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Jaco with anxiety

GuineaPigster

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She's looking very happy! :)
You can definitely cover their cages with blankets (in fact you should). Just make sure they can't ingest the fibers.
Many birds will fluff up when cold.
 

waterfaller1

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There is no need to cover your birds. No one covers them in the wild.... :rolleyes: They acclimate. ;)
 

BeakFace

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Hello again everyone:)
I must ask a few questions.
First of all Whisper is doing terrific. She's a very happy bird.
She's getting full of feathers, shes very friendly. We're not afraid of her anymore and my boyfriend can't stop telling that it's all because of me and that Whisper and him owe me a big thank you.
He's finally treating her and gives her love so it defiantly paid off to get her outside the cage.

I have two questions:
How would I know if she's cold and that she's not shivering of fright? Our house is quit cold most of the day in the winter. Do they like light blankets upon them?
The second question: there's a side in her behavior I can't understand. When she's on me sometimes she starts to make weird sounds like sucking or suction sounds. When she's doing that she keep asking me to cores her and if she's on my shoulder she's clinging onto me opening her mouth and dancing with her neck while she's spreading her wings. My boyfriend says she used to behave like that when she was a baby, and that's a good sign. Some other times she's lowering her neck on my hand and she even tries to climb on my head.
She went even further today. She did all that while she took out of mouth bits of pinnuts. I didn't know what to think.
I'm just hopping I'm one of the crew. I'm very curious of what this behavior indicates of.

Nitzan View attachment 167935
The only thing that concerns me is having this bird on your shoulder. I think you need a little more time to trust this bird and I would hate to see you get hurt so early in the learning game. I have five birds and I never let any of them intensionally on my shoulder. It does on occasional happen but I never encourage it. My Queen of Bavaria loves it on my shoulder and I do give in on rare occasions because he loves it so much and he can be trusted but I just feel like I am in a very vulnerable position! If they get startled your in trouble!
 

GuineaPigster

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There is no need to cover your birds. No one covers them in the wild.... :rolleyes: They acclimate. ;)
Here's where I disagree. Covering is a valuable way to make birds feel more secure and protect them from drafts. In the wild, they have dense growth.
 

Birdiemarie

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As for covering I think it depends on the birds. Some like it and some don't. :)
 

Rosebud

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Carole thanx a lot. And I'm so sorry I didn't respond to your comment.

We do have heat but it's impossible turning the heat on while we're at work. Evidently.
But now it's alright it's like spring lately. So for now problem solved.

We still have to deal with the biggest issue. Feather plucking.
We're trying to change the toys inside the cage from time to time but then she's frightening of the new toy (even if she had the time getting used to it).
It's getting worse again. She's even plucking when she's sitting on us.
Lately I have discovered that she loves eating wood. But she's frightening of swings and big toys of ropes for example. I'm afraid I won't ever see her in her fullest.
I read an article in which there was an Idea to use paper for making ties of it but it didn't stop the plucking.
I did manage to put her cage near the window for the sun, we had to pay for it but it's ok with me.
But it didn't affect the Bordom.

Does anyone have a new idea for me?
 

waterfaller1

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Have you had her checked by an avian vet? There are things that can medically cause plucking, like ABV, Giardia, feather mites, and others. That is where I would start. Diet can cause issues, what is her complete diet?
 

Rosebud

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Beakface WHisper wasn't raised like any bird. Right from the start she was surrounded with people. And she was never devoted to one person, not even to my boyfriend who practically raised her. She would have me right from the start. And she even lets me cores her back and when he does is she tries to bite him.
Positioning her on a shoulder was never problematic.

And about the blanket - I don't really believe it's affective against cold.

Carole we tried to give her calcium water for a while, but we were afraid it made her pluck even harder so we stopped it.
And also we sprayed her feathers with something. I don't remember what it was but it was all against the feather plucking.

I really believe it's the Bordom.
these birds are so hard to raise, I'm starting to consider giving her away:(
 

waterfaller1

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Why give up on her? Does she get foraging opportunities? Does she get lots of playtime outside of her cage? Do you rotate and offer new toys? You did not say what her diet consists of? Plucking is not the end all be all. Some birds do it from hormonal changes to start, and it becomes a habit, much like chewing your nails.
 

CrystalLeo

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Don't give up hope too quickly. Was there any change in routine or living arangements in the past while? Does he/she have a gbig enough cage to burn all the energy while both of you are at work? How long is he/she out of the cage every day?
And I agree with maybe getting whisper checked out by a vet. It might be an iritation that is causing the plucking.
Does whisper take showers or baths?
 

Rosebud

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She did have a lot of changes in th last year. First the apartment movement a year ago And than changing the cages location to expose her to the sun as possible. Once in a while I'm changing the toys position in the cage but my boyfriend thinks it's a little too much for her. I mean after getting her out the cage for the first time in a very long time and all the other changes.

