Well I did it ....

[Tyrion]

I did it ...I took Harley /Ghost out of quarantine early almost a full 2 weeks early ..well close enough ...my reasons ...

The main reason is he was so unhappy and wasn't getting enough attention ....
The biting...I was getting bit all the time ...taking him out of the cage ...putting him back in the cage ...playing with him ...it seemed like every time I touched him he would bite me ...I can count 20 bite marks on my hand and I did everything not to get bit ....
The screaming even though we were making good headway with it my daughter is studying for her last yr in school and needs to get good marks for university and I cant have a screaming bird stress her out ...

So we took the plunge and moved him out to the living room ...the first night was hell but after that things have been way better...he loves his big cage ...he loves that he is around everyone all the time ..I have not gotten bit once in 5 days where before I was getting bit daily ...the screaming we are working on but its gotten so much better he only screams when I leave the house and only for a short while my mom says ...he screams when my daughter gets home if she doesn't greet him ..and every now and then but it is way better then it was ...

Does it out way the risks ...well I still do him last in all things ...cleaning and feeding ..and I make sure he stays on his side of the living room when he is out ...but its a far cry from actual quarantine ...but so was keeping him in my room ..at least now everyone is happier and he is so much happier the change in him is so different its amazing ...he loves playing all day and uses every inch of his cage ...he does his "anting" thing all day with cups ,food and d rings into his food dishes its so cute ...so in this case putting him out in the main room has out weighed the risks considering he was oked by a vet with blood tests and xrays before I got him ...

I know there are still risks having him out in the main room and I will still do him last for as long as I have him it will just be the way things are done ...and I will keep him apart from the others when they are out just because Tyrion can do some serious damage to the lil guy and Tyrion will always be number one ...I don't want anyone to think I took this decision lightly ..believe me I and the fam labored over this decision for days and days ...I got several opinions ...and for the best of the fam we thought this was the best option and it seemed to have paid off ...please take your decision to quarantine or to break quarantine with heavy thought it could mean the life of your flock ...I know some will think what I did is stupid and I risk my flock ...and I am aware believe me ...but what I did was best for my fam and what I think is best for Ghost ...

 

[Begone]

So happy for you that it's better now! And no bite in 5 days!

Looking forward to see new pics of your flock!

 

[Lady Jane]

Sometimes the bird dictates what they want and we follow. I would have done the same thing.

 

[sunnysmom]

I'm glad things are going better!

 

[Tyrion]

Thanks guys ..yes things are going better ...But Harley/Ghost charged Tyrion on the rocking chair today ...Tyrion was on the stool and I was standing right next to him and Ghost jumped off his cage and charged at Tyrion even though Tyrion wasn't even on the chair ...I guess he is feeling out his boundaries ..but I am glad I was there ...I don't want any birds fighting that's for sure ...It will be interesting to see how those boundaries will work out ..I know boundaries for Tyrion its his play stand ..Lagatha is her cage ... Ghost its to early to tell ...I just wonder how much do you intervene ...cuz as soon as I saw Ghost charge I picked up Tyrion ...seems like I helped a few issues and created others

 

[Begone]

I believe that you can teach them to accept each other. Or at least that you want/demanding that.
When Eliy is mean to Akela I give Akela a lot of love and all the attention, and then Eliy first got mad, but later understand why and only gets sad and jealous.
And when Eliy accept Akela close to her on the playstand I give Eliy most of the love. (and Akela accept that because she really like having Eliy close) Eliy do understand what I want, and when she is a good girl she gets love and attention.
I'm not saying that this work with every bird, some can get to jealous and mad but I got lucky with mine.

 

[emdh]

I worry about injury which can happen in a second so when I see aggression, I separate and I never force the issue. BoBo (my Timneh) is great with people but not so much with my other birds so he gets his own space.

 

[Tyrion]

Well the screaming was getting better but now its gotten worse again ...one step forward tow steps back ...now he screams every time I leave the living room ...so now I cant even have a pee without him screaming for me ...Im still trying to reward for the other sounds he makes but it so hard because he mostly screams ...my family is getting so tired of it ..I tell them that he will get better ..he has only been here not even 3 weeks give him a chance ...they just look at me ....even if I could get him to call instead of scream that would be better ...his call isnt that bad ...the scream is much worse...and he likes my daughter alot so when she leaves or comes home he screams or he sees her in the house he screams ...I have to get this under control ...Tyrion is yelling at him to shut up (which he got from me yelling at the dogs to stop howling)every time he screams and Lagatha thinks its time for her to call when he sceams ..so you have Ghost screaming ..Lagatha calling and Tyrion saying shut up to everyone ...its very comical but my fam doesnt think so ..I do ...sometimes I have to laugh at it ...my mom told me today she is going to move out if it doesnt stop ...I said ok it will just take some time ....she doesnt laught at it at all ....which makes me laugh all the harder cuz it is funny sometimes ...

