Looking for adice regarding my new family member!

*Advice*

Hello,

So, about 2 weeks ago I brought home a 5-month-old Congo Grey. I have named her(?) Zelda. She is really sweet and very gentle. She seems very happy in her cage and LOVEs to whistle.



The issue that I am having is that she will not step up onto my hand or a perch from inside her cage. I have read a lot of material about training, but all seem to start with overcoming the fear of hands. But, Zelda is not scared of my hand at all. she will willingly and very gently take treats from my fingers. But she will not step up, she just looks at my hand. She is also very wary of my hand near her head, so no scratches currently.

I have tried a little target training which she is responding well to, she will touch the target to get a treat, but as soon I have my hand in there she won't... I never force her to step up as I don't want to give her a negative perception of the process. When I have my hand in the cage to get her to step up if, I get too close, she will have a little nip.

She comes out of the cage occasionally, I leave the door ajar so she can climb on top of the door. When she is already out she will step up without much prompting. However, she does seem very alert, and not completely comfortable, and will sometimes try to fly leading to a few crash landings(she was clipped at the breeders), which I am being very careful about.

I have another bird also(a Quaker called Yoshi), which is very well trained and happy. So I am not completely new to birds. Just to greys.



So I am tearing my hair out a little, as I just want Zelda to come out of her cage and play, but she doesn't seem to want to. I am doing anything wrong? or is it just a case of being patient? How can I get her to fully trust me? What sort of things can I be doing to aid the process? Like I say, other than her not wanting to come out very often, she seems happy, playing with toys and whistling.

I really appreciate any advice.

Thanks

Hi MTG,

They are both beautiful!

You've had her for 2 weeks. I couldn't get near my Levi for well over a month. Let me just say, you can't force a grey to do anything.
You have to give them choices and respect like you would a child.
You also have to teach her to step up. She's only a baby.

I suggest you start here:
http://www.parrotforums.com/congo-timneh-greys/59366-cag-101-a.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html

Best of luck and please keep us posted on your progress.

Hi and welcome to the forum.

You have to understand that Zelda is in a completely new environment to her and is uncertain about this big human thing trying to get her to do things. She is still trying to figure out what the heck is going on! For only being with you for two weeks I think she is doing pretty well Just give her time...let her settle into her new home..just be patient..praise her for the things she accomplishes and offer treats when she does what you ask of her. Patients and time and lots of love are the key!
BTW she and Yoshi are very sweet looking



Jim

From what I have read and experienced first hand grey's can be very stubborn.
My Bella was also hesitant to step up to come out of her cage. I just out suborned her.
Open cage door, ask her to step up. If she did not step up close cage door and wait 5 or 10 minuets and try again. She will eventually get the idea that if she does not step up she does not get to come out.

texsize

Tami2 said:

Hi MTG,

They are both beautiful!

You've had her for 2 weeks. I couldn't get near my Levi for well over a month. Let me just say, you can't force a grey to do anything.
You have to give them choices and respect like you would a child.
You also have to teach her to step up. She's only a baby.

I suggest you start here:
http://www.parrotforums.com/congo-timneh-greys/59366-cag-101-a.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html

Best of luck and please keep us posted on your progress.

Click to expand...

Thank you so much for the advice! I will continue as I am doing with the target training and such. I try hard to never force her to do anything. Thanks for the links, very helpful.

AmyMyBlueFront said:

Hi and welcome to the forum.

You have to understand that Zelda is in a completely new environment to her and is uncertain about this big human thing trying to get her to do things. She is still trying to figure out what the heck is going on! For only being with you for two weeks I think she is doing pretty well Just give her time...let her settle into her new home..just be patient..praise her for the things she accomplishes and offer treats when she does what you ask of her. Patients and time and lots of love are the key!
BTW she and Yoshi are very sweet looking



Jim

Click to expand...

Yes, I agree I think she is doing well, thank you. I will continue with the treats and training and hopefully, she will be willing to step up eventually. I knew what I was signing up for when I got her, I just feel like I have no idea what I am doing no matter how much I read.

texsize said:

From what I have read and experienced first hand grey's can be very stubborn.
My Bella was also hesitant to step up to come out of her cage. I just out suborned her.
Open cage door, ask her to step up. If she did not step up close cage door and wait 5 or 10 minuets and try again. She will eventually get the idea that if she does not step up she does not get to come out.

texsize

Click to expand...