I've uploaded a picture of a similar cage of what we have. This is what we could afford at the time.
She's been living in it for a year now. I don't believe it's optimistic but we can't upgrade at the moment.
We try to get her out the cage as much as we can, and give her as much attention.
After were taking her out spoiling her a bit, correcting kissing and talk to her, aventually it comes to the point where she's starting to wandering around the house and looking for something to chew.
She really loves the bathroom. Especially the sock drawer, she likes the wood that it's made of.
and when she sees the door is open she's practically running there, it's quit funny.

About the diet. Except p15 that we're feeding her on a regular basic. Shes getting a full supply of apples, oranges, nactarines, cucumber, and other sorts of vegetables and fruits. Sometimes I give her nuts and cornflakes for a snack. And also pulses that we bought especially for her in a pet store.

I keep her environment and dishes clean, and you already know that it's a lot of work. But it's done

Carole what do you mean by foraging? Am I suppose to imitate life in the forest for her? And how do I do that?

By the way, I will take her to the vet shortly.

In her cage there's fabric ropes and paper ties I Made for her. I don't think that changing their location in the cage is enough. I want to add a new toy to the cage. and we tried it already with 3 kind of toys gradually. We tried a round swing, a big device of ropes and cubes that's outside the cage for a long time to get her use to it (never happened). And we tried also a square swing with cubes attach to it.
They all were too much for her. The things that she loved are already inside the cage but it's not a lot.

About the time that we're getting her out.
I told my bf that we should take her out in the late mornings outside for twenty minutes or so. Just to sit on the porch and to get a little sun for a change. Only if we have the time. He's at home two days of the week so he can manage to do that sometimes. I'm coming home at 16:30 everyday and I take her out.
She's hanging with us most of the time until ten at night more or less. And occasionally when we give her a treat she's eating it on the top of the cage.

I wanted to make for her a daily routine so she would be prepared for any thing at any time.
And I need your help with it. I don't know half a thing about rearing birds.

Thank you so much Carole and everyone else. This means a lot to me.
And sorry for my English, hasn't been in the states and in South Africa for a very long time now ;)
 

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CrystalLeo

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Hahaha doesn't matter that your English isn't too good.
Cool so you have been in SA? That's awsome:D

The cage looks great. I just think it's still a matter of her settling in. It is different for every bird just like it is different for every person.
She's a beautiful bird, patience is the key to getting her happy with all the new changes.
Let us know how the vet visit goes! Hope all goes well!
Best wishes
 

Rosebud

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i wish someone can help me a bit more according to the last post i wrote.
thank you.
 

waterfaller1

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Good morning. What specifically are your concerns? About the foraging, we have a lot of ideas and information on this site. There is a search button on the top right. Simply hiding a treat inside something leads to foraging behavior. Here is one idea: Foraging Corn Pockets. | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum
Birds do pick up our anxieties, so relax and spend quality fun times with your bird. ;)
 

Rosebud

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hey Carole
and what about the time that she spends in the cage? that's an average time of 9 hours almost everyday.
and its quit hard to get her to find interest in new stuff. she starts plucking right away. we made a wood device for her to climb on. its standing in our living room for 3 weeks now but she doesn't even look its way.
we've tried to hide food but it didn't work out. i used a black box that shes not familiar with. i think that was the deal.
I'll search again on the site for new advice.
Thanks.
 

Theresa

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hey Carole
and what about the time that she spends in the cage? that's an average time of 9 hours almost everyday.
and its quit hard to get her to find interest in new stuff. she starts plucking right away. we made a wood device for her to climb on. its standing in our living room for 3 weeks now but she doesn't even look its way.
we've tried to hide food but it didn't work out. i used a black box that shes not familiar with. i think that was the deal.
I'll search again on the site for new advice.
Thanks.


Considering she was locked 24/7 in the cage for a few years before you took matters into your own hands, 9 hours is not really that big a deal.
Here is a link to a thread with some tips for different things Members handy-dandy tips for easy(er)parrot keeping! | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum
And here is a link to a site that has toys you can make yourself :)
CheepParrotToysNTips...Welcome!!!
 

macawpower58

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I know my parrot loves being able to play music himself while I'm at work. I bought him a toddlers little music box/radio toy thing. I wrap a chain around the handle and hung it outside his cage. He reaches through the bars and pushes the buttons to make it play.

I keep it on the outside because of the batteries. It didn't take him long to figure out how to make it work. I even hear him playing it in the middle of the night sometimes. He LOVES them!

This one I'm on now is a Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes. About 8 dollars USA. I get mine from Ebay. There's other kinds too. Anything that plays music from a button should work as long as it has a handle to hang it with.

 

Rosebud

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Thank you Theresa and Becky.
I really like your idea Becky, about the music toy.
The challenge will be to make her not to be afraid from it, because too much color frightens her.
 

macawpower58

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If she likes music and dancing, then introduce it to her that way. Make it fun when you bring it out. Most parrots love to sing, make noise and dance.

Just take it slow and let her learn to enjoy it. You don't have to hang it on her cage right away.


I'm on my third music toy. I like the music on this one best, but it's also the most delicate of the 3 I've had and will break the fastest.
 
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