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electricgoat posted:Is blowing air in her face actually the right way to discourage biting...? Your roommate is a loving idiot but that's nothing new. Start blowing in his face every time he does something stupid if you have the lung capacity. I've read it's bad for a lot of reasons, you can blow something into the bird's eye or nose or something like that, it makes you scary as gently caress and is counter productive if you want the bird to be nice to you. EDIT: And if she keeps freaking out and flapping around in her cage she's going to hurt herself really bad or give herself a concussion. Let me tell you how heartbreaking and frightening it is when your bird is bleeding from it's head and just laying there wheezing. Aaaaaa please get that poor thing out of his clutches jesus christ 
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May 2, 2013 03:20
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SaNChEzZ: Ugh. I don't know how to talk him out of the air blowing thing. He is being more stubborn about things than I expected. "You need to let her gradually become comfortable with you" is not what he wants to hear. I've had no luck convincing him of any of the things you kind folks have suggested, so I suspect I'm just torturing myself by even asking. I'm glad the clicking is a good thing. I initially thought she was mad at me for making terrible noises (I can't sing), but she kept leaning forward towards me when I did it. I thought the mouth opening/clicking was just her trying to imitate singing, haha! Also, she better get attached to him instead of me because he does not want me spending time with the bird. I visit her when he's not home, and I can usually sneak in some visiting time while I'm in the kitchen. She seems to like to play peek-a-boo where I pop my head around the kitchen wall at her while I'm cooking. She will also gently chirp about once every 5 minutes while I'm cooking to remind me to tell her she's a pretty bird. I think this bird just really likes it when you make noises at her. And this sounds horribly selfish, but if the bird hated me, it would be easier to not feel really awful about this whole mess. Bird is sleeping (he's thankfully giving her a decent amount of sleep) and roommate is around. I will get pictures up when I can! Amaya: I remember watching kids blow air at dogs' faces and having them freak out. I would assume the feeling is even more unpleasant for a tiny bird. It's annoying walking into a strong wind as a human, and I guess this is probably what it's like for the bird. I just don't know what to do. I feel like I'm dealing with a teenager in his, "I'll show you, Mom!" phase. I find it extremely distressing seeing her flapping around and panicking when he does that.He had her out of her cage and she flew into the window on the first night he had her. She also falls in the cage all the time because the perches are not spaced properly for such a small bird. I've told him I keep hearing her fall while I'm in the kitchen, but he says she'll get the hang of it. And the backup home I thought I had found can't take another bird, so I'm back to square one on that.
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May 2, 2013 03:41
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Falling isn't out of the ordinary, Ritz falls when his nails are short because he's a clumbsy dumbass that thinks he's a monkey. But check on her if you hear it it's not hard for them to get hurt. And you're doing the right thing by offering the birdy some lovins even if it's just singing and interaction of the sort. Birds love attention, and positive attention which is what you're doing. Not saying to stop by any means but chances are the bird is going to like you a lot more than him.
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May 2, 2013 03:55
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Is the new bird still in that huge cage, or was another one found? I feel so bad for you and that little bird.
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May 2, 2013 14:28
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This morning Mindo was doing his "There is danger nearby!" dance for us and we were baffled as to what caused it. He would fly to the back of a chair, look up/down/left/right in big motions while beeping away, then fly up to his cage and do the same thing. We kept trying to figure out what was causing it, moved the big new scary box off the table, no change. Move one of his 3 favorite toys which was laying on the table out of sight? Happy as a clam. Birds. We've had this big floppy hat out for the past couple of days and yesterday he discovered it! It was sitting on the back of the chair and he was puzzling out how to burrow inside of it. After leaving him to it for a while and having moderate success (based on his "I have burrowed!" noise) I decided to move it onto the chair. It was a great success. The only problem was I stopped recording mere moments before he managed to knock the hat entirely ontop of himself, which he found to be awesome. http://youtu.be/zKA0lPzWK0Q?hd=1
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May 2, 2013 21:04
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Battle Pigeon: She is still in the huge cage, which is part of the reason I'm so concerned about her falling. It's a very long ways down. And don't feel bad for me- just feel bad for the bird. I think what's getting to me is that my roommate seems to lack empathy, so as a result, he reads the bird poorly. For example, I got home from work before him yesterday, and I saw that the bird was standing in a spot she never stands in inside her cage, and didn't chirp when she saw me. She was definitely off, and I assumed it was because she had been alone all day. So, I sat by her cage and spoke to her, and she gradually became more at ease and started to come closer to me. She's used to a house full of people and sharing a cage with her brother and sister birds. This is a big change, and it's probably scary for her to be alone. My roommate got home before me today, and he told me that he took her out of her cage as soon as he got home, and all she'd do is bite him, so he put her back in her cage. He complained to me that she's really moody today and he seemed angry. I hope he didn't yell at her or anything. I don't think he understands that she doesn't like being alone all day. He also doesn't talk with her or visit her while she's in her cage ever, either- he just wants to play with her on his lap or on the couch. Seeems like sex without foreplay or even dinner to me! It seems that I won't get a chance to sing to or photograph the bird until Monday at the earliest. Hopefully she doesn't die before then.
