At my wits end

[Angelicarboreals]

Hey everyone, I haven't been on much because of school since getting back from my Thanksgiving trip, but I am ready to pull my hair out over Checkers.

As many of you know, I have been having to handfeed Checkers everyday for about the past week, but the more I handfeed the more demanding he is becoming. I know he is eating everything I put in his bowl, seeds, veggies, and some pellets, plus he is getting a feed from me at night, but all he can do is SCREAM.

I have kept birds for six years now, and have never had a screamer (even my cockatoo doesn't do that!) but Checkers screams his head off any time I am in the room and not holding him.

It has gotten so bad, that if I want to spend time where he is I have to cover him, and he is slowly but surely teaching my other birds to yell as well. (They can not see him, but he is in my entry way and they can hear him, so Chico especially has been answering him back).

I don't know what to do! He has only been here for three weeks on Friday, and surely I could not have taught him in that timeframe to yell like he is dying for attention, could I? I mean, yes, when he first started yelling and begging I was very concerned until I figured out what was wrong, but now the issue is fixed. But anytime I walk into the entryway he goes off. But if my boyfriend walks by, or I peek in on him without him knowing he is contentedly preening or playing.

What do I need to do? I feel like everynight when I handfeed him I am just reinforcing the begging/screaming bloody murder behavior.

 

[ortegah]

I'm so sorry. I wish I knew what to tell you. Santa needs to get you some ear plugs!

 

[ChristyHuber]

My hahn's screamed a lot while I was hand feeding him, but I most recently started feeding him mashed sweet potatoes so he's always feeling full. I went from feeding him twice a day to him not asking for food period. Hanging out with my much older conure helps too. It might just be a baby behavior, but if he's screaming constantly for no reason it could be a medical problem. I asked my avian vet about my hahns screaming and when I brought him in I had had him for about 3 weeks. The vet told me that Sheldon was "testing" me, like a child tests his parents. So maybe it could be just a matter of time. Continue ignoring his screaming and see if it resolves. I think you should still visit the vet though. I'm not the most knowledgeable on these things, but I thought I'd give my two cents.

 

[Sharpie]

I would get him to a vet for a checkup before assuming that it's behavioral rather than medical, but if it is behavioral, remember that he's a baby. He will try you and test you and do it over and over again until you want to make parrot stew. Then he'll do it all over again when he hits puberty. But in between those bouts, he's learning from EVERY SINGLE interaction. Even if you're not meaning to teach him something, he's learning it. Let him see you come to enter the room, he'll start yelling. Turn and walk away. Repeat at some point when he's stopped. Repeat ad nauseum. Sneek to the door quietly, peer around and praise him for being an amazing bird before he has a chance to start screaming, then walk away if/when he does. Repeat some more. Work on clicker or other positive training too.

My budgie babies went though a phase where they screamed non-stop when they saw me. The did grow out of it (thank goodness!)

 

[Chicklette]

This is normal for a baby. He just wants you to call back. Boomer was a screamer because of all the abuse he went threw and needed my attention so when he started screaming I just called back and he would stop. Try that, talk to him softly. He wants your attention because he thinks you’re his mom. If he was older it would be a different situation. But I do agree with the other, take him to the vets to make sure he is not sick.

 

[Danita]

If you got him from a breeder, maybe they can help you.
Vet check and ignore the screaming. If he is quiet, go in his room quickly, pick him up BEFORE he screams and praise.

 

[Sharpie]

How are things going?

 

[Angelicarboreals]

Everything is okay with him medical wise, so it is definitely a behavior issue. I have been working with him on the screaming issue, and from what I have gathered these are the main problems:

a) I want Checkers and Avery to be buddies, so I let them out together to play with me. I think that Checkers would benefit a little more if I gave him more one on one time versus time out with Avery in which he has to share me.

b) I have started to ignore the incessant contact calls and have actually been giving him almonds (his favorite) only when he has been quiet for a good bit. This seems to be helping.

c) Anytime that I go up to his cage and he begins to scream I turn my back and walk off. It has taken a good solid week of this, but he is not yelling as much. He will still do it, but not every single minute I am within eyesight and not physically touching him.

d) I am also thinking that as time wears on he will begin to grow out of it completely, as he has his other normal caique call that he is beginning to use too.

Oh, and the other night (Tuesday) he refused the handfeeding, so maybe we are getting somewhere.

On a side note, little Avery is becoming quite the chatterbox! The minute he sees me he has started to say "Hello! Hello!"

 

[Sharpie]

That's wonderful that you're beginning to see improvement! Stick with it!

 

[J*M*L]

Gosh I feel terrible for you! I'm so glad you're beginning to see some improvement!

 

[TwoG2s]

And how is our sweet little vocal puffball checkers?

We need an update?

 

[Angelicarboreals]

We are improving a little, tonight we had a set back, but I think it was for a few reasons. A) I finally went ahead and moved them into the bird room since they have checked out fine, and B) I have been running around due to my BF's fish tank disaster so I think all the birds were picking up on my anxiety.

*Sigh* Hopefully he will calm down again, I am hoping that with having all the other birdies to hang out with and enterain him he won't feel like he has to be glued to my butt.

 

[Chicklette]

Yep, stick with it. It takes time and patience but you will get there. Don't give up.