Frustrated please help!!!

[KatherineI]

LoveMyParrots is correct; IGNORE the screaming!! All it does is reinforce it. You don't hve to like it, but it's also part of owning a bird. Any species of parrot is going to scream, it's simply how it is. They scream because they're happy, they scream because they want something (which you also ignore and reinforce the good behaviors you do want), they scream because they're scared, etc.

All the advice here has been very good so far. Also, there is nothing wrong with letting them have a bit of cooked chicken, preferably boneless-skinless breast meat. But never give them anything with caffeine, alcohol or avocado (that's the quick version, there's a longer list).

 

[bahram]

thanks everyone
update : she was so scared of my brother and all of the sudden, she likes him, and let him scratch his head, eventually she likes everyone except me

 

[suncon97]

She'll warm up to you

 

[MikeyTN]

I just want to add I work with ALL my birds from day 1!!!! So I dunno what's the fuss about not handling them right away. And I've been doing this for years with many types of birds. This bird sounds to me need lots of handling and training.

 

[weco]

Hello Bahram,

Do you have any dogs or cats in your home? The reason I ask is because you may want to clip his/her wings until (s)he gets used to living in your home. Many people do not clip their birds, but a bird with clipped wings becomes more dependent on its human flock, making it easier to work with them.

If you have dogs or cats in the home, I would probably not clip his/her wings. If you decide on a wing clip, check with your vet first, but have someone who is familiar with how to clip a bird's wings do it.....clipping too close to the body can cause the feather shaft to irritate the bird and not clipping enough feather may not offer enough flight restriction.

You mentioned a portable/travel cage, but moving a large cage around is very inconvenient and allows the bird too much space to move around in while it is traveling. I am not sure what types of travel cages available in your part of the middle east, but something that is 40.04cm x 45.72cm x 40.04cm should be OK for short trips to a vet and back.

Cooked meats are fine for your grey, but in small quantities and not too often, their bodies are not designed for a lot of protein consumption. Frozen vegetables are fine & (s)he may even like frozen pieces once in a while.

Like everyone has said, just be patient (s)he will become more personable the more (s)he gets to know and trust you. When you leave the room & (s)he screams, tell him/her where you are going & that you will be back, then, when you are coming back, tell him/her you are coming back. Parrots are flock animals and always want to know where everybody is. Birds do know when a door opens/closes that someone has left or arrived & if you leave without telling them, they may continue to scream until someone answers them. The same for arriving, if they greet you, respond to them as uo would any family member.

 

[bahram]

I want to put her small cage in walking closet so I can use it as roost cage, cause I sleep late nights and have a lot of friends that coming over, this way she can sleep there when it's crowded in living room. her previous owner left his primary wing and clipped her secondary wing!!!! I don't know if I should clip her primary wing or should wait till her secondary wings grow a little bit more! her nails need polish too, but I don't want to put more stress on her right now!!! I don't have any cat or dog, and prefer her wings clipped! what about parrot shops? can I trust them for wing clip and nail polish? cause they are cheaper than vet obviously!

 

[MikeyTN]

I would wait until the secondary grow back before giving her another trim. And yes to bring to a pet shop that will do nail trimming as they are a whole lot cheaper. I don't like shoveling her in a closet idea! If the cage have rollers you could just roll her cage into your bedroom and shut the door. She's acting her natural self as you need to try to accommodate her.

 

[bahram]

I don't want to keep her in walking closet all the time, she would have a big cage in living room and a sleeping cage in walking closet !! isn't it a good idea?

 

[weco]

Letting him/her sleep in a smaller cage in a walk-in closet should not be a problem, a lot of companion birds sleep in smaller cages, but you will want to keep the cage papers/bottom cleaned every day or your clothes may not smell so clean.

If a parrot shop has experience with wing clipping, I wouldn't have a problem letting them clip my birds, though I learned how so I could clip mine when I needed to.

It sounds like (s)he had a 'show clip.' With that kind of a clip, the first (outer) two flight feathers are not clipped, while 3-6 or 8 are clipped. Breeders use this type of clip when they display birds in competition. Actually, you can teach yourself to clip wings.....there are several good diagrams and explanations on the internet.

If you prefer clipped wings, you will need to do it or have it done after each moult, which normally happen with season changes...once or twice a year. (s)he may get temperamental during this feather change and (s)he should receive more food as birds expend more energy during this period.

