I am new here, but not new to the Greys. I had a Congo Grey who passed away a couple of years ago. He was a very independent bird who only like to deal with my son. He had a great personality as far as he loved to have us all around and loved to copy and mimic us and generally enjoyed us as long as we didn't touch him. He only would let my son touch him. We loved him though and he was such a joy for us. When he passed, I said I would never get another.
Well we just got 2 from a person who has had them both for about 7 years.
The female he handraised and the male he purchased I believe. The female loved him and liked him to swing her upside down and the male, well he growls and doesn't like to be handled. They said when he turned two, he went through that teenage stage. And began biting, so they couldn't handle him. So he hasn't been handled for about 5 yrs. When we first walked into the house to get them, the male growled terribly and screeched at us. The female was fine, because the person she was comfortable with was right there.
We have had them for about 3 days. The male is not growling and will take peanuts and crackers from our hand through the bars of the cage and he is starting to let us scratch his head. He has tested me and lightly bitten me through the cage and I was nervous but didn't flinch, because I didn't want him to know I was frightened. Then he would take advantage of that.
The female stepped up on my hand and I did swing her and of course she muckled right on to my thumb and drew blood. It hurt like heck, but again I did my best not to react and I held her for a few minutes after that and then placed her into her cage. A little while later, I reached in her cage and tried picking her up again. I wanted to show her I wasn't scared and I wasn't going to stop just because of her behavior.
She tried to nip at me but I told her to step up and lightly pushed against her chest. She did step up and has been testing me.
My question is this, because I don't want to not be able to pick them up, like my Congo (He had us trained not to bother him for fear he would bite us) what should we do to get the male to become more tame? Are we doing the right thing with the female?
They have not been bred, nor do I plan on breeding them. We were just looking for pets. The couple got rid of them due to health problems. They did spoil the birds rotten and obviously loved them. So they weren't unwanted and of course they are very wanted here also. I just want to make it a better experience for us the second time around as far as taming.
Thanks for any advice you could share with me!
YJ<br><br>Post edited by: GreyGirl717, at: 2007/01/30 16:47
YJ I think you're doing the right thing. You showed the female you're not going to let her scare you and as for the male, I think that it's still early days so letting him become accustomed to you first by scratching his head and talking to him seems to me the correct way to go about it.
Maybe other posters can give some more details as to where to go from here....
Thank, I am trying. I have many war wounds, but I think he is coming around. He gets excited when I walk into the room with a bowl of Pregresso Chicken Noodle soup. He loves the pasta and just goes nuts.
I wonder if separating them is something I should think about. They are in separate cages, but right next to each other. They don't speak, but do some whistling.
Someone suggested this to me.
I don't know, they have always been next to each other.<br><br>Post edited by: GreyGirl717, at: 2007/01/31 22:51
Hi:
Normally when two birds are together as these two have been as a pair and are sexually mature you are going to have problems. They view you as a threat. Especially the male he will do what he thinks he has to to keep you away from the hen. During breeding season the aggression will become worse......sorry.
Even though they have never been bred? I am not interesting in breeding them. They have always been kept next to each other. I am wondering if moving them away from each other in separate rooms might help.
GreyGirl717, why don't you just try it? (put them in separate rooms). I don't think it makes any difference if they've been bred or not since nature = nature and he'll instinctively look upon her that way so therefore what Teresasbirds says does make sense....
What can happen if you try?
Here is what is sad these birds do LOVE each other....like we do when we have a partner. Me personally harsh as this may sound if you are wanting one for a pet I would place the other in a different home all together. Even in seperate rooms they will call back and forth. Here is what I tell folks that are purchasing birds from me and they ask if they should get it a companion. I tell them they shouldn't not if they want the bird to bond with them....there is always an exception to every rule. If they feel they MUST get another bird I tell them to get a completly different species.
It makes no differance if they have bred they are what is called bonded and are in all respects a pair and will try to protect each other from any outside interfearance.
Teresa
You know I have to say try the separate room thing before shipping one off to a new home.I have a grey and he is alone.No mate.When I get home he sings to me and all but let my son or one of the other kids try to play with him,pick him up or anything he growls and flys away if their to close.When they do pick him up he bites and bites HARD.It's odd to because my son and oldest daughter picked him out and my son held him ALL the time til he came home.Now no one but me can handle him and he is even going through a testing stage with me and lightly biting me but I just tell him no bite and that he is naughty to which he thinks is funny,laughs and says naught to me.:laugh:
Hi GreyGirl! Parrots, especially African Greys, tend to bond to one person or bird ONLY. So it look to me like they have already bonded and the chances of you getting bonded to them is highly unlikely, unless you seperate them.
It hurts to say it, but it is the truth. But remember, the decision lies with you, if you think they should stay together, don't seperate them, but don't expect them to become as tame as you would want them to.
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