adopting our grey

[thenabrd]

hi! i'm new here and have been searching the web for a place to get good advice. we are adopting a 2 1/2 yr old congo grey in the very near future. her owner passed away and we are going to be her forever home. we have a peach front conure, athena, who is almost 8 yrs old and a husky, hermes, who's 12 1/2 yrs old. i've done a lot of reading these past couple of weeks about rehoming, care, behavior, training, etc. i've read a lot about go at the bird's pace, there's a 2-3 week "honeymoon" period to get started, etc. so, i'm a bit confused at the moment! i do want to go at lona's pace, but i also don't want to not do something crucial during the first 2-3 weeks. any ideas, comments would be greatly appreciated! thanks in advance!

[danmcq]

Welcome Thenabrd, it's GreYt having you here.

 

Just go at the birds pace and see what she wants, likes, dislikes etc. If you have any background on her like her diet, schedules of in cage, out of cage time, preference for men or women etc., it will give you a good head start on things. One thing you should be aware of, is she is right in the middle of the terrible two's. This is when they start trying very hard to find their place in the world by exercising all the rights they can get away with. So be prepared to allow her some space and if she does not need to step up for example if it's just a request, not a necessity like she may be in an off limits area, then honor her right to decide at those times.

 

Watch the conure, the have the heart of a lion and think they are as large as a Macaw. I have a peach front as well and he is fearless most times unless our grey just flat out gets tired of him and then goes after him with gusto flying all over the house after him .

 

Looking forward to hearing more and seeing photos when you get them. You will find we have a very diverse spectrum of knowledge here and many people more than qualified and willing to help you along.

[thenabrd]

thanks for the welcome! i've been to visit her 3 times now, twice with my husband. the owner was a woman and she had lona from a baby. lona's coming with her cage, toys and food. the family has been awesome considering the circumstances. there were also 2 umbrella cockatoos as well. 1 has already gone to his new home, the other has a family interested in her. we've been patient about bringing lona home since the remaining cockatoo was acquired as a baby at the same time as lona so neither bird has ever been alone. i plan on feeding her and our peach front warm oatmeal in the evenings hoping that starts to create a bond with lona.

 

athena does think that she's the biggest bird that was ever created, lol!! i've been telling her about her new "big little" sister and explaining how she's going to be a "little big" sister!

 

i've tried starting clicker training with athena, hoping she'd catch on and then lona would be able to watch and want to learn as well, but athena is also a stubborn little stinker!! oh well, each will go at their own pace though! lona's never been trained to step up, but flies to your head then slides down to your shoulder. that's the 1st thing i need to teach her, is to step up. right now its winter and too cold for the birds to go outside, but i need them both ready for this come late spring and into the summer. i have smaller cages for both of them to be outside in since we have a couple of hawks in the neighborhood. athena loves to go outside and talk to the birdies and i know lona will enjoy it too! i have my work cut out for me, hahahaha!!!

[Buffy]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations to you and Lona!

[judygram]

Hello Thenabrd and welcome to our family, congrats on adding a grey to your flock.

I have a sun conure and she is right feisty herself, they do think they are as big and ferocious as a lion but most of the time she is such a sweetheart but she doesn't get along with my grey but they do provide company for each other as their cages are in the same room and same corner.

There is a honeymoon phase that most go thru so it is important to let them settle into their new home and go at their own pace for time and patience will show their true personality and then you will know where you stand, you do have your work cut out for you since Lona is not a baby but you seem to have the right attitude in going about rehoming her so you should do fine.

We do love pictures here so if you have some you would share with us that would be great.

[thenabrd]

thanks for the welcome! i've got pics of athena and our dog hermes, but don't have any of lona yet! i tried taking some with my phone yesterday and she was "shy", lol! she didn't like the phone in front of my face! (athena's the same way)! i've been reading about the terrible two's! wow! well, we got our 2 sons through it, i guess we can get lona through it! i know i'll have lots and lots of questions, i'm still learning as i go with athena! we'll all learn together and grow together. one step at a time, right!?!!!

Edited January 9, 2011 by thenabrd

[Luvparrots]

Welcome to the Grey family thenabrd. I look forward to hearing more about Iona and Athena and seeing some pictures when you get a chance!

[thenabrd]

thanks! i can't wait to get her home and get started on becoming her new family! her "mom" passed away and she has made a really good relationship to that woman's daughter in the past several weeks. that family has been through so much and i know they're happy to see lona and the other 2 birds going to good homes! once the last cockatoo is placed, we'll be able to bring lona home. we understand that she and the remaining bird have never been "alone". it wouldn't be fair to the remaining bird to experience that at this time. we're visiting lona once a week. with all the hustle and bustle going on trying to go through belongings in the home, etc, we're limiting our visits to that so as not to overwhelm the birds. she seems to be handling the current confusion fairly well so far and i think she'll adjust to us fairly quickly, but she'll let us know, lol!