New owner of African grey - looking for help

[TiredOldMan]

You have been given excellent advice, Please understand that the people here only want the best for your CAG and you.

On the behavior issues. This is atypical grey behavior around new people in a new environment. Greys usually take what we perceive as a long time to trust. They also tend to respond best to verbal interaction rather than tactile like a cockatoo. They respond favorably to a regular routine they can count on. They can literally read your mood and your intentions so calmness on your part is essential. You can't correct undesired behaviors you can only encourage good behaviors through positive reinforcement. When they exhibit unwanted actions I just give them the "cold shoulder" and won't even look at them. It works.

Above all else it requires a lot of patience and a long time possibly years to gain the trust and mutual respect of any bird especially a grey.

I commend you for taking this little dinosaur into your life and home and for reaching out to the good people here. Feel free to contact me either on this thread or by PM anytime. I will help all I can.

Trust me that time and patience will be rewarded eventually.

 

[bigfellasdad]

Good shout with routines, my cag loves the morning and night time routine. Morning cup of tea, shower then breakfast. Night time calming down with lots of cuddles and head scratches finished off with 3 internal loops of her cage before sleeping, not 2 loops, not 4 but 3 loops. These I think are Enzo and my real bonding times, rest of the time she is a thug lol

 

[Anansi]

Going tomorrow to buy new pots and pans, and my air fresheners have been out for some time. Is there anything else? I’ve literally never heard of Teflon or heard about these dangers. So thank you all very much.

Let's see...

-Common dangers to birds include avocado and chocolate. Both can be deadly to parrots if consumed.

-Make sure your bird is out of the house the first time you use a new oven. I'd initially thought an oven was only dangerous during the self-cleaning cycle, but the first time use can be at least as bad.

-Ceiling fans!!! Either train yourself to be downright paranoid about checking to make sure it's off before letting your bird out of the cage, or stop using it altogether.

Actually, here is a link to a more comprehensive list of things to watch out for: http://www.parrotforums.com/new-mem...friendly-warnings-keep-your-parrots-safe.html

 

[Squeekmouse]

(Funny.... but also quite true! )

 

[1oldparroter]

Going tomorrow to buy new pots and pans, and my air fresheners have been out; about for some time. Is there anything else? I’ve literally never heard of Teflon or heard about these dangers. So thank you all very much.

Well, I see you aren't, a lost cause. Thank You. "Most" people here will not steer you wrong or be too harsh. They do tend to lean in the birds favor, tho.
Being a bird owner take's a lot of time, patience and structure. Structure is the development of routine, along with patience and interaction. The guy (wingsnpaws) on you tube has an African Grey and his video's are instructive. Sometimes you have to break bad habits and start good one's. Watch them a few time's and see if they don't make sense. Stick training to teach a bird is a basic to all sorts of training. Routine is a big thing, too. Diet and not touching below the neck is important. There are a lot of topics and threads here to read and consider, as well. jh
PS a moderator can put you in touch with me until you post 20 times or so; them you could PM me directly. jh

 

[bigfellasdad]

I dont thin it's been mentioned but a grey has a human intelligence level of 4yr old human, I think emotionally maybe a bit younger. They are very inquisitive so you have to keep your eye on them. They are very independent too, they will like to be around d you but not with you if you know what I mean. They can be stubborn, oh can they be stubborn, so dont force them, ask them, if they dont want to do something after asking twice, just leave them as they are happy doing what they are doing. They will want to eat with you and often want to share your food or drink so be mindful what you share.

I've had quite a few birds and loved them all, but a grey is on a totally different level and therefore rewards, and challenges can be equally as big

Take your time and be happy with your fid

 

[Citybuild122]

So I’m reading up on the Teflon and other toxins. So, my bird is kept up stairs in my bedroom. Kitchen is downstairs. Would these fumes still get to him?

 

[noodles123]

So I’m reading up on the Teflon and other toxins. So, my bird is kept up stairs in my bedroom. Kitchen is downstairs. Would these fumes still get to him?

Yes- it has happened where people have lost birds on separate floors through closed doors. It doesn't always happen, but it definitely does and that is why there have been law-suits and why vets say not to use it at all.
If someone lives in an apartment and the neighbor uses Teflon and it off-gasses, it can still kill birds.

