New Baby HELP!!

[ljbpink]

Hi all

 

I'm new here, I hope I am posting in the right section.

 

I have a baby african grey, he is called Jack and is 4.5months old. We have had him 8 days.

 

He whistles back to us, and makes a few different sounds.

 

He has started to take food out of our hands (mine and my husband's) since today. both while inside and outside his cage.

 

but will not come to us, if we put our hand in the cage he cowers and steps backwards.

 

is there a good way to get him to come to us for the 1st time? get him to step up? or allow us to pick him up when its time to go back in the cage?

 

any advice would be welcome.

 

maybe i'm expecting too much too soon. he has not been handled before we got him.

 

Thanks

Lisa

[KatB]

Maybe you can start with a hand-held perch, instead of your hand? Or ball your hand into a fist so it doesn't look like a hand and offer him your wrist. That worked for me, but the circumstances were different so it may not be your answer.

[ljbpink]

thank you for your fast reply, I have tried the hand hheld perch he still steps backwards.

 

I will try the hand in a fist thou.

 

thanks again

[Talon]

It is early still, and seeing that he hasn't been handled will make it more difficult, but you will teach him, so be patient. Try your hand in a fist, and put just your arm in. See if he will step up that way. Also, you may try to entice him out on his own at first with a treat. They can be scared of hands if they are not used to them.

You could also put your hand behind him and offer him the hand held perch to step up onto as you slowly try to get him to move closer to the front of the cage. Once he is out, it will open up a whole new world for him and I think you'll find that he will love it, and be more apt to step up more and more for you.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

[judygram]

Lisa if you have only had him for 8 days, that is not long enough for him to feel comfortable with you and to trust you enough to come to you. Give him some time to adjust, some just take longer to accept new things and patience is key right now. But try the fist and see if he will be more receptive to stepping up on that.

[ljbpink]

Thank you for all of your replies.

 

Talon - He has no problem coming out on his own, and he likes being out. but even when he is out will not step up.

 

I am going to try the fist 2nite, but I don't think that he understands that I want him to step up.

 

thanks again

 

Lisa

[ziggy]

Hello ljbpink,

Jack is very young and does not know how to perch yet on command. A young grey will need to feel confident before he makes the big step. This will take time. He in his little mind does not know is this a good thing or is this a bad thing. You as the owner need to make him feel secure. I dont think training him with a perch is a good thing to start with. The idea is to make him feel comfy with you and your family. You in a way have to human trian him. He needs to feel comfy with human contact. He is still very young and does not have the know how that you are a freind and not a foe. The next thing is that he is not comfy with his new home yet. This also will take time for him to adjust. His whole world right now is full of uncertaintys. Picture yourself in his world, Would you fell comfy if you just moved to place that you know nothing about and have no friends, or family. You would fell a little upset that you are all alone. you need to make friends quickly so that you feel alittle more at ease. Now you meet people but you dont know if this person is a wacko or a nice person. You have your gaurd up a little to make sure your not in any danger or is this person a nut. So after a few meeting with this person you start to lower your gaurd a little and find out that you are starting to trust him a little more and more every time you meet him. This is exactly what your bird feels right now. I have to trust this human before I make any decisions to go to him/her. this is a way for them to start a friendship with you and your family. They will come around in time, but like I tell plenty of people is you need to have patience when working with young, nasty, or abused birds. Patience is the largest item you will need to have. He will start to trust you and you will have a great companion for many many years to come. You say he will not come to you right now, Try going up to him and placing your hand up to him and say " Jake up" at first he will run away. You might want to also just try grabbing him and you make the first move. After you have him rub his neck or back and talk softly to him. Say nice thing such as good bird, jake your a good bird, your so pretty, ect. He might need you to make the first steo for him. He is yound and dont know how yet. Now you make that first step and now it is up to you to continue to make steps for him. Now you have him take him away from the cage( his comfy zone), start to work with him. Place your finger under his chest and tell him jake up. Keep the pressure on his chest until he starts to feel like he is going to fall off. He will have to step up now or he will fall. He will fall sometimes but he will start to learn. After he does it praise him say good boy jake and give him a small treat. Continue this over and over until he builds up the trust with you. After he trusts you, You should have no problem getting him off the cage or out of it.

