Shamelessmuse Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Tuesday Greyce has to go to the vet. I don't know when she last went and I know she was around other birds with no quarentine. So...How am I going to get my terrified baby out of the cage. Everyone says use a towel, sounds great but...the door to her cage is narrow to me. About 1 foot give or take the actual clearence. I don't want this to be too horrible for her. I am trying to build any trust with her at all and well, it's moving slow. Anyone have any ideas that will allow me to keep all my fingers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronda477 Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Will she not step up for you? Is she a baby or how old is your grey? You should be able to just stick your hand in and get her, mine growls every time I do this but she has to know that you are boss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamelessmuse Posted January 28, 2008 Author Share Posted January 28, 2008 Ronda, she is in theory 18 months...though the more I research her the more that is in question. I just rescued her a week ago. She is still pretty freaked out, though I could handle her before I brought her home...she is going for blood or broke now. I am her 3rd home in about 3 months. Though there is a small possibility that she is a 3 year old, he, untamed breeder. Not sure just yet as I am still researching where she came from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronda477 Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Oh poor thing! Good for you though on giving her a home! Will she come out of the cage herself at all? If she will and she won't step up than after she is out towel her. You can work in baby steps after the vet check, you will have plenty of time but you have to get her there somehow. I do suggest though trying not to be afraid of her, I know this is tough with that big beak lol but just go at her like you are going to knock her off her perch if she doesn't step up on your hand. I don't mean at all to swipe hard enough to actually do this, but just go at her like you mean business. But if she won't let you do this, the only other way I would know is to towel her. We had to do this with our quaker parrot when we first got her cause she was very abused and wouldn't let anyone touch her, and the same thing was with her, we could touch her over at their house but once we got her home we couldn't. She took many blood strikes at us and finally my husband can do anything to her. But the vet recommended being I still could not hold her to towel her once in awhile and hold her to show her that I wouldn't do anything to her. She will occasionally come to me, but they are definitely known to be a one person bird, and she has picked hubby. That is why I got my TAG. And she growls at me all the time when I ask her to step up, but I don't back off even the slightest bit cause you have to show them the pecking order. I know it is very intimidating and maybe someone else can help and give some more ideas, but that's all I know to do for what we have been told in the past. Good Luck!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody6 Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Try bringing your hand behind her feet and then push up a little on her tush to pull her off balance and tell her to step up. Almost like sweeping her off her feet. I learned that from a fellow bird handler when she saw me having 'fear' of a particular bird that is on consignment at my favorite store. It worked like a charm. Maybe you may have success with it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamelessmuse Posted January 29, 2008 Author Share Posted January 29, 2008 Thanks for the suggestions guys. The problem isn't so much my fear...she is not going to step up. If you so much as put your hand near the cage she lunges, she bites when I open her coop cup doors. If I get close enough when cleaning the bottom of her cage she bites. She is just freaked, Again I'm not really afraid of being bitten. I of course would rather not, but I was a vet tech for 6 years...being bitten isn't really a fear, I've been mauled, mangled by every species imaginable. But, she isn't going to let me close enough to have her step up. That is where I am hung up. While using a towel sounds like a good idea, the door isn't very wide....and her coming out is a shot in the dark really. We aren't going to have hours to play with either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MazyAK Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Shamelessmuse: Since the vet visit is soon you will probably have to towel her. Do you have a travel cage nearby? If you haven't already put the travel cage where she can see it from her cage so she can get used to it. Yes, it'll be a screamfest when the time comes but you'll just have to go for it. If there is somebody other than yourself that can put her in the traveler, you won't be the bad guy. The vet can take out and put back at that end. As for the long term, be patient. Make sure the bird is secure by being locked in her cage. Leave the door open for short periods on and off. When you open it then move away and don't approach her cage . This may take days or weeks to coax her out, but as time goes and her curiosity gets the better of her she'll come out. When you get to that stage you can slowly approach and in a soft voice talk to her but still maintain some distance. It's a slow process, especially since you're having to get through habits and behavior which came with the bird. Good luck on the vet visit. Bruce & Mazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Try putting a favorite treat on top of the cage in such a way that she has to come out and get it. Or, put on some gloves & towel away! I feel for ya, and hope it goes well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watchout Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Some people will use a hand purch or a stick for the bird to step up on to remove them especially since the cage opening isn't very big. If she won't get on the stick, the towel may be the only way. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watchout Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Also, if you are going to bare hand it and you know you are going to take a bite, tuck your thumb under your fingers in a fist and take it on the back of the hand. Don't let her grab a finger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Good advice Jody about the fist, if you are going to go barehanded it is the only way. But the towel is best used in this situation since it is going to be ugly any which way you go about it. I feel for ya but it has to be done and right away so you can get back to working on a relationship with her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamelessmuse Posted January 29, 2008 Author Share Posted January 29, 2008 Oh, yea...we are all about the fist here to divert a bite. Best bird handling thing I ever learn years ago! So, we've been doing the door open thing for the past week...she's only come out a few times...but...Tonight she keeps coming out everytime I put a treat outside the cage! Yippy!!:laugh: So, I think this will be much easier! And, yes we have been putting the cage outside the cage. Most bird behavior I am pretty good with and I have been reading about Greys for eons! I've wanted one forever...It's just a little harder with a rescue, a number of the normal ways of progression go out the window when you are the third home in a short period! I'm a resuce sucker...always have to do it the hard way!:blink: :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watchout Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Great to hear that she is coming out now. Maybe she just needed to get use to everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamelessmuse Posted January 30, 2008 Author Share Posted January 30, 2008 Well, she lucked out and we have to reschedule the vet visit. I ended up in court all day...I was a witness to a three year old case that finally went to trial today...So, we will be rescheduling tomorrow. It may have been a blessing in disguise...she's a little moody today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Well good luck and be sure to let us know how it goes, I am caught up in this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamelessmuse Posted January 30, 2008 Author Share Posted January 30, 2008 Thanks Judy!! She's doing better this evening, she enjoys me singing goofy songs to her...she loosened up a bit. She's eating her late night snake and then we are off to bed. Hopefully I can get her in soon, I want to make sure everything is AOK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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