Kasuku101 Posted October 10, 2010 Share Posted October 10, 2010 Hi everyone! Ok, i have been researching african greys for a few months now, and decided to buy a 6 month old (now 7 months) hand bred grey. I had bought it a month ago but decided to leave it at the pet shop since i was moving homes and was told that they usually go into shock when they first move into a new place. So now that i have settled into my new house, i went to the breeder and picked him up. I named him BAMBINO . He's been with me for a day now and he's been very quiet and just frozen at one spot in his cage. At the pet shop he seemed more social and noisy! lol I guess that's normal right? I was also told that i have to feed him 30 mm of multivitamin mix via a syringe twice a day since he is still young. Would really appricate it if anyone could give me some "new owner tips". Oh and does it have to be dark and quiet for Bambino to sleep? Thanks, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted October 10, 2010 Share Posted October 10, 2010 (edited) Welcome Mark and Bambinoi! Your new Grey is going to be very cautious for a while, new home, person etc. Just move slow around him and the cage, do not introduce any new toys at this time and if there are toys in the cage you notice Bambino is sitting far away from and cowering, remove them. The best thing you could do right now is exercise patience and sit next to the cage while you watch TV or listen to tunes or read. Bambino will come around and become comfortable with you closer in his timing. In regards having to feed 30mm of a multi-vitamin mix, that is not needed. Your grey is fully grown and a diet of pallets, seeds, nuts, plenty of healthy veggies (See our food room) will endure he has all he needs diet wise. It would be best to feed what the pet shop was and slowly start introducing various veggies and fruits, along with some nuts and perhaps some pellets and cooked legumes. Unless he was diagnosed by an avian vet to be vitamin or mineral deficient, it is dangerous to give them as they can cause toxicity. each grey is different. It is advisable though, that they sleep in a darkened and quite room. Some prefer a cage cover, some don't. You will need to see what he likes. Just leave a little nigh light on at night so it is not completely blacked out. They cannot see in the dark at all and become fearful in most cases. Looking forward to hearing more from you and seeing some photos when you get a chance. Edited October 10, 2010 by danmcq Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted October 10, 2010 Share Posted October 10, 2010 Hi Mark, welcome to you and Bambino. My birds sleep in a darkened birdroom starting at 7:00 pm at night. I only have light drapes on the one window in their room so light comes in early in the morning which my birds seem to enjoy. So you need to figure out what makes Bambino most comfortable. Some birds enjoy being covered, my birds all sleep uncovered, it seems to make them most comfortable. If you have any pictures of Bambino, we would love to see them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral&Andrew Posted October 10, 2010 Share Posted October 10, 2010 hey welcome here, yeah your grey is gonna be very nervous at first, or grey Georgie was like it nearly a week, now she is ever so noisey and chatty lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasuku101 Posted October 11, 2010 Author Share Posted October 11, 2010 Thanks for the advice peeps! Today he's been much better, started climbing around his cage and bitting the bars. I decided to take him out of the cage and put him on his perch (mounted above the cage) he likes it there! He spent a few hours up there then decided to fly off across my living room and hit the ground Is it time to get his wings clipped again? Oh and at what age do greys begin to talk? He's been making weird duck like noises with the occasional chirp...will post pictures soon. cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Hello Mark and welcome to our family, so glad you could join us and we look forward to hearing lots more about you and Bambino, what a cute name, now if we had some pictures it would be greyt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azzie Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Your question regarding wing clipping is a hotly debated topic. Much of it is personal preference, but the majority of people on the forum here appear to support NOT clipping. Flying is natural to birds, and a flighted bird tends to have much better co-ordination and confidence. It is also good exercise for a bird to fly. That your bird flew and hit the ground might be because he hasn't learnt to fly and land properly yet, or because his clipped feathers haven't fully grown back, so they don't give him the support he needs to fly and land. Bear in mind though that even a clipped bird can get enough lift to manage to escape, especially if there is a breeze, or the bird is startled. All 3 of my birds are flighted, and have never been clipped, and I will never clip them. Because of my own bias, I also strongly recommend against it, as flying is simply something a bird does and enjoys. As for what age a bird begins to talk, it very much varies. Some start around a year old, some will never talk. Others may utter the occasional word, and others yet again just won't stop talking. Talk to your bird in a meaningful sense, as in when you give him apple, tell him it's "apple" Say "hello" when you come in and greet him, and "byebye" when you are leaving. My Cleo rarely talks (she's almost 2), but she certainly understands a lot of words, such as shower, wanna come out, yumyums etc. The duck like noises are just cute little baby noises. He is probably communicating as best as he can, being a baby = ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Such good reply's from everyone.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara2 Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Congratulations! I've had my little boy for two weeks now. (It will be 2 weeks tomorrow.) He is wonderful! They are amazing birds and I'm sure that in no time you are going to find your new addition taking over your life in a very good way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 I too would like to see you leave Bambino flighted if at all possible, after all they are birds and were meant to fly but it is a decision you have to make for yourself, be sure to read the threads here on clipping verses not clipping and you will have what you need to make an informed decision. I do cover my birds at night for sleep as I have always done but again this is a personal preference so what ever you decide is right for you. It does take a while for a grey to settle into a new home, after all he is surrounded by new to him things, owner, cage and such so give him plenty of time to feel comfortable and he will let you know when he is ready to interact with you but it seems to be going just fine for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasuku101 Posted October 12, 2010 Author Share Posted October 12, 2010 Thanks all I've had him for three days now, i'm actually amazed at how quickly he got used to his new home. No words yet, but he gets really chirpy after sunset...I'm excited to when he utters his first word but not too concerned if he does end up talking. Regarding having him flighted i understand that it's much better and actually more humane, having