I adopted a grumpy old grey

[Ghampton]

I adopted a male grey. His name is Jack and he is probably 30+ but not sure. I will know more if I get close enough to get the info off of his band. The woman who owned him basically received him as an inheritance from her grandmother who was a hoarder of parrots. The original owner had upwards of 75+ of them so obviously they received no one on one attention. The woman who I got him from had him for about a year but she nor her husband had the time to properly care for him.

I have him now and it's been about 2 months. He's in my room in his big cage and seems very content. He hasn't let me pet him but he did pop-up on my arm briefly. He knows I'm his human. He says a few words and does a lot of whistling.

Everything I've read is basically saying it's all about time, trust and positive reinforcement and maybe he will let me pet him. I'm not pushing it because I don't him to feel pressured I suppose.

My questions are:

1. He's never had his wings clipped and I found a mobile bird groomer. He's never flown so does it matter if they are clipped or not?

2. For treats I give him a Ritz cracker and some unsalted pretzel sticks and other snacks. However, prior to getting him, he was given mini donuts, mac and cheese, cookies and other foods that I don't think he should have. Given his age and that he was given this stuff, should I take the sweets away slowly or cold turkey?

 

[SillyGoose]

wow congrats on your new feather friend ! Pamela Clark is the leading expert on African greys - Here is a GREAT article she did all about their care - The African Grey Parrot: Data and Deliberations I would HIGHLY recommend giving it a read it seriously blew my mind ! 1. PLEASE don't clip him ! especially if he has never been clipped there is absolutely no reason to. Not clipping him so far has no negative effect but clipping him could create a lot of problem behaviors ( Like Plucking and increased aggression ) 2. I would take away all sweets ( like the cookies and cake and everything he was being fed ) and only feed him bird safe foods ! Are you interested in getting him onto a pellet and chop based diet ? I have some articles on that as well if you are interested. It sounds like you're on the right track !! Congrats again

 

[Ghampton]

Thank you for your reply. I will take your advice and pass on the wing clipping. Considering it's never been done and he doesn't fly, I didn't think there was a need to do it. I definitely don't want to traumatize him.

I will also take away the sweets. I don't give him junk food all the time like his prior owners but I have given him a few things a couple of times a week until I knew whether or not taking it away cold turkey was ok to do.

He can be a grumpy old grey but he's mine and he knows he's loved, wanted and being cared for.

Thank you again for responding. He did learn a new word which is "No". I will say it when he does this specific ear piercing screech. I will say "No Jack let's do a different whistle" and I will whistle something else for him to mimic.

 

[SillyGoose]

Wow hes so smart ! African Greys never stop amazing me! Its so cool how we can train birds to make the sounds we want by rewarding positive sounds and ignore the ones we don't like. I have been looking to adopt a Grey its my dream bird !

 

[Shezbug]

Welcome to the Avenue


I personally would not entertain the thoughts on wing clipping unless it was directed by an Avian vet for a serious medical reason and even then I would try for a work around- clipping is not beneficial for any bird even if they do not fly they use them for balance and they are part of what is supposed to be there. Also, if he never flies then wing clipping would be a totally unnecessary and highly stressful event he did not need to go through.

All the treats you mentioned are not bird safe/good, we should aim for as natural and healthy as possible which means skip processed foods and many human foods that are not grown by nature. Maybe try him with some seeds (to find his most fav one- usually sunflower or safflower), nuts (preferrable to stay away from peanut), fruit, veg, nutriberries etc foods with no added nasties. One of my guys loves freeze dried veg and fruit.

 

[Clueless]

Congrats! Sounds like you're starting great.....

Almond slivers from the baking aisle (no salt) is a treat I give my Amazon.

 

[Respect]

Like others have said, I would avoid wing clipping if it isn’t necessary. No need to do it if it’s never been done before as far as you know. Slowly switching to “healthier” treats would be a good idea as well — nuts and seeds (unsalted and unseasoned, preferably raw), as well as fruit (with the seeds or pit removed), are good to try. You might have to try a few different things to see what he likes! Good luck with your new grey friend

 

[Toy]

African Greys (CAG's) generally are not hands on birds. Meaning they pretty much do not like being petted. A quick beak swipe is about all we can do with our CAG & she'll be 26 in a few months. We've had her since she was 6 months old.

