Timneh African Grey Experience

[Shinobi]

get lots of foraging toys

 

[Shinobi]

I have also read once that if you get a lot of feathers and line them up in a row and hang them in the cage to allow the bird to preen them

 

[BirdGuy21]

He has a few foraging toys in his cage already as well as some shreddable and preening toys. I am working on getting him accustom to new things a few toys and perches at a time, so I will be adding more soon.

He has his vet visit scheduled for Tuesday morning. I gave them a brief run down of what I know of his history and requested blood work.

 

[BirdGuy21]

Time for an update on Harley. He has been doing really well diet wise and has started playing with toys on his play gym (but not in his cage). His plucking has ebbed and flowed already in the time we have had him. I noticed something today though that I thought might be interesting and maybe a clue into helping to stop his plucking/barbering.

As I think I mentioned before Wednesday/Thursday's are my close-open days at work, where I leave for afternoon shift then don't jump straight into a daylight shift Thursday (yes, its about as fun as it sounds), so I don't get to see the birds until Thursday evening. Today was a little different in that I went in an hour later so I was able to see the birds before I left. I took Harley out for a minute to say good morning, as I do to all the birds if I am home when they get up, and he promptly went poop once out of his cage. Fast forward to this afternoon, when I get home a little earlier than usual. I say hello to everyone, check on Harley for signs of plucking/barbering- there were no feathers at the bottom of the cage, hop in the shower, and clean the cages before I got anyone out. I come back up half an hour later and there are three pieces of snipped grey feather and multiple chewed up down feathers on the cage floor. Naturally I was upset, but I did my best to hide that from Harley.

As soon as I took him out he pooped just like in the morning, and shortly thereafter drooped his wings and started regurgitating for me. His previous owner told the rescue that he doesn't like to poop in the cage but will if he has too. I wonder if since I took him out this morning and let him poop outside the cage this helped relieve some discomfort, which might lead him to pluck? This afternoon I waited a little while before taking him out and perhaps he held his poop until then, causing some discomfort thus causing him to pluck/barber? I'm not really sure what to think, if there even is a specific set of reasons why he plucks; more likely a combination thereof.

My question is, if I do find that he starts to pluck or barber if I don't let him out right away would it better to get him out as soon as possible or hold off? I don't want to take him out as soon as possible all the time and inadvertently reward the feather destructive behavior. But on the flip side, I don't want him to pluck if being let out (whether it be to poop or just to be out) is the solution. I am probably overthinking the situation and will see what my vet says on Tuesday, but I wanted everyone here's opinion as well. I should also note that his cage is in the bird room upstairs, so I don't see him pluck/barber. I only notice when I go into the room to get him out.

 

[sunnysmom]

That's a tough one. I don't really know enough about plucking/barbering behavior to offer suggests. Weird about him not wanting to go to the bathroom in his cage. That can't be good for him. (Elvis is the opposite- he will only go to the bathroom in his/on his cage.)

 

[emdh]

Actually, none of my birds, including my Timneh like pooping in the cage. When I let them out in the morning they wait until they're on their stand and let it go! Same thing when I get home.
I think it's more common than not for all birds. They'd prefer not to poop in their homes.

 

[emdh]

Also, have you tried cardboard? When I have longer days at work, I leave BoBo with an egg carton that I've hidden treats and foot toys in. He loves it! I come home to a big shredded mess-which I always love to see!

 

[BirdGuy21]

So no feathers at the bottom of his cage today (save for one or two down feathers, which could have been normal molt). He was let out to poop in the morning and as soon as I got home this afternoon. I also noticed he playing with his preening rope toy- which makes me nervous from reading horror stories about crop impactipm, but it was one of his favorites from his former home. It will be taken out as soon as he settles in a few more days.

I will keep trying this method and see if we make any progress. Still way to early to tell if there is a correlation or not. He is still settling in to his new home and routine so I'm sure that's related and plays a big part in it. But anything I can do to lessen the likelihood of feather destructive behavior is a win for me.

He tried papaya today and loved it . His dinner includes the fresh papaya, soak and simmer bean mix, Greywood Manor dry tea, and baby broccoli.

I have tried those little paper cups to hid treats in and he loves chewing them up. He also loves corks and was sent with a two bags full. He chews up anywhere from three to five a day. He hasn't been interested in his foraging ball or other foraging toy, but I'm trying to also hide almond pieces in his shreddable toys to encourage foraging.

