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Adopted African Grey Wont Step Up Inside Cage

Discuss the methods and techniques of clicker training, target training and bonding. These are usually the first steps in training a young parrot.

Re: Adopted African Grey Wont Step Up Inside Cage

Postby Katelyn » Sat Sep 15, 2018 1:33 pm

Pajarita wrote:They don't eat the bark, the same that they don't actually eat the wood, they chew it and spit it off. It's a natural behavior hard-wired into their brains because their beaks grow all the time and chewing wears it off [think rodents] and because they nest in cavities. They usually like to find a natural hole in a tree or a cliff or wherever but they always 'remodel' it to their taste and, if they don't find a ready-made one, they make it themselves so chewing wood is a very natural thing for them to do. They love to chew cardboard, too so, if you get something delivered to you, save the box for Chloe -she'll love going into it and chewing it to smithereens. I also get the free cars or homes brochures they put on racks at the entrance of the supermarkets [take the ones from the middle so nobody has touched them and make sure you either get the ones without staples or remove them before giving them to her] which I roll up and stick between the bars of the cage because making confetti out of them seems to be a great parrot pastime.


Yes! Considering we just moved, we have been giving her a lot of cardboard, and paper to play with. I do notice how she chews up things and spits it out. Its really interesting their behaviour. I am working on my newspaper collection for the bottom of her cage as well :)
Katelyn
Lovebird
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 26
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Congo African Grey
Flight: No

Re: Adopted African Grey Wont Step Up Inside Cage

Postby Pajarita » Sun Sep 16, 2018 9:15 am

Look for free periodicals in the markets. I get the Spanish ones and the Koreans -and these are wonderful! They look like a Sunday New York Times: big sheets, good quality paper and lots and lots of pages.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18697
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Adopted African Grey Wont Step Up Inside Cage

Postby Katelyn » Sun Sep 16, 2018 10:25 am

Pajarita wrote:Look for free periodicals in the markets. I get the Spanish ones and the Koreans -and these are wonderful! They look like a Sunday New York Times: big sheets, good quality paper and lots and lots of pages.


Will do! I will look for the big ones! Too bad my grandma had to pass away. I miss her so much. She used to save newspapers all the way since she was in her 30s. She passed away at 80. That would have been a lot of newspaper. She used to clip out her favorite parts, put clear tape over them as if she was laminating them, and put them on the fridge! Bless her ! :lol:
Katelyn
Lovebird
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 26
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Congo African Grey
Flight: No

Re: Adopted African Grey Wont Step Up Inside Cage

Postby Pajarita » Mon Sep 17, 2018 2:36 pm

Ahhh, yes, we old people like to save things. I have a drawer in my kitchen island full of recipes cut from newspapers and magazines... and I doubt I have ever made a single one of them! :lol:
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18697
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Adopted African Grey Wont Step Up Inside Cage

Postby Katelyn » Mon Sep 17, 2018 3:25 pm

Pajarita wrote:Ahhh, yes, we old people like to save things. I have a drawer in my kitchen island full of recipes cut from newspapers and magazines... and I doubt I have ever made a single one of them! :lol:

Haha! Mawmaw did that too!! I ended up finding some newspaper at walmart and took 3 of them. I felt like a thief running off with them. Kind of like that racoon that steals the cats food and then runs away on youtube! :lol:
Katelyn
Lovebird
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 26
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Congo African Grey
Flight: No

Re: Adopted African Grey Wont Step Up Inside Cage

Postby GreenWing » Tue Oct 09, 2018 12:16 pm

Katelyn wrote:Hey Yall!,
I adopted an african grey yesterday, as I have wanted one for many years. She came from an elderly couple who are very nice people. She supposedly had a great home. When I got her yesterday, she came out of the travel cage and stepped up. We assembled her new cage, and since I have had her in it, she will take food from me, whistles, talks, etc, but will NOT step up without trying to bite. Actually, she wont even come out of her cage today, and she did yesterday. Ive left her door open. I know shes new to my home and will need time, but im wondering if this is territorial or out of fear and whats your tips? She is 10 years old and seems healthy as well.

Update: She flew down from her cage, I went to pick her up. She stepped up. I sat down with her at my computer desk and she hopped down onto my keyboard. I let her be. She looked at me while my arm rested on the desk and said "you wanna go up?" (I guess thats the term her previous owners used instead of "step up") so she climbed on my arm. She extended her head down to my keyboard and tried to tear the keys off. I said No! Out of my instinct and she bit my shirt and tore a big hole in it. I guess this is bitter sweet progress in one sense but I just dont know. Its like its a mix of fear and territorial biting. Help guys!


Haha. Oh Chance pulled this on me many times and sometimes still when she is being Ms. Thang she won't step up right away. Your CAG is still checking you out and in time will learn to trust you. These are realllllly intelligent birds, she knows what you are saying when you ask her to step up. :lol: Show no fear or insecurity or intimidation and say firmly to STEP UP. Just be assertive. These birds respect assertiveness and even a little attitude! :mrgreen:

I'm happy to provide any tips or advice as your bird adjusts to her new home. Congrats on getting a Grey, they're the most wonderful companions. :)
Image
GreenWing
African Grey
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 1165
Location: Portlandia, United States
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Congo African Grey ♥
Flight: Yes

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