parrot activities

bfocusd

I have an African grey, she's 9 now, never had any real problems except for the odd grumpy bite.

Shes fine when in her cage, she has several toys which are changed around and replaced with others and she doesn't pluck or get irritated.

Recently were having work done and we had to move her cage, she's a bit grumpy for a day or so till she's used to it.

Thing is when shes out of her cage she's hell bent on destroying anything she can reach, the dining chairs are leather and so is the sofa so I spend forever trying to stop her tearing them apart, I've already a hole bigger than my fist in one of the dining chairs.

She always tested me but gave up after a couple if tries, I'm lost with what to do.

At the moment the room she would usually be in is being worked on and will be for a good few weeks, so she would normally be in there with not much that she can destroy with value.

What I'm getting to is, does anyone have an idea of activities she can have while out, anything to stop her demolishing the place.

If anyone has had parrots they will know they are very sceptical about new things and I gave her a new toy earlier, she ran at it knocked it over and went back to the chair. I can give her food toys but she will become territorial and won't let me handle her, or she will ignore them. I gave her toilet roll cardboard with holes in it, it doesn't last long to say the least. I can't allow our dog or several other visiting dogs in either while she's out as the dogs are afraid of her, which shows of how aggressive she can be and she doesn't like company.

Does anyone have any suggestions of something to keep her occupied while out of the cage?
She's not always been like this either, just since she was moved as the works being done.

Thats a tough one. African Greys are grumpy feckers. I have one , he is great fun but when he is grumpy , he will let you know. I dont think there is anything you can do once out of the cage. Giving out to him for doing something bold, he will see as a victory as he gets your attention. Unless you keep him on your shoulder ?

bfocusd

Dre as in Dray wrote: »

Thats a tough one. African Greys are grumpy feckers. I have one , he is great fun but when he is grumpy , he will let you know. I dont think there is anything you can do once out of the cage. Giving out to him for doing something bold, he will see as a victory as he gets your attention. Unless you keep him on your shoulder ?

Oh I know, she was on my arm and didn't want to get down and bit me really hard. I don't usually give out I would usually make 3 clicks like as to call the dog and she will come to me, of that doesn't work I say no, in a strict tone, last option is I stand up or walk towards her and she'll either run off, or if grumpy she will run or fly at me!

I had her on my shoulder and a few times only recently she's gone for my eyes when cranky, once she bit my glasses and chipped the arm in them! Or she will bite my hair or ear.

I think the problem is where she was if we were cooking she would always have a snack, if we ignored her she would bang the bars on the cage, sometimes we would break and give her some. but where she is know she wouldnt get as much snacks, she's still fed and doesn't throw out half as much seed which is great, but she's a grumpy little fook!

Is yours always wanting food when your eating?

Irishchick

African greys are not grumpy. Greys are magnificent companions if they are handled right and trained well.

Hi OP. Once AG's get beyond the age of 5 they become sexually mature and they're destructiveness often goes up a few notches especially when the nest urges kick in.

Parrots love routine and any sudden routine changes can be upsetting so this could be the reason for her behaviour.

You also need to remember that they really are just walking chainsaws. They will chew everything they get the chance to, as you have observed! Not chewing is actually seen as a behaviour problem in parrots. So what you need to do is give her things she is allowed to chew on and play with.

Offer her some foot toys to play with while out. Get some chew toys or get some plain untreated wood that you can cut up into block for her. My parrot also loves to shred paper and cardboard. She does all the shredding in my house!! If she is weary then just rip up a few bits in front of her and she'll soon want in on the action!

Other than that just make sure you watch her like a hawk when she's out. Never leave them alone. My timneh grey did a great job ripping up our lino by the washing machine one day I left her alone for 2 mins!

bfocusd

Irishchick wrote: »

African greys are not grumpy. Greys are magnificent companions if they are handled right and trained well.

Hi OP. Once AG's get beyond the age of 5 they become sexually mature and they're destructiveness often goes up a few notches especially when the nest urges kick in.

Parrots love routine and any sudden routine changes can be upsetting so this could be the reason for her behaviour.

You also need to remember that they really are just walking chainsaws. They will chew everything they get the chance to, as you have observed! Not chewing is actually seen as a behaviour problem in parrots. So what you need to do is give her things she is allowed to chew on and play with.

Offer her some foot toys to play with while out. Get some chew toys or get some plain untreated wood that you can cut up into block for her. My parrot also loves to shred paper and cardboard. She does all the shredding in my house!! If she is weary then just rip up a few bits in front of her and she'll soon want in on the action!

