Yardley Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 (edited) Hi everyone! I adopted a very sweet female CAG this past Saturday. She is going to be 4 in May and was hand raised/tamed. I was able to pick her up on the first day and she was putting her heard down for me to pet her by the second day. She steps up to everyone in the house by now but only let's me pet her. I am completely new to birds but she seems very happy in her new home. I took two videos of her that I have some questions on. This first video is of her eating a sunflower seed. I want to use these as treats for training her but she takes a really long time chewing on them and just seems to throw all of it out without really swallowing any. Is this normal? I've seen lot's of birds on youtube who love Sunflower seeds and gulp them down right away. The second video is of her constantly putting her feet in her mouth. She spends a lot of her time doing this throughout the day. Again, is this normal? Her nails do need to be trimmed as they are getting long. I have begun to target train her but it's proving difficult. She's a very picky eater and only really seems to enjoy the pellets her previous owner fed her. On my attempt this morning she didn't want any sunflower seeds or Apples what-so-ever, so I tried peanuts and she finally started to eat. (this was first thing in the morning before she had eaten anything) It's just weird to me since I've seen that so many birds love sunflower seeds! I even bought her yogurt covered sunflower seeds today and she did not like them at all. Any thoughts? Thanks! http://www.vimeo.com/19420623 http://www.vimeo.com/19422190 Edited February 1, 2011 by Yardley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffNOK Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Rubi is adorable! I'm new to the bird world myself--so I can't comment much on the eating behavior. I do have a dog who chewed his feet due to allergies. If it continues you might want to consult a vet to see if there might be a cause of irritation. Hopefully others will offer more sage wisdom. You have a precious bird. I wish you the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanlung Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Relax! What is wrong with putting foot in mouth? Like this? Thats a problem more associated with humans than with birdies. Its better to enjoy her and understand her as you just gotten her instead of being gung ho as a Marine Drill Instructor intent on training and training. Training will come in good time later on, and that will be so much better when you understand her in the first place. Go to training and read Understanding the mentality of your grey and perhaps it will be that much easier for the both of you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Welcome Yardley and Ruby, it's GreYt having you here! Thanks for the introduction and videos. I enjoyed reading and watching them. The questions you ask are normal for a first time parrot owner and are normal behaviors. Most do waste 90 percent of their food as they chomp it up and the majority of it falls to the tray or floor as your video shows. They use their talons to clean their beak out. It can also be a nervous habit and there's nothing wrong with that either. My grey used to crave sunflower seeds when younger and now doesn't touch them. Many enjoy an almond, walnut or pine nut as the special treat you may be loking for to use as a training treat. As Shanlung suggested, maybe just give her a little settle in time and enjoy interacting with each other as ruby and you learn each others likes, dislikes and body language. I am looking forward to hearing and seeing a lot more from you as time progresses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Hello Yardley, she may not enjoy sunflower seeds as most usually do, you will have to experiment to find what is her favorite food and use that, my grey does not go nuts over sunflower seeds either. It sounds like she is adjusting quickly to her new home but do not rush the training as I would give her time to really settle into her new digs. Lots of greys pick at their feet including mine so it is normal behavior but if her talons are too long or sharp you can either get her some cement perches to help dull them down or take her to the vet for a trim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenzMama Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Such a beauty! Congrats on your new little girl. Ruby is very recent in her new surroundings, so will ~ quite naturally ~ stick with the familiar things like her pellets. Just continue to offer new & different things, even in different forms such as cooked/raw. Also keep in mind that what she may dive into one day will find her turning up her beak at the next. When we rescued DH's Amazon, his diet for YEARS had consisted of french fries, peanut butter, a TBL of pellets each week & occasional bits of steak. As we introduced new & much better choices into his diet, we showed him they were good by taking a nibble ourselves & saying, "Tasty!" In no time, Sullivan was eager to sample the wider variety we provided. He really flourished in no time & the evidence was in his happy personality + feathers which went from totally dull to glistening. Give Ruby a bit of time to settle in to her new surroundings & routine so she won't feel rushed with adding training so soon after her arrival. There are some wonderful threads here in the forums with great tips when you do begin to train. Get to know her body language. My youngest Grey chews on her nails when faced with something unfamiliar ... just like some people bite their nails when under a bit of stress. We look forward to your progess reports on you & Ruby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Congrats on your new CAG, Ruby!!! She is adorable and seems to love that ball. My grey doesn't play with her feet but she does ignore sunflower seeds. None of my birds seem to like them and I have a whole container in the freezer just waiting for, well just waiting!!!!!! Pistachios, almonds and pine nuts are a real hit in my flock. I believe given more time to adapt to her new home and surroundings that Rudy will quickly relax and her personality will come shining