Help! Need Advice on Bird Choice

[crt95]

CHRISTINE!!! SOOOOO happy to see you here Ana - Christine basiclly went through the same thing you are going through. Give it time....you are doing awesome! She/he will come around. Some take longer then others.

Danielle, I have very much missed AA or AAA for some! LOL! We have been so busy working on our new house every weekend, went on vacation, etc. But Sabrina is doing absolutely fantastic. She is still not clipped. But she is very lazy and never flies. But it is still on a trial basis with her. When she does fly it's straight to her cage only she has no desire to go anywhere else. If that desire changes I will probably end up getting her clipped. She is also back to doing well with both of us no more anti Daddy. I think it was a phase or a testing to see what she could get away with. Aaron is in charge of bathtime which is her favorite so that helps!

Ana, please feel free to email me with questions or concerns. Just message me on here and I'll give you my personal email. Danielle is also great for OW advice. She helped me through every step with Sabrina. I'm not sure we would of made it, if it wasn't for her. You'd be amazed Sabrina is not the same bird that came into my house last June. It takes time and patience but you can get your OW baby to the same point. Plus you have a baby, I have an 18 year old lady stuck in her ways! I also had a behavorist come out and it was the best thing I ever did. Danielle tried to explain over the phone but we really needed someone there in our home to show us and reassure us that she was not going to bite us and ripe our arm off. She was more training us (the humans) on what to do and how to behave. To do this day she has never tried to bite, but we do not give her the opportunity.
I would suggest getting him/her tested for sex. That can change things there is a difference between males and females. Not as much in OW's as other 'zons. But it is still important in my opinion.

If you wear glasses, get rid of those and see if it changes anything after a few days.

Funny my glasses never bothered Sabrina. I had wondered about it though. I always thought it would but I guess not.

s/he was sooooo interested in my freshly popped popcorn that s/he actually took a piece from my outstretched hand when I held it still for a long time and spoke softly.

Sabrina adores popcorn. When Sabrina first came to us I used anything that she really liked to get her to break down the ways. It works. Just keep going everyday will be progress. One day you'll realized that it seems like h/she was always there and you can't imagine life with out h/her.
Nutter Butters and chips are big treats in my house also. But she doesn't get them much anymore since they are fatting. But in the beginning we didn't care about that part the relationship part was more important.

 

[AmazonFan]

Thank you so much! Great advice! Tonight we're back to being scared, but no screaming. Ah, one step forward...and one back, LOL!

 

[crt95]

Don't get discouraged just take it day by day. In the beginning we only had 1 or 2 good (non scared / happy) days a week. But after time the good days would out number the bad ones. But even now we still have bad days every once in a while. It's all part of being owned by a bird.
Did you do anything different yesterday? Or anything different today.

 

[AmazonFan]

Christine, you are so kind. Yes, I'll be patient. Nothing different today but trying to get baby back into the cage last night was traumatic. I felt like our earlier popcorn honeymoon had been forgotten. Tonight I'm reading and knitting and singing every on in a while. Thank you so ,uch for your support and advice - means a lot. I have met so many kind people on here!

 

[MommyBird]

It's OK if progress is uneven or even backwards sometimes!
To address getting her back into the cage.......is it physically possible for the bird to easily negotiate whatever path she must from where she is to inside the cage? Have you ever seen her do it? You may need to add a rope perch or a platform so she can make all the reaches. Really take a hard look at this, and folks have lots of suggestions for how to do this - I've gotten some good ones!
Don't be afraid to use a favorite treat or toy to bribe or lure her to go into the cage or to step up onto a stick.
Bribes/lures are not positive reinforcement training, but they are "allowed"
I think it is helpful to have a bedtime/going back into cage routine.
Things like putting your stuff away, putting a fresh water dish in, then turning off some lights, then getting the popcorn lure going.
This helps them know what is going to happen and what is expected of them. I know, it's hard till you get it established. But she has only been there such a short time, and you are doing well!

