First time Pionus

[LSA]

YEASherman is eating dried pasta sticks this evening! That's new!
Sherman also lunged and squawked at me when I opened her cage door to put things back in her forage basket. That's progress!
She knows I exist!

 

[LSA]

My sweet Sherman fell off the perch, again, while trying to eat supper. As commented elsewhere, she doesn't seem able to fly. I put down materials to soften the blow but regularly must wash these and they will soon fall apart. Our AV believes it might She's my first with this disability. I sleep at the other end of the house and am concerned this could be happening at night. Any suggestions?

 

[LSA]

Oops Our AV believes it might be a combination of missing talons on one side and her poor balance.

 

[Dartman]

Nerd used to get night frights and freak out for 10 minutes or so till they passed. I also think that his foot would fall asleep and he'd wake up to a numb non working foot and freak out till the feeling came back. He did that occasionally for 31 years. I usually kept him close enough to hear if he started to thrash usually at night. I suggest moving her close enough to hear if she has issues or get a baby monitor or camera setup so you can see and hear if she's having problems. When Nerd had a fright I couldn't touch him till he started to calm down as he'd bite and thrash any time something got close to him. When he started looking around and chirping it was safe to get him or touch him again. I would talk calmly to him till he came back but he had both legs and feet, he just didn't fly well but could make short hops and slow himself down provided he remembered he had wings.

 

[Wannabird2003]

Some people use a night cage (smaller Cage) as a sleep cage. Do you think that is a possibility? A small sleep cage would be less of a fall and could be placed nearer t or in your bedroom. I have heard that some birds prefer it once they get used to it. My friend had a bird that would fall and now it is in a small travel cage at night.

 

[Erikalynnha]

My sweet Sherman fell off the perch, again, while trying to eat supper. As commented elsewhere, she doesn't seem able to fly. I put down materials to soften the blow but regularly must wash these and they will soon fall apart. Our AV believes it might She's my first with this disability. I sleep at the other end of the house and am concerned this could be happening at night. Any suggestions?

What about something like this at the bottom of her cage?

Fleece Cage Liners Custom made for any size cage. Guinea

 

[LSA]

Some people use a night cage (smaller Cage) as a sleep cage. Do you think that is a possibility? A small sleep cage would be less of a fall and could be placed nearer t or in your bedroom. I have heard that some birds prefer it once they get used to it. My friend had a

All my birds with the exception of the budgies have both day and night cages. Even Sherman has both. She has yet to leave the safety of her day cage without a struggle. It became a trust issue and my preference was to bond with her so she would learn that not all humans want to hurt her. She only recently dared play with a toy and digs in her forage basket only secretly.

I suggest moving her close enough to hear if she has issues or get a baby monitor or camera setup so you can see and hear if she's having problems.

A baby monitor is an excellent idea!
When my mother was ill and moved back to her house, it was a baby monitor that allowed me to actually get some rest. The birds were very respectful and alerted me when she awoke. No doubt, it would be the same here!
I'm going to the AV Monday and will go to their Wal-Mart. (My closest Walmart is too small for that!) I assume they sell baby monitors. If not, they surely sell a camera device.

What about like this at the bottom of her cage?

I went to garage sales in the townships nearby and purchased 2 receiving blankets. My problem is that they must be washed daily and are already starting to show wear. A fleece cage liner would only perpetuate the problem, right?
It just breaks my heart. Sherman got her first fresh food at my house and I'm afraid she'll stop trying to eat it if she falls! She tried holding the bars near it with one foot and her perch with the other but still fell. Obviously, she had fallen before or wouldn't have tried that. If I put the bowls on the floor of her cage, she won't eat.
How might the blankets be saved or do I just need more?

 

[finchly]

I think just get more blankets? I was thinking of getting a big piece of fleece at the fabric store - it's inexpensive right now cause it is summer. You could cut it into appropriately sized squares. You could even layer them and just remove the top one.

Ernie falls off his perch often. He's the most awkward little thing.

 

[LSA]

I think just get more blankets? I was thinking of getting a big piece of fleece at the fabric store - it's inexpensive right now cause it is summer. You could cut it into appropriately sized squares. You could even layer them and just remove the top one

Excellent idea! Why didn't I do just that!?! That's what I do with everyone's poop trays. I fully clean cages weekly, but roll up layers to give them clean poop trays daily. When Chloe was alive, that's what I did with her favorite curtain. Instead of layering for a clean poop tray, just layer for a softer fall. My only concern is a softer landing at the beginning of the week and progressively harder as each layer was removed.

 

[finchly]

My only concern is a softer landing at the beginning of the week and progressively harder as each layer was removed.

True!
How often are you planning to wash them? I'm also going to do this in Rio/Capt Jack's cage because they roll around like puppies. Well, their cage and their play areas, or move it back and forth between areas. Perhaps wash every other? every 3rd day? Then just put them back down.

I know I won't commit to washing them daily!

 

[Wannabird2003]

If she poops in the same general area, maybe you could put a paper towel on top of the fleece. When mine sleeps, she stays in the same area, her roosting perch, and the poop sometimes builds up on the grate bars below. I fold up a paper towel which catches the poop and atop the grate and then I don't have to clean the grate as often.

 

[LSA]

Perhaps wash every other? every 3rd day? Then just put them back down.

I know I won't commit to washing them daily!