[chapala]

At this stage of what will be a very long relationship with a wonderful Grey bird, please take your time, do not be in a hurry, and do NOT force the bird. I am very much against any advice to grab the bird. That will prove to him that you cannot be trusted. Keep hand-treating him, let him realize that hands are good, and gradually lead him across one hand held still on a perch to reach the other hand with the treat. Keep doing that until he is comfortable, always aiming for tiny steps in the right direction. If he gets scared, back off and start a little more slowly. He will be stepping up before you know it. No need to be in a hurry at all.

Reta

 

A quick addendum - forcing the bird to be held, forcing the bird to accept something he is afraid of, is a negative training technique called "flooding". It is not considered appropriate today by any of the prominent animal behaviorists and parrot behaviorists. Positive reinforcement training techniques work very well and increase the trust.<br><br>Post edited by: chapala, at: 2007/12/10 15:23

[Dave007]

I agree with Chapala. Grabbing a bird is a very bad idea. That will force a natural instinct to bite even if it doesn't know it has that ability yet. A bird who is a new place for only 8 days has many, many things to get used to. Everything is new, strange, confusing including people. It takes a long time to get used to things and feel comfortable. Your bird needs to learn about the cage, the toys, the perches and everything that's new to him. Don't mistake him taking food from you as being totally comfortable with everything else. All birds will take treats much sooner than trust people. Look at his cage as his new home. He needs to thoroughly learn everything about his new home first. He needs to see regular habits that always go on in the house. You have a CAG which is the type of bird that's very leery of all things that are first introduced. Even after you've had your bird for a long time, you'll see that he/she will be very leery of new things such as toys, moving things to different places in the cage, adding new things to playstands etc. TAGs are quite the oppposite. As others have said, patience, patience, patience. No time limits should be put on things that YOU think should be happening but aren't. He'll eventually show interest in you when he's ready and you'll definitely see that happening. What you should keep in mind that as you said, he's a new baby.

[loviechick]

First you have to keep in mind you have barely had him over a week. Birds aren't like dogs where they are constantly seeking affection. When you first bring home a bird, emotionally they act like they don't need you. They are scared of everything and getting used to new sights and sounds. Keep doing what you're doing as in making sounds and feeding him treats, but don't try to force your bird to trust you, it will have very negative results.

 

I'd suggest dimming the lights a bit, as this will be more soothing to the bird, and just talking gently to him and offer him a steady hand, if he doesnt' take it fine, but don't reward him unless he does.

 

Oh and FYI, I've had both my CAG's a while now, and neither of them will step up off their cage for me without a bribe involved, anywhere else they will just not the top of the cage LOL

[Laurie]

I always try to remember these birds often live to be 50-60 years old. They have all the time in the world to get used to something, and they sure will take their time! Patience is key...Good luck to you!

[ziggy]

I just want to clear the air here. When I said grab the bird I did not mean to wrap your hands around him and grab in that way. I meant to grab in a figure of speach. Try to get him off or out of his cage and get him away from his comfy zone. With him away from this he will respond better and not want to be distracted with his cage in sight. Patience is the key here you have him about a week and you have to keep working him(not to much at once) until he learns the commands. Every bird is going to act differant then the next that is what makes every one of them a induvidual. Like humans we are not all alike we are differant in many ways, so are birds. What comes natural for one might be a task for others. There are some greys that are not excellant talkers, like there steroetype. Some are just lazy or have a difficult time with talking. My point here is that your bird will be differant then my bird and my bird will be dirrerant then the next guys and so on. Again I did not mean to literally GRAB the bird. Im from N.Y and we have a differant way of saying things. Like open the light, or go inside( when you are already inside), ect.