Survey

[JeffNOK]

Hello all!

 

I have created a survey about companion greys that I hope might provide some information about our birds and what factors may or may not affect issues like aggression, plucking, speaking, phobic behavior, affection, and bonding etc. If you have the time, please take the survey and let's see what we can learn. This forum is a great place to share information and possibly contribute to what is known about African Greys.

 

Thanks!

 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CompanionGreys

Edited August 2, 2014 by JeffNOK

[murfchck]

#24 needs an "I Don't know". lol I took the survey but I have three, do I need to take it for each one or will I negate the one I have already taken?

[Inara]

Would you like us to fill out only for our current AG, or repeat for past/departed greys? I ask because my wild caught CAG wlile sharing some traits with HRH (domestic TAG) also had some marked differences.

 

It might be a good follow up survey for us to do one on rehomes/rescues also. I'd be happy to either formulate one, or work with you on one. Or maybe the way you separate out the data on this one will work for how many previous homes, reason given for sale/surrender, purchased from..., history of biting, screaming, etc.

 

Good survey, thanks for putting it together! It is going to give us some really good info.

 

PS: Another question might be "is your bird currently flighted?" Some birds like Inara were clipped early and learned to fly later in life. There was the question about being allowed to fully fledge, but some may interpret that as feathers allowed to grow in for flight, some may interpret that as allowed to develop flight. Or it may just be my blonde brain;)

Edited August 2, 2014 by Inara

[Timbersmom]

Nice job Jeff! There were a couple that needed an "unknown" for us rehomers. Like the one about if bird was raised by parents etc. (don't remember #) and the one about how long the bird was handfed, also the one about gender. Sadly, I still don't know for sure! It'll be interesting to look at the results!

[Luvparrots]

I will try the survey once you have the answers to a couple of the questions from members like: Should I take a survey for each grey as I have one of each and the answers are different for each.

[JeffNOK]

Hi.

 

Thanks for taking an interest in the survey. I think it would be best to take the survey for each bird in question (past or present). Also I agree that some of the questions should have an "unknown" option that don't. I will see if I can fix it. In the mean time you can skip any questions that don't offer an answer option that best fits your situation.

[Luvparrots]

I took the survey for my TAG and tried to take it again for my CAG. It says, "thanks for taking the survey". So how do I take the survey again for my other grey?

Edited August 2, 2014 by luvparrots

[Dave007]

This is a long reply---

There's just too many individual factors that aren't mentioned in this survey. I personally don't think anyone can learn or do anything concerning their grey simply because all greys are individuals and many greys ( even the same bird) do a million things in the survey and a million things that the survey doesn't cover. Take wild caught---many people don't even know what that means even though that terminology is still used today. That practice stopped 20 yrs ago. There are no specific factors or any type of help that can apply to specific greys as far as people owning them and I will say owned until they start paying the rent, mortgage, and putting food on the table. Then they can own me when and if that day ever happens.

What does #13 have to do with anything?

#32-------?????

#8----??

#20---There should be 1? for biting and 1? for aggression ===2 different things

*21---You mean sexually aroused by people?? It's the person's fault when that happens.

#28----??

#9---enrichment??---The word should be Distraction

Edited August 2, 2014 by Dave007

[Steve 2]

Thanks for putting the survey together JeffNOK. Very interested to hear the results! Steve

[Brat Birds]

Number 11 should also have an I don't know - I have never had Peanut DNA'ed so don't know if he is really a he! LOL

[JeffNOK]

This is a long reply---

There's just too many individual factors that aren't mentioned in this survey. I personally don't think anyone can learn or do anything concerning their grey simply because all greys are individuals and many greys ( even the same bird) do a million things in the survey and a million things that the survey doesn't cover. Take wild caught---many people don't even know what that means even though that terminology is still used today. That practice stopped 20 yrs ago. There are no specific factors or any type of help that can apply to specific greys as far as people owning them and I will say owned until they start paying the rent, mortgage, and putting food on the table. Then they can own me when and if that day ever happens.

 

What does #13 have to do with anything?

#32-------?????

#8----??

#20---There should be 1? for biting and 1? for aggression ===2 different things

*21---You mean sexually aroused by people?? It's the person's fault when that happens.

#28----??

