Trust and a rehomed parrot

[tlday13]

I'm unsure if I did the right thing this morning...

We just received Jewel, a rehomed CAG yesterday. She stepped up willingly enough for hubby to go from her travel cage to her big cage. (Obviously, she wanted to go to the security of her cage, so it make sense.)

well this morning we had to get ready to go to my brother's house for nephew's bday party. Hubby had only put one toy in the cage yesterday so I got a few more to put in to hopefully occupy her while we were gone.

When I opened the door to the cage, she came forward, ignored my arm reaching into the cage and clambored to the top of the cage. (A dometop). I got things set up and we let her walk around up there for a bit as we got ready. When it was time to go she did not want to step up, not even for a bribe of her favorite pistachio nuts. So I got a stick figuing maybe that would be easier for her to step up on... or if she decided to nail something it would be that and not flesh. Oh my did she squawk and growl. I kinda got her cornered on the side of the cage in a little standoff.. she obviously did not want to step onto the dowel. I offered my hand saying calmly, "Jewel honey, step up" Hubby was behind and to the side ready to be the bad guy if need be and towel her.

Eventually she decided that between the dowel, my hand and the towel, my hand was the lesser of three evils. She stepped up. We praised her effusively and I gave her a pistachio as I put her back into the cage.

now, of course I'm worried that I've taken a step backwards in her eyes as it were. After we came home from the party we have hung out near her cage talking to her, and praising her when she played with a toy. At one point I stood near the cage and she came forward and sorta grumbled squawked at me... like she was telling me off for this morning! (lol) She did, however, accept a pistachio from my fingers.

I know these things will take time... but any tips on how to proceed in terms of building trust? How will I know when she is ready or wants me to handle her? its been years since I've had a bird, and my last ones were babies I had gotten... Jewel is my first rehome/foster. Even if we don't end up adopting her, I want to do well by her.

(I also need to research how to convert a seed addict to a healthier diet! since she appears to be that.. in addition to being a plucker) But she's so pretty and curious... I have a feeling she is just gonna blossom (assuming I don't screw up royally!)

Tracy

 

[Holiday]

I don't think you've done any harm. You rewarded her for stepping up, which was very important. It's probably better not to try to force her to step up on the dowel, but hey, we've all been in a situation in which we need to get the bird back into the cage, so I understand about that.

As far as earning trust goes, just quietly talking to her, offering treats, maybe singing a bit--these things can go a long way toward getting her used to your voice and good intentions. Short, upbeat training sessions daily can help too, if she's already stepping up.

Congratulations on your new bird; I'm sure you'll do just fine

 

[JLcribber]

It takes between one and three months for them to settle in and get comfortable and somewhat secure in their new environment. It is only her first day so that reaction is to expected. Just take it slow at the birds pace and don't force anything. You will know when she is ready because she will come to you.

 

[GG.]

I have a couple of links for you - you may have already seen them - that helped me tremendously when we got Boogie, our 14 yr old rescued CAG.

Like you, I was afraid of doing something that would send me backwards with him, rather than forward
http://parrothouse.com/pamelaclark/secondhand.html

http://www.parrots.org/pdfs/all_abo...enrichment/PS 19 1 Feb 07 Parrot Trust SM.pdf

http://charlieandpeggy.com/mikedoolan.pdf

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/reading-your-parrots-body-language.html

 

[trout]

When I first met Fenway she would not come willingly out of her cage. The only way to get her out was kicking and screaming, luckily she never bit hard. She would hold on to the bars with her beak for dear life so most the time I would have to pull her out by holding her head with one hand and supporting her butt with the other. It never set back working with her.

 

[tlday13]

Thanks all. I think I'll need as much reassurance as poor Jewel! lol

She has been acting real interested in us.. watching us as we move about the house and when we come over to talk to her, she sometimes comes closer and kinda "grumbles" under her breath (at least at me)

She has also taken the occasional pistachio and red grape from me... very gently. So I'm thinking if I just keep up what I'm doing and not push the step ups.. she'll warm up to me.

Any advice trying to bathe/mist her? Since she is a plucker, I can imagine baths will help with the feathers she has..and new ones when they come in. But I don't know how she handled bathing in her first home.. if she liked it or not...

Tracy

 

[Bahama's Momma]

Congrats on taking Jewel. I think it's a wonderful thing to provide a home for her to thrive in.

Most pellets (like Harrison's) can be gradually added to the bird's current diet. Harrision's Bird food has a great website that talkes about the benefits of a pelleted diet and they have a conversion chart. You would put a small amount at first and grandually start decreasing the seed and increasing the pellets. Fresh foods like veggies/fruits can be offered different ways depending on how well she takes to them (some like raw veggies/fruits, some like them cooked, some like them whole while others like chopped pieces. It all depends on Jewel. Keep trying different ways of offering and don't give up thinking she will never eat a certain veggie or fruit. I think of how I could never get Bahama to eat certain things until Chewie came into the picture and started eating them in front of him (like hot peppers) and that got him to start eating them.

