hi all...ours has not had the best time recently.. if you could spare 5mins please...

[kelsey]

Hi we have recently been given an african grey after many years of searching for the 'right one'. He is a timneh called Kelsey, 7 years old. His first owner sadly passed away (female) where he was allowed out of the cage regularly but no other history is known of vet trips/diet etc, he was then moved to the lady's brother's house (transported in his cage) and has not been let out of his cage for 14 months, also during this whole time he has been fed budgie food with the occassional apple/grape. He is in (what i would call) a small cage (cannot spread his wings)with just a mirror a bell and a dirty perch, so obviously the first thing is a new cage and some toys etc. We have now had him for a week, we leave the cage open during the daytime, he will return to his cage and onto his perch regularly for food/rest etc so getting him back into the cage is not a problem. He looks to be in fantastic condition, has not plucked any feathers, and is now eating extremely well (weaning him off the other rubbish). Looking for some advice on how to make the adjustment from old cage to new cage (quite hard as he only has the mirror and bell to move). Also he is petrified of hands, he's much better than he was (we can now put our hand just above his head and he blows us a kiss, without puffing his feathers), but he has caught both myself and my partner and drew blood.. he will not let go once he's got you!! He's got a closed ring on his ankle which I believe means he was hand reared?

 

He also likes to scream to get attention, I've read somewhere to ignore it and he will stop, is this the best thing to do?

 

Thanks for reading xx

[judygram]

Hello Kelsey and welcome to our family.

 

Thank you so much for giving Kelsey a new forever home, this will take some time for him to adjust to a new home, things move slow in grey time so you will have to be patient with him as he settles into his new environment.

 

He definitely needs a bigger cage and the best advice is to put it close to his old one, put some toys inside and some food, leave the door open on it and maybe move it a little closer each day until he either goes inside to check it out or he feels comfortable enough to go inside, his curiosity will eventually win him over and then you can remove the old one. The old one right now is the one he feels safest in but once he finally goes to the new one move his bell and mirror.

 

Since he is afraid of hands right now do not try to force him to accept handling, it will take lots of time and much patience on your part but his trust has to be earned and it can take months or even years but it happens, he has some baggage from his previous homes so it will take time to work thru that but will be so worth it when it happens. Here is a link to a thread another one of our members made to provide the progress of her rehomed grey so read it thru to gain a lot of perspective on what you have to look forward to as it contains lots of excellent advice:

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?192443-Gilbert-is-home

As for the biting if you can learn to read his body language you can avoid most bites so here is a link to a thread on just that:

 

 

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?109373-Body-language-most-frequently-seen

 

As to the screaming ignoring it is about the best advice there is, you need to ignore it and reward him when he is quiet for a bit, he will eventually learn he gains nothing from screaming but good things come to those who are quiet.

Edited March 8, 2014 by judygram

[katana600]

Bless your heart and thank you for taking Kelsey into your home and for joining our forum to learn ways to get closer to him and make his life a joy. Judy said most of what I would suggest. You are doing lots of things right with allowing him to come in and out of his cage on his own, changing his diet and looking to share a good life with him. A week is a very short time. With Kelsey's history, he was probably grieving for his original owner for most of the fourteen months of confinement in the next home. Still, in one week, he is doing quite well. Some of the tougher cases are still growling and disturbed this soon after a big change. I see that as a great sign for you and for Kelsey. His screaming may be to illicit attention from you, but this early on, it's a tough call. He may just be venting frustration and doesn't know how to take it all in just yet. Where did you locate his cage? They do seem to like being in the hub of the home where they can see you. If we are out of the room, Miss Gilbert and many other African Grey's will make a lot of commotion trying to draw us back in. I think getting him into what you want for his permanent cage and allowing him to adjust a while longer after that, then working up to touching him since he has already shown distrust of your hands might be a good start. I made the mistake with Miss Gilbert to put her in a cage that is too big for her, but that's because she had other issues, so it took longer for her to feel safe and secure in the big cage. Every one of these wonderful, unique little characters is a bit different. Take heart, you are off to a really good start. I promise, it is well worth the time it takes to get him settled and give him the chance to unpack his baggage before he treats you to his real personality. You are among friends and kindred spirits. Welcome.