 

[AmazonFan]

Hi Debbie - I'm not so sure she knows anything about stick training or step up, for that matter. She did for her previous owner but I'm not so sure that was training so much as desperation to get out of the carrier. I think she's had very little interaction for a baby. My attempt last night to get her to step up on a stick resulted in more fear and getting back in to the cage was another odyssey. Yes, I think she can get in and out easily but am wondering if perhaps I should keep her inside for a day or two and end the days on positive notes instead of the terror it's become each night. I'm in the midst of building a 'bird tree' and hope that taking her out of the room and away from the cage might want to make her return to it. I feel kind of down because I hate seeing how scared I make her. Not rational, I know, but I worry she'll never take to me.

 

[marian]

You've gotten some wonderful advice on here. All I can add is just be patient with her. Her whiole world is turned upside down right now. Just give it time and you will have a wonderful new feathered friend.I think a playstand might help out. She could come out on her cage then to the stand.Getting her back in find out what her favorite treat is. Use food to entice her back in.

 

[Holiday]

I think she's had very little interaction for a baby.

Hi there, I don't have any 'zon experience, so I can't offer advice along those lines, but I've been watching this thread with interest (you're getting wonderful advice, by the way). Anyway, as I was reading, and especially when you said the above, it occurred to me that your young 'zon acts somewhat like my young Illiger's macaw did at first. I got him at age 9 months, and he behaved somewhat as you describe--very hand phobic, very hands off, very leery of people. Anyway, when I traced his band number, I found his breeder, who told me that he had been parent-raised. This was very helpful information and gave me better insight into what I was dealing with. I immediately shifted things into low gear and re-set my timeline.

So, is there perhaps a chance that this bird was parent-raised?

If so, it doesn't mean you can't build a relationship with the bird. It will just take longer and there may be a few things that you won't be able to do. For example, Patrick, my Illiger's, has been with me for a year now. He will step up, and he will give me kisses through the bars of his cage. He talks and laughs, and he sometimes likes for me to touch his toes, but he will not allow scritches, and if I try to rearrange his cage, he can become very agitated. I don't think he will ever want petting, but he's a very nice bird. It took a long time for him to get comfortable here, though. A very long time.

 

[MommyBird]

Hi Debbie - I'm not so sure she knows anything about stick training or step up, for that matter. She did for her previous owner but I'm not so sure that was training so much as desperation to get out of the carrier. I think she's had very little interaction for a baby. My attempt last night to get her to step up on a stick resulted in more fear and getting back in to the cage was another odyssey. Yes, I think she can get in and out easily but am wondering if perhaps I should keep her inside for a day or two and end the days on positive notes instead of the terror it's become each night. I'm in the midst of building a 'bird tree' and hope that taking her out of the room and away from the cage might want to make her return to it. I feel kind of down because I hate seeing how scared I make her. Not rational, I know, but I worry she'll never take to me.

I think you are VERY wise not to train your bird to be afraid of you. I wonder how you will get her from the cage to another room to the bird tree though if she will not stepup calmly. Wait on this, do not rush her.
I think keeping her in the cage for a few days and building trust rather than scaring her is a great idea.
Now, I'm going to do something I very rarely do - suggest someone buy something. It is only because I have no way of really describing what to do to you as quickly as I think you need it. And like you, I want to avoid making your bird terrified and end sessions on a positive note.
There is an e-book on stepping up. Videos show you better than I can describe. Good Bird Parrot Training eBook - Training to Step Up
Her online magazine (published 4x annually) is also good and you get back issues as part of the subscription.
Take a look at it, and still give her a few days in cage to build trust again before you try.

You are like me when I first got Chico long ago. He had been inside a cage for 30 years and knew NOTHING. You sense that punishment and the old ways of forcing a bird to do something are not going to create a good relationship. I did a lot of it by intuition, then I finally found Karen Pryor and clicker training/positive reinforcement. My brain almost exploded!!!! You have a good intuition too. I think this is what you are looking for.

