Can a 5 yr. old African Grey still learn to talk?

[kayleetyler2]

I know we have only had her for a short time. My husband is wanting to know if we can still teach her to talk. The previous owner said she talks but he didn't mess with her for 6 months or so. And we were just curious if she hasn't ever talked can she still be taught. Even if she doesn't talk it will make no difference. We will still love her and want her. But it would be a little nice is all.

 

Thank You. <br><br>Post edited by: kayleetyler2, at: 2009/02/17 01:44

[judygram]

You don't "teach" a grey to talk, that is something they do on their own and not every grey will talk.

 

This bird has only been in your possession a couple of days, give the bird time to settle in and feel comfortable. Most greys that do talk will be quiet for a while when going to a new home, she needs to feel more secure before she gets back to her old self and if she talked before more than likely she will again but then there are no guarantees. Just give it some time and be prepared to accept she may not talk and even if she doesn't she is still an amazing creature, enjoy her.

[kayleetyler2]

Thank you. I will enjoy her no matter what. I love to just watch her. Abbey and I are bonding really well I think. And like I said even if she doesn't talk I will still live her. She does mumble stuff. When I have her on the bed and we are playing and then I stopped she was mumbling and it sounded like a whistle it was really cute. She is just wonderful and I have wanted one for a long time and I am really happy with her and I know it will only get better. Thanks for the advice.

[judygram]

Just give her some time, talk to her a lot and include her in on things going on in the house, she might be very capable of talking but chooses to talk when and if she is ready to.

[Luvparrots]

Your new grey is a fine looking CAG. I agree, you need to give her a little time to relax and feel safe. She needs to feel that she as found her forever home and when she does, she will talk. Thanks for sharing this lovely grey with us.

[danmcq]

They "Shut Up" when disturbed or in a new surrounding.

 

When doing things like giving food, making coffee, actions etc. Try to use a word or words consistently so they have meaning to what you are associating them to.

 

You will be surprised when they start rolling out down the and used correctly!! :-)

[kar2nz]

This post caught my eye because we have a VERY similar situation. We adopted a 5 year old Congo Grey named Casper here recently, and for the first week or so, he wouldn't say a word. i was told that some of his favorite words were profanity. So, stupid ole me, i start trying to get him to repeat these words. Casper let me know really quick how offensive he found those words when he finally repeated them back at me with hatred in his voice, and a very aggressive posture. (I'm just not used to a bird understanding what words mean so well, :laugh: )

 

Learned my lesson. I apologized to Casper, and I've only said sweet things to him lately, and only things which are NOT related to his previous family. (We figure he misses his previous mommy, and his favorite dog a lot, and think he probably doesn't appreciate being reminded of his separation from them.)

 

Now Casper is repeating some pleasant things, like "hello", "bye bye" and many things his previous mommy taught him. He talks his butt off now, but it took a while. His tone and his expression have lightened up, and we've been able to make some positive changes in his diet.

 

I agree that part of the charm of a Grey is their unbelievable level of mimicry skill. However, 2 other things are more important to focus on. 1) The bird's mental, emotional, and physical well being. and 2) your positive relationship with the bird.

 

For instance...

 

Adopted birds tend to come with cages which are really too small, so this is a good place to start for any bird. Make sure the cage is as roomy as you can afford, and loaded with interesting toys to play with and climb on. Adopted birds frequently are on unhealthy diets. Getting this corrected can make a difference in your bird's mood.

 

Also, adopted birds are commonly used to poor handling techniques which result in aggressive behavior, or a depressed bird. Some birds are left in closets for years, or have been yelled at, or physically abused. A good clue that something like this has been going on is a bird that yells "shut up" or something equivalent, and shows aggressive posture when doing so.

 

This is not always the case. Some adopted birds have been very well taken care of by their previous owners in every way, but some tragedy forces them to part ways. But, it's something to look for, and correct.

