new owner big problems

[Martin Light]

i have just rescued an african grey and he is in a bad way!! Ive had him for 24 hours and he is very timid and nerveous. He has only got feathers on his head. I have seen him plucking them out!! I dont think the owner before gave him fresh veg, so i am giveing him lots every day.

The vet says he is ok . i think he is depressed and board. this is my first parrot ive kept. Should i try handling him or let him settle for a few days?? I talk to him constantly to try and get him used to me. Also any tips on how he can get his feathers to grow back?? many thanks martin:)

[Greywings]

Take it slowly he has had a big change in his life and environment coming to live with you. Locate his cage in an area he can see well but have a safe secure feeling. You can cover one corner of his cage to provide a protected area. Yes fresh veggies, sprouted grains, cooked Sweet Potato some fresh fruits lots of spray baths or showers. Let him learn you can be trusted and not feel forced into interactions he is not ready for. Greys may take a while to adjust to new people, new household new foods. Sit near him and talk softly, offer small treats through the bars and most of them enjoy music too. You ahve begun a journey that will be rewarding if you can be patient. Welcome to our Grey world.

[judygram]

Jill is so right in her advice, you need to give this grey some time to settle into his new home. Do you know any of his past, former owners? It would help to know what the circumstances were at his previous home and whether he was already plucking.

Do you know his age?

Just imagine yourself in an all new environment, new people, new home and new surroundings, you might feel somewhat frightened and nervous, well greys are notorious for being nervous so just give him time, don't push him to do something he doesn't want to do right now and let him decide when he wants any interaction with you. You have to earn a grey's trust and that takes time and lots of patience.

Did the vet do any tests or bloodwork to see if there was any medical reason for the plucking? He is probably just stressed right now and it may stop in the near future or he may have developed a habit of it and if so there is not much you can do about it but love him the way he is, after all he is the same on the inside even if he is oven ready looking.

[Luvparrots]

Congrats to you for taking in an older grey. What is his name and what is his age? Excellent advice as already been given so relax and let your new companion settle in and get use to you. Love and patience and good food are what he needs most right now!

[aerial.2000]

I totallllllly agree with what they told you even tho my baby isnt home till friday! Good luck to you and ty for rescuing this wonderful bird and giving it a loving forever home. I hope you will post pics once your baby begins to regrow his feathers. be patient ... take your time with everything and doing alotta talking and calming to your baby will probably benefit you in the long run

[Doug]

Congratulations on taking on such a challenge as your first foray into the wonderful world of parrots!

 

Do you have any information about your boy's history?

[Jayd]

Hi, please check out these threas we did on a couple of our rescues, #26- 35 Joe and Freddy. Freddy is a 'TOO but you'll understand when you see him, he's 23 now. Bless you...Jayd

 

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?190309-A-note-on-Punishment-and-your-Parrot/page5

[murfchck]

My best for you and your new fid! In January of this year i rescued a 5 yr old grey and a 7 yr old macaw. The macaw, as sick as he was, settled in far quicker than my grey. These guys are stinkers about change and all you can really do is let them let you know when they are ready. If you have not taken him to an Avian vet, please do so first. Regular vets have no experience with birds and just by looking can not determine if a bird is well or not. Talking softly and with a positive attitude will help him to understand you are there to help and love them. Also good food, but when they throw it at you, don't assume they don't like it because what they throw one day, they will love another! If you can, put on the tv or radio for him also, it calmed mine down to the plethera of activity he wasn't use to. ( my thread is in the "other bird" forum, Oliver b&g macaw, Stewarts new brother. We gave him the name Oliver bc his head looked like a stuffed olive when we first brought him home. He had one row of green feathers and skin on his head, his tail and some wing feathers and that was it. ) Please ask any questions you want. Everyone on here has helped me in way or another. You will get the answers you seek if it can be answered by us non avian vet people!

[Acappella]

Should i try handling him or let him settle for a few days?? I talk to him constantly to try and get him used to me.

 

He's probably going to need more than a few days to settle. There are exceptions of course, but most greys are slooooooooooooww to adapt to change. To give you an idea, when I re-homed Dorian it was six months before he volutarilly came out of his cage, and 2 1/2 years before I could get him onto my hand and move him to another room. He's an extreme example. However, my patience has been rewarded with a confident and happy bird that will be with me for a very long time. There's no rush. Remember how long greys live, and let your new companion settle in and feel safe.

[Acappella]

Martin, thinking about you and wondering how it's going?