said that though i'm more worried about him flying and getting hurt. He flew off again today, straight into a wall! lol Does anyone have any tips to keep Bambino on his perch? Attached are a few pictures...enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Does anyone have any tips to keep Bambino on his perch? Sorry no there is only one way and that is to keep putting him back on his perch and maybe after a thousand times or more he will understand that is where he should stay but when you keep a flighted bird then they pretty much go where they want. He is a handsome little fella, thanks for sharing the pictures with us, don't you just love the dark eyes of the baby greys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Great photos. Judy is right on. Just keep taking him back to the perching area. It will not take him long to figure out how far he can get and where things are. Once he does that, you won't see him run into much unless he misjudges while trying a new spot to attempt a short jaunt to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 I have several different perches in my home and I have foraging toys and clanging bells, etc. at each to keep my birds busy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingles Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 He is adorable!!!! Hi and welcome! I leave my birds flight feathers alone. At first, it was soooooooo nerve racking because I thought Jasper was never going to learn how to land...pillows were suggested when I asked and they do work great until your baby gets the whole landing thing down pat. But it will come! Jasper is still learning about windows, but something on a window will help prevent that (even masking tape on a window can work) Just to let you know, you might not hear a first word for quite awhile... and even then, it can be completely garbled and not clear for a while.... I 'think' we had Jasper for at least 2-4 months before he said his first word. Now, he can talk pretty well when he wants too! A few days without a word will go by and then all of a sudden, it's talk city. Glad you joined! These guys are great around here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasuku101 Posted October 13, 2010 Author Share Posted October 13, 2010 He is adorable!!!! Hi and welcome! I leave my birds flight feathers alone. At first, it was soooooooo nerve racking because I thought Jasper was never going to learn how to land...pillows were suggested when I asked and they do work great until your baby gets the whole landing thing down pat. But it will come! Jasper is still learning about windows, but something on a window will help prevent that (even masking tape on a window can work) Just to let you know, you might not hear a first word for quite awhile... and even then, it can be completely garbled and not clear for a while.... I 'think' we had Jasper for at least 2-4 months before he said his first word. Now, he can talk pretty well when he wants too! A few days without a word will go by and then all of a sudden, it's talk city. Glad you joined! These guys are great around here! Thanks for the advice...yeah the pillow idea would probabely be the best way to go. I think i'll just leave him flighted, but will just have see how he behaves over time. BTW how old was Jasper when you first got him? I noticed that Bambino never flies off his perch during the day, but just after sunset he gets SUPER hyper playing with his toys and making crazy duck noises, lol...that's when he trys to fly off his perch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasuku101 Posted October 13, 2010 Author Share Posted October 13, 2010 Just out of curiousity when your greys get sleepy do they usually puff up and curl one foot in and balance on the other one? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinaboom Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I would never get my Lilly's wings clipped it's taking away something that they do naturally, im sure you wouldnt like your legs cut off or your arms, why dont you harness train it that way the bird can still fly, is not mutilated and you won't lose your bird. The avator harness is ideal. I hope I have not offended anyone, it is my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Just out of curiousity when your greys get sleepy do they usually puff up and curl one foot in and balance on the other one? lol Yes they do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I would never get my Lilly's wings clipped it's taking away something that they do naturally, im sure you wouldnt like your legs cut off or your arms, why dont you harness train it that way the bird can still fly, is not mutilated and you won't lose your bird. The avator harness is ideal. I hope I have not offended anyone, it is my opinion. No offense taken as most of us are of the same opinion, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boom Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Kasuku at this stage i would worry more about getting the little one more confident with the flying. Mines only 12 weeks old and i can see a clear difference in the way she does things daily because she is "gaining her wings" so to speak. When we first got her last saturday she was kinda clumsy and wobbly, sunday was her first attempted flight day, crash landed twice that day. Once in a dried flower pot and once in the passageway floor, few days and flights later ..last night i get in from work and she is on her cage, i walk over to grab her food bowl to give her some fresh veg, while i was walking away she launched and actually landed on my shoulder, so i took her in the kitchen and let her watch while i made her dinner. Wife is training her to come off the cage, across the room to land on her hand or arm. And she is tons less wobbly now. And yep ours does the one foot thing too while sleeping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azzie Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Perching on one foot is a sign of a healthy bird. Having said that though, Cleo sometimes perches on one foot when asleep or chilling, and other times she just hunkers down and goes to sleep with both feet down. The fluffing up is most likely to do with keeping warm, and a sign they are relaxed. A sick bird however may also puff their feathers up, so it's important to get to know your bird and its body language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 If I may ad, a Grey on one foot can mean contentment, especially with quivering chest/belly feathers. Puffed feathers can mean there mad at you,[like when you leave] and also fear.[to make themselves look larger....Jay d Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasuku101 Posted October 15, 2010 Author Share Posted October 15, 2010 Hey all! Just had a quick question...Bambino has been super hyper today & eating well but for some reason though his poo has been watery. He's been on a diet of seeds mainly but a few vegs which he really doesn't like. Could he be sick? Thanks, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinaboom Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 (edited) why are you giving him mainly seeds thats no good for him you need to try and get him on pellets like harrisons, I would take him to the avian vet to get him checked out Edited October 16, 2010 by tinaboom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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