How to Get an African Grey to Like & Trust You?

Bonding With Baby Grey Bird: Trust Development & More

It is of the utmost need to demonstrate patience, gentleness, and consideration toward your new Grey. He is not familiar with you at all. He is in an unfamiliar environment with people he does not know. He is going to go through a quick phase of mourning. He has lost everything that was comfortable and loved to him, including the other infants with whom he played and his cherished and reliable nanny.

The transition shouldn’t take too long in terms of things like the pet’s food, new home, and new playthings. It is going to take some more time for him to get to know you and trust you. Love and trust are the foundations of the relationship between humans and birds, and these qualities take time to cultivate. There is no possibility of a healthy relationship in the absence of love and trust.

Early Environmental Management

During the first few days and weeks of his or her life, your new Grey bird could be wary and vigilant. He will want to become familiar with the surrounding area and take some time to acclimate to the different sights and sounds of your house. It will be necessary for him to become used to your other birds, if you have any, as well as any other companion animals you have. Because of your attentive early handling, he will have a tendency toward acceptance; nonetheless, you should not assume that he will accept you. Because a bird is not a domesticated companion animal, anyone who wants to have a fulfilling connection with one must first earn the bird’s love and trust.

Because of the bird’s need for time and space to acclimate to the presence of predator animals, if you have any other companion animals, you should keep them quiet or keep them away from him for the first few weeks. This is important for both safety reasons and because of the bird’s demands. Be careful not to overwhelm him with an excessive amount of confusion or noise. If you have young children or grandchildren, you should warn them not to run up to the cage, make frantic gestures, speak loudly, or shout at the animal within. Birds are frequently scared by youngsters because of their erratic behavior, which might include sudden loudness and activity as well as impulsiveness. Adult members of the household should be warned about making jerky movements or speaking at a volume that is too high.

The period of adjustment ought to be around three weeks in length. Be patient. Don’t hurry him. He had no idea how much his presence was anticipated and how much love there is for him. Keep the enthusiasm to a minimum. Be calm. Give him some time. Permit him to investigate the confinement space and develop accustomed to it. Because the toys will be fresh and interesting, he will be interested in trying them out. He will accept you, but he needs some time to do so before you can expect it. It is important for him to feel at ease, both with you and in his new surroundings. The effort and attention you put in over the first few weeks and months will pay out in spades later on.

Call out “BIG noise” before using an item that makes a lot of noise, such as a nut chopper, a blender, an ice crusher, a vacuum cleaner, or a steam cleaner. “Biiiiig sounds”. Before utilizing any of these loud equipment, I give my babies a heads-up warning, and they are used to the idea that a potentially frightening noise will follow immediately after the warning. I give them the initial warning, turn on the appliance, and then immediately turn it off. After that, I give them a second warning so that they are aware of which loud or frightening sounds will follow the final warning.

Wait a little while before inviting any of his relatives or neighbors around to meet him. Give him the chance to get to know you. Take your time and be careful to prevent any accidents from occurring. Make it your goal to prevent any “bad” things from taking place. When he becomes familiar with you and places his trust in you, he will be able to recognize an accident for what it truly is: an accident. Keep a firm grip on him. When he is on your hand or knee, make sure he doesn’t tumble or lose his equilibrium. Do not force him to accept intimate petting before he is ready to do so on his own will.

Make plans for the arrival of your new kid, Grey, at a time when you will have at least a weekend or several days to spend with him. Before you bring him back, you need finish out your annual leave of absence first. Take him along on your weekend excursion if you absolutely have to leave town. Do not allow him to spend at least the first year of his life unattended at home or in a boarding facility.