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May 3, 2013 01:24
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electricgoat posted:Battle Pigeon: She is still in the huge cage, which is part of the reason I'm so concerned about her falling. I was asking, because from what I remember of the photo, it looked big enough that once birdy starts exploring it seems possible for her to escape from it. Hopefully that doesn't happen, and she doesn't get stuck in it either or anything. Can you (well, your roommate) leave music or the radio on for her during the day? Or even just put her near a window so she can look out at something?
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May 3, 2013 01:42
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Battle Pigeon posted:I was asking, because from what I remember of the photo, it looked big enough that once birdy starts exploring it seems possible for her to escape from it. Hopefully that doesn't happen, and she doesn't get stuck in it either or anything. Bird doesn't explore much yet, but that may become an issue in the future. Maybe she'll escape and find her way into the apartment of someone who will love her and take care of her. That would be fantastic. She is able to fit her head between the bars; not sure what that means in terms of her ability to get out of the cage. My roommate leaves music on for her. I think he is genuinely trying and is just misguided and stubborn. She prefers gentle, high-pitched music (kind of a disappointment for me since my main instrument is the bass trombone and I was hoping she'd be down for making stupid noises together, but looks like it'll be singing for now and eventually flute-playing, if she likes the sound), and it's just some generic rock that's left on for her. Anything is better than nothing, though. Even with the blinds open, she can't see anything out the windows. We are on the seventh floor and our view is the roof of a lower part of the building and sides of the taller parts of the building, and we have a very high balcony that's hard to see over. I can barely see over it and I'm about the height of her cage. I think she's bored out of her mind. Would turning on the TV help? Do birds have any interest in TV? I just snuck in and chatted briefly with the bird, for maybe like a minute. Today she was alternating between clicking and gently chirping to me. It's the chirp she usually uses when I first come into the room or that she makes while I'm in the kitchen. I thought it was the sound she made to ask for attention or to say hello or something like that, but now I'm not sure. Is it just a general chatting chirp? Do you experienced bird folks know? I'm not sure what she wants me to do when she chirps.
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May 3, 2013 02:42
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electricgoat posted:Bird doesn't explore much yet, but that may become an issue in the future. Maybe she'll escape and find her way into the apartment of someone who will love her and take care of her. That would be fantastic. She is able to fit her head between the bars; not sure what that means in terms of her ability to get out of the cage. My conure can squeeze out of a gap that's two and a half or so inches big. I know this because he's on the floor like every day. I can't figure out how to latch him in there well enough. He chews through twistie ties and those things mountain climbers use let the door open too much and he escapes. Basically what I'm saying is that if bird is small enough to fit it's head through it can fit it's full body through. And from photos of your apartment (no offense) it looks messy enough that bird will get lost or maybe eat something or have something fall on it. I'm lucky in that the bird's room is basically 100% bird safe and I always leave some food in a bowl on the ground just in case (awful fix, I know, but I'm working with what I have until I can figure a way to get him in there). Also there's always the possibility bird will put it's head through, panic when it gets stuck, and flail enough to snap it's neck. I can't get over how ignorant and stupid your roommate is. This is basically like getting a dog and feeding it chocolate and peanut butter because it likes it and putting it in a tiny cage because that's what you were given. And then you scream at the dog and punish it for being afraid of you hitting it with a high blast of air. I just. Ugh. My aunt takes poor care of her cockatiel, I understand the frustration of a bird owner that just won't listen but it doesn't make it feel less awful. Unluckily for her bird though, he's been alive over 22 years so he's been confined to a small cage, eating a lovely diet and getting no human or bird interaction at all for his entire life. I want to cry.
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May 3, 2013 03:16
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We have been giving Scout some medicine on the Popcorn Nutriberry treats which she loves. Today she was standing on the top of her playpen with a peice of popcorn in her mouth trying to peep at me. It was so adorable to see her talking with her mouth full haha!
