Lori, no? I think the beads at the bottom look like nutriberries
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Any ideas on how to stop Sam from "preening" me?
- Thread starter Lori D Pert
- Start date
tka
Rollerblading along the road
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From your bird's perspective, you have something weird on you that must be preened off. Sam is trying to be a good flock member and help you out 
Have you ever been scratching your bird's head and accidentally touched a blood feather? I make the same sound when Leia tries to helpfully remove my piercings and she's pretty much stopped.
I know it's a joke, but having bird toy earrings is a quick way to get your earlobe torn!
Have you ever been scratching your bird's head and accidentally touched a blood feather? I make the same sound when Leia tries to helpfully remove my piercings and she's pretty much stopped. I know it's a joke, but having bird toy earrings is a quick way to get your earlobe torn!
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- 3/7/19
- Messages
- 624
Gus came to me with this issue, but has improved tremendously since I started imitating what another bird would do.
What worked for me was a two step process that starts with making a squawking sound that's my best bird noise for "you hurt me."
The next step is the biggie though. I immediately "fly away" (get up and leave the room), closing the door so Gus can't follow. I give him a couple minutes of the silent treatment while he flies around and flock calls for me, then open the door to once again grace him with my presence (you can really bring home the performance by acting "skittish" for a little bit afterward as well). Over time (several months) he learned that my skin is much more sensitive than he realized, and these days he preens me as gently as possible and stops if I flinch or squeak. He doesn't want to "scare me away."
He actually hasn't drawn blood on me in several months now, a huge change from the constant stream of small wounds he inflicted when he first came to live with me. (The biting, some aggressive and some from over-zealous preening, is the reason his previous owner gave him up, so I was starting with some deeply ingrained bad habits).
What worked for me was a two step process that starts with making a squawking sound that's my best bird noise for "you hurt me."
The next step is the biggie though. I immediately "fly away" (get up and leave the room), closing the door so Gus can't follow. I give him a couple minutes of the silent treatment while he flies around and flock calls for me, then open the door to once again grace him with my presence (you can really bring home the performance by acting "skittish" for a little bit afterward as well). Over time (several months) he learned that my skin is much more sensitive than he realized, and these days he preens me as gently as possible and stops if I flinch or squeak. He doesn't want to "scare me away."
He actually hasn't drawn blood on me in several months now, a huge change from the constant stream of small wounds he inflicted when he first came to live with me. (The biting, some aggressive and some from over-zealous preening, is the reason his previous owner gave him up, so I was starting with some deeply ingrained bad habits).
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This is so cool! The bird had to "tame" you into being preenable!
Bird videos should come with acting lessons 
Lori D Pert
Rollerblading along the road
The loud squaking sound I have been making is starting to work. Sam still is obsessed with fixing my neck but after the squaking, the shoo away and covering my neck with my hand, Sam has started to avoid that area. I may have more work to do to make Sam realize that that area is off limits but so far I think the message is getting through...lol. Still laughing at the nutriberrie earrings though. Also strangely enough when on my glasses the nose and cheek preening is gentle and then I get a neck crane meaning "I'm ready for a nose nuzzle now".
Maybe do the whole chicken dance... that’ll draw the atention elsewhere for sure
Lori D Pert
Rollerblading along the road
That is so freaking cute!
I was going to say distraction but then I remembered how my Umbrella became obsessed with trying to get my age spots off as I got older (sigh) with lots of consistent redirection beak blocking saying gentle and whatever else I can think of it has gotten better and less often and less aggressive. But yeah she’s still obsessed
I must apologize for getting too big of a kick out of this post! I loved the idea about talking to Sam in birdy language... so I tried to copy Fiona's 'warning' sound to Fergus, and got some REALLY odd looks from them. When I then played the techno chicken song, they got really loud! Oh well, they really think their Mommy is nutso koo koo all the time, but certainly after this bad imitation of Fiona's "eee-ee-ee-eee-eee" warning that says "Fergus, come one step closer to my food and I will peck your head off"! Glad you have had some success though Lori!
Lori D Pert
Rollerblading along the road
I have had some success with the loud squaking sound but Sam is still somewhat obsessed. He stops short as soon as my hand goes to my neck now but today while I had both hands occupied hanging a new toy he saw his opportunity and flew at my neck, took a nice chomp at my skin tag and flew off again. He took the darned thing off....bird 1 - human 0. Sigh...
- Joined
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LMAO! Cheaper than having the doctor do it!
(I feel for you. I've had a mole on my arm my entire life. Via a series of sneak-chomps over several weeks, Gus surgically removed all the pigmented tissue, so my previously dark-colored bump is the same size and shape as before, only now it's the light pink color of scar tissue).
OR... get 12 more parrots
It wont stop the preening, but its fun none the less!
It wont stop the preening, but its fun none the less!
Ouch!! sounds painful... But yeah, cheaper than the doc...
I've been trying birdie language as well, not to tell Pichu to stop but to sooth him, I noticed that he liked when I make a special kind of whistle.. But I don't know what I told him the other day, he suddenly became very friendly and kissed my lips... I'm afraid I sent the wrong message!!
Did you ask him to marry?Ouch!! sounds painful... But yeah, cheaper than the doc...
I've been trying birdie language as well, not to tell Pichu to stop but to sooth him, I noticed that he liked when I make a special kind of whistle.. But I don't know what I told him the other day, he suddenly became very friendly and kissed my lips... I'm afraid I sent the wrong message!!
Lori D Pert
Rollerblading along the road
It IS cheaper than having the doctor do it, trouble is I have about 20 small bumps on my neck. I'm thinking of renaming Sam...perhaps Squaky McBeak or Sir Chomps-a-Lot. Maybe putting a sign at my door BEWARE of 4oz. KILLER BUDGIE....lol
We wouldnt blame you! Some birds take just one look to fall in love withAt the first kiss?!What kind of girl do you think I am?!
