I'm Doing Something Wrong

[Nancy B]

...I have no idea what it is. Since late March Freddy has been molting. Since then he has not wanted to be touched or handled. Which, I get it, some birds don't. He always shares my lunch with me when I am at home. However he only eats when in his cage, on his perch, and I feed him through the bars. I pull a chair over so he's at my shoulder level. Today he's on top of his cage. He yipped the entire time I was making a salad and I yip back, telling him to come see me. Does anyone know what YIP YIP YIP is in their language? I know this sounds stupid, but sometimes when I copy his YIP, he gets excited and sometimes he gets mad. Today I came to him with lunch and he RAN to the other end of the cage top! He's been with us 6 mos and still needs the security of his cage when he eats with us. Before molting started, he came upstairs and sat on a kitchen chair and ate foods with us, handfeeding him. Why does he seem to be regressing??

 

[Hjarta5]

I dont have any experience with 'toos, but I know both my quaker and sennie are easily irritable when they are molting. How often does Freddy take a shower/bath? It may help with the molt process.

 

[cassiesdad]

Some birds prefer eating in and around their cage. When we gave Elvis a cashew, he always flew back to his cage to eat it....just the way he went about it, I guess.

I prefer Milton, when he dines with us, to eat on or in his cage....it's a lot less messy in the long run...and it keeps him from stealing "forbidden" foods.
Also, I don't like my birds to be in the kitchen for any reason...that's just my feeling.

We've had birds eat at the dinner table in the past...Titan, for example. He loved spaghetti and meatballs...and you can imagine the craziness when he would run over to your plate, grab a meatball, and drag it up to your shoulder to eat it.

The "yipping" just seems to be a way of communicating you and Freddy have. He comes to you in whatever mood he's in...the vocalizations are just a bonus for you and him.

As for molting...both of my cockatoos really seem not to have what I'd call a "major molt"...it seems to me they're always losing feathers in a very minor way almost at any time....about every five or six months, Milty will lose a few feathers over about a week....usually led by three or four crest feathers. He's got four new crest feathers coming in right now...and they're always nasty looking blood feathers. I always make sure his crest gets totally soaked...to make those pinnies soft and easier to unfurl...

 

[Birdbabe]

My IRN is in a serious molt right now,,hes usually a velcro bird, but right now does not want to be touched is hanging out on his cage, by the water bowl, the fan, and is even lunging at me,,which he never does! I hope your guy is just being a molty grump,,,like mine.

 

[JLcribber]

Well two considerations right off the bat.

1. He is not regressing because he is an adult bird. Right about now (6 months) is a perfect time for the honeymoon to be coming to an end. What he “is”starting to do is change “back” into the bird he was/is.

2. You can’t possibly know all of Freddys behaviours and quirks because you have not even had him for one full season. Different times of the season bring on different kinds of behaviors.

You will not begin to understand these things until you see them again next season.

 

[JLcribber]

It’s been my experience that hens have a much more pronounced moulting period as compared to males. The males just seem to lose a few and get a few all the time.

 

[sunnysmom]

Some birds prefer eating in and around their cage. When we gave Elvis a cashew, he always flew back to his cage to eat it....just the way he went about it, I guess.

...

LOL. And when I put a cashew in Elvis's cage, he flies over and eats it one me. Silly bird.

Every day is different with a cockatoo. LOL. As was suggested, he may just be growing up, he may be cranky because he's molting, or he may just be doing it because that what he feels like doing right now. It's always seems to be a bit of a crap shoot.

 

[MiniMacaw]

Don’t be hard on yourself, I really don’t think this is anything you’ve done at all. I have a macaw, not toos, but when Bowser is covered in pins he is a cranky fella. He asks for showers every day during that time and after when I’d normally give him scritches he runs to the top of his aviary (his safe space) and stays away from life lol. He just feels yucky with all those pins and doesn’t want to interact. This doesn’t happen often but it’s just part of the ebb and flow of his behavior depending on season and many other factors.
I’d take it as a good thing that he feels safe at/on his cage. It’s so hard to not take things personally from our parrots behavior lol but I try to be consistent with myself. I’ll still stay close to him and talk and sing and when he’s ready and comes down from his aviary to crawl up my leg lol I’ll act like there was no lull and go about the day as normal.
I find that the more time I spend with Bowser, the more I realize how much about his thinking I have to learn. These guys are so intelligent they sure give us a run for our money.

 

[Nancy B]

Thank you ALL so much! I realize in his eyes he hasn't been here long and it's very possible he's going back to being his real self. Part of me thinks that 3 weeks back in March when we were holding and cuddling him every day was possibly his way of showing us he accepted us. And ok, they know I love them so now the real Freddy comes out lol. Just like any pet, it's getting to know them. The lovebirds are so predictable. Freddy is so unpredictable! Lol
Yesterday was the first day in a while that I was able to get him to take a shower. And I misted him for a while. Poor birdie really loved that. He has a couple of pin feathers on his crest and several around his neck. I try to relax, I just don't want to be irritating him.