I think you mean nail clipping rather than nail polishing. Again, if someone at the parrot shop has experience in clipping bird's nails, they could be trusted, however I have seen some pet shop employees who did not know what they were doing. Here again, you can learn to clip his/her nails. Do not use sanded perches, where the sand is on the top, where the bird's foot pads would rest, those kinds of perches can damage a bird's foot.

There are several concrete perches available on the internet, that have a smooth top & rough sides so a bird can give itself a manicure, just be sure the top is not rough also.

 

[MarciaLove]

i dont think the small cage at night is a good idea its too much stress! and birds may want to be active still and its not enough room! and she would be so stressed from being moved form cage to cage even if its just at night its not necessary at ALL and more harm will be done to her becoming adjusted she needs one cage to be in all the time so she can feel safe there and not be afraid of being moved its like your home would you want a nice big home that you are familiar with during the day and then at night being moved out and put in a different home?? id think no thats the same way your bird would feel except its even x=scarier to them cause they are less equipped to protect themselves and they know it.

 

[MikeyTN]

I don't want to keep her in walking closet all the time, she would have a big cage in living room and a sleeping cage in walking closet !! isn't it a good idea?

I know others who do the same and it works for them. And with me not liking it is a personal preference. Also depending on the size of the sleep cage, IF they would ever freak out, they are more likely to get hurt in a small cage then a large one. They flutter when they freak....

 

[bahram]

wooow she is a real screamer!!! she is ok with my brother right now, and whenever he walks out of room she screams, even when he is in a room and don't pay attention to her!!!!
is that one person parrot stuff is true? now that she is ok with my brother, I should give up? )?

 

[MikeyTN]

Your brother lives with you? If he lives with you it would be tougher to train but workable. If your able to make another room for her in her own bedroom it would help!

 

[bahram]

yes, my brother lives with me, and we wanted to keep him in the living room, we'll see how things go!

 

[KatherineI]

Having a parrot is an entire lifestyle, it's not just having a pet. There's so many things you have to do for/with them that isn't the same with a cat, dog, fish, ferret, etc.

Yes, Grey's do tend to be one-person birds. Some are fine in "flocks" (out in the wild, birds live in flocks, so living with people, their people become part of their flock), but others really do prefer one person. They are also very social creatures; the majority of companion birds want to know what you're doing at all times and usually want to be included. They also have complete minds of their own and, Grey's especially, are extremely intelligent. It's just like having a child between 2 & 3 and you're not going to be able to "control" what they do. You can encourage positive behaviors, but the best way to deal with unwanted behaviors in a parrot is to ignore it.

Again, birds are going to scream. It's in their nature. Sometimes it's a scream for attention, other times it's a scream simply because they are happy and when parrots are happy, they vocalize. Not all birds talk, even those of a species known to talk.

In regards to the sleep cage, for some birds it works, but I personally wouldn't recommend it. If you're going to keep her in the living room (which, I do think is a good idea; the highest or second highest trafficed room in the house is recommended), understand that she's going to scream. She's going to hear or see something on the television, or hear music or sounds that trigger it. If this is not something you can handle, then you should probably reconsider keeping a parrot. Again, they are not "pets", they are companions. Parrots also typically like to get as much sleep as there are dark hours; if you or your brother keep late nights in the living room, this would not work well unless she does take to sleeping in a smaller cage in another, quieter room. When my family only had two bedrooms, we kept our Goffins Cockatoo in the living room, covered her at night, turn off all the lights and from roughly 7:30-8pm would keep to our bedroom (we had a second TV up there, so it's not like we were going to bed that early) so as not to disturb her sleep. Even just covering her, but continuing to watch television in the same room is not going to work, because the noise will keep her up. She'll know someone's there.

I hope that helps.

 

[bahram]

thanks guys, she seems less afraid and more relax now! she still screams but we try to don't leave her alone at all! our new problem she is bounding with my brother rather than me ( I was talking to her all the time, feed her with my hand and was always around, but suddenly she choose my brother the first time she feed her ) ) and I think that's it, there is no way that we can change it right? problem is my brother is not around that much and I supposed to take care of her!! but she is still afraid of me and bites me time to time! hahahaha ( panic laugh looool)

 

[cscphp]

It sounds like she is happiest when you are engaged with her. The screaming might be a contact call. Just continue with the target training and let her come out when she wants to. Eventually you will be best friends. As for biting, we all get bitten. My bird is 22 years old and he will bite if he objects to something. It happens far less frequently now but we have had our moments!

The woman who sold him to me told me that he would grab hold of man finger to make sure it was safe to stand on. If she is not drawing blood, could that be what is happening?