There is one particularly memorable case of a woman whose birds were all upstairs and they made some sort of roast turkey on the main floor using a pan with Teflon. When she went upstairs to check on them (door shut) most were dead, and the rest were in the process.

It is odorless to us, and the chemicals off-gas at lower temperatures than those cited in a lot of research....Plus, it is not good for people either. It is found in human breast-milk when the mother eats food from these pans....and it's not healthy....You don't want this stuff out of your life-- and I know that makes me sound like some "hippie" extremist, but really, I am not- I swear.

 

[noodles123]

Quite frankly, at this point, I would give you a pan if you need one lol-- I just don't want your bird to die in an accident.

You can find great stuff at thrift stores.
I love old pyrex, Revere-ware (stainless w/ copper bottom), other stainless that I can find, and for cookies, aluminum is safe in terms of off-gassing but there is debate about human consumption of the food cooked in such pans-I tend not to worry as much about that, but just putting it out there. There is a brand of cookie sheet I got for my parents that they complained about initially (because they thought I was crazy) but 4 years later, I got a "thank you so much for these-- they are literally the best cookie sheets we have ever had" (and bird-safe)..I want to say it was Nordic Naturals..?
It may be this one....https://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-N.../dp/B0064OM53G (again, if you don't want to do aluminum, do stainless..even so, aluminum, in my opinion, is safer than Teflon (which is way more full of chemicals and often coats aluminum stuff anyway).

 

[Squeekmouse]

On the other topic you mentioned, I highly recommend doing target training and using a clicker. I resisted this for a long time myself because it just seemed like a gimmick. Then my husband and I gave it a try and it's been amazing. There's a wonderful bonding that happens when you and your fid start to speak the same language of targeting, clicks and treats. When your bird is able to really understand what you want from him, and you are able to really communicate in a clear and consistent way, it is a beautiful thing. Especially for African Greys who are SO intelligent, they long for something to challenge their minds and give them something to figure out, and when they get that and can share it with you, it builds a trust and friendship between you both.
We got the training courses from BirdTricks.com, Jamie and Dave are wonderful. It's been super helpful to us, but it's also rather pricey. You can find all of that info from other sources for free (such as YouTube and the Parrot Wizard), but it's hard to sift through conflicting information and find consistent techniques.
Anyway, that's just my two cents worth. Good luck in any case!

 

[LokisMomma]

I agree, Jamie and Dave from Birdtricks are fantastic. I know there are some who don’t like them, and that’s ok, to each their own. But I love them! Wanted to say that, yes their training courses are pricey, but you can learn the basics of target/clicker training from watching BirdTricks YouTube Channel and it’s completely free. I still love the idea of using the training courses, but for those that don’t want to or can’t pay for them, use the free YouTube videos!

 

[Citybuild122]

Okay, all. I've still been researching tons of stuff on my Grey, so I come here with more questions. Thanks for everyone answering by the way.

Still in the process of getting rid of the teflon, I don't really cook much anyway.

Now, I'm going to be forthcoming. I smoke "herb" inside of my home. In a different room than Coco, of course. I realize this isn't a good practice either. I am wanting to look into air purifiers. From what I've heard, they are very effective at removing toxic fumes, (including teflon). would anyone suggest a purifier that can get the smoke fumes out of the air?

 

[noodles123]

You need to smoke ANNNNNNYYYYYYTHHHHIIIINNNNGGGG outside...PERIOD.
NO air purifier removes Teflon/ptfe/pfc/pfoas to the extent that it could protect your bird completely and "herb" is legal most places if you have a medical permit (and how would anyone know that?)...so just do it outside or vape it OUTSIDE (people can't smell things in a vape pen and so you can still get the same impact if you are worried about neighbors)....now, that doesn't mean vaping it indoors is safe (it is NOT) but I mention that if you are wanting to be discrete for some reason..I have been around people using vape pens for various things and you cannot tell....

To even put a small dent in it (one that would still put your bird at risk), you are looking at thousands of dollars for machines that won't do the job that you need to be done (while still putting your bird in a VERY unsafe situation)...Who told you any machine could remove Teflon? I want proof...because I have dropped thousands on nice purifiers that are true HEPA and VOC removing that do not do that...Yes- they are great for an added layer of protection against accidentally burned food or tiny amounts of off-gassing from other random household products....but NOT all the stuff you are asking about...and 500% not enough that you can just use whatever in your home because you have a good purifier-- it doesn't work like that.