Wings are also used for balance, so I would not have them clipped.

Treats - I'd stop the sweets. Try nuts (in shell or shelled). You can get bags of slivered or chopped nuts at Walmart or in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. Offer chunks of veggies, etc. Limit fruit. Also many birds need to be shown that a food is safe to eat. So you eat or fake eat some & then make yummy sounds. Our CAG's fav nut is pistachios in shell, raw.

CAG's are super intelligent. They like to know the what, why & how of everything. Ask the bird to step up/down. Tell him why & where you are taking him, etc. Explain everything.

Our CAG prefers toys she can pick up & toss around. She loves baby stacking cups & you can also use them as foraging toys. Junk mail she can rip to shreds is another fav. A swing or boing.

 

[Snowghost]

I agree, no reason to clip his wings. It will just freak him out. My 28 year old grey didn't know he could fly, he was cage bound all his life. He was my rescue. He was fed nothing but Hartz Bird Seed. I switched him to Lafeber Nutriberries and he fell in love with pumpkin seeds. I gradually introduced him to apple slices, broccoli pieces (turned out to be his fav) I made his breakfast and supper exciting, telling him ready for yum yums? I know it sounds silly but it worked. I gave him an occasional hard boiled egg as well. Try yellow squash slices. Carrots and different shapes, some birds like sticks they can hold or some like their food chopped up. There was one poster here that cut their birds food into stars, hey do what ever it works.

 

[Tyrion]

Greys are awesome birds and very smart ...no sweets or wing clips as has already been mentioned... Even though most Greys are a no hands my Tyrion loves a head scratch ,ear rub and a beak rub... He is very funny and loves to play jokes on the other animals ... Best of luck to you and your new buddy

 

[Shannan]

Grays are like having a perpetual toddler with a very big sense of humor.... He will likely be a hands off bird however that does not mean that he wants to be tucked away in a corner and ignored. Most Grays LOVE being in the middle of things. They want to know what is going on and why. They are wicked smart and seem to understand a large number of words. They like you to explain it to them. Tell them what you are going to do ahead of time and they will appreciate it greatly. Walter loved being in the living room where he could see what was going on. He loved being talked to and brief visits. In case someone never warned you they are infamous for their bait and switch. They will lower their heads and fluff up like they want you to pet them and then nail you good. There are signs that you can learn and not all grays will do this. My Walter never did but I have heard stories.... Enjoy that grumpy old man.... I sure do miss mine!

 

[Ghampton]

I appreciate all of the great advice from everyone. I wanted a parrot for decades but during my 20-year marriage my husband said he didn't want one because they are loud and messy. So was he, lol.

Anyway, I will skip the wing clipping and ditch the sweets. I have (had actually) a thick (3/4 inch) 3ft by 4ft piece of cardboard that his cage is on. He has turned it into a jigsaw puzzle and I am constantly sweeping the bits and pieces. He enjoys picking it apart and it keeps him busy.

Another concern/question is this.. When he was in his parrot hoard, he had a girlfriend named Jill. She bit 2 of his toes off at some point. Not all the way back to nothing but they were biten off none the less. He has adapted without them but I have noticed that at night he will tumble down from falling asleep and losing his grip. Afterwards he says "Good Boy", lol. I was thinking of getting some type of material to clip underneath his perch. Maybe halfway down the cage so if he doesn't get hurt from the fall. Maybe underneath the colored blocks. He can still access his food but won't hurt himself if/when he falls.

 

[Ghampton]

wow congrats on your new feather friend ! Pamela Clark is the leading expert on African greys - Here is a GREAT article she did all about their care - The African Grey Parrot: Data and Deliberations I would HIGHLY recommend giving it a read it seriously blew my mind ! 1. PLEASE don't clip him ! especially if he has never been clipped there is absolutely no reason to. Not clipping him so far has no negative effect but clipping him could create a lot of problem behaviors ( Like Plucking and increased aggression ) 2. I would take away all sweets ( like the cookies and cake and everything he was being fed ) and only feed him bird safe foods ! Are you interested in getting him onto a pellet and chop based diet ? I have some articles on that as well if you are interested. It sounds like you're on the right track !! Congrats again

I would definitely like anything you can provide for pellet and chop based diet. I will also check out the article. He's never had foraging toys and I would like to get him one. I would guess I should get a small one to start him off with. I don't want to over stimulate him. Maybe something with 2-4 toys on it for him to pick at.

