007's posts and look for the product he recommends. I think it's called Feather In or something like that. Like Nancy says, try not to take it personally and stress out about it. Don't react if you see him plucking. It's so easy to accidentally reinforce bad behaviour. eg. you see him plucking and say "NO" in a excited tone of voice and rush over to the cage. You may have just taught him that plucking a feather causes you to make exciting noises and pay attention to him. Distraction is your best weapon. Keep his toys interesting, turn on the tv/radio, talk or read to him, create foraging opportunities. You're a good parront & I know Mikko is loved. That's what's most important. <3

Oh yes, I know that excitement well. Just goes to show why the word patience is used so many times on this forum. Having it is as essential as having a good cage, especially with a re-homed bird. Good work to you, your family, and of course Stewart.

Aw, you and Gilbert are making me smile. Lol at the mess a bird trying to bathe in his dish makes, I know it well. I hope getting wet makes his feathers more comfortable and he's able to leave them alone.