Interesting Read On The Differences of CAG & TAG

[Sallas]

I found this article this morning while doing more research on my litte-uns. Whenever I have free time, I always try to do more research to understand my pets so that I may give them the best care that I can.

 

Anyway, I found this interesting and thought I would pass it on. Remember, this is just the opinion of one person or group of people. Agree with it or do not, but I have found some of the things that she says about Timnehs to be VERY accurate to how mine act.

 

http://www.africangreys.com/articles/greys/species.htm

[Talon]

This is a wonderful article! I have both a tag and a cag only 2 months apart. And I see big differences between the 2 breeds. Not only in visual appearances, but talking abilities, stringing sentences together, interacting verbally with me, docile vs. nervous etc.

 

I found this study to be very exciting, as I have believed since I have both that there are big differences.

Karma coming your way for posting this! B)

[Sallas]

I have two TAGs, I would like to get a CAG also. So, I cannot compare the two breeds myself. But I would not say that my TAGs are nervous birds, in fact I think they are pretty much the opposite.

 

I hear people say they have to slowly introduce new toys and stuff, I bring a new toy in the house and the both of them cannot wait to get at it and check it out. Maybe tear it appart if they can or at least taste it.

 

But, I know some would say that I have just a small sampling of the breed.

 

When I decided to get TAGs, I decided from talking to my breeder. She has multiple pairs of CAG and TAG, she said the same thing, that she found that TAGS were not near as nervous, thus more outgoing and she found them much less likely to pluck.

[danmcq]

That article brought out many things observed in feedback it seems from a sample group of around 100, which is interesting. Thanks for posting this. :-)

 

It would surely be interesting to see a full blown study in the wild, as the author suggested. It is truly disappointing that in all these years, one has not been conducted.

 

She may be onto to something regarding the age at which they "Leave" the nest and mothering to joining the flock at different ages.

 

Karma to you!! :-)

[Sallas]

Thank you both. Since I have been looking into Greys a long time back, I have been curious about the differences beween them as I know other members are. So when I saw this, I thought maybe it would help other members also..

[Tycos_mom]

I have read that artical before but I do find it very interesting I don't have a Timnah but I do have a Cag. Tyco was at one time very afraid of new and different things When I first got her she was like that but over this last year Of introducing her to many new things 2 cages tons of toy and different rooms in the house. I have found that she now excepts things without any fear. I can give her a new toy and she takes to it imediately. She see new things on a daily basis and I think this is the way to teach your Grey that new things are not nessesarily dangerous. Tyco now takes my word for it if I tell her that iits safe and it for her she has no proublems with it. I think that new Cag Owners should introduce many different things to their baby's take them different places and show them allot of change this kind of upbringing i think would help a lot of Cag to be less nervous and more excepting of new things. Just my opinion.

[Sallas]

Do not get me wrong, I was not saying that CAGs are inferior or worse than TAGs, just different.

 

It is great that you were able to teach your FID to handle new items and places so well!!

 

This was just a article that I had found interesting. Also, the article did not say that CAGs could not be taught to handle things or like every living species, there are exceptions to the rule.

[Talon]

I agree, based on my experience with my 2 birds, a tag and a cag, there are definitely differences I see on a daily basis. And I don't believe it has anything to do with the way they are introduced to many new sights. I believe it is in their personality as well. Many people I know who have a cag has the similarity that I have with my cag, vs. my tag.

[Sallas]

I even see differences between my two TAGs. They both are very confident birds, but one took to use right away, she has been glued to me since the day I picked her up from the breeder, the other when we got him was a confident bird with our new surroundings but was not sure what to make of us, he did not want to step up to come out of his cage for play time. After about two weeks he is a changed bird, now when he sees me walk in the door from work, he gets all excited because he knows I will be coming to get them for play time and now it is a raise for the two bird to see who can get on Daddy the fastest.

[danmcq]

Sallas wrote:

Do not get me wrong, I was not saying that CAGs are inferior or worse than TAGs, just different.

 

Of course you weren't, we all know CAG's rule. ;-) :-)

 

All joking aside, there are TAG owners that have difficult times with new toys, biting etc. just like CAG owners. Each bird is an individual and must be respected as such. Some will be cuddle muffins and others will be very independent. Either way, they are all wonderful, enjoyable sentient beings and a choice of either is a GreYt one!! :-)

 

Heck, I have got a wild conure from hell that just makes me laugh constantly and I wouldn't trade him for the world. He does come and take a treat anytime one is offered. He is one of the family and would be greatly missed if anything ever happened to him. Love is always or should be, unconditional when it comes to bringing home any critter.

[judygram]

danmcq wrote:

[quote

Heck, I have got a wild conure from hell that just makes me laugh constantly and I wouldn't trade him for the world. He does come and take a treat anytime one is offered. He is one of the family and would be greatly missed if anything ever happened to him. Love is always or should be, unconditional when it comes to bringing home any critter.

 

Conures are like that, my sun conure is not wild but she rules, she can be the sweetest thing and then zap, she can be very feisty, just let her get ahold of something and try to take it away from her, she will nail you in a heartbeat but I love her to death.:lol: :blink: :laugh:

[Sallas]

Up because I saw some questions about CAGs and TAGs again

[DavidH]

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see more and more differences between TAG and CAG noted as research develops. This is what happened with chimpanzees and bonobos. Until about the 1980s or so bonobos were still considered "pygmy chimps" -- a subspecies with identical genes and behavior.

 

As more research was done, huge differences were observed over a wide range of behaviors, and bonobos became recognized as a separate species. Now nobody considers them a "type of chimpanzee."

[Dave007]

Much of this conversation wouldn't even exist if there were much more than just 2 greys to talk about. This type of conversation doesn't usually pop up when talking about amazons of which there's at least 15 kept as pets.

CAGs and TAGs have totally different attitudes, totally different methods of accepting things, totally different behavior when dealing with people, totally different talents concerning mimicing sounds as opposed to talking, totally different attititudes and amounts of time it takes towards accepting new things that are given to them, totally different methods of walking, totally diffent attitudes concerning jealousy, totally different attitudes when people interfere with what they're doing, totally different attitudes towards people who are cleaning around them ( little fear of vaccuums, boxes)totally different attitudes concerning assertiveness, totally different attitudes concerning the desire to fight with larger birds than itself as opposed to smaller birds, totally different attitudes towards accepting other birds as playstand friends.

 

All of this is very obvious in all the different types of Macaws, cockatoos, Amazons, conures even though in the end their last names are macaw cockatoo, amazon, conure and there are other types too. Add on ringnecks, pionus.

End result--They're 2 totally different birds and that also includes their color.

 

PS--totally different attitude towards picking and mutilating themselves.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/02/02 22:01

[Sallas]

Exactly, they are just in the same family.