 

[AmazonFan]

Hi Holiday...no way of knowing the parentage. I got a card for the breeder but no luck in getting a response. Debbie, I will get the book and subscribe - feel free to tell me to buy anything and everything that will help me to forge a healthy and happy relationship with my new baby. I also picked up a book called 'The Second Hand Parrot' and one on bird training and making bird toys. I have been reading them to her, LOL. Your support and advice is so appreciated, you really should know that. Thank you, gracias, merci....you are awesome (as are all of my contributors - how lucky am I?)!!!!!!!

 

[crt95]

I think you are VERY wise not to train your bird to be afraid of you. I wonder how you will get her from the cage to another room to the bird tree though if she will not stepup calmly. Wait on this, do not rush her

This was the hardest advice for me to take. But it really is true. From the beginning I wanted so bad for Sabrina to come out and hang out with us and couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t and why she was so scared. After a few weeks of her being with us Sabrina spent an entire night sleeping on the top of her cage because she refused to come down. I got no sleep from worrying about her being up there. After that night I decided to take the above advice. She went to the top of the cage because she was scared and it was the highest spot she could get to. The behaviorist told us that Sabrina’s only exit out of our cage should be on our hand, no playing on the outside of her cage that teaches independence and does not form a relationship. I think this is good advice for the beginning when the relationship is new and forming. Sabrina does play on her cage some now but she steps up with no problem from it because we have a relationship now. So this is not a permanent thing. She did not get on playstand until she had been with us for about 4 months. Now she spends every moment we are home on it and loves it. So please be patient and do not rush things. I know it’s very, very hard. But remember this is a new place and the only safety she has right now is the inside of her cage. I think not trying to get her out for a while is good. Form a relationship through the cage bars than slowly start trying to touch her and give her scritches through the bars and special treats through the bars. The bars are a type of security for her. The bond will begin to form with time.

BTW, do you have pics posted anywhere?

Also, you have come to the right place. Most all of the people on this thread all advised me on what to do when we got Sabrina. They are all fantastic! I'm really not sure if Sabrina would be where she is at now if it wasn't for AA. We went through a really rough time in the beginning and AA got us through it. Now Sabrina seems as if she was always with us and will always be with us. You will have bad days but AA is always here to help you through it. If you go backwards some days it's normal.

 

[Mythreeiggys]

Danielle, I have very much missed AA or AAA for some! LOL! We have been so busy working on our new house every weekend, went on vacation, etc. But Sabrina is doing absolutely fantastic. She is still not clipped. But she is very lazy and never flies. But it is still on a trial basis with her. When she does fly it's straight to her cage only she has no desire to go anywhere else. If that desire changes I will probably end up getting her clipped. She is also back to doing well with both of us no more anti Daddy. I think it was a phase or a testing to see what she could get away with. Aaron is in charge of bathtime which is her favorite so that helps!

Ana, please feel free to email me with questions or concerns. Just message me on here and I'll give you my personal email. Danielle is also great for OW advice. She helped me through every step with Sabrina. I'm not sure we would of made it, if it wasn't for her. You'd be amazed Sabrina is not the same bird that came into my house last June. It takes time and patience but you can get your OW baby to the same point. Plus you have a baby, I have an 18 year old lady stuck in her ways! I also had a behavorist come out and it was the best thing I ever did. Danielle tried to explain over the phone but we really needed someone there in our home to show us and reassure us that she was not going to bite us and ripe our arm off. She was more training us (the humans) on what to do and how to behave. To do this day she has never tried to bite, but we do not give her the opportunity.
I would suggest getting him/her tested for sex. That can change things there is a difference between males and females. Not as much in OW's as other 'zons. But it is still important in my opinion.


Funny my glasses never bothered Sabrina. I had wondered about it though. I always thought it would but I guess not.



