from 1 to 2 greys in one house. Advice on integration

[matluz]

Hi,
I have had a healthy grey for 5 years and this morning got a call from someone who needs to give away a 7 year old grey due to losing his job, house and wife by the look of it. ( These times are tragic). He wanted me to pick up coco as soon as possible and even delivered the cage after I had brought her home in a pet carrier.
Coco is missing her feathers on her legs totally and her chest partially. She has been like this for about a year. SHe wont take a special diet prescribed by the vet.
I have only had her a few hours but she is not scared to step up and walk around on my shoulder. SHe flies about and has eaten seed and peanuts. SHe does not bite hard but holds the finger when she is not in the mood to step up. She was kept in a quiet room alone and not given much attention for the last few months and not allowed out often. I guess there has been a lot of tension in the air at home! Any thoughts on bringing her into the family and stopping her feather plucking would be great.
Secondly Twix is in another cage and seems to be interested in coco. Should I ever try to let them sit together and even live in the same cage?? I have no idea about adding another bird to the household but I felt that coco was suffering in her old house and she was about to get given to a relative who is 17 and smokes and parties hard so I know that was not a good place for her to be.
Appreciate you reading this but I do need some guidance please.


Many thanks Mat

 

[Chaos_1.0]

I would first make sure quarantine the bird for at least a month. Then I would slowly introduce them in a neutral place. NOT on you. Twix might consider you his mate and will defend you and you may end up getting hurt. I would say like a play stand or something else alone those lines. If they get alone then you could try holding them both.

 

[Spiritbird]

You are a good person to take in this bird. You say the new bird is eating seeds and peanuts. This is the type of diet for a grey that can lead to feather issues. Also the stress this bird must have been exposed to in the other home. I agree that until you take new bird to avain vet for an exam you should quarenteen the new bird. Pay attention to your hand washing between handling each bird too. If you keep things low key around Coco and offer fresh fruits and vegies and wein off seeds to pellets the bird may be healthier. Since you already have a grey I am assuming you are aware of what their needs are. We are here to help you with any questions and welcome to our forum Mat.

 

[matluz]

Thank you for the help advice you have given. I can report that coco has been eating apple and grapes today and I have not seen any more feather plucking at all. SHe is nervous but so would I be in the situation.
I will aim to get her onto pellets and keep the birds apart with plenty of handwashing.
A visit to the vet is taking place this week to check up on her.
Thanks very much again.
Mat:21:

 

[Spiritbird]

Hi again Mat: It sounds like you are doing all the right things. Greys are such wonderful birds and you are so very lucky to have two of them. If you have any more questions please come back. We would love to see some pics.

 

[matluz]

Hi,
Thanks for the interest in my situation. I am glad to have contact with such helpful friendly people. Tonight I took Coco out and walked around with her on my shoulder and she enjoyed it and claened herself for ages then had a walk around on the bed and after 20 minutes was happy to get back into her cage and have some food. She is not a big eater but had some peanuts and 2 grapes and her mix. SHe refused apple. SHe has been drinking and made some noise as dark fell and even said her name. Feeling good that she seems to be opening up now and becoming secure slowly.
Could I ask about the pellets that people have suggested? I have 2 bags of harrisons pellets that came with coco. They are square and are labled ' high potency and recommend only 3 are given a day. WOuld these be ok or are you recommending something that would replace her parrot mix of sunflowers seeds and peanuts??

Thank you again I will get some pics up soon.
Mat

 

[matluz]

Hi,
Update on coco she is eating better. SOme fruit mainly grapes and mango along with porridge peanuts seed in small quantities she had some sponge cake and really liked it.
I haven't seen her really pulling at her feathers but some of the white down comes out, not excessive amounts. The vet told us he could not see anything wrong with coco. We are just feeding her as she appears to have been off her food for a long time but now she spends time eating singing and flying about every evening. SHe is stronger and happier. Just hoping for a change in appetite and she will start taking her pellets. Any ideas how to tempt her onto pellets would be appreciated.
Thanks Mat

 

[Spiritbird]

I checked my bag of Harrisons and it is the same as you have. They come coarse ground or fine ground. A grey would eat the coarse ground. Since the bag came with her she must have been eating them before. They need to be stored in the ref. or freezer if keeping a long time. Any peanuts you feed should be ones that you would eat yourself, not the ones that come in a bag of bird food. There can be a fungus in the shells that make birds very sick. You can go the site Winged Wisdom and there is a very good article on getting birds on pellets. Of course they want to eat anything we are eating so I bet you were eating the cake too. Try to stay away from salty and sugar foods. Yogurt and cottage cheese in small amts. and chicken, tuna in water are good sources of protein the grays need. Keep offering the pellets in small amts. so you do not have to waste too much. One day she may pick one up and eat away. My Rosie eats them in suprts. For a few days she eats pellets and for a few days she does not. She is a funny lady. Any thinned skin fruit or veg. is best to be organic because they absorb the pesitsides more than others. This would include grapes and berries. You say she is flying about. Are her wings clipped? Our cages birds do need regular exercise to keep their muscle tone and they do this by wing flapping. We can do that with them too. You hold them in such as way that they flap wings. They also do this on their own.

Anyway keep up the good work. You have a happy gal there.

 

[matluz]

Thankyou for your info. I will keep on trying the pellets as she did have a few I think yesterday.
SHe is happy and eating more so there is progress. Many thanks again.

Matthew:21:

 

[antoinette]

Thankyou for your info. I will keep on trying the pellets as she did have a few I think yesterday.
She is happy and eating more so there is progress. Many thanks again.

Matthew:21:

Hi Matthew, sound like she is definitely settling in, and a bonding process is sure beginning. Keep up the good work.

