For those who have rescued a Grey

[Dave007]

If you've only had him for 2 1/2 weeks and you've made that much progress already, I doubt that you're gonna have much trouble in the near future. Older birds sometimes don't take to new owners that quickly. You'll have setbacks but what happened to you and him this time is really minor compared to some other things that people have gone through.

[Hrund]

Nokkvi is less afraid of me than my boyfriend. Is it better that I train him now at the beginning or should we both do it?

[Dave007]

Just have you and your boyfriend around and get him involved with the training. Some birds will like both people evenly. Others will like one more than the other but that's nothing to worry about. Just expect that things won't be even. Most of the time a bird will like one person for certain things and reasons and also like the other person for different things and reasons. All greys have different personalities so it's best to find out what his personality is but I must say that he's already come a long way in the area of starting to trust you and the boyfriend.

[Hrund]

Thank you for this input, I guess I`m just too impatient and expect too much too soon. I was just so happy with him wanting to step on my hand. I`ll just have to keep working on this

[casper]

Karma to you Dave.

What a difference, I cant believe its the same bird.

I think you are all such great people with big hearts for taking in a rescue bird.

It is something I will consider in the future.

[BaxtersMom]

In the beginning both of us were fascinated with Baxter and my husband wanted to mess with him as much as I did. He was responding better to me though and my husband eventually just started being the nice guy to Baxter and that's pretty much his role today. He goes and gives him his favorite goodies to make nice with him. Baxter is always willing to take goodies so it works out for both of them. He doesn't do any of the "training" or personal time but will go pet him a few times a day or ask him to step up for him which Baxter does willingly. He usually only does this for a few minutes at a time but leaves the serious one on one time to me. Maybe you can convince your boyfriend that he should be the good one and his job is to give him goodies and make friends with him like that because since he has bonded to you there's nothing that can be done except work on a good but different relationship with your boyfriend. It's probably stressful for Nokkvi if there are 2 of you with him and hes still settling in. I've had my setbacks with Baxter too but it doesn't last long. I think Nokkvi was more scared of people too so it might take a bit longer. As time goes by I'm sure everyone will know what their roles are including Nokkvi. I think you are doing a great job.

[danmcq]

Erika - Great photos, especially the wing span shot...BEAUTIFUL!!

 

All - thanks to all that have contributed to this thread. :-) Keep it coming!!

 

Hopefully, we will soon have an official Rescue Room!!!

[sandra902]

thank you dan, it will be a wonderful resource and a huge service to our extended flock!

 

and dave, wonderful story on jazz! i am hoping mr merl will come as far. he's on the right track bless him. you are a great example for us newbies and i thank you for your generous advice you so freely give.

 

-s

[pmaholm]

Hey all, Wanted to chime in here and saw how encouraging all of this is. As you all may know we got Refund and Joey from a breeding situation they weren't abused(except for Refund from his first owners) or neglected per say, but didn't have any other interaction but each other. They apparently don't like one another well enough to breed, and they started plucking one another. I do have to admit that we originally took Refund in on a whim but finding this forum and scouring the internet has helped us learn a great deal about Greys in a short time. Just after having Refund and Joey for a couple months they both will play with their toys take treats from us and step up with a minimum of grumbling(mostly from Refund). Joey seems to have completely stopped plucking and in 2 months we've only found about 5 feather from Refund, and only just recently. We've taken them off a seed mix and switched them to pellets which they both love, and they get at least a couple of hours of out of cage time a day to sometimes almost 8 hours on the weekend.

 

Joey

~2 months ago.

 

Now

 

 

Refund

July 18

 

now

 

I know it's not a huge difference but we're happy that we could make them happier than they were.

 

Sorry for such a long post!

 

-Patrick

[Dave007]

That first and last picture says it all. There is a major difference. Obviously, he's on his way. Good luck.

[BaxtersMom]

Pmaholm, I think it's a huge difference! And I bet if you asked Joey and Refund they would tell you the same;) I noticed Joey has red feathers all over. How cool. I didn't know greys had red other areas than their tale.

 

And Dan...are we really getting an official Rescue Room???? Please Please Please say {Communicate-0002011B}

[Janfromboone]

Loved the video. What a lucky bird to have found you!!

[bettyboop]

Remarkable pictures and stories.

Congratulations to all of you , these birds are so lucky.

Mary

[NewGreyMom]

{Feel-bad-0002006A}

I feel so bad for these birds.

:woohoo:

But sooooo happy they have found loving homes....

 

Wonder if "Playing with your Parrot" could be a "day job"? SIGN ME UP

 

Thank you anyone who's taken in a grey, from less than ideal circumstances.

 

Lisa, Mollie and Brodie"o" ...:>

[Tycos_mom]

That incresible Dave. You have done a awesome job with Jazz. You should be so proud of yourself Jazz is very lucky to have you in his life. You are both very blessed to have found each other.

