New Member with 4-5 year old RESCUE CAG

[CTGull]

She seems to be afraid of anything she's never seen before.  Not fearless after all.

Will all the noises, voices and whistles she does, as soon as she sees someone she stops.

She doesn't like hair!!  I bent in the clean the cage and she tried to bite my head.  Our son said he's noticed that too.  Hair is bad!!

She's still evolving.  We're still learning.

[neoow]

Anything new in a grey's world is out to kill them (in their minds, anyway). You may notice that they are incredibly observant. Sometimes they will sit and observe for a while before being brave enough to edge towards the new thing and give it a prod. Sometimes they may need to observe 'the thing' for a few days before they finally realise it's not actually going to kill them.

In regards to the hair... Is she attacking your hair (e.g lunging at it and acting aggressively) or is she just having a gentle poke at you to see what that fluffy stuff on top of your head is? Alfie likes to play with my hair on occasion. They will 'beak' things when checking them out. I'm just curious if it's aggressive or curious behaviour. Sounds like it's aggressive from your post though.

 

[CTGull]

6 minutes ago, neoow said:

Anything new in a grey's world is out to kill them (in their minds, anyway). You may notice that they are incredibly observant. Sometimes they will sit and observe for a while before being brave enough to edge towards the new thing and give it a prod. Sometimes they may need to observe 'the thing' for a few days before they finally realise it's not actually going to kill them.

In regards to the hair... Is she attacking your hair (e.g lunging at it and acting aggressively) or is she just having a gentle poke at you to see what that fluffy stuff on top of your head is? Alfie likes to play with my hair on occasion. They will 'beak' things when checking them out. I'm just curious if it's aggressive or curious behaviour. Sounds like it's aggressive from your post though.

 

The objects that scared her were being carried by her by me.  I don't walk slow.  I do approach her into the cage slowly.

My son said it look aggressive.  It was my fault for suddenly poking the top of my head in while cleaning the bottom of the cage.  A big round brown scary thing!!  When she's at the edge of the door opening or out of the cage I will slowly lower my head and have my son observe what happens.  We've had birds that liked to preen hair and others that would attack it.

[CTGull]

Haven't thought about the hair lately.  I'd kind of like to keep what I have left.

She stepped up yesterday, probably by accident.  Starting yesterday evening, possibly part of her mating dance, is to raise a foot at me.  Either foot.  She will actually grab my finger.  But has no interest in stepping up.  I tried pushing on her chest once and she held the bar very firmly.  Typically if I put my finger near her feet (and a foot isn't extended to me) she will push my finger away very firmly with her head.  No bite, not even an attempt.   While she still lowers her head for scratches almost anytime I extend a finger toward her, when I scratch her head after a couple of seconds she turns her head a nibbles on my finger.  I've been not scratching her as much, to not encourage her mating dance.  I still show her the other birds stepping up.  And talk to her.

She's copied more than a few sounds around the house.  This afternoon I heard her mimicking the smaller dogs bark.  She's also howled with the other dog.  We think she's said our middle son's name a few times.  and other stuff.  Very entertaining.

[Timbersmom]

That's interesting. When Timber lifts his foot, it is always because he wants to get on my arm. Timber has a fear of hands and will only step up on my forearm.

[CTGull]

I think just about everything she does is for "mating" with me.  She'll dance around (lifting feet and wings) to get my attention, then she grabs my finger (and not let go!), and attempt to regurgitate for my hand.  I usually pull away, but it isn't always easy.  Shes got a good grip!

Yesterday had positives and negatives.  I was in and out all weekend.  I'd give the birds a couple minutes attention here and there.  I noticed she wasn't as vocal and didn't eat as much as she has been.  I normally give her half a bowl in the morning and it's gone by late afternoon, and I'll give her a little bit more.  Yesterday she ate a bit more than half.  And I noticed a dozen down feathers of the bottom of the cage.  And she's been a little more aggressive with her mating (nibbling on my finger).

On the other hand, she stepped up 4 times, 2 willingly stepping off the front of the cage onto my finger.  The first 2 times I kept her right in the front of the cage.  She keeps looking up at the ceiling.  I think she's afraid of the popcorn ceiling.  The 3rd time I very slowly walked her to the front window.  Later I very slowly took her to our bedroom.  Each time she was only out for 2 or 3 minutes.

