Shocking feather pulling behavior

[ZsPet]

[Guest]

Wow! Sounds like she is expressing anger at you for constraining her for the two months. That is most probably what the behavior is from.

So, you need to help her "feel good" about your hands now. The best advice I can think of is the TREAT advice. Find a treat she loves. Do not serve in the cage. Give it to her from the hand that picks her up. Praise her gloriously!!! You may want to give her a treat with your hand before picking her up. That does two things. It keeps the beak busy, which means it can't bite. Also, it will help her associate positive things with that hand.

Please let me know how this strategy works,
Maggie-

[ZsPet]

Thank you so much for your advice. I've already broken out the birdie popcorn, pomegranite seeds and scrambled eggs. Zaire and I will keep working on it together to make sure she's back to her old self.

[Guest]

PLEASE keep me informed!
Mag-

[ZsPet]

Zaire appears to be responding well to the treats when being asked to step up. She looked like she was going to pull a feather from her leg last night but I was ready with a piece of popcorn.

I was also treated to an invite for petting outside of her cage. Since we have lived with Zaire, she usually does not want to be petted outside of her cage. I don't force her, I'd much rather ZZ invite me to pet her. So the invite to pet was a real treat.

I have taken everything slowly with Zaire, we go at her speed. I know she felt lost when her original person gave her up to Beak N Wings bird club last May. She's such a wonderful little soul. I wish you could see her right now on her play gym with a small wiffle-type ball held in her foot, dropping that to dig further into her toy bucket. How lucky I am to have birds in my life.

I'll keep you posted and try not to get so long winded next time.

[Guest]

My heart goes out to Zaire! Imagine what it must be like to be given up by your "soulmate"...your human "heart throb." It must be devastating.

You are doing SO well with her! Look at the difference already. The key is to let these little guys know how special AND loved they are. The rest follows that lead.

Please keep up the GREY'T reports!!!
Maggie-

[ZsPet]

Zaire is doing so well. I've discovered that if I act like a fool when I ask her to step up, she steps up everytime. She's even beginning to say step up like I do, which I must say, is pretty silly to hear. I don't really care how I sound as long as she likes it and responds to it. So, I say "Uppies, uppies," in a very high pitched voice - not too loud. Zz loves it and that's what matters.

Another note off the previous subject. I had to take a business trip out of town last week. I thought surely I was going to pay the price with my birds when I got back. Not so. All my birds including Zaire have treated me better than before.

Thank you so much for being there for us. Zaire is on my shoulder right now and she says thanks for educating her human. She does work hard to train me but always welcomes assistance in that difficult endevour.

[Guest]

I LOVE to awaken on Sunday mornings to fabulous posts like this!!!

You and Zaire have come along so well! I like the high pitched "Uppies" comment. I think they like to copy interesting and "SILLY" voices and antics. That's why I have always said that having Greys ALLOWS us to become children again and to act as silly as we feel. You're proving my point.

Thanks!
Maggie-