Guest briansmum Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 does/did anyone elses baby do a lot of "baby squealing" during the day, he's always made this noise he just seems to be doing it more now. is this just him getting used to his voice? also he's VERY attached to me, i can't get anything done, i take him with me whenever i can but there are some tasks i can't do with him on me. he flies straight at my head when i put him back on his perch and he really creats if i leave the room. i've read somewhere that this is normal baby behaviour and he will grow out of this. i was wondering what other peoples experieces/opinions and advice on this was? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoesDad Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 Hi Beccy, I'm not sure what the baby squeeks you refer to sound like but Zoe does sometimes squeek to herself in between quacks and whistles. This typically occurs shortly after I put her back into her cage after a play session. Re. the other behaviour you mentioned, I don't remember how old your Grey baby is but once they pass weaning age (12-15 weeks) it's a good idea to encourage independence in them by providing opportunities for self-directed play and alone time. I find that Zoe can spend hours happily stripping bark off her apple tree twigs, or getting nuts out of her bird puzzle, or tearing apart toilet paper roles. She is now used to being taken out at certain times and doesn't make a peep for attention at any other time. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Monique Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 My Grey does a lot of "gibberish talking" now at 4 1/2 months. Before that he did a little bit of gibberish talking and a lot of baby peep peep noises. Make sure you don't spend more time with him now than what you can for the rest of your life. It is important that he be able to entertain himself. When you put him on a perch you need to teach him to stay until you remove him. You teach him this by putting him back over and over again when he jumps off, never let him sit with you and reward him for leaving his perch. It can be trying with a baby but the time you invest now to raise a well-adjusted grey will pay off for you many-fold as he grows up!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 Monique, is the "reward-system" being used in training a grey? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest briansmum Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 thats great advice thankyou. think the peeping is just his way of getting my attention, which i am ignoreing, he gets a tickle when he's quietened down. he does spend a good amount of time playing by himself, he just decides to get all clingy i will percivere, im sure we'll get there eventually, it's just all still a bit new and sometimes cofusing to me. thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Monique Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 Oh most definitely in training we reward. Usually it is with our voice and scratches instead of treats. Treats can definitely be used its just not a technique that I've ever used as the other methods have worked well for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willow Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 my baby, which I have had a week is screaming several times a day but especially in the evening. will he out grow this? I read somewhere babies scream and they do out grow it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest briansmum Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 mine screams at feeding time, but makes lots of "peeping" sounds throughout the day.. i guess it's the only sound he knows how to make yet :P . i have also read they grow out if with training and as they get older. brian just seems to be doing it more :unsure: maybe someone more experienced could shed some light for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splint101 Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 yeah max does the same at feeding time or when we get home from work. But he scratch'es in the cnr of the cage till I open it for him. So yeah I do hope that they grow out of it..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest briansmum Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 Brian flings himself around his cage like a crazy bird when he wants to come out. i feel horrible ignoreing him till he's calmed down but i dont want him to learn that this gets him what he wants. i think i should change his name to "nutter" i say it as much as his name :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Monique Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 My birds are always noisy when I make them breakfast. In general it seems natural for them to have a noisy time at dawn and dusk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Monique wrote: Oh most definitely in training we reward. Usually it is with our voice and scratches instead of treats. Treats can definitely be used its just not a technique that I've ever used as the other methods have worked well for me. thank you for the answer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caspersmum Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 I agree with what Monique just said - and wild birds are just the same - think about the dawn chorus, and the racket that starlings make at night when they're roosting. I think it must be one of those natural birdy things. I know Casper won't shut up in the morning when I wake him up - he whistles away for a good half hour, even when he's having his breakfast. Julia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 I guess it is all related to why the rooster crows in the mornings, they have to have a little vocal time. And I also use Monique's method of rewards more than giving of treats for good behavior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raehamilton Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 My Angie does a whistle type of noise in the morning or when we first walk into the living room. But when it's time to feed her she screams and she likes to pick at our hands and fingers. If she gets a hold of our finger she grabs it and she does a motion as if she is suckling from it like a baby. My husband encourages her to do it and I tell him to stop it. He says she is shaking his finger hello. I told him he is silly and that he needs to stop encouraging her because it may not hurt right now as she is only a bit over 3 months but that it will probably draw blood as she gets older and stronger. Once I give her the food bowl she doesn't want us near it and she screams if we get our hands close to her at that time. It sounds like most here have the same screaming going on at feeding time. Right? She's only been here for 9 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 She doesn't want your hand near the food bowl? I think she has still to get used that you're not intending to take her food away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest briansmum Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 hi raehamilton that sounds exactly like Brian, though he has never minded me going near his food dish. Now i've stopped hand feeding him and he's a little over 3 and a half months he's growing out of the "sucking" motion.. this is what they do to get their parents to regurgitate in the wild. It's possible she's not screaming at you to keep away from her dish, and that she's just very exciteable and may think you're bringing more, has she tried to bite or peck you? i think you're right to discourage your husband from giving her his finger as she may hurt him one day.. plus i think it's kind of cruel that they're doing that motion to get food, and aren't actually getting any... awww. but thats just my oppinion. It deffinately seems like the baby screaming at feeding times and morning is normal, which is