Moochie's 4th home

[GreenEyes]

Hello everyone,

Seven months ago we rescued a beautiful Caique named Moochie.
She was young not sure until we contacted the breeder. She will be 2 years old in April.
She had issues we are her 4th owners. She is in love with my husband he is the alpha. We found out that it was woman who owned her and was more than likely abused the first time we took the broom out she flew and hid under the rads and had trouble getting her out. She is now in her sexual maturity and she humps my hands and humps 3 times a day. Will not leave my hands alone till she is finished.

She is out cage when we are not home in cage when we are home. She has always bitten me on and off since we got her. She had been good until a couple of days ago she came after me very sneaky and but my neck then got my hand. I just take my shirt off with her on it and leave the room. She is now bittng me everyday now I do not know what to do. She flies everywheres she has toys I cannot play with her with my hands she is very rough with me. Hubby plays with her like another parrot. I am at a lost.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Birdbabe]

@Irishj9

 

[Irishj9]

Ok well I am surprised she is not out when you are home, but has freedom when you are away?. I would handle it the other way around. let her be so glad to see you and her forthcoming out of cage time that she will hop with happiness.

But your real issue is the biting. I dont tolerate it with my gang. Play fighting my fingers is allowed. anything more gets a firm no and quiet time.

But its now established and compounded with hormones. You have to be firm but take no action ( I mean she stays in the cage) when she is clearly in a hormonal rage.

I have NEVER seen a bite without adequate warning from the bird. I have been stalked by Spot in the aviary, wearing her angry pants, chest fluffed out. I watch and evade, then divert her attention, then show her the net for catching naughty birds. That does the trick.

Or you could give her a light clip. That will calm her down...

And wait. Its a hormonal cyle which will finish soon. Help it to finish by restricting daylight hours, covering the cage every evening, no artificial light etc

 

[sunnysmom]

With cockatiels you can help reduce hormones by increasing their sleep/dark time, @Irishj9 does that help with Caique's too?

 

[Irishj9]

With cockatiels you can help reduce hormones by increasing their sleep/dark time, @Irishj9 does that help with Caique's too?

Yes it very much does! You caught me while I was editing the post lol

And Id like to know more about her diet as well. That can contain triggers.

And give her things to do. let her work out her hormones chewing wood, not you.

 

[Irishj9]

Oh, and the reason the bite frequency has increased? IMHO you have accepted her sexual advances and then failed to fulfill your role as a mate!.

She is biting you in frustration.

Give her branches to chew, a nestbox to lay her infertile eggs in, hell let her complete the cycle so you can get back to building a relationship without the hormonal complications.

 

[GreenEyes]

Thanks, She does not play alone unless she is in her cage or she is playing with hubby. She has a swing in the window and a ladder in the other one she has toys to chew and destroy in her cage.
I give her a seed and nut and pellet mix. She does
gets a mix of grapes, strawberries, pomegranates
seeds,carrots, broccoli, everyday a bowl if water.
She gets about 9 to 10 hours if sleep. She has a cozy tent to sleep in
When she first started the humping of would take her off my hand and she was get angry and bit me and she just started humping me one day and hubby told m to go ahead and let her. And I did it was okay and now she is just pissed off at me almost of the time.

 

[Irishj9]

Well I cant see anything wrong with the diet. I think we have to wait out the hormones, and discourage the humping

 

[GreenEyes]

She gets some treats we eats as well with in reason. I try to discourage and she keeps coming back I give her a toy or distract her. I have to hide my hands She comes after them to sit on them then starts.
How much sleep should she get?

 

[GreenEyes]

Moochie even says her name and uses it for everything happy, sad ,angry. She gives kisses and even says give me a kiss, she even reaches over and gives kisses. Since we have had her she has learned to say what's you doing and says it 3 different ways.
I think of need to get something to keep her brain working. Just not sure what to get.
Please help any suggestions.

Thanks

 

[GreenEyes]

Ok well I am surprised she is not out when you are home, but has freedom when you are away?. I would handle it the other way around. let her be so glad to see you and her forthcoming out of cage time that she will hop with happiness.


I had that backwards Moochie is never out of the cage when we are not home. When we are home she is always out. She has full flight of the house. We do not believe in clipping her wings.

 

[Begone]

I would say a minimum is 12 H sleep/day.
And don't give up! It will be better. Thanks for rescuing her!

 

[GreenEyes]

Thanks everyone for the great information.

