PUTTING BAD GREY WITH GOOD GREY

[Tigerlily]

Some of u might remember from my 1st posts that i have a work friend who has a grey.

 

I have been thinking 4 ages about getting another grey but never made my mind up cause i'm worried about how it will affect Tigerlily.

My work friend has just asked me if I want 2 buy her grey.

 

Now, i know there's no such thing as a BAD grey, just BAD owners but this grey feather plucks and doesn't come out of her cage because she is apparently 2 viscious 2 anyone other than my friends husband (who the grey loves and regurgitates for)

 

I don't know if i would b taking on more than i can handle. Would the new grey teach Tigerlily 2 pluck her feathers and b viscious.

 

On the whole i think Tigerlily is well behaved and well ajusted and i don't want to do anything to risk that.

 

Ive read all previous posts about taking it slow, keeping them in seperate rooms and doing everything with Tigerlily 1st.

 

any thoughts welcome.

[Nychsa]

Hi - I'm sorry to hear your friend's grey is having so many problems. Has your friend taken this grey to the vet to see if it has any health issues that may be causinghe plucking? Does she have a sense of why it is plucking and being agressive?

 

Of course this is only a choice you can make, but I think I would not put my grey in a situation where she'd have to deal with another grey that obviously has some special and intense needs. I think I would actively help your friend find a good home for this grey if she can't keep it, and I'd make sure it's someone who is experienced and can help this grey stabilize.

 

Cheers!

Terri

[lovethatgrey]

I definitely would NOT place a newcomer grey in the same cage as my pre-existing grey. Especially not one with a whole wack of issues that I have no clue about. I am extremely certain that it would be VERY stressful for both parrots.

 

With that being said after the new grey has been in quarantine with a full blod workup I'd have no issues placing them in a SEPARATE cage in the same room as my existing grey but a fair distance apart. Perhaps slowly bring the cages closer to each other but only week by week.

[Tigerlily]

oh, putting them in the same cage didn't even cross my mind.

 

thanks 4 the input guys, i'm thinking it might b a little 2 much 4 me 2 handle

[Dave007]

Rumors--there's so much false information that floats around that come from so called legitimate people.

 

I'm not trying to change your mind about you possibly getting another bird but you should know about basic things concerning a parrot/parrots. A new parrot ( even an older parrot) that's brought into a house that also comes with habits and situations from the past can't be picked up by another parrot. Your present bird will not become a plucker because another one is a plucker. A present bird will not become a biter unless both are put in one cage but that biting will start with each bird before it ventures out to the owner. The reason for that biting of the owner is because the present bird has been put into an uncomfortable situation by the owner. Now, I realize that your post has nothing to do with biting but just like your post about your subject, others have come to the board with other situations that resemble yours.

I have adult birds that were passsed on to me and both had totally different problems and the resident grey had no desire to change and that would apply to all other greys.

I find that having more than one bird allows all of them to communicate with each other all day long in a way that I could never do but that makes me happy. Parrots are group/flock birds and their lives in the wild has to do with being with others. If you have a bird that is a very good talker and another bird doesn't say a word, that will not stop the talker from talking. There's very little problems when putting birds together as long as each bird is allowed to set up their personal home which is a cage. Would you feel comfortable in another person's house if you were made to live in their surroundings or would you feel comfortable going home to your own abode that you built?

Remember, I'm not trying to change your mind but you should know that if each bird is allowed to be an individual, they will remain as two separate birds with two different personalities.

[Tycos_mom]

I agree with Dave Just because this bird has problem in the home its got now does not mean that those problem won't get corrected in your home. When I got Tyco she had barbered all her flight feathers on the left side for all of her life she was 4 yrs old when I got her. Now that she is with me and I took her to the vet when I first got her and had that wing clipped and the other wing clipped to match so she was no longer off balance she has stopped barbering her feathers. apparently the reason she was barbering in the first place was due to a bad clip when she was a baby and when I had that corrected by a proffetional she was fine. there are many things that could be causeing this bird to pluck mabie there is something in her home that scares her and all it will take is moveing her to a new home and she will be fine or mabie She not getting enough baths or sleep. I don't understand why you are so reluctant to take on the bird when there really isn't anything wrong with her you may be passing up a chance at a wonderful companion just because of what is going on in the home that she is in right now. Love and patients can win over all birds.

[Tigerlily]

thanks guys. i wish someone could make the decision 4 me lol, i cant make my mind up.

 

my main concerns r how it will afect tigerlily

whether i have the time for another

whether i have the space for another, to start with the new grey will be in my bedroom but will eventually HAVE to live right next to tigerlily although in its OWN cage.

and tigerlily can be quite boistrus at times, could i cope with two boistrus greys.

i also live alone, work full time and don't have anyone to look after tigerlily when i'm away, i'm starting too take tigerlily with me and would be harder to do with two greys.

 

it's such a big decision, i didn't know what i was letting myself in for when i got tigerlily but dont regret her for one minute, and i don't want to regret having another

[she]

Only you can answer those questions.I will say that I work full time and feel a lot easier knowing Charlie has Cracker and vice versa while I am out for company.I wish you luck in making the right decision for you and the two greys.

[Nychsa]

Hmm, Dave, I'm not sure I agree with you entirely. Bella and Jiggy clearly learn from each other and pick up things from each other. In fact, I leverage that trait to get one to over come something the other has no problem with.

 

For example Jiggy is a very picky eater. I thought I'd never get him to eat fresh food. Bella on the other hand eats anything. So, I decided not even to try to get him to eat the fruits and vegies and only give them to Bella on the play top and let him watch. Sure enough, curiousity got the best of him and now he eats a whole bowl of fresh food every day.

 

With Bella, she of course was wary of new toys a while back. Jiggy on the other hand would go after them with gusto. So, again, I didn't even offer Bella the new toys - I just offered it to Jiggy and when she got tired of watching him horse around with it, she went after it. Now when I get home with shopping bags, Bella begins tearing at the bottom of them before I can even get things out.

 

Bella is very territorial and will chase new comers (humans!) from the center counter. In the evening sitting with me is her spot and she will go after Jiggy if he tries to sit with me. I can't even imagine what she'd do if another bird came along that would require a good deal of my attention because it required some special needs. For one, I don't think I'm experienced enough to take on that kind of situation at this time - I would want to know a good deal more about how to help distressed parrot before I would attempt to rehabilitate one. In fact,there is a sanctuary close by that teaches volunteers how to work with distressed parrots and get hands on experience. I think that is what I would do before I would attempt to do that on my own.

 

Cheers!

Terri

[lovethatgrey]

I agree that my parrots do learn from each other. I'll offer something to Emma. She'll snubbed it or immediately drop it... but if she sees Sachi savour it... she automatically wants to eat or participate too. This technique works very well on both parrots in my opinion.