I guess their intelligence is the reason for the stubbornness . I will try what you say with opening and asking for a step up. Should I leave the door closes otherwise so not let her climb out? and make me her only route out of the cage?

Both are so beautiful!!!!!
You can try a hand held perch. Let her step up to the far end, over time move your hand giving her less room to step up, do this slowly. The goal is to have only a tiny bit of the perch for her step up on, untill you actually have her just step up to your hand. Also feed lots of ttrests by hand, you want hands to be joy joy !
Everyone already gave you great advice, and she is very new to your home. Good luck!!! Such beautiful birds both if them just extra lovely!!!

i, and welcome!

I won't offer advice, since my little devil rarely steps up from within the sanctity of his cage, and only if he pleases at other times. He's flighted and fearless and a real stinker, but I love him and we find ways to get along, all these years.

I'm just posting to wish you good luck and congratulate you on reaching out and trying. I admire that.

You're getting great advice already!

I'm glad you found us.

Laurasea said:

Both are so beautiful!!!!!
You can try a hand held perch. Let her step up to the far end, over time move your hand giving her less room to step up, do this slowly. The goal is to have only a tiny bit of the perch for her step up on, untill you actually have her just step up to your hand. Also feed lots of ttrests by hand, you want hands to be joy joy !
Everyone already gave you great advice, and she is very new to your home. Good luck!!! Such beautiful birds both if them just extra lovely!!!

Click to expand...

GaleriaGila said:

i, and welcome!

I won't offer advice, since my little devil rarely steps up from within the sanctity of his cage, and only if he pleases at other times. He's flighted and fearless and a real stinker, but I love him and we find ways to get along, all these years.

I'm just posting to wish you good luck and congratulate you on reaching out and trying. I admire that.

You're getting great advice already!

I'm glad you found us.

Click to expand...

Thank you both, such kind comments!.

Laurasea, I will try a handheld perch and see how she responds, thanks for the tip.

MTG said:

Laurasea said:

Both are so beautiful!!!!!
You can try a hand held perch. Let her step up to the far end, over time move your hand giving her less room to step up, do this slowly. The goal is to have only a tiny bit of the perch for her step up on, untill you actually have her just step up to your hand. Also feed lots of ttrests by hand, you want hands to be joy joy !
Everyone already gave you great advice, and she is very new to your home. Good luck!!! Such beautiful birds both if them just extra lovely!!!

Click to expand...

GaleriaGila said:

i, and welcome!

I won't offer advice, since my little devil rarely steps up from within the sanctity of his cage, and only if he pleases at other times. He's flighted and fearless and a real stinker, but I love him and we find ways to get along, all these years.

I'm just posting to wish you good luck and congratulate you on reaching out and trying. I admire that.

You're getting great advice already!

I'm glad you found us.

Click to expand...

Thank you both, such kind comments!.

Laurasea, I will try a handheld perch and see how she responds, thanks for the tip.

Click to expand...

I had Smokey (TAG) for twenty-eight years,and she never learned to like to step-up on my hand. It took over twenty years for her to begrudgenly step up,and only if it was her last option! If she did step up,as soon as she saw a safe place to be,she'd fly to it. BUT she was a wild caught bird when I got her at about six months old and I just assumed it was because she still remembered being yanked out of her nest at a young age and just hated hands.


Jim

Welcome and be welcomed. Someone on here recently put training parrots to do anything pretty well.
Training a parrot is the art of making them think the action is their idea in the first place and getting them to like it.

She's only been there 2 weeks, a blink of the eye for a bird that can live 60-70 years.

Bth of your babies are beautiful! Looking forward to many stories, pics and videos of both of them.

I am slowly making progress! I asked her to step up today in her cage and she offered me one foot, before changing her mind. Not much, But ill take it.

Re: Looking for advice regarding my new family member!

Major Success today! Three times today she has willingly stepped up onto my hand (after testing it with a few bites ). She still seems a little unsure when out of her cage so I keep it short, but give her lots of praise and treats. Overall I'm very happy today!

Re: Looking for advice regarding my new family member!

MTG said:

Major Success today! Three times today she has willingly stepped up onto my hand (after testing it with a few bites ). She still seems a little unsure when out of her cage so I keep it short, but give her lots of praise and treats. Overall I'm very happy today!

Click to expand...

A parrot's beak is very sensitive, and they use it as a hand to explore their environment. Beaking is a normal "can I trust this?" thing. Try not to pull away unless she bites.