Few Questions

[Sotanax]

Hi,

I am new to the forums so hello everyone. I just bought my 4 month old congo african grey " Charlie " and have a few quick questions.

 

1: When he poops its alot! The color of it is a lite green water looking with white and green solid. is this normal?

 

2: When will he he start talking 100% now he just makes "peep" "peep" sounds.

 

3: He doesnt like to go in his cage he like to just stay on the stand on top and sleep and eat outa the food dishes up there so I was thinking of just getting him a big stand instead of a cage does that sound good?

 

Thanks for your help.

[CeasarsDad]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

 

Normally the first poop in the morning will be quite large. Nothing to worry about there.. Also the color sounds OK too.

 

Your Grey won't really talk until he is around 1 year old. He could talk earlier but usually It's around the 1 year mark. It takes time for this to happen so be patience and you will be rewarded.

 

You need a cage for those times when you are out and he needs to be protected.. from himself sometimes.. Play stands are great for those times when you are home watching him. NEVER leave your Grey out alone.. He will get into trouble.

 

Again, thanks for joining. I am sure others will offer you more advice.<br><br>Post edited by: CeasarsDad, at: 2007/05/17 06:20

[Guest]

Hi Sotanax, welcome here, I hope you'll enjoy the forum

 

If you want to know more about your bird's droppings please look here it's being discussed in detail and beyond

[judygram]

Welcome Sotanax, if you are talking about the first poop of the day it is the biggest, they usually hold it overnight.

As for talking there is not a 100% probability they will talk, most do but I have found a few that didn't. Likely yours will eventually talk, some do early and some don't until well after the first birthday.

Yes you do need a cage, like Cesarsdad said you need it for the times you are not at home. Too many things they can get into, also they need some time to be just themselves. There will be times they need the safety of the cage. Encourage him to go in the cage and see what a safe place it is. Maybe he doesn't like where it is placed. Usually they like one side against the wall and not in front of a window.

This is just a little more advice, others will have some more. Keep us informed on the progress.

[Guest Monique]

Welcome to the forum Sotanax! I will second CeasarDad's advice - all very sound.

 

Add on to be sure that you are the boss in the house and don't let the Grey not go into his cage just because he is being beligerant (if he is). This will just teach him to be more naughty.

[Caspersmum]

Hi Sotanax,

 

I'd add afew other thoughts to what everyone else has said -

 

To a lot of people who don't have birds, cages seem cruel. However, if you think about it in terms of how much play space they give a parrot, you have to think in 3D - a play stand just gives your bird about 18 inches of play space, while a cage goves yards and yards - maybe a couple of perches, toys to dangle from, and then 6 sides to clamber over. If you get your parrot interested in some toys, then put the into his cage, it'll make it into a place of far more fun than a play stand could ever be! He's likely to like the top of his cage because it gives him extra height - they like to get up high. Also, he's still just a baby, and they do like to sleep a lot!

 

I'd definitely go along with what people have been saying about the talking - and making peeping noises is often a sign that he's at least trying to copy noises he's hearing. I don't know what everyone else thinks, but I feel that if they'll mimc one noise (like a doorbell), they'll be able to speak - it's just that it's a bit more complex and takes a bit longer,

 

Julia

[Talon]

I agree with you, good advice. Talon tried mostly whistling in the beginning and we would all mimick her.

 

I found that's all she would do, so we stopped all whistles, and only talked to her, then she started talking instead. Now that she's a little older, she does both. She started talking at 4 1/2 months! Proud Mama here!

[judygram]

Why don't you teach mine to talk, almost a year old and she does not say anything clear yet. But she has my kitchen timer down pat.

[Sotanax]

Thank you all for your help! B)

[Talon]

Judy, do you ever look them in the eye when they are most interested in your attention? Talon likes the morning time, I take here into the bathroom, (she loves it there) I get down to her level and say the word or phrase over and over, She looks at me very intently. (Almost like she's thinking I'm an idiot!) And I feel like one too! I do this every day until I hear her try to mimick me. It works pretty well, except it took her about 1 year to say her name. (I guess she didn't like it!!)

 

Of course I started out with something very easy. A chicken sound and peekaboo, then good bird!

 

Maybe this will help, or maybe I am just lucky!

[judygram]

I'll have to try that, I don't just repeat words to her to try to get her to say them but I will try that. She may just be a late bloomer.

[Talon]

Sounds like it. She garbles, that's how Talon started out.

[judygram]

Sometimes she sounds like she is jibbering words and whole sentences but you can't understand what she says. Its like she is carrying on a conversation with herself.

[jtullos2]

judygram it sounds like our birds are very similar. Obi makes this gibberish sound to him self and to me when i talk to him. Its almost like carrying on a conversation but i cannot understand what he is saying.

[Talon]

Gibberish is good. When Talon did that, I would speak slow and clearly to her if I had an idea of what she was saying that is. I don't know if it helped or not. You could try that. :huh: