CAG bedtime

Cycletim

Member
Mar 22, 2020
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16
Ventura, California
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Jasper Congo African Grey,
Grover Red bellied parrot RIP 10/20,
Red bellied parrot Rheya
My rehomed grey goes crazy nervous around 8:00-9:00 pm start chewing feet, tightens up his feathers, and starts barbing his feathers, I feel like we have to rush to bed so we doesn’t tear feathers off his chest. He’s in the family room. He is really calm all day. Except when he’s out with me and my wife but he’s getting better in that regard. The bedtime thing we are a little stumped on.

Thanks
 

bigfellasdad

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Sep 21, 2017
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Enzo - adopted Female CAG circa 2004. A truly amazing young lady!
Have you had him long?

With Enzo, her normal routine is to chill out with me where ever I am an hour or so before her bed time, she has a snack and a drink during this time then she will grind her food. When she says 'ni-night' ill take her to her cage in the kitchen, I will usually already have it half covered and a dimmable lamp set to 30%. She wants head scratches/cuddles then and over a 5-10minute period ill occationally tell alexa to do dim the light by 10%. When it gets to 10% its quite dark and Enzo is usually super relaxed then and will trundle off to her sleep perch.

So, all very comfortable and relaxed, usually.

HTH

Andy
 
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Cycletim

Cycletim

Member
Mar 22, 2020
114
16
Ventura, California
Parrots
Jasper Congo African Grey,
Grover Red bellied parrot RIP 10/20,
Red bellied parrot Rheya
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We have had him about 2 1/2 weeks. He’s 18 years old. He has never been covered my other parrot I always cover. After dinner We do a little target training and let him cruise around the house. Then like clock work he climbs up to his swing which is where he sleeps and starts going at his feet and chest until we turn the lights off and go to bed. It’s our bedtime anyways but, I was wondering if anyone had ever experienced this or something like it with a re homed grey
 

bigfellasdad

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Enzo - adopted Female CAG circa 2004. A truly amazing young lady!
Sorry, I misunderstood. When Enzo goes up to her sleep perch, she wants to sleep and generally is within minutes, in the dark and quiet environment as her cage is in the Kitchen rather than my living room. Have you tried covering him up at an earlier time than your bed time, it might be he is simply over tired and he cant sleep with you guys watching tv, chatting and lights on etc. His previous owners may have given him his quiet sleep space and he's not got accustomed to not having it. I try and get Enzo to bed at 8:30pm every night, I dont go to bed till gone 1am usually so I have to give Enzo her own 'bedroom'.

One thing to note, ive recently moved my office downstairs, and Enzo is harder to get to sleep now. I am disturbing her for sure. If she fights her sleep and goes to bed later, she gets snappy and disorientated, over tired little child.

For reference, Enzo is 15 and has also been re-homed twice before coming in to my home.

Also, 2.5 weeks is also nothing, he will be getting used to his surroundings im sure.
 

Tami2

Well-known member
Aug 18, 2017
5,088
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New Jersey
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Levi - 6 yr old CAG

DOH-4/2/2016
Hello Cycletim,

Welcome to the PFs, glad you found us.

How much history did you get? That's important because Grey's are all about routine. He is trying to communicate with you. And you are missing the point, hence the stressed behavior. Maybe he used to go to bed earlier? Or like bigfellasdad & I do, spending quality time with them every night before bedtime. I call it our snuggle time. He hangs on me & we bond. I scratch his head, cheeks, under his beak and if he was a cat he'd purr. :D

I would recommend if at all possible try to find out what his nighttime routine was. If you can't then start your own routine. Be consistent and eventually, he'll not only accept it, but he'll look forward to it.

I also cover Levi & he loves being covered.

Best of luck and please keep us posted.
 
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Cycletim

Cycletim

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Mar 22, 2020
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Ventura, California
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Jasper Congo African Grey,
Grover Red bellied parrot RIP 10/20,
Red bellied parrot Rheya
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We met several times with his old owner. It was pretty much he goes to bed at 8-9 the man who had him lost his wife to cancer in what I assume was a long process and I suspect Jasper developed some bad habits in the process tragically. I don’t know what to do as I write this he’s going crazy back and forth between where he sleeps and his cage bars. We turned all the lights off and are watching a movie. I fear there will be no feathers left on him
When we wake up.
 

bigfellasdad

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Enzo - adopted Female CAG circa 2004. A truly amazing young lady!
Watch that movie another time and spend the time settling him. He is in a new environment so I'd put all of my focus on making him comfortable
 

Tami2

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Aug 18, 2017
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Levi - 6 yr old CAG

DOH-4/2/2016
I agree with bigfellasdad.

Jasper just lost everything. I'm surprised he is only stressed at bedtime.

19 years (his entire life) was spent with one loving family. And then the S&^T hit the fan and he lost everything.

You need to take baby steps with him.

Read these:
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/congo-timneh-greys/59366-cag-101-a.html

Be gentle, calm and speak in a soft voice. I would offer him some chamomile tea. (Levi loves it.)
He's a nervous wreck and it's warranted behavior, IMHO
There are some Avian Calm supplements out there, but ask your Vet about them first.

Good Luck and please keep us posted. :heart:
 
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Cycletim

Cycletim

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Mar 22, 2020
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Ventura, California
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Jasper Congo African Grey,
Grover Red bellied parrot RIP 10/20,
Red bellied parrot Rheya
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Thank you for the advice. We will definitely slow things down. Also looking for some advice on introducing a new cage I bought a nice big cage but, I have not put it together yet. His old owners have him in what I would call a conure cage. And he seems to be phobic with new things and his new situation at times. Should I wait until he gets more comfortable? It is way to small. I suppose I should make a new post with that question.
 
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bigfellasdad

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Enzo - adopted Female CAG circa 2004. A truly amazing young lady!
I had concerns when I swapped Enzos cage for a bigger one, I neednt have worried, Enzo took to it straight away. I put her toys and stuff in to the new cage, with food/water and she was so inquisitive she went straight in. Give it a try :D
 
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Cycletim

Cycletim

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Mar 22, 2020
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Jasper Congo African Grey,
Grover Red bellied parrot RIP 10/20,
Red bellied parrot Rheya
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So, we talked to his former owner he said to open the cage door and ignore him. We did that and it seemed to be the same kind of antics but 30% less intense and he didn’t get started with it until way later in the evening. I believe he is trying to clue us in on something I’m just not sure what. Hopefully it gets easier and easier. And it’s just him adjusting. Thank you for all the great advice
 
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Cycletim

Cycletim

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Mar 22, 2020
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Ventura, California
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Jasper Congo African Grey,
Grover Red bellied parrot RIP 10/20,
Red bellied parrot Rheya
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The issue with the nerves has been much better. Tonight he called to me I got him
out of his cage. He hung with me for a minute and then proceeded to walk to me and then my wife and then around the house on his own (feathers tight). He also went and hung out on his new cage we have in the room. All of this was in a nervous fashion... but at least he showed bravery ??? Anyone have input??? It was what he wanted to do I think although it had nervousness in it. We did not pressure him at all. He eventually wondered back to his cage and we went to bed.

Thanks
 
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bigfellasdad

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Enzo - adopted Female CAG circa 2004. A truly amazing young lady!
Feathers tight is as you say, not relaxed. But, he is in a new environment and is still on edge no doubt. His inquisitiveness seems to be getting the better of him it seems, and for him to come to you both is a great sign that trust is building. Im sure he will be in his new cage before long as well.

Only advise is to watch him as closely as he WILL be watching you, body language can be very subtle with them ive found.

When you say you got him, will he step up at all? That's a great skill to have and to build trust. Never pressure a grey into anything they don't want to do, unless he is in danger of course. With Enzo it seems to be more of an 'ask' than a demand to get her to do things, so have patience and you will be rewarded. The more polite you are with her, the better she responds I find.
 
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Cycletim

Cycletim

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Mar 22, 2020
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Ventura, California
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Jasper Congo African Grey,
Grover Red bellied parrot RIP 10/20,
Red bellied parrot Rheya
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He was taught to step up. We visited his prior owner several times. The step up was always given with the beak down... The old owner said he is very territorial over his cage. He only will step up for us at the end of the night when he gets feathers tight. We are not really sure why at that point;he is very willing. He was never target trained and we are doing that very slowly. He is does hormone behavior right now a lot during the day. I believe what you said is true, his curiosity about everything is getting the better of him. However, why doesn't he do it when he's relaxed? So strange. Thanks for the input I will keep you posted.
 
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DRB

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Jan 23, 2016
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Ohio
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Perjo - Female CAG hatch Nov 2015
Perjo bedtime is extremely routine
When she’s very tired she gets inside the cage on her own and waits for the blanket to cover the cage and she does her upside walk around her swinging perch before she settles in.

When she wants to be playful and stay up longer she lollygags and tries to get me to engage her in a game of beak pinching and will eventually then walk over sit on my shoulder for scratches then I put her in the cage and she does the upside walk.
Bedtime has been a pretty consistent routine since she was 17-18 weeks old
 
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Cycletim

Cycletim

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Mar 22, 2020
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Ventura, California
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Jasper Congo African Grey,
Grover Red bellied parrot RIP 10/20,
Red bellied parrot Rheya
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As the nights go on the nervous behavior happens less frequently/less intense. He has a new behavior, he comes to the bottom of the cage and poofs up , so we go over and just talk and scratch. He is coming around. Our red belly parrot has picked up on it and now he wants a whisper and a scratch as well. Hopefully we are building a bond. Thanks for all the advice.
 
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Cycletim

Cycletim

Member
Mar 22, 2020
114
16
Ventura, California
Parrots
Jasper Congo African Grey,
Grover Red bellied parrot RIP 10/20,
Red bellied parrot Rheya
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Bedtime issue getting better. As it turns out he LOVES beak rubs. My wife and I take turns going over to his cage with door open and rub his head and rub his beak he loves it and calms down quite a bit. If we do it before his nerves start up he doesn't get to nervous at all. Thanks for all the advice

You can see where he likes to pick on himself a little in this picture
 

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