Hello everyone, I'm new

[peanut23]

Hello all, I'm new to the forum, I have a 6 year old african grey parrot which I have adopted as his owner has been in an accident,

 

He is fantastic. He whistles, sings, and makes kisses noises. He will eat out of my hand through the bars of his cage and out of my hand if I open the door.

 

I want to open the cage the cage to let him out but as he doesnt know me very well I think Id have trouble getting him back in his cage.

 

Ive only had him since Saturday so its still all new to me. He wont let me put my arm in to climb on he just bites me. So ive not tried again. (that was today)

 

Any advice woud be great.

[danmcq]

Welcome Peanut23, it's GreYt having you here.

 

It's always good to hear of someone taking in a rescue in need of a loving home. Your are doing things right by going slow and respecting his space. The cage his his area of safety and you learned this quickly.

 

If he is flighted, your right, you would have one heck of a time getting him back in the cage. If he is not flighted, let him come out on his own, if he desires. But, it may be a little early for that. Only you can tell by how he responds if you open the cage door and step away. he may or may not decide to come out. That simply depends on how comfortable he feels with the surroundings at this point in time.

 

He certainly sounds like a happy fellow and accepting treats from you is a very good sign.

 

At 6 years old, he is fully mature and has schedules, foods and interactions he is used to. If possible, it would be great if you could get some of the specifics from previous owner or family.

 

Also, if he talks, listen carefully to what he says or asks for and respond to it. If he asks for an apple or such food, respond by giving a small portion to him. This will let him know communicating gets responses and that you understand him.

 

Looking forward to hearing more from you.

[Luvparrots]

Hi Peanut23, welcome to the Grey family! I would ask the former owner or family, if they are available, to share some information on your new grey's routine. Personally, I would just open the cage door and let your new grey come out on his own. By the way, what is his name?

[pearllyn]

Hi Peanut and welcome to the Forum. You've certainly come to the right place to get help and advice for you new family member! It's so great that you've rehomed an older bird - he's bound to be missing his former family so just be real patient and give him time. Looking forward to hearing how he settles in with you.

[judygram]

Hello Peanut and welcome to our family, so glad to hear you have taken in a rehomed grey in need of a new forever home.

I would allow him to come out of the cage on his own but leave his food and water inside the cage so he has to go back inside to snack or get a drink. He does need out of cage time and if you have trouble getting him back inside then put something he really likes to eat, maybe a nut or sunflower seed, so he has to go back inside to get to it.

Most greys and a lot of other birds view their cage as their safe haven and some become very protective of it so do not stick your hand inside to get him, let him come out on his own, he may step up on your hand from outside the cage.

As you have only had him for a few days give him time to settle in and unpack his bags so to speak, he will show more of his true personality as time goes on so do not be surprised by any new developments that may come to light in the coming weeks and months.

Do you have any other birds? Is this your first bird, or first grey? What is his name?

We have tons of useful information in our many threads so do read thru them when you get the chance and ask questions you may have and we will help you in any way we can.

We love pictures here so if you have some of this grey you would share with us we would love to see them.

[Guest jamalbirdbiz]

i would like to suggest wearing thick gloves when handling him. then slowly lose the gloves. i am sure lots of people will disagree with me, but my experience has been that it works so u mite wants to try.

 

 

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AFRICAN GREY EXPERT AND TOP POSTER

[danmcq]

NEVER wear gloves to get your grey to step up.

 

Sorry, but this persom Jamalbirdbiz gives terrible advice, as they are not very familiar with proper and safe bird interactions, especially with a new rescue that is obviously a well educated grey that is doing very well for being in your home such a short time.

[peanut23]

Hello all, Thank you for the replies. Sorry its taken a while to reply, I lost the forum without bookmarking it lol

 

He is doing ok, I have opened the door and he comes in and out on his own, My daughter scared him once and he flew across the room, but found his way back about an hour later lol

 

My main concern is that hes been plucking his feathers out

 

What do I do?

[NikB]

Hi Peanut - plucking can be due to many different reasons. What is his diet like and how much sleep does he get? Do you cover his cage at night? It could also be from all of the changes but if you answer some questions it could help elimanate some things. Do you regularly give him a spray or a bath?

[peanut23]

Hello there,

 

He has seed, fresh fruit and veggies, and water.

Yes we cover his cage, he gets between 10-12 hours sleep

we spray him every other day

[NikB]

Can I ask what kind of seed you use and have you considered trying any sort of pellets? Has there been ay kinds of sprays, smoke, cleaning products used around him? Sorry for asking all these questions but it is to get an idea of what the problem might be.

How much time does he get out of his cage each day and where is the cage situated?

[peanut23]

Its sunflower free seed. He came with it, Only a little bit left. Ive tried him on pellets and mash but he wont eat them. No no sprays. no smoke or cleaning products other than a hoover and a broom.

He has about 6 hours, he comes out and goes back in when he wants, But the minute we get close hs ruffes up his feathers and swings left and right, I was told this is a warning to go away sign.

The cage is in my lounge in a corner. The back of the cage and the left hand side is covered by a wall. He is not near a doorway or window.

