African Grey Not Sleeping Well, Symptoms?

[Jeff Sexton]

I have an 8 month old Congo African Grey that has been very healthy and happy. This week though he did not get a good night's sleep on two separate nights for different reasons.

It seems to take a few days to recover from this. The first time, he stopped speaking and was much less active for about 3 days, then went back to normal. The second time, it's been worse. It was two night ago that I tried to get him to sleep in a different room. I suspect he didn't get any sleep. Today in particular he is sleeping heavily, head back, in his cage (not wanting out), during the day. Activity has been very low. He seems low in energy, and has poor posture.

He has been eating and drinking though, and droppings look normal. He'll step up - slowly - and get a head scratch if I offer.

Normally, he is out of his cage all day and very active. He has a large play area with lots to do. It's heartbreaking not hearing his chatter and bells.

My feeling is that I should just let him sleep. But I worry that he could happen to have some other problem that is just co-incidental with not sleeping well on a given night.

What symptoms have others seen of a grey not getting a good night's sleep on a particular night? Is it just sleeping during the day?

By way of background, I have been working on getting him to sleep in a different area so as to be more away from 4th of July noises. But I think the different activity level, light and sounds of the the other places have kept him awake.

 

[saroj12]

I'm not an expert but when I see my grey sleeping with his head tucked into his neck, on the nestcam during the night, I feel happy that all is well with him. does he have one leg tucked into his chest, or is he asleep gripping the perch with two legs?

 

[JLcribber]

It will take a few days to get used to the new sleep location. You obviously don't cover him or else he would not know the difference of where he was. And that is part of the problem. In new surroundings he will be forced to stay alert because that's what instincts are telling him. If he had a mostly covered cage his sleep environment would always be the same no matter where that cage was. It's more closed in to feel cozier and no "visual" distractions to trigger those instincts.

It's also very helpful to have "white noise" in their sleep environment. Makes for a much more sound restful sleep (for humans and animals).

 

[JLcribber]

How do you know he's not sleeping well unless you were interrupting him to check?

 

[Tyrion]

Are there any other signs ..like sneezing or tail bobbing or weakness while perching ...you said he is still eating ..what does his diet consist of ...good sleep habits are important ....It can takes several days maybe even weeks to get in tune with a new sleep place ...but I would think there might be something else goin on if its taking this much out of your lil Grey ...you said he is sleeping heavily and poor posture during the day ...what do you mean by poor posture ...is he all hunched over or all bended back ...is his head tucked in while sleeping or out and leaning back ...how is his grip on you while perched ... how long in between the first incident and this last one ...I have to admit my grey Tyrion has never has a 12 hr sleeping schedule and I have had him since he was a baby....but he does have a sleep schedule its just not 12 and 12 ... I have never seen him have a bad day cuz of sleep he may nap more but he has never acted like what you are describing ... like John mentioned covering him should help with sleeping ...and white noise ...do you plan on keeping him there all the time or is it just for the big bangs ...are you putting him in a totally new sleeping cage or just moving his day cage ..I would watch for weakness when perching ..breathing issues ...and if he starts having issues with eating or drinking ... maybe he is just on the verge of getting sick

 

[Lady Jane]

When was his last check up with an avian vet?

 

[Shinobi]

Birds are very good at hiding illness and it can be too late by the time symptoms become noticeable. So be very observant and if you feel that something not right go to an avian vet and get him checked out. Also take a sample of his droppings.

Birds in the wild, sleep to what time the sun rises and sets not, 12 hrs sleep and 12 hrs awake. John made a good point covering the cage helps them sleep well.

 

[Jeff Sexton]

I partly cover the cage, he can see out. So yes, he'd know it was a different place. Also, he normally sleeps in a very large cage - his main cage. I tried to get him to sleep in his smaller portable cage. So there's no question that he knew things were different. That's why I assumed he didn't get a good night's sleep, and was wondering how intense the reaction might be to that.

I have to try it again tonight, as it's the 4th and I expect a lot of scary noise.

