He did it!!

[huntress]

Hi everybody. I'm sorry if I try to remain somewhat anonymous on here. I just don't want to get too mixed with the politics I incurred on another board with single minded folks. Anyway, if anyone cares, I'm SO excited!! My rescue bird rode my arm from the floor to the top of his cage today. A HUGE MILESTONE!! You see he hasn't been handled in many years, he bites, he is terribly afraid. I believe he was in fact handled (more like MIShandled). It difficult to work with him because he runs from me. He is afraid of the stick. He will raise his foot to step up and even say "step up" but he steps and then flies. Once on the floor (he is clipped) he puts his head down to the carpet and tries to run and hide mumbling all sorts of things like "step up" and stuff I cannot make out. He goes for dark corners. He seems to enjoy being out but getting him there and then back in is a bit worrisome for him. Now I was wearing a lightweight bite sleeve under my shirt which helps me to have the confidence not to pull away and I corralled him on the floor and got him to step on my arm by basically corralling him between my body, my arm, and the perch. This time he stayed! I held him against my body this time and held the stick in front kind of like a block. I talked to him and slowly stood. Normally he would have been gone five inches from the floor. I moved to his cage and allowed him to slowly reach up and grab his cage top and step up there. I feel it was a huge step. Tell me if there is anymore advise out there...he is a 9yo CAG who had no toys for most of that time.

[4HAND]

cl appurple:If you've never worked with a neglected or abused bird It would be hard to appreciate these little achievements.Some days you feel like nothing is helping and then...a glimmer of hope.How long have you been working with this Grey?If he likes millet or nutriberries [or any other food that doesn't spoil quickly]you can try to incorporate them into a toy.
Tena

[huntress]

He will not take anything from my hand. Thats the other problem. He is so untrusting. Ive had him since the hottest day this summer (i cant remember) I just remember it was HOT!

[4HAND]

Try this....If you know his favorite food do not offer it any other way than from you.If he doesn't take it don't leave it anyway.He must take it from you to have it,even if it's through the bars.Also,try it from a spoon first,or a skewer[not sharp,perhaps a wooden chopstick]and work your way up to your fingers.I always think of my Pollo[blue crown conure] as a mental patient.His thought processes are not "normal"due to years of abuse and neglect.I have to get creative and keep my expectations low.
It's nice to talk with someone who's bird is a challenge.PM me any time to talk or vent.
Tena

[huntress]

Well ,with this I decided to remove any food except pellets for a time. He eats them but not like he does his mix. I will offer him some of his mix every day twice a day but only from my fingers. He wont get anything but pellets unless he takes from my fingers. I suspect it may take quite a few days (till he is sick of just Roudybush,LOL) but I dont think its cruel. I think its cruel that he went through life so isolated and now everything outside the cage is a fright. I feel if he gets trained to step up and be moved from place to place with out being "Captured" each time it will ultimatly be less stressful for him. I dont need him to be "cuddly" or even petted for that matter although he will allow a head scritch once in awhile and I managed to do this yesterday while he was on top but this morning I offered him a sunflower seed (through the bars) and he struck and knocked it out twice. I will offer again later. I just started this today.

[huntress]

well it seems Ive done a good job of converting him over to pellets,lOL. He definatly wont starve! I found through trial and error yesterday the only thing he would take from my hand was a peanut in the shell. Now I know too many are not good but we gotta do what we gotta do.

[4HAND]

In this case I think you can bend some nutritional rules.It's probably the sheer size that makes your bird comfortable taking it.I wouldn't be afraid to even offer some people food like pizza crust.This is Pollo's all time favorite.
Tena

[huntress]

I will try different things now That I know he actually will eat the pellets. I had only about a half a dozen raw peanuts and I need to find some. Not an easy task. I live way out in the country. I like em raw too. My other Grey who Ive had since a baby is just now going through his BUTT phase and acting like he is afraid and bitey. He'll get over it - they all seem to go through this phase and as long as I dont back down....THANK GOD for bite sleeves!!!!!