CuteMandaPanda

Awesome! I'm so glad to get the advice given! Particle77, I do not know how he was treated/handled by his previous owner. With me, when he drops a treat, I pick it up and try to give it to him again. He seems to get really annoyed when I show that I'm determined to keep trying. The step up issue with is is so bizarre. We approach with our hand, he lunges for a bite. I've showed him that a reward is coming, then asked for the command, lunges for the bite. He seems to mean in with aggression. He reacts this way under any step up circumstance except being pick up from the floor. He gladly steps up from the floor, but no where else. Anyway, the reason it is so weird to me is I can approach with my hand for the step up with and he'll lung for the bite with aggression and wants to do damage. Right away, following that we can immediately approach with his stick and his little foot flails for the stick and he's anxiously ready to go! I don't even need to give him the command, although I ALWAYS do anyway.

Thanks, Jane! I'll take your suggestions into consideration. I appreciate it =)

Just as Danmcq stated, Baby will toss food with his beak and other times get a whole talon full and toss it. It crashes to the bottom of the cage. Maybe he likes how it sounds?

Baby will be 2yrs old on Dec 14. He's preowned. He's been living with us since Nov 6. He's only conditioned to do step ups onto a stick and he's being extremely stubborn about step up exercises from surface to hand. He's not receptive. Apparently, he isn't conditioned to receiving treats because he rejects them most times that we try to give them to him when he does something pleasing or when we are trying to teach him something. We've been trying to do step-up exercises from floor (or other surfaces) to hand and he wants to snap and bite, EVERY SINGLE time. When he steps up on the step up command to his stick we praise him and attempt to treat him. Right now, he loves grapes and we're limiting them to only out of the cage treats. He gets little pieces when he step up to his stick to be removed from his cage or relocated from a playstand to something different. He also enjoys peanuts. However, many times he rejects the treats or takes them and throws them. Sometimes he even dodges the treat and goes right for a finger or other part of the hand. Does anyone have any suggestions for getting him to understand the concept of praise and treats? And again, any suggestions for ways to get him to step up to a hand so that we do not always need to use the stick. At this time, he's not really being handled at all, not due to lack of effort. He will enjoy a scratch and rub but that's as close as I can get to him.

Love the new feathers!

Thanks for the tip luvparrots, but I don't think that is the case with Baby. I believe he is honestly regurgitating or at least going thru the motions for it. I hope someone comes along with other suggestions? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.

Yay for a clean bill of health! Glad to hear the good news.

Love the pics. Maybe I'll try the sink? I don't know how I feel about getting attacked. LOL

Wow, Sunny speaks so clearly! Very impressive. She has really mastered the voice too.

I understand that regurgitating one of the ways they show their affection. But I can't approach him and talk face to face with him and touch him without doing this every single time, over and over. He doesn't always bring something up, but he definitely goes thru the motions. He insists on putting a foot on me when he does it. He flails for me with his foot and touches me. However, he still doesn't want any part of bird to hand step-ups. Also, he only does it from within his cage, and I think he's done it from on top of his cage as well. But not on any of his play stands. I'm so confused. Will he grow out of this? I'm sure it can't be good for him to keep doing this every single time I approach him. I'm honored but I want him to be well at the same time. I try to distract him and play with his toys which works for a moment but as soon as I approach again, he's back to doing it.

I love hearing progress stories! =) Very nice!

I had to laugh at this. I always turn around and find Baby with the same do. Eventually he shakes it off and then tries to catch it. Haha

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Dorian!

That's wonderful! Congratulations! Grace is my middle name too!

That's exciting! Happy Hatch Day, Chimay! Good job, Mommy! Have a great next year!

Baby boy loves apples, grapes, and sweet potatoes! He's not fond of chicken, eggs, or cheese...yet?

No, his "before mommy" used the stick so that is what he's accustomed to. He wants to bite and refuses a step up by hand unless he's on the floor to be retrieved. I hope one day, he'll give up the stick but only to switch to stepping up by hand...not the opposite and instead giving up the stick to simply refuse coming out of his cage altogether.

Other than the typical "AG Scream" are there any other vocalizations that you've associated with nervousness or fear? Or even curious? Baby make a basic chirp noise a few times when on his stick being carried somewhere or when in a new room. Could this chirp be a scared chirp? I'm having trouble distinguishing his vocalizations. Also, when we are within eye sight, we usually have Baby's cage door open so he can come out when he wants to. However, he's not always anxious to. And lately, he's denying the stick that he so much trusted to be removed from his cage. It's almost a month that he's been living with us. He used to come out of his cage on his own and also more willing by using the stick? Could this just be another phase he's going through? Do you think he'll come around again? I'm just paranoid that he may not like coming out of his cage and become a bird that prefers being inside his cage. And if something outside of the cage scares him, I wish he could tell me because what if that's why he's not thrilled about coming out of his cage?

Actually, we try to bring him to the bathroom whenever we shower. We have a T-perch and a PVC perch that we keep him on. We tell him where we are going so that he knows which room it is that he's on his way to. We haven't tried putting him on the shower rod yet. Sometimes he's very vocal when we're in the shower chatting and whistling. Other times, he's quiet without a peep. I figured it's best for him to be comfortable with the room before we really encourage him to be any bolder than that. I did put him in the empty bathtub today so that he could inspect it. His "before-mommy" says that she used to fill the tub with shallow water and he'd bathe in it. He didn't seem freaked out by being in the bathtub. I don't know when I'll try putting him in it with water in it.

Just thought I'd mention that Baby decided yesterday was the day to take a bath. He did it on his own in his water dish. Just as cute as usual. I used the opportunity to mist with the Aloe juice while he was wet and in the mood to bath. He was soaked by the time we were finished. I wonder how he would feel about being in an empty tub and getting Aloe misted. Maybe eventually we'd be able to graduate to an actual bath or shower?

OK Great! Thanks.

If an African Grey loses a red tail feather, does it grow back?

Awesome! Thanks for the quick reply =) Happy Friday!

As of yet, Baby isn't bathing. It has been recommended to mist him with 100% Aloe juice. At WalMart, we found 99.8% Aloe Vera Juice. It says it's made with Organically Grown, Cold Processed Aloe, Full Strength, NO Sugars, Starches or Thickeners. Is this the right product? I wanted to make sure before I tried it. I will be hopefully misting him from within his cage. Is there anything else I should know before using the Aloe Juice in a mister to bathe Baby? Also, I've seen it mentioned a few times. Palm Oil? What can you tell me about it? Any info would be greatly appreciated! =)

Yeppers. You can be proud to say that your baby is telling you he loves you. My Baby is going to be 2yrs old in Dec but we've only had him since Nov 6. He's been regurgitating for me since Sunday. I try to tell him he doesn't have to and it's not necessary, but he feels differently. I'm honored =) and you can be too!