How do i get a neglected grey to like me? every time i get close to her she freaks out and she has no feathers

Question

i rescued my grey from a lady who neglected her. her cage is huge and she has tons of toys. the 1st few days she let me hold her a bunch, then 3 days later any time i get close to her she freaks out and since she cant fly shes going to hurt herself. shes 31/2 and doesnt talk. i had her in her small cage for the first week and like i said was fine the 1st 3 days and then freaked out. now shes in the big cage and i cant get closer than like 10 feet without her freaking out. the vet said shes stressed but is confused why she got worse and not better. ive sat by the cage and talked to her, ive tried tempting her with food. do i leave her alone for a few days or should i continue to try right now to become closer? shes been with me now a week and 2 days. please somebody help me because im not going to give up on her like the other lady did. i have had a healthy grey in the past so i do know how the grey is. thanks

Answer 1

This is coming from a person who takes care of dozens of these types of confused, neglected and “neurotic” Greys as well as hundreds of other birds – it will take time.

The first few days the bird was with you she was probably in shock.  Their body shuts down and they basically stop responding to any outside stimulus.  After a couple days she probably came out of the shock and started to realize things were different, this is when she started being terrified.

The best way to approach a Grey who is scared and unsure about you is to take your time, be gentle, soft-spoken and easy natured.  They don’t react well to a lot of loud noises and heavy traffic and activity.

Make sure she has a cage and/or section of the house that she knows is “hers” and she feels comfortable being in.  Spend some time near her; even reading a book in the same room counts.  Try not to smother her with attention though, as this may only terrify her even more.

Eventually, when she’s comfortable enough in your presence, she’ll start to show signs of wanting your company – Coming to the side of the cage, whistling, imitating, etc.  Then you can start to move a bit closer to her with each interaction.

This may take hours, days, weeks or even months.  Eventually, though, she’s going to want to be part of the ‘flock” and she’ll learn.

Answer 2

i have a bird that pluckes out her featheres 2 and she went the same thing as your bird going from home to home being neglected untill she ended up at my school where none of the students would go near her because she would start yelling and bite everyone. and i wasnt afraid of getting bitten so everyday for about a month i would go in early and just sit by her talking to her. eventually she stopped yelling around me and my teacher was so amazed that she gave me kisa to have. first day i brought her home i made it a rule to never have her cage closed. she would get as mutch freedom as we did so when she wouldnt come out i put her food and water on top of her cage. she did end up coming out and we bonded. now less than a year later she loves it on top of her cage but 90 percent of the time if i leave the room she flys after me and sits on my sholder. it will work out if you work on it. ^^

This is kisa when i got her:

http://www.quakerparrots.com/forum/uploa...

this is a couple days ago:

http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/data/4112...

hope this helps ^_^

Answer 3

Training your bird at a young age is ideal when compared to re-training or correcting the bad habits of an older bird. Some pet owners can become sidetracked by the freshness of having a new bird and enjoying their cuteness while they’re still baby birds; however, you must remember that in order to set the stage for the future, it is important to socialize your bird, work on good communication, and establish trust at a young age.  Just as human babies need to learn to eat with a spoon and play well with others before they tackle long division, baby birds need to start with the basics. Spend time with your young bird developing trust and teaching the basics of good bird behavior. For example:

Body handling. If you help your baby bird become accustomed to being gently handled now, you will prevent many problems later. For example, gently playing with your bird’s feet and toes will help it tolerate toenail filing. Gently lift its wings, so a trip to the groomer doesn’t become a nightmare later on.

Toweling: Start using the towel as part of your play with your baby bird, gradually working into wrapping your bird up in the towel. When you or your vet need to wrap the bird in the towel for its own safety, the experience will be much less stressful.

Beaking: Baby birds use their beaks to explore, but now is the time to let your bird know that anything beyond gentle nibbles is unacceptable. Frown and tell your bird “No,” and leave it alone for a minute or two, so it associates biting with being put in “time-out.”

Harness: It can take some time before a bird accepts wearing a harness or flight suit, but things will go more smoothly if you start when the bird is young. Once you get your bird into the harness, take it outside, at least briefly, so it learns why the harness is worth the bother. It’s also a good time to try out the carrier. Take short car rides that don’t end at the vet each time, and your bird might look forward to them.

You will begin to notice better communication between you and your baby bird. Working with your bird frequently allows you to become familiar with the body language and preferences of the bird, making it easier to know what your pet wants and how to respond to its actions. By taking time to teach your bird new tricks, you are encouraging desired behavior. Your bird will begin to demonstrate the favorable behavior because it learns it receives your attention then, as opposed to misbehaving. The stimulation training provides your bird is also very important to cater to their intelligence and appease their curiosity

Curb Panic And Anxiety

Minimize the stress of a re-homed bird

There are so many birds and parrots that need good homes. Those that generously open their hearts to these pet birds should be complimented. They might, however, encounter some unexpected behavior problems that the bird learned in its earlier home.

Although your re-homed parrot is not a child, it might help you understand your bird’s behavior if you visualize it as a foster child. Your new parrot does not understand why she is in a strange location or what happened to her previous owners. She is confused, and it is totally logical that she does not yet trust that she is safe in your environment. This can cause a bird to act frightened of its new owners or to exhibit fearful behavior. I know of an adopted Senegal that panicked whenever anyone walked near the cage.

I suggested several things to make this Senegal feel more comfortable in its new home. First, move your parrot’s cage out of high-traffic areas and away from doors or other entryways. People shouldn’t have to pass by the bird’s cage to get to somewhere else in the house. For now, an ideal location would be in a corner on a wall opposite a doorway.  If there is a window near the cage, make certain that her cage is only partially in front of it, allowing some solid wall behind her for security. This should curb her fearful behavior.

Give her a hiding place so she can hide from you as well as the outside world. A sheet draped over part of the cage will provide such a haven or even a large toy that allows her to hide behind it.

When you need to service the cage, approach slowly, talking quietly to your parrot so she doesn’t think that you are sneaking up like a predator. Keep your head down a little and slightly averted. Don’t make direct eye contact for more than a second or two. A two-eyed predator’s stare can unnerve a prey animal like a parrot.

For reasons that we don’t fully understand, it often seems that a parrot startles more around its territory, such as the cage, than when the bird is elsewhere.

Parrot behavior consultant Sally Blanchard’s “chair exercise” is excellent for helping frightened birds become comfortable with humans in close proximity to their cages. Gradually move a chair closer to your bird’s cage. Over several days, move the chair a few inches toward the cage, then walk away. Only move it enough so that she still appears relaxed. Eventually position the chair close to the open door of the cage. Sit down facing slightly away from her, so she sees your face from the side. Read aloud from a book or magazine in a calm and friendly voice. Show her the pretty pictures in BIRD TALK. Do this for five to 10 minutes every day.

As you are doing this, watch your bird’s behavior with your peripheral vision. Is her body language beginning to relax, or is she becoming tenser? If she tenses and acts more afraid, slowly back off. If you look up at her, look away after a couple of seconds. When she starts to relax with you close by, bring a favorite food treat the next time you visit the cage.

Patience is crucial to your success with overcoming fearful behavior in your parrot. The more you allow her choices in her interactions with you, the more likely she will be to seek your company. Take your time, and let her move at her own speed; this will make all the difference. You have years to enjoy each other; there is no rush.