Hi Guys
It says there is no such thing as a Newbie but if there were, then I am the one!
I have never considered owning a bird before, much less an African Grey but inherited one under circumstances I will not bore you with. I was TOLD he was a HE and that he was “…around 5 years old” and despite my wife being the one who has an affinity with animals, “Albert” adopted ME! He ate when I ate, relished sitting on my shoulder, would “kiss” me whenever asked (and sometimes when not!) and would happily whistle and chat away to me all day long. He is not very good at flying, managing once round the room to find my shoulder once in a blue moon and occasionally, when spooked, fly into the nearest wall! He would also kiss my dogs, chat to my grandchildren and pinch their crisps and was generally, a contended and happy little chap.
Until recently.
One game he enjoyed was throwing plastic golf balls off the top of his cage and complaining until I put them back for him so he could throw them off again. For the last few weeks however, he has taken to sitting on the balls as if he were trying to hatch them. He is still OK with me, although he no longer wants to get on my shoulder, but has become VERY aggressive with my wife, especially if she tries to clean his cage (which is where his golf balls now are) or even reach in to change his food or water. His personality seems to have completely changed and he is not so eager to interact with us.
I am told the only way to truly know if he is indeed a SHE is an expensive DNA test which, as a pensioner, I can ill afford.
What should I do? If anything… Should I take the golf balls away? Find him a small bird’s egg to sit on instead? Find him a mate? Or just watch him suffer sitting on his “eggs” day and night waiting for them to hatch?
Please help as inherited or not, I do love “him”?
It says there is no such thing as a Newbie but if there were, then I am the one!
I have never considered owning a bird before, much less an African Grey but inherited one under circumstances I will not bore you with. I was TOLD he was a HE and that he was “…around 5 years old” and despite my wife being the one who has an affinity with animals, “Albert” adopted ME! He ate when I ate, relished sitting on my shoulder, would “kiss” me whenever asked (and sometimes when not!) and would happily whistle and chat away to me all day long. He is not very good at flying, managing once round the room to find my shoulder once in a blue moon and occasionally, when spooked, fly into the nearest wall! He would also kiss my dogs, chat to my grandchildren and pinch their crisps and was generally, a contended and happy little chap.
Until recently.
One game he enjoyed was throwing plastic golf balls off the top of his cage and complaining until I put them back for him so he could throw them off again. For the last few weeks however, he has taken to sitting on the balls as if he were trying to hatch them. He is still OK with me, although he no longer wants to get on my shoulder, but has become VERY aggressive with my wife, especially if she tries to clean his cage (which is where his golf balls now are) or even reach in to change his food or water. His personality seems to have completely changed and he is not so eager to interact with us.
I am told the only way to truly know if he is indeed a SHE is an expensive DNA test which, as a pensioner, I can ill afford.
What should I do? If anything… Should I take the golf balls away? Find him a small bird’s egg to sit on instead? Find him a mate? Or just watch him suffer sitting on his “eggs” day and night waiting for them to hatch?
Please help as inherited or not, I do love “him”?
the above to post a bang on, I would take away the balls and give him some space let him work it out and try not to upset him. It will pass, my two pink chickens go hormonal every other day....