through. Enjoy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yardley Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 Thanks for the tips everyone! I've been trying some more food choices with her and I really think she enjoys things that are crunchy. I'm not going crazy with the training, mostly just about 15 minutes of the target training in the morning. Today her treat was crunchy vegetable chips. She loved them and ate them very quickly. Right now I warmed up some mixed veggies (corn, carrot, peas) and she seems to be eating them but I can tell they're not her favorite and that she's just hungry! She hasn't been talking much except for yesterday afternoon, she started talking a whole lot for a while. Other than that she's pretty quiet. The thing she does the most is this beep noise that sounds exactly like a microwave which would make sense since her previous owner kept her cage in his kitchen haha. Problem with that is my dog absolutely hates any kind of beeping/alarm noises and spends all day barking because of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 My grey really goes for cheddar cheese, she will eat every morsel of a sliver of it without dropping any but it is an occasional treat. Greys are one of the quieter of the parrots, they have their times they are talking and making all kind of sounds and then the rest of the time are content to just sit for a while and observe their surroundings or preen. They love to imitate household sounds and since she has found out that mimicing the microwave makes the dog bark she finds enjoyment in that, now that is a grey for ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanlung Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 (edited) Yardley, I do not understand your hurry for training before you even understand your grey. To the point you have not even established what kind of treats that she likes in the first place. How do you then condition that clicker which to my dim mind, is the precursor to target training? And knowing her favourite treats must be the precursor to conditioning that clicker. Considering that 10 days or so should be set for conditioning the clicker, target training should not even be on the horizon not to talk of doing that now. And you are doing 15 solid minutes of target training with her now? Or perhaps what is important is what you want and not what the grey can go along with? In the training, I am not even certain in my case as to who trained whom, more often the birdie is training me. And the training sessions carried out never exceed 1 1/2 mins to 2 mins, normally the TV commercials. And the sessions consisted more of head rubs and beak rubs than mindless repeats of target touching. I think the total training per day hardly exceeded 6-8 minutes. That faded to a single session when I felt she understood me well enough. More important would be what my birdie would do for me, as a friend to a friend rather than a trainee to a trainer. That came from my efforts to understand her than standing and lording over her. She by the way, was a wild caught, and a rescue given to my care when she was maybe 4 -5 years old. Such as this, where she flew around the building in a sight unseen recall to me on the other side of the villa. Hand of Clod //3 hour and day old Mash // Outdoor hide& seek recalls or here across the parapet of Rustaq castle. Harry Potter // Rustaq // Sorry. Do it your way and excuse my forlorn tilting at windmills. Edited February 2, 2011 by shanlung Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yardley Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 Yardley, I do not understand your hurry for training before you even understand your grey. To the point you have not even established what kind of treats that she likes in the first place. How do you then condition that clicker which to my dim mind, is the precursor to target training? And knowing her favourite treats must be the precursor to conditioning that clicker. Considering that 10 days or so should be set for conditioning the clicker, target training should not even be on the horizon not to talk of doing that now. And you are doing 15 solid minutes of target training with her now? Or perhaps what is important is what you want and not what the grey can go along with? In the training, I am not even certain in my case as to who trained whom, more often the birdie is training me. And the training sessions carried out never exceed 1 1/2 mins to 2 mins, normally the TV commercials. And the sessions consisted more of head rubs and beak rubs than mindless repeats of target touching. I think the total training per day hardly exceeded 6-8 minutes. That faded to a single session when I felt she understood me well enough. More important would be what my birdie would do for me, as a friend to a friend rather than a trainee to a trainer. That came from my efforts to understand her than standing and lording over her. She by the way, was a wild caught, and a rescue given to my care when she was maybe 4 -5 years old. Such as this, where she flew around the building in a sight unseen recall to me on the other side of the villa. Hand of Clod //3 hour and day old Mash // Outdoor hide& seek recalls or here across the parapet of Rustaq castle. Harry Potter // Rustaq // Sorry. Do it your way and excuse my forlorn tilting at windmills. 15 minutes is a number I just threw out there, it's definitely much less than that. I'm not in a hurry, I just felt like she got used to her new environment very quickly and I spend a lot of time with her since I work from home so I didn't think a little training could hurt. I totally understand your point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanlung Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 15 minutes is a number I just threw out there, it's definitely much less than that. I'm not in a hurry, I just felt like she got used to her new environment very quickly and I spend a lot of time with her since I work from home so I didn't think a little training could hurt. I totally understand your point. Good to hear that. By not being in a hurry, you will get to where you want a lot faster than folks who think they are in a race with the clock. When a CAG can live for 50-60-70 years, will time at the beginning in bonding and understanding each other