Christmas Gift - Sept. 17 Hatched - Weaned AG - FIRST big bird help!

[Dovecat]

Hi! I've always owned budgies and loved AG's from afar. Since we are empty nesters and I don't work the days are long. My DH got me this precious little one for Christmas from a local Exotics Shop that has hand-raised AG's. She Hatched Sept. 17 and is 410 grams and weaned (eating Bean Cuisine/mixed veggies for b-fast and rowdy maint. pellets the rest of the day). We have a nice new cage and one of her "old toys" plus a new ones and a sisal rope perch that she loves.

So it's day two and she ate some of her breakfast (not all) and some of her pellets (about half). She's playing with her toys. She makes lots of different little sounds. I suppose she's happy. I was able to get her out with only one nip - once out she is happy to step up and sit on my hand.

I guess what I want to know is ... should I keep making her come out each day? Am I on the right track? Is this all typical? I feel like I did when I first became a human mother. It was like WAIT ... this wasn't in my "baby care book". Are they really supposed to stand on one leg? HAHA

Thanks for any help and encouragement! I need it!

Happy to be a new mom!

[houstonlady53]

AGs are extremely bright and need a lot of stimulation. You would bore her to death if you kept admiring her from afar in her cage. I suggest getting a good cage top gym when you can't be with her.

I open Fancy's cage every morning when I get up. Sometimes she wants to stay in her home after pee pee time. But usually she wants to be near me.

[babypiggy]

u need at least 1 hour of one on one time with your ag everday

or so i've heard

with my ag we spend about that a day and most of the time he's on his play top on top of his cage or on his shower perch thats stcuk on a fish tank in the room where we mostly spend our time

yes they usually stand on one leg when they are comfy or taking a nap

make sure she has a wide variety of foods
lots if toys to stimulate her
its also good to get them use to being misted or bathe at a young age as some AGs dont like water

spend lots of time with her and talk to her lots

there are lots od info on here
so feel free to ask
:)

[Tobysmom]

i work 8 hours out of the day and when i am home toby is out on his playstand or trying so hard to get to me. hes only 11 months old but he knows his rountine it seldom changes only this past week when my dad was in the hosp. he had to be in his cage more but he kept himself busy

[DynamitePsycho]

Whenever I am home, Ziggy is out of his cage. Whether he's on his cage top perch or his table top perch or window perch or in my lap. Babies (and even adult AGs) need their mental stimulation or they will go neurotic on you. If you're going to be gone for some time, leave the radio or TV on so they don't get bored in the quiet. Like it's been said earlier, standing on one leg is a sign of comfort in the situation and/or nap time. Sometimes that standing will be accompanied with beak grinding (another comfort sign)...just like budgies! (or atleast, that's what my budgies do) Like others have said, keep the baby stimulated and talk and love and play. It's almost like having a human baby (so I have been told, but I will know in two years if that is so...*lol*) or having a puppy (that, I can relate to!). Have fun and enjoy these next few months, because the personality starts to flower and it's the greatest thing to see.

[babypiggy]

its ok if u work 8 hours a day
but so does my finacee and i
sometimes i work 10
but we work mostly different shifts cept for one day a week

if u have a good routine down keep it that way

"if it ain't broke why fix it"

:)

[Lisa B]

Congrats new mom! your life will never be the same.

Do continue to work with her, getting her out of the cage. its real important that a bird "works" with you (for the lack of a better word) when you are trying to get them out of a cage. They need to know that its really not an option not to come out if you ask. Main reason being in case of emergency, you dont want a parrot that refuses to come out when you ask.

You will have to set guidelines and some rules. just as with kids, or these greys will run your life. (their way!!!!)

Once used to a routine, they rarely protest, and your relationship can grow from there.

[Xray Susie]

congratulations....we want pictures!!