New To The Grey World.

[TeresaAnn]

Hi, everyone I am very new to the Grey world. I just got Diva yesterday. She was passed to me by a friend. She is a talker. However, she hasn't said but 1 word since I have have brought her home. I am thinking it's because, she has to get used to the new place. Understandable right! She is a biter!!!! I am going to be honest and say that I don't know much about Greys I have done a lot of reading on them. Also, on training tips. She hasn't ate much since I have brought her home either. Is this something I should be worried about or would it also be because of the move for her. I have been giving her "her" time. I talk to her mess in her cage a bit and I have handed her dried fruit for treats. If anyone has any advice for me please I am open for anything. She is around 9-10 yrs old. My understand is that she once was pretty tame and would get on your hand. But with the person that had her she ended up not have time for her and with a new baby she didnt do much other then feed and water her. That is one of the reason why I ended up with her because, the baby was poking fingers in the cage and well she bit the lil one so Ms. Diva had to find a new home. Which I am very happy to have her. Even if i can't get her tame back down she will have a nice home here.

[Jayd]

Thank you for your kind heart...Keep feeding her the food she was eating before you got her, Don't mess in her cage right now, keep hands out accept to clean, sit beside the cage and talk, sing, read to her, let her come to you at her own pace, basically sit back and let her unpack her baggage... This will take time, let her adjust at her own rate, lavish her with attention, and don't put your hands around her, she'll let you know when....Jayd

 

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?190489-Welcome-PROSPECTIVE-and-NEW-GREY-Owner-s..

Edited August 23, 2010 by Jayd

[TeresaAnn]

Thanks, I haven't really tried to touch her. I do sit at her cage and talk to her offer her the dried fruit she will take it out of my hand. I actually just went over there and she put her head up the cage and moved it down like she wanted me to scracth the top of her head. So I did twice she didnt offer to bite me. I just said Goodnight and walked away.

[Jayd]

Thanks, I haven't really tried to touch her. I do sit at her cage and talk to her offer her the dried fruit she will take it out of my hand. I actually just went over there and she put her head up the cage and moved it down like she wanted me to scracth the top of her head. So I did twice she didnt offer to bite me. I just said Goodnight and walked away.

That's grey't... You are the only one who can see whats happening, when it happens, I can tell that you'll be able to do what you see is right, and tell if it is wrong....Good Parront....Thank's Jayd, Maggie, Spock, and the Flock

[Shades Of Grey]

Thank you for giving your grey a great home I also adopted a three year old grey three weeks ago. He also went though a quiet phase for a couple days. We started noticing him talking when we would leave the room. He would call for his flock when he couldn't see us. After a few more days he started talking when we were in the room. There's never a quiet moment anymore LOL. I wouldn't worry too much about her not eating unless it continues after a few days. Jayd gave some great advice Just let her be and settle in. Try not to change anything. You could maybe contact the previous owner and find out what her basic routine was. If you can stick to that it will help her settle in as well. Over time she will adjust to your home and routine. Keep us posted on how she is doing!

[judygram]

Hello TeresaAnn and welcome to our family, so glad you could join us and we look forward to hearing more about you and Diva and thank you so much for taking in this grey and giving her a good forever home.

It does take a while for them to unpack their baggage but you are doing great so far, continue to sit by her and talk to her giving treats from time to time and she will warm up to you soon. Greys are very cautious by nature and it takes time for them to learn to trust and to bond with you so patience is your best virtue.

The others have given you some great advice and please do read thru as many of the threads for lots of useful information and ask questions you may have and we will help you in any way we can.

We love pictures here so if you have any of Diva you would share with us we would love to see them.

[KimKim]

When I adopted my 2yr grey, he didn't talk like most others at first. But a couple days later we were outside, out of site, and he started talking up a storm! We were laughing so hard at all the things he could say. Also, he would talk up a storm when I was vacuuming. Its like he just didn't want us to hear him in the beginning. So enjoy the peace while you can and good luck with diva!

