majd seffarini Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 hiii everyone i brought my african grey yesterday he is a male and his name is rio he is 2 and a half years old today i tried to pet him but he didn't let me at first now he only lets me pet his beak nothing else if i even try petting any other part of him he will try to bite so i was wondering when will he trust me and start to really like me and is it ok that he doesn't let me touch him now and one more thing he wont eat his veggies how could i get him to eat veggies and fruits? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toran Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 If he's anything like the Congo African Grey I use to baby sit it will take some time for him to warm up to you. what i did for the grey a was watching was i took his favorite treat and sat down next to him just talking and feeding him through the cage and eventually he started letting me pat his neck and hold him when he chose to come out on his own. if your new to him he needs to be reassured that he can trust you. in perspective you wouldnt want some stranger you just moved in with to start patting you right off or maybe even touching you. so no fear he will get there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toran Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 and about the eating im not sure on cause my sun conure hates fruits and veggies so i have to mix and match pellets to make sure he gets what he needs as instructed by my vet to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffNOK Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 What was he eating before he came to you? You might start with that and slowly introduce new things one by one. Greys don't like sudden change. As far as touch and petting, don't rush that. He is not a baby anymore and will likely only accept touch when he really knows and trusts you. That will take weeks or months or may never happen at all. My Congo doesn't like much touch from me and I have had her since she was a baby. She shows love in other ways, and I am fine with that. Slow and steady wins the race my friend. Welcome to the forum and keep us updated on Rio! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Yes, as the others said, touch takes time. Just spend time in the same room talking to him and whistling. Slow and easy wins the day on trust. As to the vegetables, you can make "chop" (search forum for threads), sneak it into things like birdie bread, hang it on a skewer (my TAG's favorite way), or find another way to sneak them into something he does like. Sometimes you just have to keep offering the veggies. One of these days he will give them a try. Some they like better cooked (sweet potato for my bird), and others they like raw. It depends on your bird. It is a lot of trial and error, which results in a lot of waste, but you'll figure it out eventually! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 As I am sure you have figured out by now greys can be very cautious creatures and it takes time for them to settle into a new home and feel comfortable especially when they are no longer a just weaned baby so be very patient with him. It takes time and lots of patience to build that trust that is necessary for you two to bond and it can't be rushed, let him set the pace of what he allows you to do with him and things will go a lot smoother. Even though he may seem like he is not interested in his vegetables you still need to offer them and vary the selection and how they are prepared for some like certain ones specific ways so chop, steam, raw, shredded, mashed or whatever way you can think of to find what he will eat but do keep offering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majd seffarini Posted July 3, 2013 Author Share Posted July 3, 2013 thanks everyone i'm spending a lot of time around him talking to him and sitting around him he is my first parrot ever so this is new to me i have canaries and bunnies and a cat and raised many animals but a parrot is such a special animal and is worth all the effort thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 The fact that your new baby let you pet his beak, speaks for itself! This alone, tells me this bird is more than capable of learning to trust! Introduce a special platter of fresh fruits and veggies. Two veggies and one fruit. Baby will most likely throw them at the walls. Normal behavior. Continue to change diet of fresh fruits and veggies, focus on veggies. I always had Sophie out, chewing a carrot, when I was eating one. Tons of new ways to introduce healthy food. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augustus Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 After fifteen yrs. my cag still won't let me touch her back, chest, or tail till the sun goes down. When I dim the lights, I can touch her from head to tail. She'll readily accept a head scratch and a beak rub anytime though. Stepping up, not a problem. Reach for her back or tail during the day and I see how little removed from the wild she is. Maybe she needs fifteen more years. My B&G loves to be petted. I can carry her upside down in my arms, tickle her belly, rub her feet and she comes back for more, but not the cag. My cag doesn't like sprouts and only likes her vegetables cooked and preferably warm. While I'm doing all this food prep or cage cleaning she keeps repeating, " Boy I love the parrots." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 My TAG is a lot more receptive to touch close to bed time as well. Funny about the "boy I love the parrots!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majd seffarini Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 hhhh that's cute how she says boy i love parrots. i eill try cooking his veggies and maybe he will like themi hope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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