With the type of work I do, I wash every other day during Spring and Suzanfmmer. (I only farm three of four seasons.) A blanket simply goes in with my jeans. That's why I bought 2. I just traded back and forth. The papers, I simply threw away.

 

[LSA]

If she poops in the same general area, maybe you could put a paper towel on top of the fleece. When mine sleeps, she stays in the same area, her roosting perch, and the poop sometimes builds up on the grate bars below. I fold up a paper towel which catches the poop and atop the grate and then I don't have to clean the grate as often.

Sherman has three basic places. I tried putting paper towels down, but she would secretly move them. The only thing that stays is the tube rolled over a seldom-used perch/branch. She decided the paper was out to get her? That's why I started this silly washing routine!
I think that the three places are due to falling and moving lower then falling and moving even lower. The first area is under what I've dubbed the sentinel branch; the other two are below her natural branch at different heights and areas. Her natural branch is forked with the lower fork near the bottom of her cage thus three heights.
Since I got her through a rescue and not My AV, her scars were well covered and, due to MY ignorance, I doubt I aske
she is molting and showers several times weekly, they're becoming more obvious. The AV pointed them out, too, along with her missing nails, her damaged wing. The new AV thought she'd fly though. We all go back next week.
Having never had a Pionus, I was and still am totally ignorant about expectations. As mentioned, Sherman is my first to have this happen, but she and the budgies are the only ones sleeping in the same cages they're in all day. Even Glenn has a night cage he loves in his room!

 

[LSA]

Some people use a night cage (smaller Cage) as a sleep cage. Do you think that is a possibility? A small sleep cage would be less of a fall and could be placed nearer t or in your bedroom. I have heard that some birds prefer it once they get used to it. My friend had a bird that would fall and now it is in a small travel cage at night.

I was just reading about her sleep in the new book by Russ Shade (thanks!). He recommends a sleep cage separate from her travel cage and separate still from her day cage. Maybe that's my trouble! Sherman's night cage also serves as a travel cage. Maybe that's why she doesn't care for it... It means "something will happen."
A train passes through our township about every 45 minutes day and night blowing its horn at our intersection. I've gotten so used to it that I sleep through it. My other birds quickly got used to it. The quietest room Is where Tommy, quarantined budgie, is, but you can still hear it loudly.
This might be why she falls at night. Is this a problem?

 

[Wannabird2003]

Maybe in time she will get used to it like the rest of your flock. Maybe that is scaring her when she is sleeping soundly and she falls. Every once in a great while mine will have a "night fright" nightmare and fall and thrash about. I go let her out and comfort her for quite some time before she is ready to go back to her perch. And it would be hard since Sherman is not comfortable with you yet. Give it some time. As for the snap pea. Jade holds it in her foot and peels the cover off only eating the peas within. Maybe Sherman doesn't know there are goodies within or can't balance well enough to open it. Jade also loves, loves her pine nuts (pignolies). Feed sparingly though.

 

[LSA]

I've looked before and our grocery store doesn't carry them, but Walmart might.

I was thinking of getting a big piece of fleece at the fabric store - it's inexpensive right now cause it is summer. You could cut it into appropriately sized squares. You could even layer them and just remove the top one.

There are probably several fabric stores in Shreveport. They have a Supercenter Walmart so assume they sell fabric, too.
While the birds are at the vet, I go over there. And Texarkana on the Texas side Is BIG, too, so surely has one. I know they had a Hobby Lobby on the Texas side several years ago that carried fabric. The Walmart that's about 20 minutes away doesn't carry fabric. There's a new Home Depot about an hour and a half up the road everybody's talking about. Does Home Depot sell fabric? Oh oh oh there's a thrift store and a dollar store in the town that's only 15-20 minutes away... I bet one of them has fabric.
When we're in Shreveport, I'm going to buy a baby monitor for Sherman like @Dartman suggested.

 

[finchly]

Home Depot doesn't have fabric. If you go to a thrift store, just buy a piece of clothing and cut it up. I have an old sheet in the closet I might use for a covering.

I pulled out a piece of fleece today and cut into 2 sections (in case they crawl under it), put in the cage and covered it with paper towels. This is Rio's cage but Capt Jack is in their with her right now. So far they have been rolling on it for over an hour! Seems like they like it!

 

[LSA]

Home Depot doesn't have fabric. If you go to a thrift store, just buy a piece of clothing and cut it up. I have an old sheet in the closet I might use for a covering.

I have some batting. The thrift store sells clothes. Do I need to make them into quilts?
I thought Home Depot was just a fancy hardware store. They sounded HUGE though so hoped.
I sewed dark sheets bought in TX as cage covers. They have a casing for cordage already sewn in! I tie the cordage to the handles.
I ate the Golden Berries! Too bad, Sherman. They were good!

 

[finchly]

quilts would be softer but I didn't because I worry about mine chewing through. Yours might not though.

Your cage covers sound great! LOL about the Golden Berries!

 

[LSA]

Sherman is VERY introverted. Chewing has yet to be a concern, but that may change.

We head to the vet tomorrow. When I switched Sherman for Glenn, they changed our appointment day. It's going to be the new AV only. Glenn and Tommy have never met him. He trimmed Sherman's nails last month and answered some questions. The conures, like Tommy, will only know him. It's probably obvious that I'm excited that Sherman, Tommy and I get a daytrip!