 

If this bird is 5 years old, then you have 45 years to build a positive relationship with her. Love her with every fiber of your being. Take your time with her, you've got plenty of it.<br><br>Post edited by: kar2nz, at: 2009/02/19 17:22

[Madhuri]

I got my timneh in august last year.. she was 4 years old then and she and her former owner didnt get along in the end,, when i got her she could only say a few words.. and she was really pissed,,

 

after i got her she has never used any of the words she could say before .. but she has learned so much the almost year i have had her.. now she loves learning new words and sounds..

 

and she sometimes sit and mumble long sentences and i think she is rehersing new words that she hear.. so give your bird a little time and if it wants to talk and feel safe im sure she can learn a lot .,,the mumbling can easily be words she have heard from you and still rehersing before she feel confident to say them out loud..

good luck . she sound like a lovely bird.,,

[Tycos_mom]

Don't worry I got Tyco at 41/2 and all she could do was make a few sound effects that she heard outside the tiny window that was in the room she was locked up in. she didn't talk and when she came to my house all that change within a couple weeks she was talking and and learning new words and sentences daily. now she has a huge vocabulary and uses her words correctly. if you birds going to talk she will. I love the red factor on her neck shes absolutly beautiful. your very lucky to have such a nice looking grey

[tthopp05]

Im no bird exspert,but I think with love and care your bird will talk and much more.Good luck

[ranaz]

I loved the red factor too, very cute.

Give her some time to get used to the new place and feel at home...Im sure you will be tierd of her talking afterwards. My Kookie would make baby sounds and the Oooooooooh and Waaaaaaw and all those if he has no one to talk to....its very cute

 

 

{Nature-00020095}

[kayleetyler2]

Hello Everyone,

 

It's been a while since I have been on. And I wanted to update how Abbie is doing. She still hasn't said anything. But, we love her so much. She is eating really good but she still looks really small compared to most Greys. I have taught her to dance, and she does it quite well. We are trying new things and treat her when she does them. I called her previous owner last week. It's amazing how his story of Abbie has changed. He previously told me that he had Abbie for about 6 months and bought her from a friend. So I was at the understanding that Abbie had been a loving pet prior to him. Well I was wrong!! Abbie was owned by an older couple who could no longer care for her so she sold him. Unaware that the gentlemen she sold him to was not wanting her as a pet but a baby factory. Then he sold her to the man we bought her from. He said he does know that she talked with her first owners. But that after that they are unsure due to using her to breed the 2nd owner had nothing to do with her and him being the 3rd owner too had nothing to do with her. So I would say for at least 1 year she was put to the side. And he says he can't figure out why none of his parrots won't have babies. Well one thing she was loved very much and then thrown to the curb. I wouldn't do anything either. Since she has been with me she whistles as if whistling for the dogs, she lets me scratch her head and massage her neck, we go for walks, she whines if she isn't getting the attention she feels she needs, she makes a microwave beep sound, dances, and we play little games with a glass of water, she loves to hit it and listen to the sound it makes. I talk to a lady close by that has 40 parrots and she is not a breeder and she loves them all. And she has raised them for 30 years and she says that she feels good that Abbie will start talking eventually. She feels considering what she has been through that we have accomplished a lot with her. I couldn't give her up for anything. We did get her because we wanted a talking parrot. But I don't care is she ever talks ( hope so ) but I just love her for her. She is happy probably for the first time in a while and that makes me happy. What can I say I LOVE MY ABBIE AND SHE LOVES ME!! And I wouldn't trade that for anything not even for a talking parrot. Sorry so long. Thanks for reading!!

 

:silly: Melissa :kiss:

[danmcq]

What a GreYt update!! :-)

 

It sounds like Abbie is really flourishing under your loving care and is enjoying life once again. :-)

 

She is talking to you, with those VERY MEANINGFUL whistles and microwave beeps etc.

 

I'll bet she is mumbling under her breath when your just out of ear shot. As the layers of onion continue to peel off that built up, you will start seeing the real Abbie under there. :-)

 

Looking forward to hearing updated more often!!

[Luvparrots]

What a lovely update on Abbie, Melissa!! You are a great parront and Abbie is now in a loving and wonderful forever home. Thank you for sharing your sweet lady with us!!!!