 

[JLcribber]

If she is scared of spray bottles you can try a mister like this. It has a long clear tube so you can hide the bottle and make it look like the mist is coming from the end of your finger.

It also has a much finer mist than a spray bottle. I found it in the reptile section of the pet store.

I have ropes above the shower so they can sit and watch and when they are comfortable enough and give me a sign they want to get wet I hit them with a spray bottle in there.

 

[GG.]

Thanks all. I think I'll need as much reassurance as poor Jewel! lol

She has been acting real interested in us.. watching us as we move about the house and when we come over to talk to her, she sometimes comes closer and kinda "grumbles" under her breath (at least at me)

She has also taken the occasional pistachio and red grape from me... very gently. So I'm thinking if I just keep up what I'm doing and not push the step ups.. she'll warm up to me.

Any advice trying to bathe/mist her? Since she is a plucker, I can imagine baths will help with the feathers she has..and new ones when they come in. But I don't know how she handled bathing in her first home.. if she liked it or not...

Tracy

only thing I can tell you is to try to mist her and see how she reacts - Boogie HATES the spray bottle, so it was a no go from the start for us.

he bathes in his water dish - I have offered multiple alternative larger dishes - from ones that look like the water bowl to those that don't and he is not having anything to do with it.

he gets himself soaked though, HIS WAY , sometimes with me changing it out midway thru and sometimes not.

We have had limited success with putting his play stand in the bathroom while in the shower and at least him being in the warm steam - I also have a humidifier and hygrometer located near him to make sure the humidity in his area stays around 50 - 55 % and just let bathe in that cold water (I guess it bothers me more than him)

 

[tlday13]

We tried misting....thru the bars of her cage since she won't let me hold her yet. She seemed to like it. I didn't *soak* her, but she did get wet and fluffed and stretched a bit during and afterwards.

She has also been willing to come forward to the front of the cage and look at me as I talk to her. I tell her over and over how beautiful she is and how I only want to be her friend. (She did try and clamor out again earlier in the moring when I had the door open to check something, but I used one hand to 'block' her -- she squawked and I said calmly, "You're not coming out unless you want to step up. You want to step up?" and presented my other hand... she retreated back into the cage and I said calmly "I guess not. That's okay then."

Then I am near her cage and talking to her before I had to go to work and guess who let me stick my pointer finger in thru the bars and give her a very brief scritch on the head?

She was at the food bowl, but she saw what I was doing and clearly tilted her head toward me so I could. It was quick and very brief, but she let me do it! I praised her and said what a beautiful and good girl she was, and how I only wanted to be her friend and love her.

I know it was a priceless gift, that brief bit of contact.

Tracy

 

[Thugluvgrl187]

Maybe try taking her into the shower that is the only way I can get Squeeky in there. I also use a spray bottle to mist him with as well. If they aren't use to it it might take them a bit to start to like it and enjoy it.

 

[tlday13]

I'm looking forward to trying her in the shower... as soon as she trusts me enough to step up and let me hold her.

Tracy

 

[trout]

She was at the food bowl, but she saw what I was doing and clearly tilted her head toward me so I could. It was quick and very brief, but she let me do it! I praised her and said what a beautiful and good girl she was, and how I only wanted to be her friend and love her.

I know it was a priceless gift, that brief bit of contact.

Tracy

That's great! little steps like this and eventually she'll wonder why she didn't open up sooner. You're doing wonderfully.

 

[TwoG2s]

I got The Goffins in March 2009.

Anu is a needy love bug. Zazu was not happy with the simplest of people interactions.

I figured that Zazu would never be a people-bird.

Fast forward seven months. I had a car accident and I cannot do the daily bird chores.

My middle son has really stepped up (financial bribe not withstanding . He has been doing many of the same things with Zazu that you are doing AND something finally clicked with this bird.

Zazu has become social and interactive and quite gregarious!

My son still needs to learn The G2s body language better; even though Zazu is now a 1000% more socialized; there are somethings you just don't do with a parrot when he is overly excited; overtired; over stimulated, etc..

The moral of my story is that trust takes time. And time is measured very differently by parrots. The past six months has been just a nanosecond in time for Zazu.

 

[tlday13]

Sorry to keep blabbling here... but I'm flabbergasted by this morning's events. Jewel came forward in the cage..and I don't know how to describe it.. she had a real interested look in her eyes. Not really expecting anything, I put my hand up and asked "Do you want to step up?"

And she did!

We walked around the house and I stood talkng to her. The kids made her startle a little.. just because they move so quickly and whatnot. Thomas asked again, "Can we pet him?" (He gets the him/her thing mixed up sometimes) and I told him, "I don't think she's ready for children to pet her yet." She did let me scritch her on the head briefly.