My AG Mishka, now just over 2 years, also refused to eat the pellets.
This might sound corny (and yucky) it worked for us.
I sat near her cage, offered her a pellet, of course she refused.....
Then I put one on my mouth, and made although I was eating it (yuck)
said yummy yummy and placed another one in my mouth.

Offered her again, eventually she started taking them and eating them.
It took a while, a few hours all in all, but was worth it.
Worth taking a chance
Hey and it gives you a great chance to act like a parrot LoL
Let us know how it goes

 

[birdcrazy]

I've definitly used this technique with fruits and veggies - even if they don't like it it will almost always get them to at least try it

 

[matluz]

Thanks very much. I will give this a try this weekend and try for a few days.
Sounds like fun. I think I will draw the line at pellets though.
Will keep in touch as to the result.

Regards
Mat Northampton UK:53:

 

[matluz]

Forwards we go..

Happy to report that Coco is now eating healthily, Lots of fruit some vegetables, porridge and seed daily. SHe has eaten a few pellets after she watched me eat one. ( just pretended n that one).
She has been talking a lot today and she also seems much happier. Twix is copying what Coco says which is quite silly as Coco seems to have a really high pitched voice most of the time.
good news. No evidence of feather pulling either but not much growth yet.

Mat:21:

 

[Riley's mom]

Sounds like your on the right track. Have fun. I have 2 greys also and they talk back and forth to each other all the time. It's really comical to listen to them. The macaws and amazon try to get into the conversation but the greys just ignore them.

 

[sinaigem]

Hi,
I have had a healthy grey for 5 years and this morning got a call from someone who needs to give away a 7 year old grey due to losing his job, house and wife by the look of it. ( These times are tragic). He wanted me to pick up coco as soon as possible and even delivered the cage after I had brought her home in a pet carrier.
Coco is missing her feathers on her legs totally and her chest partially. She has been like this for about a year. SHe wont take a special diet prescribed by the vet.
I have only had her a few hours but she is not scared to step up and walk around on my shoulder. SHe flies about and has eaten seed and peanuts. SHe does not bite hard but holds the finger when she is not in the mood to step up. She was kept in a quiet room alone and not given much attention for the last few months and not allowed out often. I guess there has been a lot of tension in the air at home! Any thoughts on bringing her into the family and stopping her feather plucking would be great.
Secondly Twix is in another cage and seems to be interested in coco. Should I ever try to let them sit together and even live in the same cage?? I have no idea about adding another bird to the household but I felt that coco was suffering in her old house and she was about to get given to a relative who is 17 and smokes and parties hard so I know that was not a good place for her to be.
Appreciate you reading this but I do need some guidance please.


Many thanks Mat

hi Matluz
I have been in the same situation a few years back and what i did was i kept 2 cages and let them see each other for a few days then opend the doors and they could get to know each other on their own timing . for a while i just observed and so did they . At some point my first , Madam , she visited the newcomer , captian , and he was quite shy , but then soon within a few days they seemed to warm up to each other . There was a couple of rough fight like situations in the beginning , I think they had to make sure that one was the boss . But nothing serious . Then within a week or so they bonded and became a pair . They chose to live in one cage together . I left the other cage as an option for about 3 month but it was not used any more . So i finally took it off. They were a happy pair for 3 years , then i had to move to another city an took them with me and build them an outside aviary . Hoping they would breed since i saw activities the years before but was not ready for them to have youngsters ( did not give them a box ) To my great dismay last winter the male , captian escaped and was never found again . Since then my female is alone and i am looking for an companion again . She took it quite o.k it seems , did not start plugging but is not as happy as before . I wish you good luck with your 2 but i believe they will sort it themselves and if they do not fit togehter they will decide this for themselves as well . Just give them the opportunitiy to do so - and just like with humans they will like or dislike . best wishes

 

[matluz]

Hi,
Thanks for taking the time to tell me your story. It really does make sense what you are saying. The 2 birds are slightly scared of each other still but they only live a few feet apart. They do not come out at the same time. I will give them time together over Easter when I can supervise them if they become physical. If they decide to come out together then it may work out well. Coco the new bird is eating everything now ihcluding pellets which she is not fond of but does manage a few. She is still plucking feathers. It seems to be just part of her daily preen. I have her on my knee for half an hour at night and she is happy to sort through her smaller white fluffy feathers but always manages to pull out around a dozen. SHe seems really happy and talks all the time. I can t work out why she is still plucking her feathers but would really like to help stop her plucking them put.
I am sorry to hear you lost one of the pair. It must be a real loss as these beautiful intelligent birds with such personalities are true friends.
Thanks ,
Mat

 

[matluz]

HI,
I have now been caring for COco for over a month and I can say that she is a cute and gentle bird by nature. She eats most things given to her and loves to come out and play and sit and watch tv and things outside the window. I have got her eating a few pellets but I have seen her eat loads of healthy food and she is not lacking nutrition of that I am sure.
Coco continues to preen herself and pull out mainly her small new feathers but not loads at a time just slowly. But she does not seem upset angry or depressed at all.
I spray her with water daily which she loves. Could she have a skin complaint?
Any way she is happy and seems healthy and she has been like this according to her previous carers for over a year.
Coco does re enact the screaming that went on in her previous house and gets so loud I have to stop her. This may be the only thing I can say is causing her feather plucking.... DOes anyone have any theraputic ideas I can try on Coco??
Coco also sings a lot but I wouldn't recommend she takes it up full time.

Thanks
Mat ( a sunny day in the UK with the volcanic dust covering the window sill)

 

[Spiritbird]

How are you stopping her from screaming? It sounds like you are responding to her screams. That in itself is her reward. The therapeutic idea is to not pay attention to the screams. Ear plugs?? Please read attached link on bird noise.
Managing Bird Noise