[BaileysPapa]

As said above, give him time. Talk to him a lot. Read to him if you don't know what to say. A happy, enthusiastic voice will gain his trust fast. Offer him treats, like nuts or bits of fruit, from your hand. Things sound good, just remember to go slow. If you force him to do anything he's not comfortable with, it will be anti progressive. Good luck with your new friend.

[Luvparrots]

Welcome to the Grey family. Thank you for giving Kelsey a new forever home.

[Inara]

How wonderful for you and for Kelsey that you have all found one another. Kelsey is no doubt still missing his first person, and confused after only 14 months in his 2nd home, as to where he is now and who you and your husband are. It is natural that he would bite out of fear, he doesn't know you. Relax, be matter of fact around him, and give him plenty of time to just settle in. A week is a blink of an eye

 

Rather than reaching for him, always have a treat ready to allow him to reach for so that he associates your hands with good things happening. Definitely follow the advice about ignoring the screaming, and this means not even looking in his direction when he does it, and the second he quiets for about three or four heartbeats say something nice to him, or give him a whistle and treat. The poor guy's been through a lot but already sounds like he is really responding. We all have a tendency when we have a new companion come to live with us, to want to get things going and fixed as soon as possible -- all with great intentions from the heart. Our new companions don't know this though. All they know is that their world has been turned upside down. You'll find a wealth of information here, and you really cannot spend enough time reading threads, and doing searches on questions that you may have. There are occasional differences in approaches and opinions here, but all are given and received with open minds and respect, and everyone is united in their love for Greys, birds, and other humans who appreciate them. There truly are no foolish questions.

 

Looking forward to some photos and learning more about how Kelsey settles in. I have a special place in my heart for those who accept a rehomed companion into their lives and if I were standing right in front of you, you'd be hugged!

[Timbersmom]

Hello and welcome to you and Kelsey! Good luck and God bless

[Steve 2]

Hi Kelsey. Hang in there. I may be a bit biased, my Toulouse is a TAG. The effort is well worth it, they are awesome souls!

[Brat Birds]

Welcome. Glad you joined us. It will take a long time - to you, to Kelsey it will seem very short. Take it as easy as possible. You may even have days that it seems like everything is going in reverse. Hang in there - Kelsey needs you to. Thank you so much for putting in the effort and making a great forever home for her.

[Luvparrots]

When you say that Kelsey comes out of his cage does that mean he flies around or walks around. Does he step up for you? Have you acquired a new cage already. Is his old cage the size of a parakeet or canary cage. A few details please.

[Acappella]

The way I got Dorian to accept a new cage was 1. I assembled it within his line of sight but not so close that he was afraid of it. 2. I gradually moved it closer and closer to his cage, stopping if he showed any sign of fear or agression. 3. When it was close enough, I connected the two cages with a fabric Booda perch (his favorite type of perch) so that he could travel from the old cage to the new. 4. I put some of his favorite treats in the dishes of the new cage and I made darn sure he saw me doing it. This whole process took at least a couple of weeks, but my re-homed guy, Dorian, is cautious in the extreme, even for a grey. Their natural curiousity will eventually get the best of them, just don't rush your bird. Like others here have said, we know that all you want to do is to improve your birds' life, but your new companion only knows that once again his life has been turned upside down and his reflex as a prey animal is to go on high alert and defend himself.

 

Oh, and as far as the screaming goes, everyone in the house has to ignore it 100% of the time or it will not work. Think about it. If you respond to him after he has screamed for half an hour you've just taught him to scream for half an hour. Any type of response is a no no. Don't yell, don't approach the cage, don't answer etc. If you have to stay within his sight line turn your back to him until he either makes a nicer sound or is quiet for a few seconds. The behaviour can be mostly extiguished pretty quickly if everyone is consistent, but don't be surprised if there are some relapses. This is one of the ways they're so like human children. They will test you to find their limits. Congratulations on your new feathered friend.