Keep in mind that he is still a young bird and that he will require more sleep and more food than an adult would. If you have access to a sleep cage, place him inside of it so that he may have uninterrupted rest. Give him as much food as he can possibly eat. He will not get obese. After he was weaned, he has to put some weight back on. It is necessary for him to always have access to food. Weighing him every day for at least the first six months is recommended. Make a note of the weight. Discover what is typical for your Grey, including the fact that their weight may fluctuate slightly over time. Even with only a few casualties, if the trend continues to worsen over the course of many days, it is time to visit the avian veterinarian. If there is a significant loss on any given day, the patient should be seen by the veterinarian as away.

It is essential, in order to adapt your Grey to a variation in forms, colors, sizes, and textures, that he be introduced to little numbers of pellets that are different from the foundation pellet you have chosen for him. Samples are readily accessible from the majority of the companies that manufacture bird food. Mix in a small amount of one of the sample pellets with the basic pellet, perhaps a teaspoon’s worth. There’s a possibility that he prefers one sample pellet over another. Conduct some tests to determine which of the sample pellets he prefers to eat. It is not necessary to make a substantial purchase because there is a possibility that he will not like the sample. Harrison’s, Hagen’s, and Ziegler’s are the pellets that I recommend using as a foundational pellet.

If the bottom of your new cage features an adjustable grate, you should initially put it in the highest position so that your pet will have more space. In the event that he loses his balance and falls, he won’t travel quite as far. There are some birds that chew paper. If your bird likes to chew on paper, you should always keep the grate in the higher position so that he does not have access to the waste pan. If the grate in the cage is fixed in place and cannot be adjusted, you should pad it with an old towel or blanket. The padding should be covered with a sheet of newspaper. After a few days, he ought to become familiar enough with the cage to avoid falling after entering it. Babies who are given the opportunity to learn how to fly are sure-footed, nimble, and full of self-assurance. It is highly unlikely that they will be knocked over.

Give your Grey a bath every day. It is recommended that he get in the habit of taking a shower first thing in the morning, but as long as there is enough time for him to dry off before night, he can take a shower at any time. It is essential to begin teaching young children how to bathe at an early age. I start giving the newborns a spray wash when they have some feathers on their bodies, which is usually about six weeks of age.

Never let your bird unattended in a room with another animal companion. Never, ever, under any circumstances, let another companion animal come into physical contact with you. In every fight, the bird invariably ends up on the losing side… eventually. The bird has no fear, and he has no idea that the threat to his life could not be worse. If your other companion animals are free to roam the house while you are gone, you should confine them in some kind of cage or container. They should never be let into the room where the bird is kept in its cage, regardless of whether or not you are present in the house.

The Importance of Trust Building

Fear and the need to run away are what drive greys, in my opinion. The animals that you are used to having as companions are not as motivated. Therefore, establishing trust should be the first and foremost priority of every commercial endeavor. Trust is fragile. On the other hand, the “trust agreement” that you have with your Grey becomes stronger the longer it goes without being violated.

Because their wings are clipped for their protection, our birds are unable to fly away in the event that their innate anxiety wins out over their faith in us and the security of their surroundings. The only possible way for the bird to interact with people is in a way that is loving, kind, gentle, and positive. Each successful encounter demonstrates to the bird that its guardians, the human race, are compassionate and reliable individuals. My young birds already have a history with me that demonstrates that no matter what happens, it will be good and deserving of praise, but this history needs to be built up all over again with each new person they meet. The addition of trust-building human behavior and a history of happy outcomes with humans both add to the bird’s database of trust and enhance the companionship potential that already exists in these intelligent and sensitive birds. In this approach, fear can be relegated to a lesser level of importance, and your bird’s individuality can flourish in an atmosphere that is trusting of humans and provides a sense of safety. The Repercussions of Having Punitive Controls in Place

What kinds of actions should people steer clear of if they want to eliminate feelings of anxiety and create an environment that is high in both sense of safety and trust?

