Hey, I just recently got a 3 month old African grey and I really don’t know where to start or what to train him at this age. He still doesn’t know how to step up and balance that well so I take his feet up and he grabs my hand, is this okay to do or I shouldn’t force him? The only reason I do that is because he is still young and doesn’t know how to step up. As well as when I take him out of the cage and for example put him on the floor he goes to the corner and hides if I offer him his food he gets into a attack position.
Answer:
Hi Ahmed,
It’s OK to pick up his feet, but be sure to say Step Up as you do it so he can learn. He grabs your hand with his beak for balance – remember he uses his beak like a hand. You should not allow him on the floor – there are too many dangers. Birds on the floor eventually get stepped on, and often this is fatal. Even the most careful owner can have a lapse and forget the bird is there. We have heard from heartbroken owners many times after they accidentally killed their bird when it was on the floor. He’s a baby and his immune system is still developing. The floor is covered in bacteria, so matter how much you clean it. Roaming around on the floor mimics looking for a nest, and leads to behavioral issues and health problems as he gets older and sexually mature.
I’m going to give you some links to our behavior and training pages, as well as the link to our webinar series The Grey Way, which focuses on African Greys as pets. I would recommend that you begin with Episodes 1, 2 & 16 because these focus on behavior. But I encourage you to view the entire series as you have time because they cover all aspects of having an African Grey. With Greys it is very important to get started the right way, to avoid issues as he gets older. Not allowing him on the floor anymore is a great example. You can also register for free to see the new webinars – the next Grey Way is about taking your grey to the Vet. But I encourage you to look at some of our other webinars, too.