I might as well add today to this.  I got home to find all her food gone.  That's a good thing.  And she's being very animated and vocal.  Raising feet and wings, showing off.

Edited June 4, 2018 by CTGull

[CTGull]

When does mating season end??  Or will this continue until the days get shorter?  I put a sheet over her at sundown (about 9pm), and take it off when I'm about to leave for work (about 5:30am).  I know that's not enough sleep time, but I make sure she gets clean food and water before I leave for work.

[CTGull]

After a week of no/slow progress, she has been willingly stepping up more.  4 times this morning.  Of course, she's doing it to get closer to me for her mating display.  I've been doing less neck scratching and more talking to her.  She doesn't get scratched at all if she's on my finger.  I keep her near the cage and move very slowly.  She transfers easily to the other finger, something our other birds won't do (left hand is evil!!).  She's still afraid of the ceiling and most inanimate objects, but not afraid of the dogs & cats that could actually kill her.

Now that she's getting easier to pick up, I need to make a setup to weigh her.  I'd swear she feels heavier.  She's small for her breed but a little overweight for her size, due to her previous diet of seed and nuts.  No signs of plucking.

Hopefully she'll continue to get easier to handle and more comfortable over the next few months.  Maybe we'll be able to take her to the Parrot meeting in September, 3 months away.

[Greywings]

She is making remarkable progress she is in the fast lane for a Grey.✈️

[CTGull]

11 hours ago, Greywings said:

She is making remarkable progress she is in the fast lane for a Grey.✈️

I think the fast lane days are over.  She's settling into the Grey lane.  Even though she's stepping up a bit better, she's still visibly afraid when I take her out of the cage.  So I stay right next to it and let her look around.

[Greywings]

We are ready for some more updates or pictures please.🕊️

[CTGull]

Well, unfortunately our 16 year old daughter has been in the hospital for the past 2 weeks.  Severe depression.  We brought her home today.  Every day is go to work, go to the hospital, go to bed.  With a little bird time between.  Last weekend we were working on giving her room a makeover.  Prime & paint have been done.  I did the prime on Saturday, her friends did the painting on Sunday.  And one of her friends has been working on a mural.  This weekend will be a new vinyl plank floor.     

Since everything but the bed came out of the room, it meant much of it went into the living room, where the birds are.  Things going by greatly scared the CAG.  She fell off her perch at least 2 times.  For the past 3 nites she's been freaked out by covering her cage.  Tonight was the first time she had no problem with the cover, probably because I did it.

Every morning when I take off the cover I give them food and water, and give the CAG scratches.  The past 3 mornings she did step up willingly at least once.  Yesterday she was climbing the edge of the doorway opening and I was amazed she stepped onto my finger!  By mostly she wants scratches and wants to do her wing drooping, wimpering, attempting regurging.  I don't giver her exclusive long time attention, I move from bird to bird so they don't get too jealous.  These are 3 medium size birds that could do some serious damage to me if they wanted.  Fortunately all 3 of them like me very much.

Maybe pictures tomorrow, but no promise.  Our 18 year old son graduates from High School on Friday.  thursday after work I have to get him some fancy clothes to wear, a one time use.  He lives in shorts and t-shirts.

Busy, busy!!!!

[Timbersmom]

Praying your daughter.  Depression is such a difficult thing to deal with, for the sufferer and for the family. 

[CTGull]

Wow, has she really opened up vocally!!!  All kinds of stuff coming out of her mouth the last few days!!  Including stuff she had to have picked up before we got her.  "stop. Stop.  STOP!!!"

And, all of the sudden it's quite up there.   Hmmm....  I better check.

[CTGull]

I should mention the new toys that she was originally afraid of are in her cage and she's OK with them.  She doesn't touch any of her toys though.  :?(

She continues to very randomly step up.  90% of the time she forcibly pushes my finger up to her head for scratches.  Sometimes she lightly bites my fingers to redirect me.  If she takes it too far I close the door and walk away.  Mostly, she steps up to get closer to me for he mating dance.  Mostly in the morning.  Although she must have some interest in coming out of her cage.  But she's usually very scared when I take her out, looking for things to eat her.  I can see it in her eyes and feel it in her grip.  I'll sometimes slowly walk her around the room.  Hopefully she'll get it soon.  I can't take her to the bird meeting in September if she's this scared of everything outside her cage.

