CAG out of cage since 1 day - Urgent help needed

[crazyinstinct]

Hello All,

 

I am a parront to Mahi (8 months old, CAG) who is with me from around 1 month now.

 

To start, I am pretty nervous at this point.

 

Mahi is a wild-caught Grey who is still not very comfortable with being handled (does not yet even step up). She is very active and takes seeds/pellets/veggies from my hand when offered. She does not bite (yet).

 

After reading and trying to understand about African Greys, I concluded that they need a lot of out-of-cage time, and that she was not able to flap her wings with freedom inside her cage - and wished to come out (inferred from body language). I decided to let her out. I opened the top of her cage and put a perch up there, so she instantly climbed up to that perch - she was out. She sat there for an hour or two, and decided to fly as she was startled with something.

 

She does not fly smooth even though her wings are not clipped - she hits the walls when flies, and does not land smoothly, so I try to minimise her flying and avoid going close to her so shes not afraid. She has found her way back to the cage-top on the perch after a few crashes and she has been out of cage for over 22 hours now. She wants to go in (the food is in there) but she is unable to climb down from the top perch to inside of cage and my attempts to assist her do not work.

 

I provide food on that top perch and she seems to be okay, but how do I get her to come in?

- She does not step up

- She does not know how to climb down from the perch

- I have never handled her before as she is still nervous of human touch

 

What can I do? Appreciate any kind of help that I can get.

 

 

EDIT:

Also, somehow it makes me believe that she is plucking feathers since the crashes - could that be related? Out of ideas...

Edited January 19, 2014 by crazyinstinct

[Timbersmom]

Someone with more experience will come along to address the poor flight and plucking. My suggestion would be to put her food in the cage and let her watch. When she gets hungry she will go in. Good luck and God bless

[Luvparrots]

Mahi could go back into her cage if she wanted. Stop feeding her outside her cage. Make sure there are her favorite eats inside the cage and relax. Mahi is crashing because she is scared, I believe. Talk to her and let her relax and go back into her cage on her own. No more outside feeding. You also need to relax, our birds can sense our feelings so if we are upset so are they. They read body language very well.

 

That should work, if not. Dim the lights and move her. Birds do not normally move around in the dark. Check where Mahi is and then turn off the lights and go get her and put her back in her cage if you must. Use a flashlight of necessary.

[Inara]

Perhaps taking down the perch on the top of her cage for a few weeks would be helpful to get her to become used to her cage as her "home." As others have suggested, put yummy food and plenty of water into her cage and give her treats when she is in there. Since she doesn't know how to get into her cage from the perch on top, having the perch up there defeats the purpose of her cage. Once she is able to climb in and out and up and around and really is comfortable with that, then you can replace the upper perch.

[crazyinstinct]

Thanks for all your assistance and suggestions - I was able to put her back into her cage the next day after the post

I held a perch in my hand and, to my surprise, she flew onto that perch from the corner of the living room - making a glamorously perfect flight. I was too happy to see that.

I then took the perch to the cage door and she went in voluntarily.

 

Now I think I should wait for her to learn step up before I plan to take her out again.

[Greywings]

She did step onto the perch so she is learning what you want. Always reward any progress with compliments or a little treat.