help and info needed

[w3bb0]

hi ive had my 4year old african grey 2 weeks now hes getting a bit used to me but still always tries and bites my hands i know they say dnt pull away but i seen what he can do with his beak and dnt fancy leaving my hands there someone told me to spray him with water every time he tries to bite me ive not done this but would this work ? i thort it sounded a bit cruel or shall i just ignore him and let him get used to me in his own time

[FairY]

Hello and welcome to our forum, w3bb0 B)

Please have a look at the former topics having been posted here in order to find a satisfactory answer from Grey holders having gone throught exactly that same experience

In short it really comes down to your second suggestion though: let him get used to you in his own time. Patience is the keyword here

Please let us know as you progress with this.

[Monique]

Hi! I know FairY provided some previous suggestions but I just wanted to add a few things ... I would recommend never doing anything your birds think is punishment. They are very smart and sometimes not very forgiving - they work much better after positive reinforcement!! Try giving him something to nibble on WHILE you go to get him. If his mouth is chewing on an orange in your left hand, he cannot bite your right hand while you pick him up!!

Pay attention to WHEN he is biting you. Some birds are crabby but also they need to be respected. If they don't like petting a particular place, then respect that and do not do that.

The advice to not pull your hand away is correct. If you do that your bird can interpret that as a reward. He wanted you to leave him alone .. he bit you ... and you left him alone.

Get creative and you'll find away. Pay lots of attention to what type of handling earns bites, what doesn't, and post another question if you need w/the specifics and maybe you can get more help with the exact situation, too.

Good luck!!

[Yankeebobo]

Here is an idea that worked for me in the past with other birds and when our CAG was young and experimenting. Make a fist and bed the wrist away from you (almost as if you are carrying a heavy grocery bag with your arm up). Now approach your CAG. You'll notice that your skin is not taunt and stretched and your CAG does not have much to grab a hold of. Hold your hand there and communicate with your bird. Do this several times a day. As your CAG gets used to your hand, you can start to open it up. I've dealt with VIOLENT amazons this way, and believe me, it works.