By the way, as an aside regarding cages and sleeping... My grey spends virtually all day out of his cage playing around a good sized area with extra stands and hanging platforms. It's not like the large cage, that he normally sleeps in, is also his primary "space".

He went for a check up about 5 months ago. I plan on taking him again anyway in a couple of months, just because I am new to this and I want to make sure everything's fine.

 

[Jeff Sexton]

Are there any other signs ..like sneezing or tail bobbing or weakness while perching ...you said he is still eating ..what does his diet consist of ...good sleep habits are important ....It can takes several days maybe even weeks to get in tune with a new sleep place ...but I would think there might be something else goin on if its taking this much out of your lil Grey ...you said he is sleeping heavily and poor posture during the day ...what do you mean by poor posture ...is he all hunched over or all bended back ...is his head tucked in while sleeping or out and leaning back ...how is his grip on you while perched ... how long in between the first incident and this last one ...I have to admit my grey Tyrion has never has a 12 hr sleeping schedule and I have had him since he was a baby....but he does have a sleep schedule its just not 12 and 12 ... I have never seen him have a bad day cuz of sleep he may nap more but he has never acted like what you are describing ... like John mentioned covering him should help with sleeping ...and white noise ...do you plan on keeping him there all the time or is it just for the big bangs ...are you putting him in a totally new sleeping cage or just moving his day cage ..I would watch for weakness when perching ..breathing issues ...and if he starts having issues with eating or drinking ... maybe he is just on the verge of getting sick

Diet - He gets Volkman's mix all day, and an assortment of fresh vegetables two or three times a day, as much as he wants; kale and other greens, broccoli, cauliflower, a little chili pepper, zucchini, squash, a grape or two, a bit of apple, sometimes some extra hemp and flax seeds, walnuts... He especially likes fresh peas.

No other sings of illness, no sneezing, aside from a lot of sleeping. But he is sleeping on two feet which bothers me. And he has not made a sound all day.

Posture - He seems to slump a lot, no stretching of the wings etc.

 

[Jeff Sexton]

How do you know he's not sleeping well unless you were interrupting him to check?

I am assuming he's not sleeping well because of his behavior the following days - sleeping unusually, and unusually low energy level, during the following days.

 

[ode.to.parrots]

I am sorry to hear that your African grey has not been acting normal.

Based off of your grey'so sleeping posture, I would suggest taking your grey to the vet asap. Better to err on the side of caution...

 

[Tyrion]

Diet - He gets Volkman's mix all day, and an assortment of fresh vegetables two or three times a day, as much as he wants; kale and other greens, broccoli, cauliflower, a little chili pepper, zucchini, squash, a grape or two, a bit of apple, sometimes some extra hemp and flax seeds, walnuts... He especially likes fresh peas.

No other sings of illness, no sneezing, aside from a lot of sleeping. But he is sleeping on two feet which bothers me. And he has not made a sound all day.

Posture - He seems to slump a lot, no stretching of the wings etc.

I would make an appointment at your vet and have him seen and have a blood panel done on him ..this sounds more then not sleeping

 

[MiniMacaw]

Definitely vet time now, as others have recommended. I took my macaw to the vet five months or so ago when he had an infection. He got meds and healed well. Then maybe a month ago he was regurgitating and I worried it was another infection. Took him to the vet same day and luckily it was all fine. But the peace of mind is so much better than the worry and/or regret of not getting them checked out.
I hope all is well with your little one.

 

[Kiwi and Mitch]

Sorry to hear about your Grey potentially not feeling so well. I would just say take him to an Avian Vet as soon as you can, it is always better to be cautious in these situations from my limited experience.

 

[Jeff Sexton]

Last night I made a late minute choice to just leave him in his normal sleeping area, in spite of the fireworks. The noise in the neighborhood did last for a couple of hours, but this morning he is much improved. He's more active and alert (and napping on one foot). He hasn't said a word in a couple of days, but I did coax one very faint "hellooo" out of him this morning.

I think it turns out that the stress of a new sleeping place was greater than the scary noises.

I would still like him to be more comfortable in other parts of the house though. We'll take it slow, he's only 8 months.