Does anyone know the answer?

[fidsandfrats]

Hello everyone.

 

I'm sure it depends on the bird and their circumstances but generally is it possible for a grey to mellow as they age or once a nervous grey always a nervous grey?

 

Thanks

Edited October 5, 2011 by fidsandfrats

[danmcq]

They do mellow out in various degree's depending on what they are exposed to over time. I will say, Dayo does not like new toys that are not similar to what what he is used to. He also does not like stuffed toys that he not not familiar with. His attitude has mellowed towards me, the number 2 here and lets me give him scratches very often now and lays once on a blue moon in my lap upside down with his talons waving in the air. In fact he is sitting on my shoulder letting me give scratches with one hand as I type this with the other.He has always done this with my wife from day one, but not me until the last 6 months. He has been here 4.5 years now since he was 16 weeks old.

 

If a grey is not socialized and exposed to new surroundings and people for say years, it takes a lot longer to desensitize them slowly and in short periods of time.

Edited September 29, 2011 by danmcq

[judygram]

I agree with Dan, I think they do mellow out a bit as they get older but I have a grey that is nervous and easily spooked and she has always been this way, she is leery of anything new and if you go by her cage with something out of the ordinary she will be afraid but she is more accepting of my hubby now, she will allow him to give her kisses and sometimes goes on his shoulder and she used to not want anything to do with him, it might have helped that he is the one who usually gives her a little bit of cheddar cheese occasionally.

[birdhouse]

Phenix started out a bad mess having been wild caught & abused. It took a lot to get him rehab'ed to where he was any kind of comfortable w/normal things. He's still tough about new things & new people & far from adaptable w/new situations. But that's understandable.

 

All that said, he's actually gotten very, very much more mellow over the years. He's 20 yrs older & not as charged up about everything. But he's older & wiser, too. He's gone from neurotic to scared of ev-ry-thing, to easily freaked out to a slightly more than healthy distrust of the world.

 

He's extremely smart & astonishingly courageous & has come so much farther than I'd ever hoped. He's by no means done & I think he's still a long way from where he'll eventually get. He's just taken a long time to get there because he started out from such a huge deficit.

 

Including having me as his owner, I'm sorry to admit. I think if he'd had someone w/good parrot experience, instead of good intentions & instincts, he may have come along more quickly. Not to beat myself up about this, just to say that there are a lot of resources available now to help parronts work thru issues w/their fids. So, you don't have to be an expert, just know what websites they're on :cool:

[Cheshire Cat]

I certainly think Greys can mellow as they get used to you, but can still also have a rather timid side. With Tui if there's a loud sound or sudden movement she'll sometimes fly off my hand because she's scared. Yet she's never been exposed to a lot of loud noises or anything like that. Tui has also become more accepting to my family and will now let my mom kiss her beak, whereas a few months ago she'd back off.

[fidsandfrats]

Interesting stuff. Well I hope that Slater melows as he ages. I'm going to post this on some other forums I belong to see what others say.

 

Thanks