 

[Ghampton]

Grays are like having a perpetual toddler with a very big sense of humor.... He will likely be a hands off bird however that does not mean that he wants to be tucked away in a corner and ignored. Most Grays LOVE being in the middle of things. They want to know what is going on and why. They are wicked smart and seem to understand a large number of words. They like you to explain it to them. Tell them what you are going to do ahead of time and they will appreciate it greatly. Walter loved being in the living room where he could see what was going on. He loved being talked to and brief visits. In case someone never warned you they are infamous for their bait and switch. They will lower their heads and fluff up like they want you to pet them and then nail you good. There are signs that you can learn and not all grays will do this. My Walter never did but I have heard stories.... Enjoy that grumpy old man.... I sure do miss mine!

Jack does this thing where he will turn upside down when he's on the inside or outside wall of his cage and then do this click with his beak. It's his warning. The prior owners gave me these welding gloves to wear if I have to move him or something but he literally hates them. When he see them he growls like a dog. I only used them on the initial transfer from the crate to his cage when I brought him home. Since then, I haven't needed to use them. He goes back in his cage after awhile. One day he was out of his cage from 8a to almost 9p. He walked around my room like he owned it. Head held high, checking stuff out, poking around. He likes to be the center of attention.

 

[MommyBird]

t I have noticed that at night he will tumble down from falling asleep and losing his grip.

Check out the flagstone and wooden platform perches on this page, they might help
Parrot Perches - Seriously Nutz Bird Toys! Natural Wood and Rope Bird Perches, Custom Sizes Available

See some solutions others have made here
Special Needs Crossing
and here Modifying a Cage for a Disabled Parrot | ThinkParrot

 

[Toy]

You can pad the bottom grate with folded towels at night.

We've fed "Jengo" our CAG "Pretty Bird Species Specific African pellets" since we got her at 6 months of age. She'll be 26 years old in June. It has a higher calcium level CAG's require. We also feed some seed mix & a few nuts.

Veeggies: You can try frozen mixed (carrots, corn, peaas, lima beans, green beans) veggies to start. I microwave them with a little water for just a few minutes. Rinse in cold water to cool them to room temp. I peel & chunk sweet potatoes & roast them in the oven for 10 Min., turn & do the other side 10 Min.. Cool to room temp. Scrambled eggs, cooked plain, no oil or butter. Any veggie chopped. Leaf veggies you can stick thru the cage bars. NO caffiene, carbonated drinks, chocolate, onion, garlic or avacado. These are toxic to birds. Again you eat or fake eat foods so he knows they are safe to eat. Make yummy sounds. We find it best to fed wet foods in the morning hours & dry foods later in the day.

I'd also get rid of the dowel rod perch & add natural wood perches, like Java or Manzanita wood. Perches should be under/in front of each of his dishes, so he can easily reach his food & water & one that goes all the way across the middle of his cage, side to side about half way from the bottom. You can also try a thick rope perch.

I'd add a swing.

Toys: Baby stacking cups. You can find them in the baby toy section at Walmart. There are 8 cups to a set. You can put pieces of nuts in a few & stack them. Let him see you putting the treats in the cups. Your bird will then search for them, by un-stacking them. You can also teach him to re-stack them. Our CAG loves acrylic foot toys. Like the barbell type. Plastic links, etc.

Use treats & try to get him to step up/down. Show him th treat, then tell him what you want him to do & why. Move slowly, as CAG's do not like fast movements. CAG's tend to move in their own time space, like slower than most other parrots. Use treats to get him to go back in his cage. Say go in your cage. Give him a treat when he does on command. I also taught our CAG to go in with the wave of my hand. Our U2 (26 yrs in July) goes in her cage on command. Still working on my B&G Macaw (5 yrs in August), she requres a treat. My previous macaw went in on command.