 

[jakibros]

I have a CAG Lily. She acted the same with me as well before I couldn't help but bring her home with me. She was very young & disabled & alone in her small cage. Cuddled & scritched together for long time. Never had anything bigger than a cockatiel either. But I took the plunge. She loves being with me and watches over her domain. We have 2 other parrots in our flock. She absolutely loves crunchy sea grass toys, bamboo sticks, 1/2 whole walnut (good foraging). Raw Pine nuts are VERY good for training (buy them at Trader Joes much cheaper). They grumble/growl when they are distressed/complaining about something. She does that when it's time for a shower/bath. She "tolerates" it. I'll put a big flat bowl out for her so she can have her own on her own terms, but it's a laughable attempt. Large Bird Kabobs are mandatory. She uses it like a tooth brush after eating. Be sure to give calcium whether it is veggies, in water, or mineral block. She did well for a while with fruity mineral block but then stopped. So alternatives are used. She is huge fan of Higgins Worldly Cuisines African Sunset for a warm meal. Pistachios are a welcome treat (vitamin B). Roudy Bush for pellets. She wouldn't eat them so I ground them up in clean coffee mill and mixed them into her veggie mash. She has no claws/feet to hold her food...just nubs. So she gets chopped baby spinach/kale, carrots w strawberries, peppers, flax & chia seeds for lunch every day. They all listen to music mixed with bird sounds while I'm at work...very soothing. They come out for at least 3-4 hours every day. Big width cage (as big as I can fit in their room). 42W x 26D multilevel. I could go on & on but we love her very much and she seems to be happy. Turned 3 y.o. this March. Good luck. She seems to have picked you so that's a great start!

 

[BirdGuy21]

An update on Harley today. Unfortunately he plucked most of his new down feathers off his chest this afternoon. The morning routine was pretty standard for a weekend, he got up around 8a and came downstairs to have breakfast. Around 11a he went back into his cage as it was time to go grocery shopping and I went to visit my Mom for Mothers Day, and he was alone with my girlfriend. When she finished putting groceries away she went to take him out and he bit her pretty good. He stepped up as normal then bit when he was being taken out of the cage. After he was put back in is when he plucked out most of his new down feathers . I could tell he was a little off this morning, so I don't know if he is getting past the honeymoon period or something just scared him. Wish he didn't pluck his new feathers out though.

 

[BirdGuy21]

Some more sad news with Harley.

Came home today and found he plucked/barbered more feathers and there is also a cut on the center of his chest. It looks like he used his upper beak to slice his chest open. He is also acting differently toward us, including continued biting of my girlfriend and overall wariness. Have a vet appointment scheduled, but the earliest available is 5/25.

What's coincidental is the U2 Harley came in with had a mutiliation issue on her chest. She had to wear a cone to prevent her from picking at the wound. What are the odds that two birds from the same household would pick at themselves? I'm wondering if it could be diet related? Of course my mind is going a mile a minute, so I may be pulling at straws.

 

[sunnysmom]

Oh no. I'm so sorry Jake.

@Hankmacaw ? @ncGreyBirdLady ?

 

[zoo mom]

If 2 birds from the same home were both plucking, and mutilating, I would definitely request a skin test for some type of infection.

 

[Hankmacaw]

Sorry, I'm not experienced with plucking or mutilation. It sounds like this bird may have suffered some psychological, if not physical trauma in his prior home.

Like Elaine says, if both birds were from the same home and both pluck/mutilate, your baby should have a thorough vet check up.

 

[BirdGuy21]

Vet check up is a must for sure. Appoimtment scheduled for Thursday 5/25, as that is when my avian vet gets back from vacation. If it gets even a little worse I will call in another vet in the area, who is usually booked for three weeks out. However I have a friend who knows her personally and can try to call in a favor.

 

[BirdGuy21]

Thanks Michelle @sunnysmom , I'm hoping im over reacting and maybe it was an accident. Better to be safe than sorry though . Hoping for no incidents tomorrow afternoons.

 

[Kiwi and Mitch]

Some more sad news with Harley.

Came home today and found he plucked/barbered more feathers and there is also a cut on the center of his chest. It looks like he used his upper beak to slice his chest open. He is also acting differently toward us, including continued biting of my girlfriend and overall wariness. Have a vet appointment scheduled, but the earliest available is 5/25.

What's coincidental is the U2 Harley came in with had a mutiliation issue on her chest. She had to wear a cone to prevent her from picking at the wound. What are the odds that two birds from the same household would pick at themselves? I'm wondering if it could be diet related? Of course my mind is going a mile a minute, so I may be pulling at straws.

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I am so sorry to hear this. Harley has a great home now and he will get the care he needs with you. I truly wish you guys the best!

 

[sunnysmom]

Let us know how today goes.

 

[BirdGuy21]

I unfortunately had to reschedule his vet appointment for today as there was a death in the family, and the funeral was today. The vet is out for the rest of this week and next so the earliest I can see her is the 25th.

After being gone for about nine hours he snipped off a good number of pieces of grey feathers. Good news is he didn't pick at his skin at all. He also now refuses to step up for my girlfriend and is very bite prone with her. This change happened overnight.

I'm very worried about my boy and hope it's all part of him settling in. He did come with a history as being a plucker, but was fully feathered when he arrived at the rescue. There was no mention of mutilating behavior from his former owner. I'm holding out home that maybe he scratched himself on a toy or perch.

 

[sunnysmom]

My sympathy Jake for the loss of your family member.

You could just be getting past the honeymoon phase with him. And the weird changes in weather could be effecting him too. Is he with your other birds? (I know not same cage but same room?)