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Post by madness the grey on Feb 10, 2005 5:01:25 GMT -7
from growling nasty bird to a big softy in 3 month, im so proud of my grey i have to write this. I got him from a pet shop which didnt really have any time for him his cage was on the floor with the rabits and i felt really sorry for him so i raised the cash and went in and bought him. Got him home and he was a nightmare. growling,biting, flying into things chewing, so i took him off the vets to have his wings clipped as i was scared he would kill him self crashing into windows. For a few weeks he used to just sit on top of his cage and growl everytime i went near him,and he wouldnt go back into his cage at bed time.. so i used to say goodnight and slowly move the top perch and he started to climb in on his own. He wouldnt have anything to do with me so i turned down the lights and used to cover him with a towel and sit with him for 10 mins or so with him growling on my knee just stroking his head this seamed to work . i purchased a parrot harness and decided to cover him with the towel and put on the harness at first it took me ages . Any how to cut a long story short, in mornigs we get up and go to cage open the top and out he pops, at night time we say goodnight a few times and he goes to bed on his own, during the day we pop on his harness and take him for walks out side and around the house which he loves. He now mimics well and trying to talk . eats from our hand . no more biting or growling. Intitally i was advised not to get him as he was not a baby and set in his ways, just goes to show with a little time and love any thing can happen.
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Post by jaquiscorpio on Feb 10, 2005 6:12:13 GMT -7
Thats really nice i wish mine would do that he is a real nutcase he lunges at you and bites he head butts the bars of the cage and i just really really want to be able to hold him he looks so cute i am terrified of him biting me i try not to show him i am but i beak looks soo powerful im just frightened that le will really hurt me and possibly break my finger with the force he goes with
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Scotty
Baby Bird
Joined: January 2005
Posts: 12
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Post by Scotty on Feb 10, 2005 9:05:41 GMT -7
Howdy MTG, Way to go! I love reading stories like yours. You are so correct about taking the time and effort to help rehabilitate a Grey. It’s owners like you that make our hobby worth hobbying.;D Howdy J, Sounds like you have your work cut out for you. Have you seen the Vet recently? Should always make sure your Grey is of a good health. I know how hard it must be for you to not show fear when your Grey comes lunging for you. He is most likely getting the results he wants from your actions, even fearful ones. He’s in the driver’s seat right now and likes being there. Turning things around can happen! You read MTG’s post above. Here are a couple of ideas for you. When getting bitten push your hand forward. Easier said than done, but it does get your bird to release. Eye contact is also important when achieved. They can release when given the “Evil-Eye”, but not all birds will this work with. Some do, some don’t, and some are too scared by this, and it's not good for them. But if your bird does freeze when stared upon, you can suggest an appropriate behavior to be worked on. The key is to distract him, but not to the point of making him fearful. When distracted, modifying their behavior becomes more accessible. Go slow and try to not give up. Yes it could take some time, but your hard work can pay off. Good Luck! Scott
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Post by Lady on Feb 22, 2005 6:49:06 GMT -7
my african grey is is 8 mths old and is great with me but as soon as my hubby goes near him he fluffs his feathers up and makes funny noises and tries to bite him (do you think he doesn`t like him). what can he do to make the parrot not bite him
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Post by Jane on Feb 22, 2005 7:13:06 GMT -7
Yes, I have seen behaviour like this before! Greys can decide they don't like someone and sometimes it can extend to an entire sex. There is a theory that female greys prefer men and male greys prefer women but I don't know if there has been any real scientific work done about this and it isn't the case with mine anyway as my female hates men. It might be that your grey sees you as his mate and is jealous of your husband, greys often pick out one person to prefer to a greater or lesser extent, despite any amount of socialization techniques, such as sharing the playing, feeding, cleaning etc. Your grey is trying to intimidate your husband so make sure your husband stays positive, doesn't react to the biting, and doesn't move away. Watching the body language will help to avoid a bite.
Jane
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