Your habit could literally kill your bird...so please, take it outside, or quit...I have a lot of friends who smoke and doors definitely don't do enough....Heck, my neighbors smoked a lot and I ended up having to shove wet towels under all of MY doors and tape up everything and file complaints on a lower level of an apartment....WITH a separate HVAC...you are talking same house...same HVAC...I too had a purifier running at the time. It was not good or safe for Noodles.


I just want your bird to be okay. Give your bird to someone else who can handle the commitment if it isn't something you can manage at this point. That probably sounds mean, but your questions stress me out because they make it seem like you don't believe the basics---and avian vets will confirm everything I have said...If you are willing to change your lifestyle, then you can still do this, but the problem seems to be an excessive amount of skepticism to things widely understood within the parrot community....

With "herb", your bird may not die right away, but long-term, there will absolutely be consequences...I promise you.

 

[LaManuka]

The question of smoking around birds, regardless of the substance, has been asked here many times before and probably will be again. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to show that it's dangerous to birds, due to the extremely complicated and sensitive respiratory systems that they have. No matter how much we think we might be able to filter smoke from the air it will accumulate in their air sacs and become harmful over time.

I strongly recommend you read the following thread, rather than my rehashing an already well-worn argument. Your bird is ENTIRELY dependent on your providing the safest possible indoor environment for him so, although smoking outdoors may not be quite so enjoyable for you, your bird's health does depend on it.

http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/75317-will-leftover-cigar-smell-hurt-my-bird.html

 

[Citybuild122]

You need to smoke ANNNNNNYYYYYYTHHHHIIIINNNNGGGG outside...PERIOD.
NO air purifier removes Teflon/ptfe/pfc/pfoas to the extent that it could protect your bird completely and "herb" is legal most places if you have a medical permit (and how would anyone know that?)...so just do it outside or vape it OUTSIDE (people can't smell things in a vape pen and so you can still get the same impact if you are worried about neighbors)....now, that doesn't mean vaping it indoors is safe (it is NOT) but I mention that if you are wanting to be discrete for some reason..I have been around people using vape pens for various things and you cannot tell....

To even put a small dent in it (one that would still put your bird at risk), you are looking at thousands of dollars for machines that won't do the job that you need to be done (while still putting your bird in a VERY unsafe situation)...Who told you any machine could remove Teflon? I want proof...because I have dropped thousands on nice purifiers that are true HEPA and VOC removing that do not do that...Yes- they are great for an added layer of protection against accidentally burned food or tiny amounts of off-gassing from other random household products....but NOT all the stuff you are asking about...and 500% not enough that you can just use whatever in your home because you have a good purifier-- it doesn't work like that.

Your habit could literally kill your bird...so please, take it outside, or quit...I have a lot of friends who smoke and doors definitely don't do enough....Heck, my neighbors smoked a lot and I ended up having to shove wet towels under all of MY doors and tape up everything and file complaints on a lower level of an apartment....WITH a separate HVAC...you are talking same house...same HVAC...I too had a purifier running at the time. It was not good or safe for Noodles.


I just want your bird to be okay. Give your bird to someone else who can handle the commitment if it isn't something you can manage at this point. That probably sounds mean, but your questions stress me out because they make it seem like you don't believe the basics---and avian vets will confirm everything I have said...If you are willing to change your lifestyle, then you can still do this, but the problem seems to be an excessive amount of skepticism to things widely understood within the parrot community....

With "herb", your bird may not die right away, but long-term, there will absolutely be consequences...I promise you.

Hold on... How do you gather that I don't believe the things you tell me? I haven't been skeptical about anything here, other then when I first heard of teflon, because it was crazy to me that the previous owner mentioned soo much to me but didn't mention teflon. That was one message, after that I've believed everything you've said and thanked you several times. Once again, I am just researching air purifiers, as I've heard it is beneficial to my bird. It said that it would remove smoke and fumes, so that's why I asked if that was the case. The fact that I'm on this forum showing that I CARE about my bird, should tell you all you need to know. I didn't realize that joining this forum, I was going to get called skeptic for raising a question.