[TeresaAnn]

Thanks, All for the advice. Diva is a bit on the scared side. However, I spend a few mins at a time at her cage sitting and talking to her. I have been able to scracth the top of her head several times now. That was something new she started lastnight. I was so excited. the old saying " like a kid in a candy store". I did notice she is ate a little this morning so maybe her tummy is saying feed me now. The person who had her before me told me to remove her food from her cage and put in back in the morning and she should be pretty hungry. Well , I did that and that was 2 days ago now and she didnt eat yesterday. But she has ate some this morning... and this morning she is also making a noise like a "pig" hahaha she so funny already

[judygram]

Please take all fresh food from her cage after several hours but do leave some food like pellets and/or seeds for her to snack on during the night if she wants it, most of us here do that for greys are foragers and we like for them to have something to eat if they get hungry.

[Jayd]

The person who had her before me told me to remove her food from her cage and put in back in the morning and she should be pretty hungry.

As Judy said,"Please take all fresh food from her cage after several hours"

Always keep a abundance of food, pellets/seeds for Diva to eat, as Judy said, reduce the amount over night. A lack of access of food to a Grey is can lead to problems concerning where they feel their next meal will come from, and develop into psychological problems....This is a punishment. Sorry Jayd

[TeresaAnn]

Well, I will be sure not to do that then. Thanks. I dont want to punish her I feel that she has been punished fair way to much already for for having her home relocated. Poor baby..I feel bad for her as it is. She been eating pretty good so far today I have been watching her very closely. I think that the food i got is different from what she was eating so i am on my way back to the store as i just spoke with the person who had her before and she said that it was. PetSmart here I come!!!!!!!!!!LoL.... Thanks all for the great advice....WIll keep you posted!

[Luvparrots]

Congratulations on becoming Diva's new parront Teresa Ann, she is lucky to have found you. Taking things slow and at Diva's pace is certainly the way to go. And you are right, depriving her of food is unjust punishment. Please keep pellets in her cage at all times. I have one bowl in Ana Grey's cage just for pellets and I check in daily to make sure it is full of pellets. As others have said fresh vegetables and fruits should be removed after a time as just as our food spoils so do our bird's left out meals. I give my birds fresh vegs and fruits in the AM and in see that dried fruits and veggies are in her cage for the night time. I use seeds and nuts as a snack in the PM to entice Ana Grey back into her cage for night time. I look forward to hearing more about Diva as she sounds like a very interesting little character.

[TeresaAnn]

Ok so I have been gone about all day. While late after noon and evening. Just returning home to find Diva seems excited to see me as I was to see her. I walk over to the cage and Say Hi Diva How are you?... and she replies with Bull****. I guess she is not happy that I had to be gone for a while today. SOOOO just finding out my Diva is a bad word talker. Is there a way of trying not to get her to say theses words? Only BAD word I have heard her say. But I am betting there are more in her little mind that I haven't heard just yet. In my responsed to her was Oh you bad bird... and with a laugh i will add. Anyways she let me scrath her head again i open the cage door and she come right to it and i got to touch her some more. then with a second she was done...lol am i pushing to much?

[Jayd]

Ok so I have been gone about all day. While late after noon and evening. Just returning home to find Diva seems excited to see me as I was to see her. I walk over to the cage and Say Hi Diva How are you?... and she replies with Bull****. I guess she is not happy that I had to be gone for a while today. SOOOO just finding out my Diva is a bad word talker. Is there a way of trying not to get her to say theses words? Only BAD word I have heard her say. But I am betting there are more in her little mind that I haven't heard just yet. In my responsed to her was Oh you bad bird... and with a laugh i will add. Anyways she let me scrath her head again i open the cage door and she come right to it and i got to touch her some more. then with a second she was done...lol am i pushing to much?