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May 3, 2013 03:21
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Bird Crazies I hate to make this post. But I need help. Ivan has grown extremely aggressive as of late, and I cannot place a particular reason why. I think it's an attention issue. However, it's gotten to the point that I cannot handle him without fear, and it breaks my heart. I am attempting to re-introduce clicker training and a reward system but I am finding that, perhaps due to my errors or otherwise, this is failing. This is a problem that has been slowly escalating for some time and has come to a point tonight. I have had vet visits, a trip to Omar's for a trim, bloodwork done and anything I can think of and he is showing an abolutely clean bill of health, this all points to a behavioral issue. The vet was quick to point out that other than looking a little frazzled and a stress bar here and there he's one of the healthiest birds he's seen. He's perfectly well behaved at the vet and at omar's but on the ride over he did try to bite me through the carrier. This was a few days ago. In the last couple months the following has happened, either out of my control or not: My roommate (that Ivan dislikes) cut and dyed their hair(maybe 6 weeks ago) I went on a 5 day trip to the mountains (4 weeks ago) I recently got a new, full time job (two weeks ago). I was part-time before for about 3 months, full time before that. His schedule has adjusted so that he sleeps earlier (2 weeks ago) There are robins outside that I am sure he talks/flirts to(I don't know when they got there) Flock calling has increased, in process of training this again (months ago) Unfortunately I have to pay rent, so the job and the roommate must stay. I've put him to bed earlier to try to make up for how early I've been waking him up. I give him attention when I wake up and when I get home, with cuddles and the like. However, he is now ignoring the bite training that worked for years. Pressure on the tongue he ignores or simply lets go to lunge again. Throwing off his balance makes him jump off and go for my feet. Flipping him upside down makes him do similar. This week I have recieved 9 marked bites alone, not including the ones through the towels that didn't take chunks out of me. Tonight he lunged for my face with no warning. He bit my finger without pinning his eyes, making happy chirping sounds afterwards. I try not to make noise or to deeply say "no" when he bites. The latest bite took a sizable chunk off my middle finger and I couldn't help but cry out in pain after about two seconds. He responded with amused cries. It's at the point I need an animal behavioralist and as much as I hate it, I admit I am a little frightened of my bird. He attacks my shoes when I stand up at full height. He lunges out of his cage at me and the roommate. We do not feel safe in our own Apartment, which is a studio. I feel at the end of the rope and a bad bird mom. Does anyone know if there is someone in the LA/Orange/San Diego area who can help me? He turned 9 today. He's still very young for a hawkhead. I just feel like I'm in too deep now. Edit: Yes they are notoriously ill-tempered. My teenage self bought him thinking it was a challenge. I'm really kicking myself at this point, but I love him. Sanchez, I'm sorry that we are in the same boat. I guess we'll figure this out together. Edit Edit: I was changing the bandage anyway. Timg'd for a little bit of blood. 
Chaosfeather fucked around with this message at 07:20 on May 3, 2013 |
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May 3, 2013 06:04
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I have no suggestions as I'm in the same boat, but your beak is bigger than mine.  All of this happened within the last two days, usually there's 2x as many, but this week he's been kinda nice. I too have tried everything yet I still bleed regularly.
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May 3, 2013 06:20
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Aren't hawkheads notoriously ill-tempered?
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May 3, 2013 06:46
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Eesh. Those bites look rough. Here's an idea, I file Finn's beak a little more rounded than it usually is. there were a few times when Finn would hold onto me to keep from falling or just use my finger to step up and would puncture my skin, it was way too sharp. If Ritz seems like he's biting too hard on accident instead of attacking itm ight be a nice thing ot try? It might be a good idea anyway. Doesn't hurt him, the beak grows back (I've done it two or three times to Finn now) and it doesn't hinder his eating or anything. Also Finn really likes to lick at the file. He chirps too, I think he likes the noise it makes haha.
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May 3, 2013 06:58
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Amaya posted:Eesh. Those bites look rough. Here's an idea, I file Finn's beak a little more rounded than it usually is. there were a few times when Finn would hold onto me to keep from falling or just use my finger to step up and would puncture my skin, it was way too sharp. If Ritz seems like he's biting too hard on accident instead of attacking itm ight be a nice thing ot try? It might be a good idea anyway. Doesn't hurt him, the beak grows back (I've done it two or three times to Finn now) and it doesn't hinder his eating or anything. It's all the lower beak, which I don't want to file as I'd pretty much have to pry his mouth open. And yeah, he doesn't bite too hard on accident, nor does he do it in attack mode, he just... does it. It's like a nervous tick or something, he'll waddle over, get snuggly, then bite as if our fingers are toys, he just outright enjoys doing it I think. I think it's from being a baby at petco, watching the people handle him they didn't really enforce no biting, they just shrugged it off so he's used to it perhaps? I dunno, but we've tried everything and cannot break him of it. Totally didn't mean to threadjack Chaosfeather, have you tried the negative reinforcement method such as putting him on the floor or something? Or will that just trigger the feet thing at that point.