#9---enrichment??---The word should be Distraction

 

 

 

I agree the survey is incomplete. It was designed to collect some data from the forum and look for possible correlations between and among factors to see if anything interesting emerges. Number 13 about one's domestic situation is there to get an idea about how many people the bird lives in the home with, and if that correlates with any of the other responses. The questions I posted were simply ones I was interested in. It is a rookie effort, but it's fun to try something new and as more responses come in I will share what I find.

[Inara]

It may be a rookie effort, but it is still a good one. Every human is different, also, but we learn a lot about human behavior through assessment instruments and looking at trends. It's not as if JeffNOK is claiming this as any thing more than an informal survey. Out of that, after examining the responses from each question, then it can be modified to address other areas, operational definition of terms, and sub categories.

 

Just because someone may not be familiar with a term or sub category, i.e. wild caught for example doesn' t mean it has no relevance, especially in other parts of the world. I, for one, am interested if there is a correlation and/or possible causation with domestic breeding practices and aggression. Also the role that cryptochrome may play in Greys reading our behavioral responses vis a vis electromagnetic fluctuations. Certainly this survey is not in depth enough to address the first one in any sort of depth, or the second at all, but we do have a very large sample here from which to draw upon, and to be dismissive rather than constructive really is counterproductive to encouraging the acquisition of what could be more helpful knowledge.

 

When designing anything, the first version is usually up for revision after feedback. Thanks, Jeff, for wanting to take a deeper look.

 

EDIT: It would be nice to have a new forum section for the posting and dicussion of research articles as well as where surveys could be posted. .

Edited August 3, 2014 by Inara

[Muse]

It wouldn't let me go back to it again, if I click the link it just shows me that "Feeling charitable?" page.

[Muse]

Would you like us to fill out only for our current AG, or repeat for past/departed greys? I ask because my wild caught CAG wlile sharing some traits with HRH (domestic TAG) also had some marked differences.

 

It might be a good follow up survey for us to do one on rehomes/rescues also. I'd be happy to either formulate one, or work with you on one. Or maybe the way you separate out the data on this one will work for how many previous homes, reason given for sale/surrender, purchased from..., history of biting, screaming, etc.

 

Good survey, thanks for putting it together! It is going to give us some really good info.

 

PS: Another question might be "is your bird currently flighted?" Some birds like Inara were clipped early and learned to fly later in life. There was the question about being allowed to fully fledge, but some may interpret that as feathers allowed to grow in for flight, some may interpret that as allowed to develop flight. Or it may just be my blonde brain;)

 

I agree - I have never made a survey, but if there is an option to allow an "other" with free text option, that might be good to include because sometimes the answers just don't fit.

 

Thanks JeffNOK for putting this together!

 

None of the answers pertained to multiple birds, so I did it with Megan in mind. However, to be more specific in some cases - she imitates my voice pretty well but repeating things daddy says she uses her own voice. And as for wanting cuddles - she does with her dad but not with me. I can give head scritches with her permission.

 

Marden was a whole different story. And Peck is very unique also.

[katana600]

Your survey brings up thought provoking new questions. When you get what you wanted from your questions, it would be wonderful to get in touch with an avian research program to take it further and might make a good thesis for a budding avian vet. You have an inquiring mind and great ideas. You are on to something here. I have a tendency to answer true or false questions with an essay. LOL. Number 17 (?) stumped me. I answered unclipped. But in our case unclipped does not translate to flighted. Another very interesting spin off to this survey would be to get specific country information. It would be excellent and useful research to find individuals who find success as a group to learn how to better serve our companion greys. Now my mind is trying to sort out how to determine any individual person's definition of "success" and factual information vs. anecdotal. Some respondent may have the slant toward having the perfect parrot when maybe the parrot is a figment of their own imagination just to feel a part of something. Oh, see what you started? The thinks we can think. Great idea to work to learn more. I might get the notion you are a teacher opening our minds.

[Talon]

Well can't even start it as question one only let's you pick one species, I have both, and I think there is no canned difference between the two, it all boils down to personally of the bird and how the

personality and ways in which it is raised by its parront family interacts with them.

[JeffNOK]

I was hoping people would be able to fill out the survey for each bird, but I found out the survey site is only set up to allow one survey per computer. It might be possible to log in from another device and fill out a survey for a second or third,,,grey. Talon, I think you are probably right that there aren't significant differences between Timneh and Congo, but it seems much info out there says Timneh are more social, less phobic, and less prone to feather destruction. I was wondering if the survey would show any of that. Right now the survey has only about 25 responses, so we still have a small sample.