CAG's are super intelligent. Our CAG likes to put small foot toys in her food & water dishes. I tell her she has to remove them so I can give her food & water. I tell her to take it out. She will grab the toy & toss it to the bottom of her cage. Keep your commands consistent, so as not to confuse your bird.

Keep in mind these things will take time & patience.

 

[SillyGoose]

I would definitely like anything you can provide for pellet and chop based diet. I will also check out the article. He's never had foraging toys and I would like to get him one. I would guess I should get a small one to start him off with. I don't want to over stimulate him. Maybe something with 2-4 toys on it for him to pick at.

A great starter foraging toy is a whole roll of unscented toilet paper ! They love to shred. Here is a link to Diet conversion technique that should work ! It has worked on all my birds so far Diet Conversion Instructions.pdf Here is a link to a great chop recipe I use it for all my birds and they LOVE it Recipe for Chop Mix.pdf Both written by Pamela Clark an expert There are a handful of foraging diy out there but here is a great list that I read through when first getting parrots and it helped me immensely https://www.behaviorworks.org/files/articles/Parrot Enrichment Activity Book 1.pdf

If you are still wanting more to read ( I know I sure did lol ) Here are some reputable websites with lots of amazing info

Written Works: Learning and Behavior - BehaviorWorks.com

Parrots and Proximity

I have lived with parrots for a great deal longer than many of you reading this have been alive. My decades of involvement with them afford me a unique perspective. What has our history been with c…

pamelaclarkonline.com

Parrots and Proximity (Part Two)

In Parrots and Proximity (Part One), I examined the importance of proximity to parrots. (If you have not yet read that blog post, please do so before you read on.) Parrots react both positively and…

pamelaclarkonline.com

If you have any more questions feel free to ask ! I am no expert but I mentor under Pamela Clark and have spoken with Susan Friedman

 

[Shezbug]

I appreciate all of the great advice from everyone. I wanted a parrot for decades but during my 20-year marriage my husband said he didn't want one because they are loud and messy. So was he, lol.

Anyway, I will skip the wing clipping and ditch the sweets. I have (had actually) a thick (3/4 inch) 3ft by 4ft piece of cardboard that his cage is on. He has turned it into a jigsaw puzzle and I am constantly sweeping the bits and pieces. He enjoys picking it apart and it keeps him busy.

Another concern/question is this.. When he was in his parrot hoard, he had a girlfriend named Jill. She bit 2 of his toes off at some point. Not all the way back to nothing but they were biten off none the less. He has adapted without them but I have noticed that at night he will tumble down from falling asleep and losing his grip. Afterwards he says "Good Boy", lol. I was thinking of getting some type of material to clip underneath his perch. Maybe halfway down the cage so if he doesn't get hurt from the fall. Maybe underneath the colored blocks. He can still access his food but won't hurt himself if/when he falls. View attachment 457813

Consider getting him a platform perch if he has gripping issues.

 

[Ghampton]

You can pad the bottom grate with folded towels at night.

We've fed "Jengo" our CAG "Pretty Bird Species Specific African pellets" since we got her at 6 months of age. She'll be 26 years old in June. It has a higher calcium level CAG's require. We also feed some seed mix & a few nuts.

Veeggies: You can try frozen mixed (carrots, corn, peaas, lima beans, green beans) veggies to start. I microwave them with a little water for just a few minutes. Rinse in cold water to cool them to room temp. I peel & chunk sweet potatoes & roast them in the oven for 10 Min., turn & do the other side 10 Min.. Cool to room temp. Scrambled eggs, cooked plain, no oil or butter. Any veggie chopped. Leaf veggies you can stick thru the cage bars. NO caffiene, carbonated drinks, chocolate, onion, garlic or avacado. These are toxic to birds. Again you eat or fake eat foods so he knows they are safe to eat. Make yummy sounds. We find it best to fed wet foods in the morning hours & dry foods later in the day.

I'd also get rid of the dowel rod perch & add natural wood perches, like Java or Manzanita wood. Perches should be under/in front of each of his dishes, so he can easily reach his food & water & one that goes all the way across the middle of his cage, side to side about half way from the bottom. You can also try a thick rope perch.

I'd add a swing.