 

[Nancy B]

Some birds prefer eating in and around their cage. When we gave Elvis a cashew, he always flew back to his cage to eat it....just the way he went about it, I guess.

I prefer Milton, when he dines with us, to eat on or in his cage....it's a lot less messy in the long run...and it keeps him from stealing "forbidden" foods.
Also, I don't like my birds to be in the kitchen for any reason...that's just my feeling.

We've had birds eat at the dinner table in the past...Titan, for example. He loved spaghetti and meatballs...and you can imagine the craziness when he would run over to your plate, grab a meatball, and drag it up to your shoulder to eat it.

The "yipping" just seems to be a way of communicating you and Freddy have. He comes to you in whatever mood he's in...the vocalizations are just a bonus for you and him.

As for molting...both of my cockatoos really seem not to have what I'd call a "major molt"...it seems to me they're always losing feathers in a very minor way almost at any time....about every five or six months, Milty will lose a few feathers over about a week....usually led by three or four crest feathers. He's got four new crest feathers coming in right now...and they're always nasty looking blood feathers. I always make sure his crest gets totally soaked...to make those pinnies soft and easier to unfurl...

Ha what a riot! I can't imagine him running to get a meatball and hopping on your SHOULDERS to eat it! What a mess! I guess it's a good idea he likes his cage for meals. Lol. Sounds like that would create a big issue.

Glad to know yipping is just communication. I began to wonder if I was picking an argument lol.

 

[cassiesdad]

Yesterday was the first day in a while that I was able to get him to take a shower. And I misted him for a while. Poor birdie really loved that. He has a couple of pin feathers on his crest and several around his neck. I try to relax, I just don't want to be irritating him.

Misting does help the pinnies...it softens them and seems to relieve the itchiness.

 

[Nancy B]

My family tells me Freddy will respond to my yips only lol. They have tried yipping and he just stares I guess birdie chirping is an art form!

 

[cassiesdad]

My family tells me Freddy will respond to my yips only lol.

You're on his wavelength...

 

[Nancy B]

You're on his wavelength...

That makes me happy. He's so cute...I say YIP-YIP-YIP, and he chirps YIP- YIP- YIP, then I say YAAAAAYYYY! I think it's like hip hip hooray!
He's cute...

 

[Nancy B]

LOL. And when I put a cashew in Elvis's cage, he flies over and eats it one me. Silly bird.

Every day is different with a cockatoo. LOL. As was suggested, he may just be growing up, he may be cranky because he's molting, or he may just be doing it because that what he feels like doing right now. It's always seems to be a bit of a crap shoot.

Lately he's getting sillier and sillier. Usually he treats his toy basket like the plague. Today Joe came upstairs then went back to his cage room, and couldn't find Freddy! Then we saw the toy basket lifting up and falling down with a thump. He was sitting behind it, pulling up on the bottom of it, and dropping it. Hahaha! Then he was throwing rocks in his foraging dish! Lol he's starting to play! We're so excited to see him play!

 

[sunnysmom]

Lately he's getting sillier and sillier. Usually he treats his toy basket like the plague. Today Joe came upstairs then went back to his cage room, and couldn't find Freddy! Then we saw the toy basket lifting up and falling down with a thump. He was sitting behind it, pulling up on the bottom of it, and dropping it. Hahaha! Then he was throwing rocks in his foraging dish! Lol he's starting to play! We're so excited to see him play!

I love seeing them play. Elvis discovered a paper towel roll yesterday. He chased it, rolled it, pounced on it, etc. It was adorable. So much for $25 toys, right? LOL.

 

[Nancy B]

I love seeing them play. Elvis discovered a paper towel roll yesterday. He chased it, rolled it, pounced on it, etc. It was adorable. So much for $25 toys, right? LOL.

I know it's like why bother. Give them empty bottles & newspapers, empty boxes & they're good! Lol too funny!

 

[Nancy B]

@sunnysmom @cassiesdad .......and ROCKS! I think his favorite things are the rocks from my rock garden! They are 7-8", stacked on top of each other. I want to get some more to build a little fieldstone wall in front of his toy basket lol. And the rocks & sticks in his foraging terra cotta saucer! He loves that! Trying all kinds of things to bring him out of his shell. My cutie.

 

[Nancy B]

I love seeing them play. Elvis discovered a paper towel roll yesterday. He chased it, rolled it, pounced on it, etc. It was adorable. So much for $25 toys, right? LOL.

Why don't you give him some rocks? I wonder if he would fly overhead and drop them like missles! That would be so funny to think about but wouldn't be funny at the time.

 

[Clueless]

I love seeing them play. Elvis discovered a paper towel roll yesterday. He chased it, rolled it, pounced on it, etc. It was adorable. So much for $25 toys, right? LOL.

Oh my. I have to look for a video.....

Lara Joseph..... Rico, Peek a Boo.....

Peek A Boo Rico! | Lara Joseph