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May 3, 2013 07:20
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SaNChEzZ posted:It's all the lower beak, which I don't want to file as I'd pretty much have to pry his mouth open. And yeah, he doesn't bite too hard on accident, nor does he do it in attack mode, he just... does it. It's like a nervous tick or something, he'll waddle over, get snuggly, then bite as if our fingers are toys, he just outright enjoys doing it I think. I think it's from being a baby at petco, watching the people handle him they didn't really enforce no biting, they just shrugged it off so he's used to it perhaps? I dunno, but we've tried everything and cannot break him of it. It's okay. He has attacked my feet even with shoes. I cannot rely on that. He will run at me and when that fails, run back for his cage (I assume to climb up and lunge at me from height). Toweling him results in biting through the towel. I have to hold my fingers in a ring around his neck in order to not be bitten at all. He *will* calm down just long enough for me to let go or pick him up so he can attack me again. His beak was *just* filed short and dull, that bloody bite is with the dull beak. I'm struggling to keep that skin on my finger, honestly. It's much deeper than it looks in the picture. The only thing that has worked is putting him in his carry crate (which is now associated with punishment and I hate that). It's simply so I can move him without bleeding.
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May 3, 2013 07:31
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Sorry to hear about your difficulties Chaos. On a lighter note, I just got my bird backpack and to my surprise and delight Bubbles and Kima didn't totally hate being inside of it!  As soon as I got thing even remotely close to the cage, Bubbles went into FULL ALERT MODE and started shrieking, flapping, and doing the psycho head bobs. Fortunately, I've basically just come to understand that Kima is my space monkey. She'll do anything and gives no fucks. I put her in there first, and Bubbles became inconsolable until I put him in as well. Then, I got to write a chapter of my book, in the park... with my birds. I think I'm elevating to the top tier of bird craziness.
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May 3, 2013 07:51
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I guess it's because the days are warmer lately, but Ohtori has started taking actual showers with us again, and in addition having at least one bath a day.  Even Steve is having them more regularly-he had one misting yesterday, and then another today, which is very unusual. He's super soft and with hardly any dust on him at all as a result.Sorry to hear about your parrot woes, Chaosfeather/SaNChEzZ. Ohtori bites quite a lot but he knows just how much pressure to apply, and never breaks the skin. He'll also listen if we tell him to stop, or that it's getting too hard, and adjust himself accordingly. I wonder if it's in part because although he was hand raised, he lived outside in an aviary for a few months with other birds, and they taught each other a respect for boundaries (and were able to bite back when pushed) while still young. Chili posted:Sorry to hear about your difficulties Chaos. This is awesome! Do you not want to go down the harness route? Is the backpack comfortable?
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May 3, 2013 13:47
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Chaosfeather,I wish I had good advice for you, but it sounds like you are already doing everything that I would suggest. Do you think it has to do with the weather warming up and maybe Ivan becoming hormonal? I don't really know much about hawkheads, but I would assume that 9 years old is past puberty age. I hope you can find an animal behaviorist or some other solution. We're all rooting for you! SaNChEzZ, Ritz is about 1-1.5 years old now, isn't he? He might be going through that horrible conure puberty stage. We had that with Ozzy and it lasted about a year  He was super aggressive and territorial and it didn't really seem to get much better no matter what we did. Then he randomly started being a good boy again after a year of being a dick and us starting to wonder if maybe we were not providing a good home for him. Hopefully our experience is not unique, and Ritz turns back into a sweetheart again.Interesting related note. My husband was Ozzy's favorite BFF ever when he was a baby. Then I was the favorite and he was super possessive of me during puberty. Now it seems like my husband is the favorite again, but it's not as lopsided as it used to be in the past. He runs between us for snuggles on the couch but tends to favor my husband just a bit more He also always tries to squeeze between me and the back of the couch. Does anyone else's conure do that? It seems really weird to me and I can never figure out what the hell he's trying to accomplish.
