Bobber Contact Calls; Jingo won't answer

[lotus15]

Unfortunately I have no good advice but wanted to offer some support and well wishes. I hope it gets better

 

[Peachfaced]

This may be a dumb idea but I wonder if you recorded Jingo's voice and played it for Bobber, when Jingo is out of the room, if it might help. It could make things worse though so not sure if it's worth trying. Would a YouTube video of birds keep Bobber entertained? Sorry, these are probably horrible ideas but I'm trying cause I wish I could help.

I was just about to say this, too! If you can, record Jingo's voice over several days if you need to, to collect enough. Put it on a CD and then when you're out of the room, you can either play that to entertain him, or do it recorder style and just let him hear it when he calls.

 

[Mizzely]

It's not all contact calls I am guessing. Bobber finally took a big step forward yesterday. I herded the birds into the living room and put up curtains to keep them both in here with us. Bobber was quiet on a boing for several marvelous hours. He then came to the couch back (which he has never done) and took treats from all of us (husband, child and me). Progress!

Well, after that, he started screaming again. Incessantly. No matter what we did. He screamed for 2 hours directly into our ears on the couch while Jingo sat quietly next to him. Then they went to bed and he screamed constantly for 3 hours in the pitch black under a cover. 5 hours total.

He resumed from 8am to 12pm today; was sitting on the boing in the living room just SCREAMING. He finally stopped today after I took down all of the hanging perches in the house. He is still doing it on and off but not the constant barrage.

I am unable to concentrate on anything. It is triggering my anxiety badly. I spent 2 hours in my bedroom last night just crying in a ball because of the noise. I am wearing the orange ear plugs now; it is taking the edge off at least so I am able to function.

I tried playing Jingo's contact calls for him but that just makes it worse.

I wish I was exaggerating but this is the noise level and consistency that is doing me in. It gets worse when Jingo is joining in, but Jingo was already asleep.

 

[Hjarta5]

Its weird but Bobber sounds like a squeaky toy to me, and not at all like the contact calls my Quaker makes... Is it a sound that they pick up, as opposed to an inherent noise they make?

Anyway, it sounds like you reached a compromise so I am glad its saving your sanity. (Edit: oops, sorry, I was reading your earlier post and not the one just immediately above this one.) From reading your blog posts, it sounds like you have tried most of the things I thought of. My birds do contact call one another if they are in separate rooms, but it usually means Im with one of them so I will also do a contact call too as a way to change the decibel/sound/etc. I dont know if this applies to you but I do spend some "screaming" time with my birds each day; usually after work during the weekdays, I will have them out for "dinner and dancing." Its usually half an hour which starts with me turning up some pop radio station that I will make dancing/swaying motions, and start imitating the chorus/refrains -- I wouldnt call it singing, but its not yelling -- its more like making loud sounds with the songs I do this during the weekends too and I find that it helps with Wally's daily 10 min tantrum when Im home during the day.

Whenever I am playing a video with bird noises on my phone or even this video I found online where its just 4 hours of two macaws sitting on the same perch, this riles up my birds too much with the bird noises which I imagine is what is going on when you play a recording of Jingo's noises. Have you tried going back to the radio maybe?

 

[Peachfaced]

I could always record some "baaaajaaaaaant" calls for you, so that you have some variety.

Totally kidding. I know how certain noises can really wear on your sanity after prolonged exposure.

 

[Teckechick]

Aries is a screamer also and it goes right through my hubby's head. We have found that he loves what I call the baby music station. It is just a music station on Pandora called "Rockabye Baby!" and it plays the music to popular songs. Aries loves the station and it does calm him down most of the time. I think he likes all the piano sounds that a lot of the songs have. It may be worth a try if you haven't tried music for Bobber already.

 

[Mizzely]

Bobber has a higher pitched voice in general. Jingo's contact call is the same inflection but deeper.

I can't for the life of me find my radio or a speaker ... probably still in a box unpacked. I'll pick up a new one asap to try!

 

[Peachfaced]

Bobber has a higher pitched voice in general. Jingo's contact call is the same inflection but deeper.

I can't for the life of me find my radio or a speaker ... probably still in a box unpacked. I'll pick up a new one asap to try!

In a pinch, you can use an old phone hooked up to wifi and a bluetooth speaker.

 

[Mizzely]

In a pinch, you can use an old phone hooked up to wifi and a bluetooth speaker.

Love this idea! I'll have to see if i can find my old phone too!

 

[Begone]

I am unable to concentrate on anything. It is triggering my anxiety badly. I spent 2 hours in my bedroom last night just crying in a ball because of the noise.

I do understand you. I would have react the same way, and I did in the beginning when Eloy was hormonal.
But I did get used to his screaming (and I was wearing earplugs) and then he stopped screaming.
I hope that you soon find a solution that works.

 

[Icey]

I feel so sorry for you. Sometimes when Bebe and Frankie get started my anxiety gets bad and I just want to scream,but we know that won,t help the situation.
They can both see me but Frankie does his flock call when I'm not in the "bird room". WHen I Go in it stops but Bebe always wants to play with me and Frankie gets upset and starts screaming even though we are both with him.
For me, I take a 1 minute time out from them, put on some calm relaxing music, and encourage them to play with their toys or come up with a new game to divert their attention from screaming to playing with a new toy or game.
Usually about 5 minutes later I can leave them for a while with no more calls/screaming for attention.