Sabrina adores popcorn. When Sabrina first came to us I used anything that she really liked to get her to break down the ways. It works. Just keep going everyday will be progress. One day you'll realized that it seems like h/she was always there and you can't imagine life with out h/her.
Nutter Butters and chips are big treats in my house also. But she doesn't get them much anymore since they are fatting. But in the beginning we didn't care about that part the relationship part was more important.

Yay for Sabrina! I hear ya on being busy! I am so glad to hear all is well and Ms Sabrina is still the queen

Ana-you've gotten some great advice. Number on thing to remember is patience. In time she will come around and be the best companion you could ever ask for!

 

[AmazonFan]

Hi Christine - your story is inspirational. I don't have pictures posted yet, haven't had a chance to upload them onto my laptop and for some reason I can't upload them from my iPad. But I will soon...think he's gorgeous, of course. Ty for your support!

 

[Fuzzy]

Oh goodness - you got the Orange-wing! Wonderful decision!!

I rehomed Ollie a year and 7 months ago. He's 8 or 9 years old now. It took quite a few weeks for me to be able to actually look at him without scaring him... and it's only just recently that he is ok if I look at him head on with my two preditor-like eyes! It took a patient 6 months to get him to feel comfortable about stepping up on a hand held perch and to bring him just outside his cage for a palm nut. It took over a year before he actively seeked out head scratches... nobody had been able to touch him before. And it took him exactly a year and a half to decide to fly out of his cage himself - a wonderful Christmas present. Along the way I have taught him to target a chopstick and more recently to hold his feet steady whilst I cut his nails... both reinforced with pieces of cashew. It's been an incredible journey of learning for both of us and each wonderful step he's achieved has brought us closer and closer together.

Like crt95 and Sabrina - Ollie is nothing like the bird who came to live with me... the sad, mute statue who was afraid of everything.

Don't push him beyond what he's is comfortable with and you will end up with a loyal friend for life.

 

[AmazonFan]

A story that made me tear up, Fuzzy. I'm grateful for all the advice and anecdotes and suggestions. I believe these are all lucky, lucky birds. I'm so glad I rehomed this baby and will be patient as I know it's just a matter of time before we are fast friends. I've started targeting too with a knotting needle and s/he's a fast learner!! Just being able to have him/her near me - even if it was the treats and not my company, LOL - felt great. I have many blessings in my life and the support you've all shown me is one of them.

 

[melissasparrots]

If the bird is taking treats from your hand, that is a very good sign. A bird that is scared out of its mind or even just uncomfortable with you, will either not take the treat, or will take it and drop it. Targeting is a great idea.
Melissa

 

[AmazonFan]

Update: Today I was forced to euthanize Baby. He had been limping and after two courses of antibiotics and sleepless nights, he worsened. Today he was on the bottom of his cage, legs stiff. The vet said it was probably a degenerative spinal disorder or a tumor, as he was only 10 months old. I'm out over 1100 dollars and have nothing to show for it but an empty cage and broken heart. I thought I was doing the right thing in giving a needy bird a home and love and patient care. I could just die I am so devastated. My thanks to all of you who had been so kind. RIP Baby.

 

[merlinsmom13]

 

[Mythreeiggys]

Update: Today I was forced to euthanize Baby. He had been limping and after two courses of antibiotics and sleepless nights, he worsened. Today he was on the bottom of his cage, legs stiff. The vet said it was probably a degenerative spinal disorder or a tumor, as he was only 10 months old. I'm out over 1100 dollars and have nothing to show for it but an empty cage and broken heart. I thought I was doing the right thing in giving a needy bird a home and love and patient care. I could just die I am so devastated. My thanks to all of you who had been so kind. RIP Baby.

OMG!! I am SO sorry! Fly free little one

 

[Fuzzy]

I'm so very sorry AmazonFan. Fly free Baby.