great news as i thought i was doing something wrong *phew* and i do think they grow out of it as i've noticed that brians screams have turned into peeps and he's starting to make more whistly sounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Mine did not scream like that but she does chirps and whistles, she has yet to really bite me, she beaks me sometimes and uses her beak to push me away if she does not like what I am doing. For the most part she is fairly quiet with times in the morning and evenings when she goes thru her gibberish period. Xxbeccyxx is right, you should get your husband to stop giving his finger as one day it may really be very painful. That type of behavior should not be tolerated. I realize they are babies at this point but when they get a little older and go thru adolescence to maturity they can get more difficult to handle and deal with, you don't need a biting problem because they will tend to be nippy at puberty. They want to assert their independence. So therefore this is my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raehamilton Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 xxbeckyxx and judygram, I read both of your post to my husband and he has agreed to stop giving her his finger to pick and/or suckle. As a new CAG owner he doesn't realize what he is doing and is learning. He certainly doesn't want to be cruel to Angie. He felt bad watching me cry today as we thought she had lead poisoning. Angie is also getting used to us. This is as new to her as is new to us. I thank you and welcome your comments and opinions, after all, this is the reason why I joined this forum. We certainly don't want her to be a bitter and know that she might go through a change in personality at puverty and maturity. We also bought a couple of books that we are reading to learn more about her and how to take proper care of her. xxbeckyxx since she is our first bird she might be just pecking us but she is certainly using a motion when she grabs our finger like she is suckling. I think she was just weaned when we brought her home 9 days ago. I tend not to pull my finger out of her way right away because I read in a few places and the breeder told me that if we show fear when she bites or suckles that she will learn to bite. Maybe some of you have other suggestions. Thank you so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 It looks like she is still longing for something to suckle on. Aren't there any toys that can provide in that need? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest briansmum Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 is she eating her regular food ok? are you still hand feeding? maybe like fairy said she still really wants to "suckle" you could try spoon feeding her something warm and soft for a little while, she will grow out of it in her own time, if you are still handfeeding ignore that bit :laugh: and you're right not to pull your finger away quickly, do it slowly and calmly and don't make a fuss or she will learn biting gets a reaction from you.. which is what she wants, i say "ow" (say, not shout) when brian pecks or nips me, even if it doesnt hurt, rather than no ("no" is his 'don't fly at my head' word) he is learning what ow means and usually removes his beak from my finger straight away. i was so sad to read your post when you thought she may have lead poisoning. you must be so relieved, i an't begin to imagine what you must have been feeling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zandische Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 Hi Beccy and everyone, My baby, Athena, is 3 1/2 mos old an and just came home a few days ago. She is quite a talker! She gets very excited in the morning and evening when we get up/come home, flapping about in her cage and making little "barking" noises. We've been encouraging this, as she seems to be genuinely happy and excited to see us and we think this is how she's expressing her happiness. We'll even join in by raising our voices dramatically with lots of "hi's" and "hellos!" and "missed yous!" to match her emotion. It's also at this time that she gets lots of kisses and scritches and general fuss made about her. During feeding she does a lot of "babbling." She'll squeak, bark, chirp and gurgle. It doesn't seem to be from excitement, so I think this is just her way of communicating with her "flock" during what would be a normal socializing time in the wild. She talks a good deal more if we talk back to her or chirp/squeak along with her. As for biting our fingers, it's more like "beaking" because she's not really trying to bite us, she's trying to taste our fingers to see if we have any good stuff to eat. Sometimes she beaks a little harder than others but I don't think she means to, I think she's just excited. We've been discouraging this behavior by saying "Be careful" in a warning voice while making eye contact. She wasn't really getting this concept until the other day when she tried to climb on something that was really slippery (the chrome water faucet) and I knew she would fall if she tried to balance on it. So as she was slipping and sliding I said "Be careful!" several times over and finally she stepped back, cocked her head at me, and then abruptly stopped trying to get up on that slippery perch. Now when I tell her to be careful she will hesitate, and I think she realizes I am warning her about something scary. Athena is not super clingy but she does prefer to be in the same room as we are. If she feels the need to be with us she will fly to where we are at. At first she would try to land on our heads too and I think that was just because they were the largest, easiest landing surface. So we started putting our hands up in the air and moving to position ourselves so she could land comfortably on the hand. Now when she flies to us she is very good at looking for the hand rather than our head and will land on the hand almost every time. By the way, she gets lots and lots of praise when she lands on the hand! Although it's not always convenient to stop what we're doing so she can fly to us, I think it helps strengthen her confidence and trust in us so she doesn't feel the need to be quite so clingy. We also bought a short table-top perch that we carry from room to room and she has learned to fly to the perch as well. As long as she can be nearby that's really all that's important to her. We don't really carry her around in the house except at feeding time; we will just hold up our hand for her to fly to and let her choose if she wants to come with us or not. Oh, and btw, we don't use food rewards either. *I* find it much more rewarding (and I think she does too!) to shower her with tons of kisses and happy words. I'm super-new to being a grey momma but hopefully my experiences can be of some use to you too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tari Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 Have you thought of wing clipping? This well help with teaching to stay on perch and also help keep your parrot safe. I keep small stuff toys with my birds (I raise quakers) and when they go to thier new home that toy goes with them. Just be sure to remove eyes, tags, ect... So your baby dont get hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest briansmum Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 everything i have read seems to point to letting your grey fly to help them grow and develope in the best way, they can have full flight and with patience learn to stay on their perches. i tried giving brian a stuffed toy a while back.. he looked at it once, climbed his perch above it and pooped on it...needless to say, that was the end of brian and his stuffed parrot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 They are vocal in the mornings and evenings.:cheer:<br><br>Post edited by: Talon, at: 2007/07/06 19:15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now