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May 3, 2013 14:28
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Chaosfeather posted:Bird Crazies I hate to make this post. Until you can find/afford a behavioralist, a short-term solution is to stop letting him get into a position where he can bite you. I have an 18 year old goffin's cockatoo who, about once a year, gets incredibly bitey. It's usually right about this time of year. When Nim is in his mood, bites are almost always directed at hands that he is standing on. So he gets a week or month where I NEVER pick him up or let him stand on my hands. Sometimes this means we don't get any cuddle time except with him hanging off the side of his cage and me sitting on the floor scritching him. Sometimes I'll offer him a knee and he'll get in my lap without a problem, but then to get him off, I have to get him on my knee again and move him over without hands. If he's being a toe-chaser, the base of his cage gets blocked off so he can't get on the floor, or I sit on a chair with my feet tucked up, and I focus on playing with him via a playpen that is right up against his cage so he can get on and off without help. I've found that I've had to drastically change the way I interact with him in order to get to the point where I don't get bitten as often. For one thing, I can never multitask. It used to be that I could read or look at my phone during cuddle time, but now if he is within reach of me, I have to have 100% of my attention on him. Part of this is making sure that his attention is always directed at something other than me. If he drops his foot toy, stops tugging at his blanket, stops reacting to a toy I'm offering, or whatever, and his attention turns to me, within a second he gets offered another distraction. If he refuses that, he goes up on the cage and I initiate a hands-free game, or I move out of biting range if he's on his playpen. I had to start doing this because earlier this year, for only the second time ever, he bit me on the face. He stopped playing, I was looking at my phone, and he ran up to my shoulder and bit me on the cheek, and also on the hand as I tried to get him down. I've added several new toys to our playtime routine, toys which only come out during this hands-free interaction time, and which focus on him doing behaviors that don't involve touching me. One is a foraging wheel that he has to work to get a sunflower seed out of (he's a crack addict for these things). We also play a fetch game with a little knotted rope, I throw it up somewhere on his cage and he runs and gets it and flings it away for me to fetch. I'll hand him pages out of a phone book to fold and tear. I bring out the sunflower seeds or toys that he really likes (like those baby keys) ONLY when I've just placed him on his cage, so that he always thinks being put on the cage is a chance at a highly desired toy or treat. You've noted that he's just had a lot of major changes in his life. He probably will take about 2 months of strict adherence to the new routine to get a bit more comfortable. Nim always starts being bitey and screamy when the spring sunrise starts getting him up earlier, and then just as he's getting settled, I always have to take a 4-5 day business trip in April/May and that gives us a huge setback. One thing that really seems to help, is I use a light on a timer in his room to cue him to when he's going to go to bed. I don't get home till 530-6 most days, and he really wants to go to sleep around 430. So his light goes off at 430 and he usually is pretty good about going into the dark corner of his cage (his "bedroom") and napping quietly till I get home.
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May 3, 2013 15:37
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Pip pip pip posted:Chaosfeather,I wish I had good advice for you, but it sounds like you are already doing everything that I would suggest. Do you think it has to do with the weather warming up and maybe Ivan becoming hormonal? I don't really know much about hawkheads, but I would assume that 9 years old is past puberty age. I hope you can find an animal behaviorist or some other solution. We're all rooting for you! It's a definite possibility. He has responded before in the spring, just not so drastically. He is obviously jealous and thinks I am his mate, but beyond that I cannot decipher why he has decided to have this change. Chili, Battle Pigeon, thank you also for the replies. I figured I'd give an update: I still cannot handle Ivan and he's throwing a bit of food around in his tantrum. I let him out this morning and he was fine chilling on his door and whistling at me, but as soon as I made any slow movement to interact physically (scritches, pick up) he pinned his eyes and hissed. Good news is I can feed him just fine when he's like this. Bad news is not handling him makes him a grump. As we speak he's giving me the stink eye from the closest corner of the cage and doing his stalking motions. I'd take a picture because out of context it's hilarious, but I don't want to worsen the situation. His cage is huge and after a call to another bird owner we determined that at least for now he should be fine with his 7 toys and fresh food until I figure something out. He's about a foot from beak to tail tip and his cage is approx 36"x28"x52" on the inside. Edit: Alucinor, thank you so much for that information. I think I have a few ideas on how to interact with him until I feel fine with my fingers around him again (if ever) due to your post. It also is encouraging to hear that your bird seems fine with this kind of interaction and instills a bit of hope. I think I've seen those foraging toys at Omar's, I will probably stop by on the way home and check those out. Chaosfeather fucked around with this message at 15:57 on May 3, 2013 |
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May 3, 2013 15:40
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 Perhaps you guys should try softbills what with all these biting problems?
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May 3, 2013 16:13
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For whoever is having trouble with the jailbreak bird, those "mountain climber" things are called carabiners, and you've probably got a cheap spring-loaded one. Real ones will have a threaded nut in them to lock it closed and be really hard to open unless you have opposable thumbs. If your bird is really clever, you can use a cheap padlock or combination lock. Also make sure that the bird isn't escaping by pushing or bending cage panels out of the way.