When it was time to go to the bus stop and daycare I had to put her in her cage, but I had a pistachio ready, so she will associate going into her cage with getting a treat. She went in willingly.

When I came home, I could tell she wanted out again..so after getting my coffee cup situated downstairs..and bringing her portable playstand also downstairs... I opened up the cage, presented my hand and said "Step up"

She did without any hesitation.

Right now she's stiting on her playstand eating some food and looking all around. She's come to my hand willingly again, and I can tell there is something on the desk that intrests her, but I'm not sure what it is. (There is a lot of junk on our computer desk... this might be the incentive I need to clean it up! LOL) She went back to her playstand for some more food and is sitting there with one foot tucked up and she's puffed up with her head feathers kinda fluffed forward. If I'm reading her body language...that's happy and content?

I'm so thrilled! I was truly thinking it would take another week or so for her to come to me willingly...and I was totally okay with that. I want her to be happy and healthy..and to know she's loved.

Tracy
who's gonna order a sprouting kit so we can start sprouting for miss J!

 

[M.C Bird Rescue]

Hi,
I live with a grey that literally hates me. hahahaha. So I know what you mean about growling and screaming. At least you dont get farted at daily like I do, Oh and Alex thinks hes a machine gun when I come by his cage too.
he doesnt actually hate me, he tolerates me. I am pushy and can get him out of his cage with my hand, getting him back in, well thats a whole different story! I usually have to use a rope perch, I bend it in half, like a loop, and he steps onto that. For some reason he hates dowels..well think about a stick coming at you, that cant be fun. So I always use a rope perch, in a loop , less threatening to the fids here.

You are doing fine, I would avoid a dowel if possible. You can sit by the cage, read a book to teh bird, offer food through the cage bars..But I know what its like bringing home a new bird..LETS PLAY! There must also be rules and boundaries. Just be patient, give love and attention, offer treats, praise, and lots of shreddable items..I would also look into foraging toys, making them. Pretty easy, shredding items is always better than feathers.
I make my own foraging toys here for the pluckers. Wiffle balls stuffed with shredded paper and a peanuut or 2, hung from the cage, Phone books, drilled and hung, Paper rolled into a ring and attached in the cage. Busy beaks all around here. Also you can take colored straws and tie them into knots , add shredded paper, see where i am going here..all to prevent the plucking. Does not always work, but I hav a lot of success with the pluckers this way.
Have fun and enjoy your new fid

 

[M.C Bird Rescue]

I forgot to add about changing diets...LOL. I get all mixed up and on rants about foraging toys..hahahaha.

How I change diets here with the rescues onto pellet ....It is such a process but I have success in the masses. Ok not Alex but hes a royal butthead that is bossy and stubborn.
In the morning when I make breakfast..Ok yes I make birds there own breakfast here. Maybe crazy? whatever!

I add soaked pellet in apple juice to the breakfast menu.
AFTER breakfast when I offer the mixed parrot diet we make and pellet, I make sure that the pellet is greater in number than the seed mix. I notice they soak it all in the water dishes which is great..then eat it.
For the super stubborn ones, to get the pellet IN them I make bird bread with lots of pellet and tasty treats, they eat the entire thing so that works well too.

Changing diets can be crazy, and I am NOT a all pellet diet believer..some are. Just not me. I believe birds need a mix of food in there diets, different seeds and grains, fresh fruits and lots of veggies, pellet, treats, nuts, etc.

Good Luck..It can be crazy. I am just happy if they attemptthe pellet here at this point! hahjahahahaha

 

[runningoutofroom]

Oh my did she squawk and growl. I kinda got her cornered on the side of the cage in a little standoff.. she obviously did not want to step onto the dowel.

sounds similar to what recently happened when i adopted a 20yr old amazon. i was told she was very friendly and she is but, she is not tame. any time i come near her with a dowel she growls and freaks out. and a towel she starts hyperventilating. even if i cover the other birds cages!

 

[Welshanne]

A month of trying to build up trust with any bird is just like a day to them, it all takes so much time.
Everyone has given some good advice and it is a case of taking it all at the birds own pace. I find sometimes you take four paces forward with them and then next it is three paces back! Good luck.

 

[Billie Faye]

It takes time and you are doing a good job....
I'm not a pellet person but do feed fresh foods/grains to my birds every day....I have 6 grays....Woo Woo took at least a year to try the fresh foods..so don't give up!!!!!
I have also found that you need to teach them what is good to eat...meaning you play with the food in front of them and eat it yourself!...Just watch her reactions with the food...they will "sneak" over and "steal" something they are interested in....Using your kitchen table and having her eat with you is a help also...What is one more 2 year old at the table?LOL