I talked to my son about it and he says Toos all scream dont you remember Crisco ..all that bird ever did was scream ..which wasnt true but he did scream abit but not like this lil man ...am I doomed to have a screamer ..I dont believe it ..all things can be changed or toned down ..even a screaming Too ..it hasnt even been a week since I moved him out to the living room..Im sure he is still insecure about being with us and has changed rooms and the screaming is part of that ...I try to do what Barbra H has said to do but its hard when the fam isnt doing the same thing ...they cant or wont let the screaming ride out so they give him what he wants and go into the room to quiet him ...so much for my waiting until he makes another noise or stops before a person goes in ...I try to explain it to them but they just want him to stop ..they dont get they are only making it worse ...they see the immediate reaction he stops screaming when they go in not the long term benefits for getting him to make a different sound instead of screaming ... anyone know how to fix or help this issue ..I know its going to take time a lot of time ...maybe like John or someone mentioned .. there should be designated screaming time so he gets it out of his system ... help me me and the birds may get kicked out

 

[iamwhoiam]

Try to get your family on board because consistency is very important. If they are attending to him because of the screaming then he is getting what he wants and will continue screaming when he wants attention because that is the behavior that is being reinforced. It really does take time and persistence. Everyone needs to follow the plan.

 

[Tyrion]

I know ..I have to get them on board ..they just seem to think as long as he stops thats what they want ...they just wont listen to me and its dirving me crazy ...I tell them if they want him to stop they have to ride it out ...plus it has only been 3 weeks as of tomorrow ..not very long as well but when you have a screaming bird it feel like a life time .... as long as they are reinforcing the screaming they will never have any peace

 

[jmfleish]

Cockatoos are demanding little devils and the screaming can be awful. If you have the time and Friedman is still teaching the courses on behavior and positive reinforcement on the web, I would definitely take it. It was huge several years ago and you had to wait a year to even get into it. It was offered up in the form of a Yahoo group. Otherwise, Look into Heidenreich's stuff. All the ABCs of positive reinforcement. It will make a world of difference.

 

[Tyrion]

Cockatoos are demanding little devils and the screaming can be awful. If you have the time and Friedman is still teaching the courses on behavior and positive reinforcement on the web, I would definitely take it. It was huge several years ago and you had to wait a year to even get into it. It was offered up in the form of a Yahoo group. Otherwise, Look into Heidenreich's stuff. All the ABCs of positive reinforcement. It will make a world of difference.

Yeah I watch all of Barbra Hs stuff which has helped me a lot ...and if I can get my Fam on board it would be a lot easier to deal with but they are not on board ..they cant stand the screaming so they give him what he wants and that is someone to come in to the living room and see him which just reinforcing the screaming ....I on the other hand wait it out or wait until he makes another sound and then reward that sound ...but Im working against them cuz they wont wait him out ...and the screaming circle goes round and round

 

[iamwhoiam]

I took Friedman's class 2 years ago. Here is some info for you regarding a Yahoo behavior class. Education & Training - The Gabriel Foundation The article states that there is a 3 year wait for Friedman's class but she is no longer offering the caregiver course. LLP for Caregivers: Overview - BehaviorWorks.org
She is still offering the professional course. LLA Professional Course: Overview - BehaviorWorks.org

 

[iamwhoiam]

Yeah I watch all of Barbra Hs stuff which has helped me a lot ...and if I can get my Fam on board it would be a lot easier to deal with but they are not on board ..they cant stand the screaming so they give him what he wants and that is someone to come in to the living room and see him which just reinforcing the screaming ....I on the other hand wait it out or wait until he makes another sound and then reward that sound ...but Im working against them cuz they wont wait him out ...and the screaming circle goes round and round

Gift everyone a set of ear plugs.

It's not easy to extinguish the continuous screaming. It can be done but there will always be some screaming. It's natural for them.

 

[jmfleish]

Yeah I watch all of Barbra Hs stuff which has helped me a lot ...and if I can get my Fam on board it would be a lot easier to deal with but they are not on board ..they cant stand the screaming so they give him what he wants and that is someone to come in to the living room and see him which just reinforcing the screaming ....I on the other hand wait it out or wait until he makes another sound and then reward that sound ...but Im working against them cuz they wont wait him out ...and the screaming circle goes round and round

That's what I did for Reggie Lou D2 and he's a screaming machine now...although he's gotten a bit better with age. He will scream with me right there with him now sometimes. It's frustrating. Fozzie RB2 will scream for no apparent reason too. I didn't get him as a baby like I did Kishka and Addison. Neither Kishka or Addison behave the way Fozzwald does, so it's definitely a learned behavior. Sometimes it's not just that they want your attention and there are other ways to fix it, although I'm definitely not an expert by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Tyrion]

Gift everyone a set of ear plugs.

Thats on my list to do

 

[Larasun]

I am happy that everything is going nicely now.

 

[Denice]

Birds make noise that is just part of it, hope our family comes around. I think you did the right thing moving him where the other birds are. They are flock animals afterall.

 

[Tyrion]

Birds make noise that is just part of it, hope our family comes around. I think you did the right thing moving him where the other birds are. They are flock animals afterall.

My fam knows they make noise and they arent against him making noise ..they would even just love it if he flock called cuz Lagatha does that all the time ..but the screaming is a different thing ..its unruly ..its worse the worst scream you have ever heard and I have heard some pretty bad screams ...his flock call is bad enough ....but the screaming at 7-7:30 in the morning is bad ..so I really dont blame them for being upset it upsets me and hes my bird ..I dont like to be woken up by a screaming bird and Im sure my other birds dont like it either...so I reward for other sounds even the flock call anything but the screaming ..as I said it is getting better slowly ..at least he doesnt scream when Im not at home or my mom would have Too cooking for supper ...