She must have never been taken out.  I can tell by the things she's been saying lately that her former owners where not happy with her.  She's been telling her story.  I've been tempted to text the guy, but that would probably just piss him off.  He "wanted it gone".

If I could only get her to understand "good bird step up", which is what I say when I take one of the other birds out and show her that they like to step up.  She obviously has her own priorities!!

[Timbersmom]

Timber doesn't care much for toys either. He gets past fear, but doesn't have much interest. The things he actually likes are his bells (stainless steel is safe), his stainless steel measuring spoons (they are all on a ring so they rattle), and his forage ball because it has Healthy Bits in it. Other than that, he prefers cardboard to chew on, and not in the form of a toy. More like a box I receive from Amazon with the tape pulled off.

They can certainly tell a story with the vocabulary they know. I think you are making good progress. They are sooooo sloowwww to accept and change  Grey time!

[CTGull]

She does ring a bell on a toy once in a while.  And grabs one toy to bang it against her water bowl.  That's about it.  I added squares of cardboard to one toy.  She was initially afraid of it, now she ignores it.  Everything I've given her was to chew on, instead of herself.  She has popped a few main wing and tail feathers, which are  chewed on the ends.  I've never seen a feather (other than down) on the floor of the cage.  That's a good thing.  She's got a long way to go!

I'm hoping the breeding behavior ends soon, and she still likes me afterward.

If I had a voice activated recorder I could document her vocabulary, which seems to grow every day.  Not just random words, whole sentences!

Edited June 25, 2018 by CTGull

[CTGull]

I just realized we rescued her 5 weeks ago yesterday.

[CTGull]

No real update.  Nothing has changed.  Everything outside her cage is going to kill her.  The only time she will step up is at sunrise.

Our town fireworks are this coming Saturday.  It is about 1/4 mile from our house and very visible from the livingroom.  AND VERY LOUD!!!!  The other 2 birds have heard/seen it, they will be fine.  Piper will probably spend the whole time on the bottom of the cage in convulsions!!!  So I figured I'd lower a play stand, get her used to it, and bring her downstairs and put her on it before the fireworks start.  Well, that's not going to happen.  She's terrified of the thing!!!!  A couple of mornings ago I took her out and she gripped my finger tight enough to stop the blood flow.  Sh jumped off as I got closer to the stand.  I picked her up and got her onto it.  I took her off and put her on again.  I put her back in her cage and she's refused to step up since.  End of story.

[Luvparrots]

Welcome to the Grey Family.  Relax and let your new friend get use to her new home.

[Timbersmom]

Hope the fireworks didn't have any ill effects on her. They don't phase Timber. His fears seem really odd to me. Fireworks, etc. don't phase him. Something bright orange will put him in a state of terror.

[CTGull]

The fireworks are tomorrow night.  But there were some loud neighborhood ones on Wednesday and it didn't seem to bother the birds.  The dogs hate it!!!  We'll see what that in combination with flashing lights does.  I'll make sure she's covered first, but that only blocks visibility, not light.  She'll probably be fine.  

Haven't been able to get her to step up the last 2 mornings.  A few steps back.  Wait and see.

I think my wife had gotten something from the vet to put in her water or food to calm her down for her destructive feather problem.  I'll have to find it.  Still no pulled feathers but she chews any wing feathers that come in.

[SRSeedBurners]

35 minutes ago, CTGull said:

I think my wife had gotten something from the vet to put in her water or food to calm her down for her destructive feather problem.  I'll have to find it.  Still no pulled feathers but she chews any wing feathers that come in.

 

Would like to know what the vet prescribed.   Our Huey is on Haliperidol.  I've tried multiple times to wean him off it but 2-3 days after the last dose, he starts to butcher his feet.

[CTGull]

1 hour ago, SRSeedBurners said:

 

Would like to know what the vet prescribed.   Our Huey is on Haliperidol.  I've tried multiple times to wean him off it but 2-3 days after the last dose, he starts to butcher his feet.

I'll try to find it tonight.

[kittykittykitty]

You and your grey would definitely benefit if you would let the grey move at her own pace.  I myself hate to see any animal. let alone a grey, being given potentially toxic chemicals.  You might ask your avian vet about using Bach remedies.