1. Isolation as a technique for the modification of behavior.
2. The use of laddering as a means of exerting dominance or as a kind of discipline
3. movements that are jerky or unexpected.
4. unstable, excessively big, or excessively slippery perches.
5. Putting him down onto the ground.
6. “Earthquaking” the bird, also known as shaking it.
7. The smacking of the cage
8. Glaring.
9. Being struck in the beak.
10. Keeping the cage covered when the animal is awake.
11. Shouting.
12. compel the bird to perform an action that he does not like to carry out.

If you subject your sweet bird to any of these conditions, I can almost guarantee that it will lose its sweetness. The vast majority of these punitive strategies are intended to deal with biting. Biting is not a behavior that occurs in nature. Gray birds quickly learn that biting is one of the easiest ways to get through to people, who either ignore or fail to understand what the bird considers to be an acceptable or typical preference. Grey birds acquire this behavior quite quickly. It might be challenging to break the habit of biting that has been learned since biting has evolved into a primary response rather than a fallback strategy. As a result, it is imperative that any and all practical precautions be taken to prevent a bird from being taught to bite. Only in situations in which the bird has no other way to “tell” us that he does not like anything that is happening should he resort to biting, as this should be considered a last resort. The best approach to prevent a grey from biting you is to build up a history of pleasant encounters slowly and steadily.

Aversive, painful, or punitive punishment has been shown to have the following well-researched negative impacts across a variety of species:

1. complete and total separation from the one who is punishing you
2. A general slowing down in how we respond.
3. An escalation of aggressive conduct, also called a rise in it.
4. Developing a fear of anything that is connected to, reminiscent of, or otherwise reminiscent of the person or circumstance that was punitive.
5. exhibiting an undesirable behavior at a high rate in another setting or environment, or engaging in another undesirable conduct to a greater extent.

Does this ring a bell? When using a dominance-based management style to influence the behavior of a Grey, it is normal to observe these kinds of behavioral responses from the animal.

It is permissible to utilize only non-harmful forms of punishment. When the bird “misbehaves,” such as by tearing holes on your clothes, nibbling on jewelry or ears, pulling your hair, etc., a good example of a benign punishment would be to remove the bird from your shoulder in a calm manner and to do it in a persistent manner. Using the “Up” command, he can be taken from your shoulder for a period of ten seconds, transferred to a nearby t-stand, and then brought back to your shoulder using the “OK” command. Shoulder sitting with a grey is a risk-free activity that many people look forward to doing. They take pleasure in being physically near to the person they love. Instruct him that when you say “OK,” he is free to sit on your shoulder or come back to you there. Always be sure to give him praise whenever he exhibits the behaviors that you would like to see him continue to exhibit in the future. The following is the proper way to train a bird.

The One Person Grey

It would be against the Grey family or flock ethic to allow the life experience to be confined to the perspective of a single individual. Even though most companion animals have a favorite human in their lives, it is realistic to hope that our companion birds will at least be respectful to other kind, compassionate, and understanding adult members of our family. It is necessary for the members of the family who are less favored to be able to accept the relationship that a bird will grant without experiencing any discomfort.

The games that people play are:

1. When one member of the family hands the bird to another member of the family, they do so while heaping praise on both of them for their bravery and their civility.
2. By lavishly complimenting the bird for being open to the attentions of other people, the favored person can make it easier for the bird to maintain cordial relationships with other people.
3. The members of the family who are less favored can feed the treats to the bird. Because the bird will have less tolerance for a “poor” experience, it is crucial for the less favored to maintain their composure and be gentle.
4. The members of the family who are considered less desirable should approach the bird while keeping their hands behind their backs and speaking in a low and comforting tone.

Gateway Management

If your Grey is hesitant to step up for you in the beginning, you should let him come out of the cage on his own rather than forcing him to do so. It could take many days for him to get used to the idea of trusting a hand that was different from the one he was accustomed to.