[peanut23]

When he does this, somethimes his wings open as if hes going to fly, Thats when we saw the plucking bald patches under his wings

[Xtreme575]

Hi Peanut welcome! It sounds as though the poor little guy is still a little unsure of his new surroundings and flock (you and your family). If I were you I'd slow things down a little bit, it sounds as though the parrot is a bit spooked still. Perhaps you could sit near the cage while the cage is closed and just read aloud, or speak quietly to the bird to have it start getting more used to you. I'd probably only open the cage while the house is quiet to have it avoid flying while it is still unfamiliar with the layout of your house.

 

I'm wondering if you can try to get a picture of what you think is plucking. I can't help but wonder if the area is directly below where the wing attaches to the body (the armpit for lack of a better description)? Do you see feathers on the bottom of the cage or around the cage, if so, are they fluffy little white down feathers that are difficult to clean up due to the fact that they seem to love to float away on the smallest hint of a breeze, or is it an actual grey feather?

 

I asking because the "armpit" area is very lightly feathered, so upon "new" observation one could be tricked into thinking that the parrot is plucking when in fact it isn't.

 

If you can get the picture of the area without angering the parrot then perhaps some of our more experienced ownders will be able to help you out.

[NikB]

I agree it could look plucked in that area. Do you see lots of feathers in the bottom of his cage or have you seen him plucking?

Sounds a bit like he is defending his territory in his cage. Please try persevering with the pellets and mash - it could take some time to convert so try to be patient and keep at it It is worth it in the end

[peanut23]

Hello, they are little white fluffy feathers yes, I saw him stick his head under his wing (armpit) and pluck one out. No grey feathers though. When he lifts his wings (both) there is a long line of bald patch, I casn try get a photo but not sure I will be able to get close enough.

 

You guys have been great. Thank you.

 

I will keep trying him with the mash and pellets of course, Ive read that they are best. And I only want the best for him.

 

Sorry im not on during the day, I work long hours (from home) but dont get a lot of spare time. especially as its the summer holidays and my girls are at home

[NikB]

Sounds like maybe he was preening and one came out? Not sure. If you could try to get a photo that would help. He could also be moulting. The important thing is to try not to show stress or panic about it around him as they pick up on our emotions very easily. Try to see if there are certain times it's happening and keep trying with the pellets etc. You are obviously a very caring owner and want the best.

 

It could be the beginning of a moult though.

[Acappella]

So glad to hear about an adult bird in need finding a great new home. My Dorian was also a re-home. Your peanut will have some baggage, and it will take time for you to get to know each others' likes and dislikes, but it's soooo worth it. What is the situation with the former owner? I know you said there was an accident. Are you able to communicate with him/her, or anyone else who might know more about Peanuts' routine in his previous home. (Are you even sure he is a he, was there ever a dna test done/) Do you know if the previous owner routinely bathed/sprayed him? If they did, you definately want to keep it up, but if he didn't, you might want to back off and wait until trust is established before you try to introduce new things.

 

It sounds like the cage is placed well, up against a couple of walls so he doesn't feel exposed or vulnerable. You said you work from home. Do you work in the room where the cage is? You want to give Peanut the chance to sit back and observe the household without pressuring him to interact too early. Sit by the cage and read, work, talk on the phone, just let him get used to your presence and your voice. Let him know what you're doing, tell him if you're leaving the room when you'll be back, do a contact call to him when you're out of sight. All this will reassure him that he's landed in a safe place.

 

If you're going to open the cage door and let him out, do it when you know you're going to be home for a few hours. That way there's no pressure or drama to get him back inside on your schedule. Also, don't close the door on him as soon as he goes back in for a snack or he'll learn that going inside means being trapped, and he'll be harder to cage. Let him wander in and out a few times. I wouldn't try to step him up right now, especially from inside the cage. As others have said, that's his safe spot right now, and it's understandable if he's defensive of his home.

 

As for eating, the most effective way to get a grey to try a new food is if he sees you eating it! Like a child, if he thinks you're having something he's not allowed, it suddenly becomes very desirable. Eat your meals by his cage. He's a flock animal, and eating together with the other members of the flock is a natural activity. I often keep a small portion of my meal off to the side of my plate and keep it free of salt and other additives, then offer Dorian a bite while I'm eating. This is the only way I've been successful in getting him to try new things.

 

Enjoy getting to know your new family member.

[peanut23]

Hello Acappella, Thanks, No I cant get hold of anymore info, Ive tried but they just email back saying, no one knows? No not even sure if hes a he, I do know his previous owner was male and Im female, not sure if thats got anything to do with it? Ive read that female parrots prefer males and male parrots prefer females?

 

No idea if he was ever bathed, but Im doing it every other day but only a few squirts and he like shakes it off, dont think he likes it.

 

I read that that was the best place to put a cage. I do the talking to him every day, as I am at home working.

 

When I let him out, its always when i dont have to go out n e where. So theres allways time for him to go back in.

 

Thanks, you have been really helpful.

[NikB]

The whole male/female thing is a myth and at certain ages and stages parrots can often change who they like best. It's a shame they can't give you more info.

 

When you are spraying Peanut if he is fluffing out his feathers and shaking then he could be enjoying it. If he was trying to run away and had his feathers flat to his body then thatwould be a sign he didn't like it. I like to give my 2 a light spray 2 or 3 times a week and once a week they get a good soak. He is still settling in and it sounds like you are doing the right thing and taking your time