The barbering is back >.<

[Xoetix]

Today would make day four of me having a new full-time job after being a stay at home mom since I’ve first gotten Isadora.

Three full days in, and she’s already gone back to barbering her shoulders. She’s got a million toys, and I haven’t gotten paid yet so I can’t splurge on a fancy hanging toy for her, but she’s definitely not going after the wood blocks like she used to. Instead, in my absence, she’s chewing on her feathers again.

Im doing everything I can’t to spend as much time as possible with her - today I’m up at 430am, with the birds until 730am, work until 530ish, then with the birds from 6 to 8pm.

Yes, less than 12 hours, I know. Not ideal from everything I’ve read. But I’m still working out the kinks out of the schedule. Day 1 was more sleep time, but less out time, and that’s when I saw she’s starting to barber again.

I’m at a bit of a loss on this. What else can I do to try and mitigate this? She’s got all the wood blocks she could chew, a couple SS toys, natural branches to chew on, extra paper to shred, and we’re doing bath time twice a week (it’s been dry here with the heat back on).

 

[Emma&pico]

Bless her maybe it’s just getting used to new routine and she will stop again once she used to it
With pico I had to massively up the foraging making him work for his food helped

 

[Elizabeth]

Awww I just saw your comment on my own feather destruction thread.

Bender now gets only fresh food in his bowl. He has to forage for the rest. I measure out his daily seeds and pellets and put them in paper lunch bags stuffed with shredded newspaper. Dirt cheap to make and he gets a new one daily.

that has helped some. You have so much dedication to give your birds that much attention while working full time

 

[Icey]

Are you leaving the TV or Radio on for them during the day?
How are your other birds doing?

 

[Pixiebeak]

Foraging as mentioned by Elizabeth, tho you have to start easy if they haven't before..

Tell her when you leave , it's work day back home tonight.

I've heard of stuffing their cage with sticks ..I used Brown paper bags cut into fringe hanging over stuff. Frilly paper toys

And Camille tea before you go

Also accepting nothing may help ...

 

[Xoetix]

Are you leaving the TV or Radio on for them during the day?
How are your other birds doing?

Everyone else is totally fine, it’s just my problem child

Also accepting nothing may help ...

 

[Xoetix]

Awww I just saw your comment on my own feather destruction thread.

Bender now gets only fresh food in his bowl. He has to forage for the rest. I measure out his daily seeds and pellets and put them in paper lunch bags stuffed with shredded newspaper. Dirt cheap to make and he gets a new one daily.

that has helped some. You have so much dedication to give your birds that much attention while working full time

I’ve tried a few different foraging things with her, she just doesn’t care about it which is killer. I’ve even used the paper in the bottom of her cage that she likes to shred - she won’t actively forage for anything. Even cashews

 

[Icey]

Are you leaving the TV or Radio on for them?

 

[Birdie Mama]

' Can you set a camera up and talk to her throughout the day? Or a recording of some kind that you could have on a timer to repeat every so often so she thinks you are in another room…

 

[Xoetix]

Are you leaving the TV or Radio on for them?

The radio, yeah. The bird room doesn't have a a TV

 

[Xoetix]

' Can you set a camera up and talk to her throughout the day? Or a recording of some kind that you could have on a timer to repeat every so often so she thinks you are in another room…

The only problem with that is, I think it would set her on a screaming fit

 

[Elizabeth]

For my birds’ feather destructive problems I am trying to adopt the attitude of acceptance for today. Kind of like the body positive movement.

That doesn’t mean I’m giving in or giving up. It could stop next week if my vet finds a simple cause and solution. It could stop gradually within a few weeks if one or more of the many dietary and environmental changes I’m trying work. It could get worse and never stop.

There’s no telling. All I can do is focus on them and not their tattered feathers and take it one day at a time. Because one thing that definitely makes it worse is me stressing over it.

 

[April]

How has Isadora been doing? Any improvements?

 

[SumitaSinh]

Today would make day four of me having a new full-time job after being a stay at home mom since I’ve first gotten Isadora.

Three full days in, and she’s already gone back to barbering her shoulders. She’s got a million toys, and I haven’t gotten paid yet so I can’t splurge on a fancy hanging toy for her, but she’s definitely not going after the wood blocks like she used to. Instead, in my absence, she’s chewing on her feathers again.