It makes no difference if your grey bird is “higher” than you are in the pecking order. They prefer to live in lofty places. Since there is no problem with height dominance, it is appropriate for them to be able to perch on the top of their cage playpens. It is for safety reasons, not to assert dominance over your Grey, that you choose to perch in a high spot. When they have a complete perspective of their surroundings, it makes them feel more secure. The desire for security is ingrained in our biological make-up. When I need to get my nine-year-old male Grey parrot down from the toy holder on top of his cage, I have to get on my tiptoes, and he has never failed to help me.

My children are singled out for praise each and every time, without fail, that they help me step up or down. Stepping up or down is such an easy form of communication to start, and the effect of stepping up and down is always pleasant for my infants. Stepping up and down is a great technique to communicate with your baby. Your Grey will anticipate being praised and will assume that there will be no “poor” results regardless of whether he steps up or down. Because they have heard it so frequently, “good bird” is frequently the first thing that my newborns utter.

Pay close attention to how he moves his body. It’s possible that he doesn’t want you to step on his toes. There are people who are generally more welcoming than others. Some of the infants will let me to pin them, but they won’t let the new owner do it. Do not pin the bird’s toes in the early days and weeks of his life if he nips at your fingers while you are transporting him while you are pinning his toes or if he indicates that he does not want you to pin his toes. It’s possible that he’ll be more welcoming later. Check that he is well-balanced and stable while he is on your hand. When you say “up,” give him a few seconds to decide whether or not to come out of the cage. If he doesn’t get up right away, you can pick up the two long front toes on one of his feet, brace his weight under the other foot with your forefinger, and slowly push him up into a standing position. The opposite foot will eventually gain ground. Before he steps up, some younger children will be more ready to do so if both hands are shown to have their palms facing upward. When I want a baby to step onto my hand, I let him know by doing this as a signal to him. Before you tell him to “down,” place his tail behind the perch as you return him to the perch. He will climb up the ladder in a backwards direction. Never let go of one foot until you are completely confident that the other foot is firmly planted on the perch.

My children have never been subjected to any type of physical or verbal aggression from a human being. They have been treated with compassion and shown love throughout the entirety of their education. If you were to take one of these Greys, or any other bird for that matter, and start using a dominance-based method of management, it would be the worst thing you could possibly do. This will have a big impact on your bird’s behavior, make his life a living hell, and severely diminish his potential as a companion bird.

There is no truth to the assertion that grey parrots are cunning, manipulative, or arrogant, or any of the other negative traits that are commonly used to characterize the actions of birds. These are wild animals just one generation removed from Africa, and they will act in a manner that satisfies their desires. One thing that satisfies the desires of every wild animal is the sensation of being safe and protected. S

Thus, if you want others to likewise do what makes you happy, you have to make it worthwhile for them to do it. Praise, approval, acceptance, love, gentleness, and understanding are the keys to a “good” companion bird, and it is these things that will make a bird desire to please you. Praise, approval, acceptance, love, and understanding are the keys to a “good” companion bird. Aggression will never be successful, regardless of how natural it may feel to the human animal. Birds will not and are unable to become accustomed to this kind of interaction. YOU are the one who will need to make adjustments in order to coexist with a bird.

Since you could have come to me in the hopes of getting a friendly and docile grey bird, it does not make sense to change the exact thing that gives my offspring their unique charm.

When it comes to people’s actions, we do not have control over everything. Some behaviors can’t be changed, no matter what. And one must always find a way to get around things that they cannot change. There is a wide variety of behaviors that can be influenced, and this claim is backed up by a substantial body of research that documents the findings. Most importantly, this body of scientific research has demonstrated that behavior can be influenced through the use of methods that are gentle, kind, and loving. Understanding that is positive, caring, and supportive can be just as effective with birds as it is with friends, children, and husbands.

The things that he is willing to tolerate will be communicated to you by your Grey. You will be rewarded handsomely in the future for the time and attention you devote in the beginning. Take caution. Keep a close eye on it. Follow in his footsteps. And you will be the attentive parent that this adorable young bird requires.

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