lisaraby
Strolling the yard
Indie has decided that I am not the worst and now lets me give her head scratches and pinfeather removal!! Eek!!
Her pinfeathers got so bad and she got SO aggressive from aggravation that one day last week I decided that that was enough, I got a towel and held her to get some of the most obvious pins right on the top of her head. I wish I was exaggerating when I say I think she had about a hundred on her head alone. It was BAD. So, I got a bunch them then gave her lots of millet for being good and patient. Then I did the same the next day and got even more. I repeated this every day for about five days - by the last few days she would hunker down in the towel and let me use both hands to find the pins at the back of her neck. I think she realized it's helping by then!
Then, on Friday night, she came right up to me and put her head down ASKING for scratches!!! No nips, no bites, she just let me (gently) scratch her head and she even let me get under her chin. It was WAY too cute. So now she lets me know when she'd like some help with her feathers!
I can't believe the personality change on her in the last week. She doesn't bite (me, anyway) half as hard as she used to, she lets me know when she wants to play and when she wants alone time, and she's much chattier too. I think she's trying to sound out "thank you" now!
I also made her some new toys last week and she's gotten into those quickly. I bought a lot of unused wine bottle corks off a friend and now I have about 200 of them for her to chew through, as well as some untreated wood from an apple tree which she's decided is great. It's hilarious to watch a bird walk around with a stick in her mouth!
So, Indie and I are friends and she's got a bunch of stuff to do. Lots of smiles at my place these days!
Her pinfeathers got so bad and she got SO aggressive from aggravation that one day last week I decided that that was enough, I got a towel and held her to get some of the most obvious pins right on the top of her head. I wish I was exaggerating when I say I think she had about a hundred on her head alone. It was BAD. So, I got a bunch them then gave her lots of millet for being good and patient. Then I did the same the next day and got even more. I repeated this every day for about five days - by the last few days she would hunker down in the towel and let me use both hands to find the pins at the back of her neck. I think she realized it's helping by then!
Then, on Friday night, she came right up to me and put her head down ASKING for scratches!!! No nips, no bites, she just let me (gently) scratch her head and she even let me get under her chin. It was WAY too cute. So now she lets me know when she'd like some help with her feathers!
I can't believe the personality change on her in the last week. She doesn't bite (me, anyway) half as hard as she used to, she lets me know when she wants to play and when she wants alone time, and she's much chattier too. I think she's trying to sound out "thank you" now!
I also made her some new toys last week and she's gotten into those quickly. I bought a lot of unused wine bottle corks off a friend and now I have about 200 of them for her to chew through, as well as some untreated wood from an apple tree which she's decided is great. It's hilarious to watch a bird walk around with a stick in her mouth!
So, Indie and I are friends and she's got a bunch of stuff to do. Lots of smiles at my place these days!