We lost our 40 year old Orange Winged Amazon Betty. She was older and a different bird. Loved her and missed her a ton the house was empty. Not sure if Oliver the Amazing Dachshund or my husband missed her more they were so depressed we needed to fill the house. So a baby in the house is very different and a Caquie is very different as well

I have been working with her and using the using the universal no signal in the Parrot world. Moochie knew what it meant the first time I used it if was great she did not like it but it is working.

Talk to the hand ..

 

[Irishj9]

The word NO does exist in Caique language, but it is only acceptable when a caique uses it.
Human servants do not have that privelidge

For us there are only the old magicians tricks, smoke and mirrors, diversion, diversion!

'Give em the old Razzle Dazzle'

 

[GreenEyes]

Oh you are so right....she hated the word NO that is what I was using before. Since that just made her even more aggressive I used the human paw sign and she did not know what to do. She just walked away and turned her back on me..... She has gotten the hint and it works she knows she cannot sit on my hand and bite.....

 

[rockybird]

My wb male caique only becomes angry for one reason - he thinks he is being ignored when he wants attn. He will bite terribly if he feels slighted. This started about 4 yrs of age. He will hold a grudge for hours. Sometimes I am not even aware that he is angry until I see his body language. At these times, I assume that he looking at me for attn. while I was on the computer or watching tv oblivious to him. He used to get mad at me for typing on the keyboard because it meant I was not paying attn. to him. Or talking on the cell phone. His behavior has definitely improved with age (and training - on both our parts).

I look at it from his perspective - he has been waiting all day, listening and watching for me to come home. When I arrive, I might take him out, but I am distracted by other things -the phone, the other parrots, taking out the trash, making dinner, etc. I cannot replace the companionship of a mate or flock.

He understands the word no and very much obeys it. I am totally surprised by this. The breeder said he taught him what it meant, but I dont know how he did this. When he is angry though, he is not able to reason and does not care what I say. However, I can usually scoop him up in a light towel. He will calm down fairly rapidly and I will snuggle him, wrapped up.

He will be 13 yrs old this summer. I have changed how I look at parrots because of him. I think of him as a wild animal who wasnt meant to live confined to a cage with someone telling him what he can and cant do. He can never be "spoiled" because he wasnt meant to live like this. All I can do is try to increase activiities that he seems to positively respond to: - time out of the cage; -time snuggling with me; - involve him in my daily activities around the house;- keep him on a routine; -"mutual" grooming; -play games with him (mostly chase around the kitchen counter and wrestling). Caiques seem to be very prone to boredom and need a lot of mental stimulation. I think the best environment for mature caiques might be what Irish9 and saroj have set up. The birds have other caiques around and they appear to have some independence and autonomy.

Probably the worst decision I ever made for my caique was not buying the nonrelated female he was raised with when I bought him. I fear if I introduce a female now, he will attack her. I would never put them in the same cage, but I cant deal with two Zeeks.

Good luck with your little girl. If you were in my town, I would suggest play dates.

 

[GreenEyes]

She is getting better. We have had a few really good days. She is in LOVE with my husband, he is like Moochie's other flock mate. He plays with her just like another
Caique she rolled on her back for him the second day we had her. I am her friend we hang out together, we cuddle and snuggle with each other, gives kisses and talks all the time. She goes everywhere I go and love to sit in the collar of my shirt and watch everything I do. Then she will pop out and just hang around and will do that for hours if I let her...

I was very surprised that she knew what the word NO was. She knew what the sign for NO is and she also says the word NO. When you tell her NO and if she does not want to hear it she lets you know.

Moochie is always out of her cage when someone is home and she love it she has about 4 places that she perches. She LOVES her rope swing I the window she has a view of an area that is in a greenbelt area. Lots of trees and a view of the city. Hubby and I do not believe in keeping them in there cages when we are home. They need there freedom and that is supervised freedom. We just lost our 40 year old Orange Tipped Amazon and she did not have a cage for the last 20 years of her life, she did not want it, she had a perch in the corner of our bedroom that is where she slept and woke up when she wanted to wake up.

Just have to be patience she is still a baby and learning.

 

[rockybird]

That's great news! It sounds like you are giving her a great home and she is thriving in it. I am sorry for the loss of your amazon.

 

[Lisidou]

Out of curiosity, what is the "no" sign?

 

[GreenEyes]

The universal NO sign for a bird is the hand. They pick up there foot to tell you know and warn you that they do not like something.
You do the same with your hand and it works. You do not even have to say NO.
It works on all birds because they use it themselves. It worked for my Amazon and I worked in a Parrot Store for a year and it is the
same with the birds they had.

Talk to the hand.....