retronut Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 hey all! as im planning on getting a grey soon i keep reading lots of alarming things during research. the one that is currently playing on my mind is the issue of bonding with the bird. id like to hear about when fellow members got their greys and how the bonding process played out? was it love at first sight (for both of you, lol!) or did you need a long time to be accepted by your bird? do younger birds take to new owners easily? do problems only really occur if you take on an older bird? i ask because ive heard the advise 'let the bird choose you' when you make your purchase. my problem is i dont drive and am planning on getting my bird from a breeder 4 hours drive away. the bird they deliver is mine, no choosing. i know this isn't ideal but i have no other option. the breeder seems good and someone on this site has used them and given me great feedback on them. where i live the only other way of getting a grey is from a pet store, i dont want to do that though. also. ive read about owners with a bird that hates men/women. is this born of circumstance? e.g. a bird with a male owner ends up hating the mans partner and therefore women in general. or do some birds just hate a gender for no known reason? so, add to my worries or tell me your happy story, lol! <br><br>Post edited by: retronut, at: 2008/10/13 17:31 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cflanny Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Babys will adapt much easier then a older bird with a past. Babys will accept what is and fit it to the schedule you provide. You will bond. Our feathered friends learn from experiences and I dont believe they are just born with a pretetermined like or dislike to say a certain sex. If you are purchasing a baby Please read alot about socialization. There are alot of mistakes that can be made but if you educate yourself you will do fine. Problems can occur with young greys but if you are educated the very best you can be this will help tons!! About choosing a baby, you could ask the breeder for detailed info on their personalitys, mabey one is curious and outgoing and mabey one is shy but loving or one is more on a dominant side, this knowledge might help a little with what you think fits into your household. Some breeders can send videos of the interaction with a human or brood mates and can show some personality. Good luck with what ever you choose I am not a expert just do alot of reading others with more experience should be along soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retronut Posted October 13, 2008 Author Share Posted October 13, 2008 thanks cflanny. ive read a tone of info and advice over the last few months! my head is spinning. :ohmy: ill do a search on socialization in the forum and make sure im clued up. any links anyone has would be great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Brett, why don't you browse thru the nursery room, there are some threads there that deal with socialization and baby greys, you will find lots of advice. Just read as much as you can and you will do fine, don't stress yourself out about it as that won't help at all, just relax and enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Many things that you've heard can happen but it's up to the owner to prevent it from happening. Some of what you've heard is true, some false When you bring your grey home, it's not a good idea to be handling him a lot until he/she feels good about that new cage and it's contents, new people, new surroundings, what goes on everyday.. Everything else ahead of the bird is also going to be new and learning about them in a relaxed state is best accomplished from the security of it's own cage and no time limits should be placed on the grey re when anything should be accomplished. All greys are different from each other. A grey should be acclimated into the whole family. Allow the least amount of opportunities that will let a grey become a one-person bird. The whole family has to be involved with the bird in all areas--feeding, treat giving, cage cleaning, adding toys and handfeeding certain types of food. Your grey should be in an area where your average daily constant habits, conversations, household chores, relaxation and guests are nearby. Putting a grey or any other species of parrot in another room with no human contact or visuals accomplishes nothing. The bird has to learn to accept all different things and the owner needs to help that parrot do all of these things by putting the bird into the mix of things. Because you're new to owning a grey,it's a bad idea to allow your grey on your shoulders because they can develop a bad habit of biting necks, ear lobes, nape and head hair, breaking jewelry and sometimes biting the face. They're not being aggressive. They simply find these things attractive. Not all do this biting but it's a habit that should be avoided. You never can tell what's going to happen to you when you can't see the bird up there. You need to supervise any out of the cage time when you have other animals around. Never under estimate another species of animal and it's possible daily attitude be it dog or cat. Many times, even other species of parrots need to be watched when put together. It's impossible to tell who will like or dislike each other. I'll repeat---all greys are different from each other. They're all individual animals. """""ive read about owners with a bird that hates men/women."""""" That's a falsehood. Many people buy greys and they never find out what the sex is. So, if that statement was true, many people would be very unhappy with their bird. """""do younger birds take to new owners easily? Do problems only really occur if you take on an older bird? The chances that a younger grey will take to new owners is basically true but the the people who have older birds are usually people who are willing to accept that older bird and all of it's old habits. For the new grey owner, an older bird should be avoided until that person understands what owning any type of parrot entails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cflanny Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 I just also wanted to say I just brought my baby home a few weeks ago and my mind was spinning and most of the things I stressed about all just fell into place and was never a worry at all !! I had a great breeder who worked very hard on his socialization before coming home and I feel he came very well rounded but he just kinda fot in imediantly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retronut Posted October 17, 2008 Author Share Posted October 17, 2008 thanks for the advice all. i've read more on the subject and am looking forward to getting started! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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