Toys: Baby stacking cups. You can find them in the baby toy section at Walmart. There are 8 cups to a set. You can put pieces of nuts in a few & stack them. Let him see you putting the treats in the cups. Your bird will then search for them, by un-stacking them. You can also teach him to re-stack them. Our CAG loves acrylic foot toys. Like the barbell type. Plastic links, etc.

Use treats & try to get him to step up/down. Show him th treat, then tell him what you want him to do & why. Move slowly, as CAG's do not like fast movements. CAG's tend to move in their own time space, like slower than most other parrots. Use treats to get him to go back in his cage. Say go in your cage. Give him a treat when he does on command. I also taught our CAG to go in with the wave of my hand. Our U2 (26 yrs in July) goes in her cage on command. Still working on my B&G Macaw (5 yrs in August), she requres a treat. My previous macaw went in on command.

CAG's are super intelligent. Our CAG likes to put small foot toys in her food & water dishes. I tell her she has to remove them so I can give her food & water. I tell her to take it out. She will grab the toy & toss it to the bottom of her cage. Keep your commands consistent, so as not to confuse your bird.

Keep in mind these things will take time & patience.

Thank you for all of your tips. I have been hanging pieces of cardboard in his cage at night so he can shred away. It seems like he didn't have the best diet from either his original owner and the woman I got him from. He doesn't seem to like too many fresh fruits. I have 3 different bowls for him. One for his regular parrot mix, another for some nuts and the other one is for fresh and or dried fruits but he doesn't really eat them. I've tried diced strawberries, blue berries, black berries, sliced grapes, mango, apple etc and they basically just sit there. I will keep trying. Maybe since we are coming into the summer months, I can do some watermelon.

I've noticed in his parrot blend that there are these small blue pieces of something. Do you know what that is? Normally (in my opinion) blue food isn't very appealing. He gets almonds, pecans, walnuts etc., all unsalted and seems to enjoy those.

I have gotten him to pop up (step-up) only once but I am still working on it. I do explain things like when he needs his bath water or drinking water changed. I will look at a swing for him as well. He has big colorful wooden blocks to chew up and I did a DYI toy of a bunch of different sized metal binderclips that dangle from inside his cage so he plays with those as well.

I was thinking of hanging a bell or two but his cage is in my room so it might get a bit jingley at night. Do you know if mirrors are good or bad? When he is walking around my room he will stare at himself as my sliding closet doors are mirrors. I wouldn't want him to break it and get hurt if I put one in his cage. Unless I hang it from the outside.

 

[Toy]

Thank you for all of your tips. I have been hanging pieces of cardboard in his cage at night so he can shred away. It seems like he didn't have the best diet from either his original owner and the woman I got him from. He doesn't seem to like too many fresh fruits. I have 3 different bowls for him. One for his regular parrot mix, another for some nuts and the other one is for fresh and or dried fruits but he doesn't really eat them. I've tried diced strawberries, blue berries, black berries, sliced grapes, mango, apple etc and they basically just sit there. I will keep trying. Maybe since we are coming into the summer months, I can do some watermelon.
Try frozen mixed veggies. I put some in a dish,cover with water & microwave for a few minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, drain. Again fake eating may help him know that food is safe to eat.

I've noticed in his parrot blend that there are these small blue pieces of something. Do you know what that is? Normally (in my opinion) blue food isn't very appealing. He gets almonds, pecans, walnuts etc., all unsalted and seems to enjoy those.
What brand is the parrot blend?

I have gotten him to pop up (step-up) only once but I am still working on it. I do explain things like when he needs his bath water or drinking water changed. I will look at a swing for him as well. He has big colorful wooden blocks to chew up and I did a DYI toy of a bunch of different sized metal binderclips that dangle from inside his cage so he plays with those as well.
Not sure if the binder clips are safe, as most are coated with black oxide, which can be toxic. Since parrots chew everything he could ingest some of it.

I was thinking of hanging a bell or two but his cage is in my room so it might get a bit jingley at night. Do you know if mirrors are good or bad? When he is walking around my room he will stare at himself as my sliding closet doors are mirrors. I wouldn't want him to break it and get hurt if I put one in his cage. Unless I hang it from the outside.
Generally they do not play with toys at night. Mirrors are questionable, as many fall in love with the bird in the mirror.