African Grey won't behave

Shopping

Information

Find Answers

Site Info

Links

[?] Subscribe To This Site

African Grey won't behave

by Tin
(Croatia, City of Zagreb)

African Grey

My dad bought an African Grey one week ago for me and my sister and ever since he won't behave. He is three months old and has never been in a cage. That is why when we put him in a cage at night to sleep, he makes so much noise in an effort to brake out, he is already missing one toe and I'm afraid he won't hurt himself even more.

He is not in the cage very much, we let him out in the morning and he stays out until bed time.
Another problem is that he follows every one out of the room which often results in him hitting the door. He also bites a lot and tends to land on other peoples head. He is calm when nobody is around, I peeked in the room once and he was just sitting in the cage, but as soon as he spotted me he tried to get out, demolishing everything inside the cage, rolling over his food and started to spread his wings.

We had a parakeets for one year but it behaved nicely. We don't know what to do so I am asking for help.

Comments for
African Grey won't behave

Click here to add your own comments

Dec 11, 2011

AG won't behave
by: Shannara

he is beuitiful!
An untrained AG with full flight wings is a cockie AG thinking he is better then you. Not cool.
1st- you need to get his wings clipped for his safty while you train him and your sanity .

2nd- a sleep cage and a safe place to play when you are away is a must for a balanced and happy AG. There is no way you can make your home 100% bird safe. Think of it this way ...you would never leave a 3 year old child alone at home they would get into things that would kill them. So will your AG.
A 3 year old child who has always slept in mom and dads bed will throw a tantruim when forsed to sleep in their own bed and so will your AG. This too will pass when your AG understands this is nornal and safe and even a fun place to be.

3rd- AG's are smart social beings. They look for their flock leader. Become the leader or be lead. Raed the material on this site of google traing an AG parrot you will need to understnad birdie talk.

With a little work and a bit or dilangence you will have a life long polite and joyful companion .

Dec 10, 2011

African Grey
by: Anonymous

Oh wow is right. It sounds like you have a very un-tamed parrot in your hands. And to think that he is just a baby. If no training occurs in this critical time, you could have a very aggressive and un-manageable parrot as an adult. Then what? This will be no ones fault but your own, as the parrot has no idea what is acceptable and non-acceptable behavior. Parrots need training just as a puppy would. You wouldnt want your dog bouncing off the walls jumping all over people, and you dont want your parrot to do that either. As suggested, yes, first take him to an avian vet for a check up and get his wings clipped. A bird in flight sometimes feels more dominant over its human owners because they have the power to do what they want and go where they want. Having the wings trimmed makes them more attentive to you because they then know that YOU have the power to bring them where they want. It will also prevent injury or even possible death from a flying accident. Once his wings are trimmed, then you can begin training the step-up command (if he doesnt know it already). You may have to put him in his cage a few hours of the day to get him used to the cage. Since he has never been in one before, he may feel very scared of the cage, and ask himself why he has no freedom. Make the cage a safe place for him...put wonderful chewing toys in there that he can play with. Sit with him outside of the cage and feed him his favorite treats through the bars. This WILL take time, and your patience must be all there with him. As I said before, it is not his fault, and he needs to learn that being in his cage is OKAY, and non-acceptable behavior is his flapping around inside of it. Research training tips online, as the internet has a vast amount of resources. Ask your avian vet when he goes for a check-up some tips as well. This will be a long road for you if you don't act fast...as an African Grey is SO MUCH more work than a parakeet.

Dec 10, 2011

Training an African grey parrot
by: Tracie

Oh wow, where to begin....

I suggest that you get the bird's wings clipped, so that it can't fly all over your home. I am sure you have toxic items in your home that could kill the bird if it chewed on them. Your bird could also land on something that could fall over and injure or kill it. Flying into walls and doors can also break it's fragile hollow bones.

Trimming the wings, will help you train the bird also. Please read our training articles on our Parrot Training page for help in developing a relationship with the bird so that you can train it.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Parrot Questions