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May 3, 2013 16:28
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Chaosfeather posted:Edit: Alucinor, thank you so much for that information. I think I have a few ideas on how to interact with him until I feel fine with my fingers around him again (if ever) due to your post. It also is encouraging to hear that your bird seems fine with this kind of interaction and instills a bit of hope. He does seem much, much happier with this kind of interaction. Not only on the biting, but on the screaming. I think it gives him more of a sense of control, because I'm not forcing him to move around where _I_ want to carry him. He asks very clearly to "Comeup" if he really wants lap time, and I've noticed that he doesn't ask when he's really bitchy. He moves where he wants to move, we play whichever game he chooses based on what toy he goes to on his cage or playpen. He also gets to tell me when he's ready for bed - I have a very repetitive vocal routine that I go through both morning and night, and he'll tell me "Bye bye!" or "What time is it?" when he's ready for me to go away and let him sleep. The major downside is that I really don't spend as much time with him. It used to be that he would come be with us in the evenings and on the weekends he would come out to the living room and hang out with us all day. But then he started screaming any time we weren't in the room with him, and also screaming during the work week before I got home and sometimes even after bed. Now weekends are exactly the same as weekdays - he gets time in the morning and evening only, at the exact same times of day as if I was on a work schedule. It kinda defeats the purpose of having a pet - he's basically more of a roommate whom I only see twice a day. I have a cage of parakeets in there to give him constant birdy company. But it does seem to work. I've been at home all week and other than quiet play vocalizations, he has been DEAD quite apart from a half hour where he starts with his bedtime calling around 4pm.
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May 3, 2013 16:39
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Thanks for the replies everyone, and BP, yes he was hand raised, so he never really got punished by his mother for biting, I assume. And Pip Pip Pip, he is almost exactly 1.5 years old now, so hopefully that's what it is. He's always been a biter though unfortunatley Fingers crossed!
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May 3, 2013 19:01
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DarkHorse posted:For whoever is having trouble with the jailbreak bird, those "mountain climber" things are called carabiners, and you've probably got a cheap spring-loaded one. Real ones will have a threaded nut in them to lock it closed and be really hard to open unless you have opposable thumbs. I couldn't spell 'carabiners' correct no matter how hard I tried. Google STILL says it's spelled wrong, btw. But anyway. No it's a real threaded one it's just too long from top to bottom. I attach it to the door of his cage which is... I dunno I guess I would describe it as a 'draw bridge' door. It opens down, is what I mean. But when I hook the carabiner on there he can still jump at the door, force it open, and get about two inches of space... and he squeezes his little bird butt out of that tiny space. I know because I've watched him do it, the little poo poo. What I need is something with an itty bitty circumference so that it holds the bars close together and the door can't fall open. Even when I fasten it at the top he can get out SaNChEzZ posted:It's all the lower beak, which I don't want to file as I'd pretty much have to pry his mouth open. And yeah, he doesn't bite too hard on accident, nor does he do it in attack mode, he just... does it. You know what, I know what you're talking about now. Marci does this all the time. You'll just be petting her and snuggling and she'll suddenly hold into your finger - which is normal - but she'll press down to hard and pinch. She used to ALMOST break skin but just a lot of 'no biting' stopped that. I learned that putting her on the ground for that made her just flat out upset, because like you said she wasn't doing it maliciously or anything. So instead I took to grabbing her beak softly and telling her no bite or prying her beak away before she could apply pressure. Also yeah, bird puberty. Sucks.
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May 3, 2013 19:28
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Amaya posted:I couldn't spell 'carabiners' correct no matter how hard I tried. Google STILL says it's spelled wrong, btw. But anyway. No it's a real threaded one it's just too long from top to bottom. I attach it to the door of his cage which is... I dunno I guess I would describe it as a 'draw bridge' door. It opens down, is what I mean. But when I hook the carabiner on there he can still jump at the door, force it open, and get about two inches of space... and he squeezes his little bird butt out of that tiny space. I know because I've watched him do it, the little poo poo. What I need is something with an itty bitty circumference so that it holds the bars close together and the door can't fall open. Even when I fasten it at the top he can get out
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May 3, 2013 21:15
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They also make a wide variety of carabiner sizes and locking mechanisms, so searching specifically for tiny caribiners might yield something unexpectedly affordable. Have you tried using giant binder clips? They're too stiff for a bird to work out how to open.
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May 3, 2013 22:11
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DarkHorse posted:Yeah, sounds like you might want to get a little combination lock or one of those tiny padlocks for jewelry boxes. They don't have to be especially strong, just small diameter like you said. I debated pad locks but my fear is always a fire or some kind of situation where I have to get the birds out NOW. I know it's silly and is a worst case scenario thing but still :/ Kittens: BINDER CLIPS IS A REALLY GOOD IDEA! :o I have a pile of those laying around and they would be perfect! Trying this right now. SORT OF EDIT: Yessss. Binder clips are a success. Door can't open up at all, bird is completely stuck! Thanks for the advice guys.