 

LOL, Okay, all you can do is not repeat them...Never say Bad Bird it's a big no-no, just ignore her, it's part of her baggage....Shes pushing you, things will change with time, and her being with you longer.....Jayd

[TeresaAnn]

LOL, Okay, all you can do is not repeat them...Never say Bad Bird it's a big no-no, just ignore her, it's part of her baggage....Shes pushing you, things will change with time, and her being with you longer.....Jayd

 

Ok so NO BAD WORDS around Ms. Diva... Gotcha! She is just a mess I tell ya ...lol

[Jayd]

DIVA AND YOU ARE WONDERFUL...LOL... Jayd

[judygram]

These bad words are part of her baggage but please ignore them when she says them and for heavens sake never laugh when she blurts them out for that will only reinforce her to keep repeating them for the response she gets, she will say them less and less as time goes by and she doesn't hear them spoken to her anymore.

 

Anyways she let me scrath her head again i open the cage door and she come right to it and i got to touch her some more. then with a second she was done...lol am i pushing to much?

 

That is a small step, take it for what its worth as she is showing she is starting to warm up to you some but in time it could be two seconds then three seconds and so on so accept what she gives and don't push for more, you are trying to build trust right now.

[TeresaAnn]

Ok Update with Ms. Diva and I. She is the funniest thing ever. I just love her so much already. I was doing some house cleaning today down stairs and I heard her just talking away up here. Whistling and making all kinda of funny noises haha...anyways I come up after some time to change my clothes when i walk past her cage i said hello Ms Diva i get a whistle like i have been getting. I go in to my bedroom and get my clothes and I hear in a faint voice that says Diva whatcha doin? Diva Whatcha doin?... Whatcha doin?... I am in my room laughing to myself. I walk slowly out of the room and look at her and she says Hi Diva.... *clickclick* noise. I sat in the chair i have her beside her and talk with her and all i could get her to do was make some noise that sounded like a squeeky door opening. So I go back down stairs and I hear Bull**** Diva like 3 times again. I was like you silly bird. She so crazy funny already and this is just day 4 with her being her. I wish I could just give her a bigggggggg kisssssssssss lol one day i hope ...ohhhhhhhhhhh and I got to touch her several times to do give her a good head scrathing lol....

[Jayd]

Your doing so good, time will reward you.....Jayd

[Luvparrots]

Congratulations on the headway you are making with Miss Diva, I just love her name!! It's too bad about her potty mouth, but with a little patience and understanding hopefully they will become a thing of the past.

[TeresaAnn]

New update on Ms. Diva. She is eating her food fine now. She is talking so much more I think for the past 2 days has been on storm of words coming from her. Maybe because, she wasnt talking much. I got my 1st bite from her night before last. Scared me!!! It wasn't to bad no broke bones or bleed not even a mark at all. She was letting me pet her head and just in a second she had my finger in her mouth. I said No Diva you dont bite me. I didnt really jerk my hand back in fear of scary her. I sorta pulled my finger out of her mouth. I am sure if it was hurting i would have pulled back a lot faster however since it was really nothing i was fine. I think for the short amount of time I have had her we have come a long ways togather her and I . She still just cracks me up something terrible like when the phone rings she says hello but it sounds more like a male voice. her other words sound more female. Funny isn't it. Well, thanks all that has been reading about Diva and I. I will post more later.

[Birdnut]

Thanks for the updates. I am enjoying your adventures with Diva.

[TeresaAnn]

Tonights update haha... Ms Diva keeps saying Onik Onik thinking she is calling me a pig haha thats not very nice is it... however i am not sure thats what she is saying or doing yet. but i did leave her cage door open about all day she didnt come out but she did start something new today she got in the botton of her cage and puts her head in the concer and start racking her feet across the bars on the bottom. Do you think she is trying to scrath on the bottom tray where the seeds and her potty mess goes i have cob bedding down there to catch the mess. sorta reminds me of a chicken scratching on the ground. I hope this is a normal thing! cause if not i have one funny bird and she will whistle and talk away while doing this...lol to funny.

[Jayd]

Ha Ha, this is normal, in the wild, a Grey does this to clean their nest, move poop so they have a clean spot..Cleaning house... Jayd

[Birdnut]

Teresa,

 

It is really funny looking when they do the house cleaning thing!

 

May I suggest that you use something like newspaper in the bottom of the cage, rather than the cob bedding. It is my understanding that the cob bedding is prone to developing mold when exposed to moisture, and the mold can be dangerous for your birdie.