Other than that just make sure you watch her like a hawk when she's out. Never leave them alone. My timneh grey did a great job ripping up our lino by the washing machine one day I left her alone for 2 mins!

She can be grumpy at times, I've never had a problem until recently, im the only person that can handle her too.

I know she likes the routine, ive kept to that only difference is she's been moved.
Before she would have her toys and treats, she would try and bite stuff but once she knew she wasn't aloud too she would go back to her stuff.
I dnot mind her chewing through random things, she shreds everything, she ate the phone book one day!
It's just her temperament has gotten aggressive lately, hope to god when that room is done she will be okay, nothing of high value is in there so she can wander around.

I've gotten her new toys for when out, she's not bothered with them, with the timber, she enjoys that but only when in her cage, I think some more phone books are needed, its the only thing that interests her.

About leaving her alone I know, she could open her cage and we didn't no this she was still young,we were out and she was on top of the cage, she had bitten about 100 holes in the door and skirting. I have her since she was tiny, my uncle has two and she's the baby, he hand rared her and we got her when she was about 6 weeks old and I continued to rare her, even now she lets me feed her mushy banana.

Does yours let other people handle it?

belongtojazz

Our guy will let my dad do pretty much anything to him, but will nOt allow me or my daughter get close at all.

They are very much a one person bird

We have discovered our guy loves anything plastic... If we line up a row of bottle caps that he has to stretch to reach he will spend ages working to get to them. He also tries to pick up anything he thinks my dad wants

It sOunds like your lady is peed off at being moved and is making you pay
They are very self centred and do not take kindly to having their world disturbed

Sigma Force

Maybe keep her in one room for now a room that's got people coming and going but a room you can parrot proof, it's important with any critter be it a bird or a puppy or a rabbit if letting them out for long periods of time to have one room you can keep them safely in where they won't damage anything or if they do it's something that can be replaced easily.

Just discovered this new site http://www.rosscosparrotproducts.co.uk/ they have a lot of parrot toys also northern parrots is another website.

Have you got a seperate parrot playstand for your bird? If not it's worth investing in a good sized one where you can hang various toys on.

If ordering more toys try ordering a good few shredding toys, northern parros have puzzle toys as well to keep the birds brain active. Have you got any dvds for the bird to watch? I highly recommend getting something like the birdy show from northern parrots our tiel loves the dvd but I can imagine a larger bird would appreciate the dvds even more. There's so much out there for birds now. How many hours do you spend yourself with the bird if possible maybe increase that time by trying out some tricks I think there's clicker training for parrots the northern parrots site has some books I think as well on training.

bfocusd

Shes in the far side if the kitchen (away from cooker etc. It's the busiest room in the house, there is nothing more I can do with the room situation, the ceiling is opened in the comfy hang out room, the dog sleeps there too, it's like informal, the other living room is formal and doesn't get messy or anything.

With the movies,funny you mention that, I was watching Attenborough on bird's and she was well into it, I think it was the sound of them.

She has a little wild buddy, a magpie (Maggie) who is on the window cill every morning! When my parrot is outside, when warm enough obviously, the magpie flies down into the fence and starts whistling away and she copies her.

I'm in and out if work at the moment, but there is always someone in throughout the day, she will only let one lad touch her, I don't see him much anymore, no fellas can touch her, she will let my man feed her banana until she's full then she will bite her.

The odd thing is she never really copies me, she says hundreds of words off other people and the tv and makes her own sentences too, but the only thing she says from me is, all in a light tone,

Out,
Hohoho,
Boo,
No,
Are you being a good girl,
And when I feed her she gives a whistle like to say thank you, she only does it for me though.

The funniest is the tv stuff, out of nowhere she said, your the weakest link. She says Stacyyyy like gene on eastenders, the mac Donalds I'm loving it.

She knows a lot, if I tell her to open the cage she will, same as close it if it's almost closed, she says out for me to open the latch, so other people could feed and water her I trained her to move to the other side of the cage and wait till the doors closed, that was because I was away for 2 weeks and no one could even open the cage, she's got little sodden shaped blocks that are coloured. She likes music too, mostly rock, when it's in she does be head banging.

For the clicker thing, I do it with my voice, it's the same sound I'd use to train the dog so they both understand, she knows what it means and if she's out, she will make her way to me if I do it, the same as the dog would.

I'll get her new stuff, takes a while for her to get used to them, maybe it will keep her occupied.