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May 3, 2013 22:17
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We just moved to Brooklyn from NJ. The 'tiels are adjusting well to the new apartment, thankfully, but we're having trouble finding a place that does wing-clipping at a remotely reasonable price. The place we used to get it done at charged $7 per bird but it's so far away now. There's a place right nearby but they literally have puppies in the window and no sign anywhere claiming that they come from reputable breeders or whatever. Yeah, I know those signs don't mean squat anyway. They charge 10.99 per bird for clipping, and I don't want to give my money to a place that is supplied by puppy mills. I'm not even a dog person and it still doesn't sit well with me. There's a place 10 blocks away that charges 15 bucks a bird (Holy poo poo!) and a bird shop we'd have to either drive or take the subway to that charges $5 a bird. My kind of price, but driving in Brooklyn is a pain in the neck and I refuse to take the 'tiels onto the subway for a long ride. Are they any bird crazies around Brooklyn who can suggest a place in the Ft. Hamilton Bay Ridge area?
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May 3, 2013 23:30
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There's not much in the way of bird stuff in Brooklyn. I'm up in Williamsburg and I'd have to take the birds to Birdcamp at 53rd and 2nd in Manhattan if I wanted them groomed. Google says there's a store on 74th St and 13th Ave in your area. Is that the one you saw? Welcome to the best borough in the city though!
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May 3, 2013 23:52
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Also, noticed.. He's been dropping wing and tail feathers lately, so maybe he's also in super moult mode. That would explain the hostility to some degree.
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May 3, 2013 23:56
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Slaughterhouse-Ive posted:There's not much in the way of bird stuff in Brooklyn. I'm up in Williamsburg and I'd have to take the birds to Birdcamp at 53rd and 2nd in Manhattan if I wanted them groomed. Google says there's a store on 74th St and 13th Ave in your area. Is that the one you saw? Other than the lack of a convenient and decent-seeming store that deals with birds, I'm loving this neck of the woods. We're a stone's throw from the Ft. Hamilton Army Base. The store that gave me bad vibes because of the puppies was called Fins, Fur, 'n Feathers and it's on 4th. Ave and 93rd St... The bird store that charges $5 for wing clipping is actually in Williamsburg so it might be closer for you to take your birds there. http://paradisebirdshop.com/ is their website. However, it's quite a drive/trek for us. Is Diamond Collar the place in Bensonhurst you mentioned? That place seems to be a dog salon. : / AvianPundit fucked around with this message at 00:43 on May 4, 2013 |
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May 4, 2013 00:16
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Ok, sorry, I need advice again, please. I just saw the full process of my roommate taking Bird from her cage to play with her on the floor. I hadn't seen the full routine before. It involves him reaching into the cage and extending his finger for her to step on. She bites his finger until he blows in her face, at which point she flits about, trying to escape. He then eventually catches her and carries her, grasped in two hands, and then places her on the ground and crouches over so that she's surrounded by his body while he tries to pat her. She bites him and occasionally manages to fly away, but is caught again and put back in the same position on the ground. I didn't watch long, but saw her fly into the wall during one escape, and then she flew and got caught inside a box on her next getaway (because yes, we are slobs, and don't worry, I am not offended, Amaya!). I found the process disturbing, but I also probably like animals too much. Is this actually a good way for him to get the bird comfortable with him? The bird seems terrified during the process, but I might just be overreacting. What advice can I try to give him? Should he be handling her this soon, or does she need more time to adjust to life here first?
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May 4, 2013 00:55
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electricgoat posted:Ok, sorry, I need advice again, please. I just saw the full process of my roommate taking Bird from her cage to play with her on the floor. I hadn't seen the full routine before. It involves him reaching into the cage and extending his finger for her to step on. She bites his finger until he blows in her face, at which point she flits about, trying to escape. He then eventually catches her and carries her, grasped in two hands, and then places her on the ground and crouches over so that she's surrounded by his body while he tries to pat her. She bites him and occasionally manages to fly away, but is caught again and put back in the same position on the ground. I didn't watch long, but saw her fly into the wall during one escape, and then she flew and got caught inside a box on her next getaway (because yes, we are slobs, and don't worry, I am not offended, Amaya!). I found the process disturbing, but I also probably like animals too much. No. (notice the period, that's serious) He should be feeding the bird treats through the cage until she's comfortable with hands, then opening the door slightly and offering treats until she's comfortable with that, then proceeding to step, then out of the cage, then body, then whatever else. The whole time he should be using a soft voice, cooing and comforting. Also, cowering over the bird = bad idea, and yes she probably is terrified. Parrotlets are also not ground foragers, so the ground is a strange place for her. Birds like being high up, above their predators, so by putting her on the floor and cowering over her, it's basically putting her in the most vulnerable position she could possibly be in. Have you seen Finding Nemo? Know the little girl with the braces? That's your roomate, and the bird is the fish. Another thing to do, would be open the cage and let her explore the cage, climb out, sit on the door etc. You want the bird's curiosity to bring her to you, not force yourself on her. However, if she's flighted which it sounds like, getting her back in the cage after an exploratory situation may be traumatic (catching and whatnot).