really matter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeginAL Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Loved watching your videos of Rubi. I'm a big fan of the training techniques of Barbara Heindenreich. She uses target training with her hand closed and holding cut-up shelled suflower seeds. I tried using a clicker and stick, but I'm too uncoordinated to click at the right time and the clicker, sticks, and treats were too much for me. I agree with the other poster that it's important to find her favorite food. Katie also wasn't crazy about sunflower seeds. I noticed that she loves almonds so I buy Planter sliced almonds (the slices are a bit thicker than others). I break several in half and they are always handy in my pocket and in small closed bowls around the house. Katie gets bored during formal training sessions so I just go with what her body language is saying on when and for how long to train. (BH also has some good info on bird body language, but every bird is different so you also learn your own bird's body language.) I've found that Katie's best training has been when we're just enjoying each other's company or when she's playing in her play area when I'm close by. I just reinforce what's she's doing with the treats and make a few adjustments to what she's doing. That's the only way that I've been able to get her to talk (say certain phrases) with my prompting. Always have the treats handy! Katie also bites her nails. I think it gives her a reassuring feeling when she's bored or nervous. Sometimes she just seems to be thinking while she bites her nails. I know that she is sharpening them with her biting. I used to worry but she's never harmed herself so I don't worry anymore. However, I have her nails groomed by her vet or her hatch mom every three months and I use a nail file on her nails in between grooming. She's very good at sharpening her nails and grooming perches don't seem to do anything but help her keep her beak sharp! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morana Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 (edited) I just want to say few things.. There is nothing wrong in putting her foot in the mouth but the way your birdie is doing it, I recognize it as a nervousness and anxiousness because my Zak was behaving exactly like your bird does. Maybe you are pushing her too hard. I would say she doesn't want to be doing what she is doing. Zak doesn't do this behavior at all any more except he is very afraid and can't get away from the source that is scaring him. For example: the suitcase.. He is afraid of it but at the same time he knows someone is going away for more than a weekend and he is nervous, and he knows there is nothing he can do about it.. About the sunflower seed.. do try other things as treats but if it takes her too long to eat them (one day when you'll be training) you can clean the seed of its husk and cut it into little pieces and then offer one piece at the time as a reward. Some fids are slow eaters;-) And yes, it is normal to make a mess while eating. Especially if they are not that hungry. And I forgot to say: welcome! :-) Edited February 3, 2011 by Morana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammco Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Relax! What is wrong with putting foot in mouth? Like this? hahahahahahahahaahahaahahaahahaahahahahahaahahahahahah i cant stop laughing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morana Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 fid really does look relaxed.. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanlung Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Even more relaxed! Strangely, she never put her foot in mouth at other times when she was not on bike. she might do this or this or this and everything in between all the above Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I always love what you share Shanlung. Your experiences are one of a kind with such freedom and enjoyment of wonderful places you visited with Tinkerbell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morana Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 But in this pictures, especially 2. and 3. she looks a bit scared. Was she restless during the ride? Isn't it to "drafty" for her on a bike? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morana Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 PS: I remembered when Zak still does the nervous foot in his mouth thing!-when he is on the t-stand right next to my study room and he sees me in the room but cannot fly in because we have ropes with beads on it (how is it called?). He knows and sees I am putting his towels on my chair so he could come sit on it (and not chew on it or poop on it), ...and I always take him to be with me, but those few minutes he just cant bear! LoL He is nervous, anxious and he is an inch from falling from the perch, just to be a bit closer to the door.The beads are there precisely because of him- not to bother me when I am tutoring or something I need to do alone..for a change ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 What a beautiful bird! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanlung Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 But in this pictures, especially 2. and 3. she looks a bit scared. Was she restless during the ride? Isn't it to "drafty" for her on a bike? To avoid hijacking this thread, my answer is in Tinkerbell and motor bike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yardley Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 Here's a video of Rubi talking in the bathroom! This is the most she's talked yet. I've noticed she likes to talk when in the bathroom and I have to have the water running to get her started haha. http://vimeo.com/19572653 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeginAL Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Whatever Rubi is saying must be happy because my CAG loves this video! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yardley Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 Whatever Rubi is saying must be happy because my CAG loves this video! Haha cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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