Im doing everything I can’t to spend as much time as possible with her - today I’m up at 430am, with the birds until 730am, work until 530ish, then with the birds from 6 to 8pm.

Yes, less than 12 hours, I know. Not ideal from everything I’ve read. But I’m still working out the kinks out of the schedule. Day 1 was more sleep time, but less out time, and that’s when I saw she’s starting to barber again.

I’m at a bit of a loss on this. What else can I do to try and mitigate this? She’s got all the wood blocks she could chew, a couple SS toys, natural branches to chew on, extra paper to shred, and we’re doing bath time twice a week (it’s been dry here with the heat back on).

View attachment 441997
View attachment 441998

Facing similar issue with my hahns. I'm following this thread...

 

[SumitaSinh]

I

Awww I just saw your comment on my own feather destruction thread.

Bender now gets only fresh food in his bowl. He has to forage for the rest. I measure out his daily seeds and pellets and put them in paper lunch bags stuffed with shredded newspaper. Dirt cheap to make and he gets a new one daily.

that has helped some. You have so much dedication to give your birds that much attention while working full time

I'm going to apply this.

 

[Xoetix]

How has Isadora been doing? Any improvements?

No - but nothing worse either. She seems to only barber to a certain point, and from there she’s either slowing down or leaving it alone

 

[April]

No - but nothing worse either. She seems to only barber to a certain point, and from there she’s either slowing down or leaving it alone

That's encouraging at least! Fingers crossed she'll stop again soon.

 

[Parutti]

This might feel a little silly but I do think it helps.

I talk about my schedule for the coming week to all my pets when I'm getting things ready on Sunday. My dog knows all day Sundays that Sunday is visit-the-neighbor-cat night aka "wine night", so I figure my parrots for sure are aware of my routines.

I especially tell Opie literally what I'm doing each day and whether I'll be home before dark or not.

Every workday morning when I get up I tell Opie today is a work day, "wanna come out and help me get ready"? On the weekends I just ask if he wants to come out.

When I leave for work I say, "bye guys, have a good day!" and Opie usually yells something random like "Peek-a-boo!"

But on weekends if I leave for errands I'll say, "ok guys I'm leaving for a bit, I'll be right back" and every single time Opie says "ok be right back!"

When I check on my camera during the week around 10am, Opie is always busy building his nest or looking in hidey spots in his cage for seeds.

When I check while I'm on a weekend errand run around 10am, Opie is almost always just chilling and talking to himself.

So I think for his personality it does really help for me to differentiate work day and home day, and I keep to the same routine every work day both before and after work.

If only Cotton would decide he needs to build a giant nest that takes up all his time

 

[Emma&pico]

This might feel a little silly but I do think it helps.

I talk about my schedule for the coming week to all my pets when I'm getting things ready on Sunday. My dog knows all day Sundays that Sunday is visit-the-neighbor-cat night aka "wine night", so I figure my parrots for sure are aware of my routines.

I especially tell Opie literally what I'm doing each day and whether I'll be home before dark or not.

Every workday morning when I get up I tell Opie today is a work day, "wanna come out and help me get ready"? On the weekends I just ask if he wants to come out.

When I leave for work I say, "bye guys, have a good day!" and Opie usually yells something random like "Peek-a-boo!"

But on weekends if I leave for errands I'll say, "ok guys I'm leaving for a bit, I'll be right back" and every single time Opie says "ok be right back!"

When I check on my camera during the week around 10am, Opie is always busy building his nest or looking in hidey spots in his cage for seeds.

When I check while I'm on a weekend errand run around 10am, Opie is almost always just chilling and talking to himself.

So I think for his personality it does really help for me to differentiate work day and home day, and I keep to the same routine every work day both before and after work.

If only Cotton would decide he needs to build a giant nest that takes up all his time

Love this

 

[Xoetix]

I checked the camera I have in the bird room, and while she’s not screaming, she’s not… doing anything. I’ve checked on her a few times over the past few hours and she’s in the same spot - Not chewing wood, playing with anything, screaming, barbering. She’s just sitting there.

Having to work is dumb. My bird is sad.