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May 4, 2013 01:03
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No you aren't overreacting, and I think you probably know that. Does he accept advice when it's from a book or website, or does he think that he knows better? If he has any empathy for that poor bird, you could try appealing to that-tell him to put himself in its position. He's been surrounded by family and friends for all his life, then suddenly one day gets everything taken away from him, taken to a new place full of scary sights, sounds, smells, etc where he doesn't recognise anything or anyone. He's all alone and there's this huge threatening creature just randomly reaching in and grabbing him, blowing in his face (that has to be loud for the bird too, as well as frightening) for no reason that he knows of, then towering over him like a predator. He has no way of knowing its intentions, its language, anything. Why does he think that sounds like a good way to bond with little birdy? She bites because she's scared. Blowing in her face is loud, sudden, and probably throws such a tiny creature off balance. Ask why he thinks scaring her further is going to help.
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May 4, 2013 01:05
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That's loving horrifying. Suggest to him purchasing a playgym to set by his computer or wherever he quietly spends most of his days. Suggest that he set the bird (assuming she's clipped) on the playgym and chat to her while he fools around on the computer. Given what a loving Neanderthal he's been to her she'll be scared out of her mind and cower silently on the playgym, but grow accustomed to being near him and hearing his voice, and start associating being out of her cage with being near him, while not being frightened so loving badly her heart might stop. That's a thing, by the way. Terror heart attacks.
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May 4, 2013 01:20
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Ivan report: I can't pick him up at all, and that's fine. I opened the door to his cage and he'll come out and whistle at me, and I try to ignore him when he's in the cage and eating so he feels safer. I think I'm starting to see the problem and the potential solution, though I'm not sure why it's gotten to this. He's mostly reactive to my (now ugly) hands. He acts with fear, goes to the places I normally pick him up and, after a small 'flinch' of ducking his head and crouching, will move somewhere else. For whatever reason he's now scared of my hands, and that must be part of the problem. The only aggression he's shown this afternoon is when my hands come out to move something or offer a treat. I've been dropping them off in his bowl and he'll come out and threaten me. After a short stare down he'll retreat, and I'll let him go get it. Is this the right thing to do here? I feel it's better than making it dramatic. So I suppose I'll let him adjust to a hand-less lifestyle until he calms down a little and I hopefully have a behaviorist. Which leads me to a (much more minor) problem. I have an appointment with an exotic specialist that I managed to get a hold of, and the appointment is this wednesday. How do I get Ivan into the carrier (that he now dislikes, and I dont blame him for) without using my hands and scaring him more? I was thinking of a bribe but I'm not sure the power of pistachios will compel him to fall for the trap. Any other tricks? Once again, thank you guys so much for the help. This guy seems to be awesome and if he turns out to be just that I'll be happy to let other socal goons know about him. Chaosfeather fucked around with this message at 03:45 on May 4, 2013 |
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May 4, 2013 03:41
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SaNChEzZ posted:Also, noticed.. He's been dropping wing and tail feathers lately, so maybe he's also in super moult mode. That would explain the hostility to some degree. Goldy, our Jenday, got very bitey and bitchy when he started his spring molt. Sudden aggression, screaming, charging, biting. Oh, you want me to step up? Only for FRESH HUMAN BLOOD!!! Then suddenly wanting to cuddle like he was all upset that we were the object of his rage. Accidentally hitting a pin feather would result in screaming, biting, and beak grinding into whatever flesh he got hold of. We increased his bathing, and the colder the water the more he seemed to like it, especially dribbling it on his head and back. It was awful when he hit the 1.5 year mark but now he's 2 it seems to have subsided for the most part. It's odd that such a short time can make such a difference in behavior. One thing that really helped a lot was popsicle sticks. When we'd be trying to get him to step up, get treats, whatever, if he squared his head and lunged we offered him a popsicle stick to bite the christ out of instead of us.  Here he is, trying to show you his butt
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May 4, 2013 04:02
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AvianPundit posted:Other than the lack of a convenient and decent-seeming store that deals with birds, I'm loving this neck of the woods. That place in Williamsburg is terrible btw. The cages are gross, he crams a ton of birds in each cage, and there are no toys are anything. Half the birds are plucked pretty bad.
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May 4, 2013 04:14
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