 

[noodles123]

You need to smoke ANNNNNNYYYYYYTHHHHIIIINNNNGGGG outside...PERIOD.
NO air purifier removes Teflon/ptfe/pfc/pfoas to the extent that it could protect your bird completely and "herb" is legal most places if you have a medical permit (and how would anyone know that?)...so just do it outside or vape it OUTSIDE (people can't smell things in a vape pen and so you can still get the same impact if you are worried about neighbors)....now, that doesn't mean vaping it indoors is safe (it is NOT) but I mention that if you are wanting to be discrete for some reason..I have been around people using vape pens for various things and you cannot tell....

To even put a small dent in it (one that would still put your bird at risk), you are looking at thousands of dollars for machines that won't do the job that you need to be done (while still putting your bird in a VERY unsafe situation)...Who told you any machine could remove Teflon? I want proof...because I have dropped thousands on nice purifiers that are true HEPA and VOC removing that do not do that...Yes- they are great for an added layer of protection against accidentally burned food or tiny amounts of off-gassing from other random household products....but NOT all the stuff you are asking about...and 500% not enough that you can just use whatever in your home because you have a good purifier-- it doesn't work like that.

Your habit could literally kill your bird...so please, take it outside, or quit...I have a lot of friends who smoke and doors definitely don't do enough....Heck, my neighbors smoked a lot and I ended up having to shove wet towels under all of MY doors and tape up everything and file complaints on a lower level of an apartment....WITH a separate HVAC...you are talking same house...same HVAC...I too had a purifier running at the time. It was not good or safe for Noodles.


I just want your bird to be okay. Give your bird to someone else who can handle the commitment if it isn't something you can manage at this point. That probably sounds mean, but your questions stress me out because they make it seem like you don't believe the basics---and avian vets will confirm everything I have said...If you are willing to change your lifestyle, then you can still do this, but the problem seems to be an excessive amount of skepticism to things widely understood within the parrot community....

With "herb", your bird may not die right away, but long-term, there will absolutely be consequences...I promise you.

Hold on... How do you gather that I don't believe the things you tell me? I haven't been skeptical about anything here, other then when I first heard of teflon, because it was crazy to me that the previous owner mentioned soo much to me but didn't mention teflon. That was one message, after that I've believed everything you've said and thanked you several times. Once again, I am just researching air purifiers, as I've heard it is beneficial to my bird. It said that it would remove smoke and fumes, so that's why I asked if that was the case. The fact that I'm on this forum showing that I CARE about my bird, should tell you all you need to know. I didn't realize that joining this forum, I was going to get called skeptic for raising a question.

Sorry--- It is just that you were kind of skeptical about Teflon initially and then the smoking thing--just freaked me out.
I get that you are trying to learn and I appreciate that. I just can't emphasize enough how sensitive their respiratory systems are...so while a good filter/purifier is important, it doesn't mean you can smoke and use Teflon etc. Does that make sense? It isn't sufficient for you to not make changes in those departments. I appreciate your inquiry-- I just have watched a lot of people end up with dead birds over avoidable things and I don't want you to be one of them.

 

[Scott]

Just want to cosign with emphasis the richly documented hazards of Teflon/PTFE/PFOA chemicals and combustible smoke for birds. Their lungs are extraordinarily sensitive, not sure the best air purifier is guaranteed to purge harmful smoke from "herb." You have a sizeable dollar and hopefully moral investment in Coco, best to smoke outside. A tour of our Bereavement Forum ought prove convincing.

 

[1oldparroter]

Reading written messages, is so different, from hearing and/or seeing the same words; as far as their perception go's. At least you ask and it is understandable that some bird owners go ballistic even, in reply. PLEASE try to be understanding, when we do. The birds only defender, is us. You ask; we will answer and even try to take into account your reasons for asking. Every "BAD" exposure a bird gets can (collectively) take months to years off birds health and life; if not actually kill it outright. Something as simple as the use of Windex glass cleaner in the same room can cause acumeualted harm to instant health problems and the affect does vary by species and individual. Please keep researching and asking. jh
Use the search window in Google AND Youtube.com AND look through the various Forums here. Keeping a bird isn't so far different as having a "SPECIAL" child. jh