I Have a Wild Teenager, What Should I Do?!

[chezron]

Brutus is 2 1/2 years old. Just to be clear, we love him to pieces and would never consider getting rid of him.

 

He is a teenager in full effect.

 

On the plus side he talks up a storm, flies energetically, impresses us with his gymnastic abilities, and is totally alive and enthusiastic. He probably says at least 50 phrases clearly. Amazing to listen to him!

 

On the negative side, he has learned to fly so well that he can land on any molding around doors, windows, cabinets, and hang by a toenail and splinter the wood. We are pretty much okay with that- we realize it might be the small cost associated with a healthy bird. He is also on the lookout for ANYTHING he can destroy at anytime. He will land on ANYTHING if it looks like it is chewable, sometimes with disastrous results. I know he is demonstrating his fitness and virility by being destructive, but it is tiring watching him so closely ALL the time! Unfortunately, the hundreds of dollars of toys we bought are now largely ignored.

I try every day to call him from room to room to make him fly and to wear him out. I fly him so much he pants, but he loves it! He lets out joyful noises as he flies from room to room.

He is mostly congenial with my husband, but in the evening he will bite him if he sits on the couch with me. He lets Larry handle him, gives him kisses, and even lets him scratch him most of the time, but he definitely prefers me. I just want to know from anyone who has experience with living through this period with a grey what we can expect from now on? He is joyful and hormonal, and we just love him!

[Ray P]

Welcome to world of living with a grey. Corky can nail a landing on a person doing a fast walk or almost a run.

I can only tell you what worked for me and I know others will come up with things that worked for them.

When we would see her doing something that was a no no we would tell her no and take her away and put her on her t stand or in her cage. You will do this over and over

and at best she will understand but don`t turn your back because they love your reaction.

[Luvparrots]

I think you should just continue to enjoy your rambunctious ball of feathers. I try everyday to remember what a joy my 2 1/2 year old Ana Grey is. Why today I got a new keyboard to replace my old one with had numerous chewed up and broken keys. It was getting old anyway. Why I brought it almost a whole year ago!!!!! Piece of junk it was!!!! I enjoyed your story about Brutus. Thank you for sharing your insight with us very refreshing!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 3, 2010 by luvparrots

[chezron]

Thanks for your replies I really appreciate them!

[birdhouse]

Maybe it would help if you gave Brutus at least one landing pad in every room. Set around some orbits, boings &/or stands & keep them loaded with rotating toys. Give him a reason to want to land on them & hang instead of the door ways.

[chezron]

Hi Birdhouse,

 

We have a chandelier hanging with toys, a "tree" with branches, an area in the kitchen with toys, and he has free run on top of the kitchen cabinets. In fact, one of his favorite thing to do is dropping his heavier toys into whatever I am cooking. The tree is actually several branches from a fast-growing willow stuffed into a bucket of sand. He sometimes strips twigs and leaves off. Fun. We rotate the toys, but he just seems to be tired of them. Plus, he has a huge cage filled with toys and a play top. His grip is amazing! I call him "Velcro-Boy." He can land and stick to any surface that has even a little texture. He hangs by one toenail on window frames. On the odd day he feeling particularly invincible he will fly past us and bonk us on the head with his feet. If he could laugh, I know the action would be accompanied by peals of laughter.

[Luvparrots]

Oh greys can laugh!!!!! All they have to do is hear a good hearty laugh and they can mimic it great!!!!!! Give it a try it is one of my favorite grey sounds.

[JillyBeanz]

Harvey's exactly the same! I now only have one extremely heavy vase on my mantle piece that Harvey can't move. The last thing he dropped from the top of the fireplace landed on the marble hearth and took a massive chip out of the marble. Door frames.......need I say anymore!!!

 

You'll never wear him out! You'll wear yourself out before you wear him out. I think it's time for the old "grin and bear it" like the rest of us have come to do!!!

[birdhouse]

Sounds like you've really given him a lot of choices. I would have thought swinging from the chandelier would have been a sure winner! Just goes to show, you never know with these guys.

 

Apparently, I'm not as adaptable as the rest. I don't know that I'd give up, yet. He likes to be high & able to hang, so maybe keep trying to work with that. I still think he might like an orbit or a cargo net. I'd try hanging a really, really big wood toy made out of pine pieces & natural wood from the ceiling. In the meantime, I wouldn't give him free range anywhere that wasn't bird proof, if there is such a thing.

 

And maybe, he likes your reaction. Janet's right. Greys can absolutely laugh. If Brutus starts, you might find out that he gets a good laugh out of teasing you.

[Dave007]

First and foremost, you need to do what many people in your position have done in the past which is to limit where your bird goes. An obvious thing you said was about the kitchen. You says he goes to places where you have a hard time and basically chase him around.

 

*****I try every day to call him from room to room to make him fly and to wear him out. I fly him so much he pants, but he loves it! He lets out joyful noises as he flies from room to room.*****

 

You'll never tire out a bird who's doing what comes naturally--flying. That's the only way they get around and the more he discovers, the more he'll visit those places especially places that have nice, wonderful things to chew on.

 

*****Unfortunately, the hundreds of dollars of toys we bought are now largely ignored.*****

 

That's one of the most common things that happens with greys as they get older. Just ask the people here and other places how many of those expensive items bought in the past are now sitting in a closet. People eventually make their own toys. Greys are one of the most well known birds for seriously chewing things and being destructive----anything. And that's just another reason why you need to limit where your bird is allowed to go. It's great to watch a bird zooming around all the time but it's not too pretty watching a bird leave a trail of destruction.

 

****He is mostly congenial with my husband, but in the evening he will bite him if he sits on the couch with me. He lets Larry handle him, gives him kisses, and even lets him scratch him most of the time, but he definitely prefers me****

 

That has absolutely nothing to do with what's happening during the whole day. Apples and oranges. There's no way to teach a bird certain basic commands if he's flying all over the place. A bird definitely prefers flying away when any type of training is started.

 

There has to be a starting point here before you'll have results which is to confine him to certain areas where these things can't happen.

Right now, you think it's his age but I can tell you that if the bird's present behavior isn't cut short, as the bird gets even older, he'll continue doing that except he'll get better at it.

Birds are creatures of habit and bad habits will only get harder to deal with.

[danmcq]

Sometimes I feel like I just came out of church after reading Dave's posts. When it comes to birds, he is the WORD.

 

Dayo, come here, we're going in the pantry and doing some training right now, Dayo? Now where the hell have you flown to, Jesus... I have the same issue at times...