different behavior

[ayaat]

hi i have african grey rockey which is said to be 8 months plus . now tis bird is attached to me more then any 1 in the family off late the bird starts running towards my wife with his wings open , dunno if it wont to play or is he trying to attack her. when v sit down it comes running (walking fast ) with his wings nd feathers open and tis action of his make my wife panic!!!!!! pls advice what exactly is he trying to do . this behavior is forcing me to sell the bird which i am confused pls guide and help

[judygram]

Hello Ayaat, I think your grey is trying to play so don't be afraid of that as some others here would love for their grey to act that way. Does he have his beak open as if to deliver a bite when he does it? If so then he is trying to shoo her away but it is nothing to fear and certainly not something to get rid of the bird.

Why don't you describe in more detail what is happening so we can help you with it?

[Eckobird]

First off how long have you had Rockey for? It not unusual for a bird to be attached to only one person in the family, greys tend to be one person birds. Second off tell you wife not to panic! Greys can sense panic and that will make it worse. Did he bite your wife? You should have your wife give him his space, patience is the key my friend, NOT selling the poor bird!!

[ayaat]

hi judy.

i just made my wife read ur reply so that it will build her confidence and she can remain calm. well i didnt notice if the beak was open but will chk his behavior next time. i think rockey is a female coz it sticks to me like a glue come around me where ever i go around the house. Rockey seems to b a very moody bird some times it also tries to bite me if i force him to step up command. also it does not talk much when i am around but says few words when i keep him in the balcony alone. how do i train him to talk????

Rockey is a non veg bird who loves mutton and chicken and eat them happily . hope that does affect his health. thanx for you reply

[ayaat]

i bought rockey when he was 4 months old and he is with me since 4 months so average he is 8 months plus. my wife has so far not even touched him coz she is very scared , i have 2 little daughter who used to play with rockey in the initial stage but off late he has been aggressive with them too(not bitten them so far but it might bite). when does the actual grey start talking??? hope he is trying to just play and not bite my wife. thanks

[Eckobird]

The only way to tell the sex of your bird is by DNA testing not by assuming its a girl because its attached to a guy, that assumption is totally false. Greys can be moody and don't want to be bothered at times, you just have to give him/her space when he/she acts like that. I hope you didn't buy a grey just for the talking because it is not a guarantee that all greys talk. Your baby is still young so you shouldn't expect it to talk right now anyways.

[ayaat]

i am planning to get his dna test soon. i bought rockey so that my daughters can play with him hope he becomes a good and decent bird. thank u again

[judygram]

Rocky IS a good and decent bird, you need to allow him more time to settle in and feel comfortable. He needs to be handled by both you and your wife, he may prefer you at the moment but he should develop a relationship with her too for she may have to feed and take care of him in your absence and the best time is now while he is still young.

You may have to take him into another room to work with him on interacting with both of you, they feel a little out of their element if they are in a room other than the one where their cage is like maybe the bedroom, he is more likely to allow her to hold out her arm and him step up on it. But one thing is for sure she has to get over this fear of Rocky for he picks up on this and it could cause some behavior problems.

But please don't get rid of him for you will be denying yourself and your family the pleasure of owning and living with one of these magnificient creatures, you made the committment when bringing him home and he deserves no less than your best effort.

[reggieroo]

It can take them some time to settle in, I have had Murphy my baby grey for just over two months & I still feel he is settling in. They are very sensitive little guys, something you don't realise till you get one & they require lots of patience. I have had my ups & downs with Murphy but you just have to think to yourself once we are over these little hiccups things will be great & I'm sure he will start talking but they normally don't until around 1 year of age. All of us that have greys that are not yet talking all look forward to that day, I would be lying if I said I don't care if Murphy talks but he if doesn't then so be it. I will still love him just the same & enjoy my life with him as part of our family.

 

If you want your wife to handle him, then try & do it in the evenings as they are a little easier to handle than the morning when they are bursting with energy. You have to brave with them & you need to trust them just as much as they trust you. My Fiancee Kate was a little scared of Murphy when we first got him, she would shy away from his beak but with some encouragement from me & some patience with Murphy she can now do quite a lot with him. He loves her to bits & is always trying to fly to her for cuddles.

 

Just take a deep breath & keep on trying otherwise you may regret selling him as they are amazing little creatures & he would be heart broken if he lost his family (flock). This is a great place for advise so any problems just post it on here & people will help as much as they can.

[Malikah]

Rocky is at the age where he/she is like a teenager - trying to become more independent and assertive. It's really important to pick your "battles" wisely, let him decide the things that he can. It's important for his self esteem and will make him a better parrot when he's an adult. Two rules that are non-negotiable - step up when asked, no biting without a reason. If he is scaring your wife on purpose, you should calmly pick him up put him on a stand or in a cage and turn your back or walk away for a minute or three (it all depends on the bird). She needs to show as little reaction as possible no matter how scared she is.

 

Kito is the same age and really only wants to be handled by me. Her favorite treat is a banana slice, so the only person who gives them to her is our young teenage son Neil. She will bite and not step up for him unless he has some sort of treat. But, the other day she landed on his shoulder on purpose and was good. He was a little scared, but just calmly walked to the room I was in and I rescued him. She got lots of treats and praises for that!