Can JIngo not be in the same room as Bobber?

 

[Mizzely]

Can JIngo not be in the same room as Bobber?

Oh absolutely they can be in the same room. They are caged next to each other and only have free access to living room and dining room (where the cages are) due to cats in the rest of the house during the day. Jingo prefers to be on me or within arms reach of me all day, whereas Bobber prefers to guard his cage all day.

I have been politely forcing Bobber to be in the living room with us and giving him treats as long as he is quiet. The combination seems to be helping. Found the radio and that also seemed to make things better when they were in the dining room together, though I did still bring out the ear plugs for a couple hours.

Thankfully the night time screeching hasn't happened again.

I do think it might be hormone related. This Spring seems terrible in general for both boys. Jingo will be 7 next month but I have no idea how old Bobber is.

We'll get through it. Somedays I just need to remind myself of that.

 

[Lwalker]

I can't add anything but a hug. Hang in there. Hopefully it will pass or at least ease up after spring.

 

[Icey]

I have been politely forcing Bobber to be in the living room with us and giving him treats as long as he is quiet. The combination seems to be helping. Found the radio and that also seemed to make things better when they were in the dining room together, though I did still bring out the ear plugs for a couple hours.

Do you have a table top play stand Bobber could play on in the living room so he doesn't get bored?
Treats are always good and they say music soothes the savage beast
I am glad it's getting a bit easier for you and at least if it IS due to hormones you know it won't last.
Remember to take time out for yourself. Being with them all day can be stressful. I have added some grey hairs lately .
Big hugs, and whisper to Jingo to answer Bobber when he calls.

 

[Mizzely]

Do you have a table top play stand Bobber could play on in the living room so he doesn't get bored?
Treats are always good and they say music soothes the savage beast
I am glad it's getting a bit easier for you and at least if it IS due to hormones you know it won't last.
Remember to take time out for yourself. Being with them all day can be stressful. I have added some grey hairs lately .
Big hugs, and whisper to Jingo to answer Bobber when he calls.

Bobber is really nervous about new stuff; right now he has a boing with one of his favorite toys available that he knows and trusts. A rolling playstand is on the wish list right now, but until then I am going to try and make a hanging one for him with PVC and food bowls. He prefers height so I try to cater to him in that way.

I am home all day with my 3 y/o son (and its so cold still, high was 38 degrees F) until my husband gets home at about 3:30, and then I work from home so its not always easy for me to get away but I know I need to, also.

 

[Ribbit21]

Ahh the joys of working from home, in the spring, with 2 Quakers. Contact calling used to be a huge problem, more with Jasper than Gilbert. They have such a weird relationship. Not bonded, but prefer to be in the same general area as each other. That was tricky, because Jasper is a great flyer and Gilbert isn't. Here's what I did and the calls are pretty much gone.

--Constant background noise. During the day the TV or music is on. The TV has a 6 hours timer so I usually put PBS kids on for the full 6 hours. Josie is learning her ABC's LOL. It's not on terribly loud, but loud enough so they really don't know what's going on in the rest of the house.
--Constant white noise. This is always on, usually a humidifier or the air purifier.
--Birds are always in the same room, no exceptions. Sometimes Gilbert will need to be put in her carrier, but eventually I can open the door. I also have put up boings in every room. She prefers the boings. I also figured out her natural landing spots and put special snacks there.
--If any screaming happens, I either leave the room or put in ear plugs. At that point I sort of treat the birds as one unit, so if one screams then no one gets any attention. No one is allowed anywhere near me. If the screaming is non stop, then everyone goes back into their cages for a bit of a time out. Strangely enough, treating them as a unit seems to have increased the communicating between them. Gilbert might start up and then Jasper now says "hey now!" and actually answers her sometimes.
--I break up screaming with various activities: special snacks, a bath, carrier by the window, and my favorite: a disaster movie on loud. LOL I alternate between Deepwater Horizon and Twister.

It's probably nothing you haven't tried before, but the combination seems to work for me. Sometimes I think they just need to call out. That's a good time for the disaster movie LOL . Or my latest is noise cancelling headphone and playing Farcry 5. That can be a little tricky though because I have to keep a close eye on Josie or she will start juggling knives or poking holes in the wall.

 

[Mizzely]

That actually helps I like treating them as one unit when they are screaming. I haven't tried that.

 

[Mizzely]

Rearranged things in the dining room today; instead of cages being next to each other, I put them on opposite sides of the room, as I read an article that made me think some space between territories may help in the hormone department. If nothing else it's more open and gives me more horizontal space to work with.

"Fancy" radio with am/fm, Bluetooth, SD card and USB capabilities will be here Monday, which I can then try multiple sounds (music, white noise, jungle , etc) to find what works for them.

 

[Peachfaced]

Fingers crossed! Maybe just the rearranging itself will help a little too. Sometimes if you shake them out of their comfort zone, they have to readjust etc.

 

[Mizzely]

Fingers crossed! Maybe just the rearranging itself will help a little too. Sometimes if you shake them out of their comfort zone, they have to readjust etc.

That's what I'm hoping!! Might redo inside cages too