Tyco use to Barber every flight feather on her left wing. Since she been with me she doesn't barber her wings any more. She is fully flighted but doesn't know how to fly she is 5 yrs old now. I've had her for since Oct. 9th 2007 I'm hopeing she will learn how to fly from my other birds.I don't know if she will or not. I don't have any Idea how to teach a bird to fly

[Dave007]

Since your grey now has feathers ( even set of flight feathers)more than likely, she'll eventually start to fly after the covert feathers grow in completely. First, very short sloppy, unsuccessful flights than a wee bit better when landing but still going downward. When you start seeing that happen, put down a cheap throw rug in the general area where she starts to land with regularity. As her distance gets farther move the rug to that area etc. It's gonna take a while and don't expect perfect results even when the flying process has been achieved. It'll eventually happen though. Just don't put any time limits on when you think it should happen. It might take a couple of years of stable feathering and lots of muscle buildup which only your bird can accomplish in her own good time.

 

PS, I should also say something about the reason for the rug----besides you not wanting her to get hurt, landing on a rug doesn't shock the bird and make it a traumatic painful experience. It'll let her eventually think about doing it again cause there's no pain involved--just a soft *thump*.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2008/09/14 00:40

[2Skittles4u]

I'm certainly no expert on helping a bird to fly, but what we're trying with Sugar (16 year old U2) is holding him on our arm and dropping our arm a little just to get him to "kind of" flap. We don't want to scare him and it would appear we are not scaring him because he can leave at any time if he's uncomfortable. He actually seems to enjoy it. He can make the choice to snuggle (which he absolutely loves) or climb on our arm for the "wing flap" time.

 

Sugar never flaps on his "own time." He has never tried to fly to the floor but he has gotten startled and fallen to the floor. It's the saddest thing in the world to watch him fall. He genuinely puts his wings out like we (as humans) would put our arms/hands out to break our fall.

 

Our hope is to build up his muscles in his wings and with time he'll decide he wants to fly with the other birds. He's only 16 years old and with any luck he'll live another 80 and in that time maybe he'll see the fun in flying! We also have to wait for his wing feathers to grow out before he can even get a slight lift off.

 

Linda

[Tycos_mom]

I can't beleive there are so many bird out there that never learned to fly. I hope your bird does learn in time. I also hope Tyco learns to fly also. She is only 5 yrs old so hopfully she will want to try soon. I know what you mean about watching them fall its so sad to see a bird fall and not even try to fly to stop itself. Tyco falls at least once a month and she falls like a rock.

 

I hope it happens and she flys soon she has all her primary flights now she is still missing 2or 3 secondarys but her wings are beautiful. The guy I got her from said she had always been without feathers on her left wing he said he thought it was a birth defect can you imagine. Anyway he had her for 2 yrs and she was like that when he got her so she barbered her wings for a very long time. I was so happy when they grew in. I thought for sure that there might have been permanent damage. I'm Tyco 4th and last home. poor bird is only 5 yrs old and has been passed around like potato chips.<br><br>Post edited by: Tycos_mom, at: 2008/09/14 09:30

[danmcq]

These poor rescues that have no idea of how to fly are truly sad. As the years of being a clipped and crippled bird continue, before they are given proper care, allowed to grow their natural feathers and finally be capable of flying. The chances grow each year that they no longer have any memory of being able to fly, if they ever were.

 

The sad statement here, is it has almost become an accepted practice that breeders clip the feathers before releasing the baby birds to their first (hopefully last) family. The family then continues having the bird clipped thinking it's for the birds "Safety".

 

By the time most birds get to a loving rescue home, they have no pectoral muscles, no sense of being able to fly and many times no drive to do so.

 

I wish there were some ways to change the prevalent thinking to NOT clipping a birds wings, letting them fully fledge and leaving it up to the owner to decide based upon the new homes circumstances.

 

I have a ton of respect for all of you who are getting those rescues back to health, fully flight capable and taking the time to work with them to become the wonderful flighted, sky gracing creature they were born to be. :-)

 

They don't chop Dogs legs off that are going to be "Lap" dogs, to protect them from danger or running away.......<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2008/09/14 14:02

[annmarie73]

Great job Dave! B)

[katana600]

Somehow I missed this thread before. When I joined the forum, it was to learn about a baby grey. Getting a new look for the Rescue haven allowed me to see more from those of you who have gone before us. Thank you for paving the way, for your gift of advice and encouragement. I can't begin to tell you how scared I was to be one more weight in Gilbert's downward spiral. From the first day I answered the offer for a new home for him, to arriving on the doorstep, I was seriously considering the thought of failure. I was so afraid it was too much baggage to overcome and somehow I might be deficient in creating a safe haven for this little guy. I know now that it isn't magic we are doing, it is sustained, daily commitment to understand and to keep on coming back for more. Every day is a new day. Looking at the photos of Jazz at the beginning and Jazz after sustained predictability, I am more realistic that we are not going to fly this year, maybe not next year, but someday. I am lifted by the humble beginnings of all you who have taken time with these special cases.