• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Eclectus Screaming

janicedyh

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
7/24/16
Messages
1,821
Real Name
Janice
An example of what I feed Dobey is ...twice per day he gets a varied green chop I make in the food processor....most times it is a mixture of dandelion greens, chard or rainbow chard, bok choy, callard greens, radishes, carrots and sweet potato. I mix in some multicolored quinoa (just an example but the greens vary...but always at least 4). I place it in baggies and freeze..taking one out every few days. He gets at least 3 fruits per meal but the bulk of his diet are the greens. His favorite fruits are poms, cranberries, quava, dragon fruit and different melons with the seeds left on them. I sprinkle a little milk thistle on the greens if he is being finicky. He gets red palm (sustainable) every 3 days and coconut oil (a pea size amount) every evening before bed. I try to give low sugar fruits. For example..he eats about a third of an apple as a snack per day....granny smith or green apples are lower in sugar. I also hang greens on his perch for him to nibble on. This is just an example...but go heavier on greens. 30 % seeds seems very high to me..... @Milo what do you think?
 

Milo

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
6/30/11
Messages
4,067
Real Name
Jenny
That's not too bad for seeds, provided she's eating the other things. @EsJ87 I'm not saying you're doing anything bad! Just trying to understand since we're on the internet :) I don't think the supplements in the water are really necessary, in my experience birds don't really like them and they add a great medium for growing bacteria in the water.

That seems like a lot of fruit vs veggies to me, especially without any sort of pellet in her diet. When you say flinging, is she just picking it up and you're finding it whole?
 

Shinobi

Jogging around the block
Joined
2/28/16
Messages
647
We give Henry and Angel a chop that consists of veggies, leafy greens, nuts and fruit. Millet is the only seed we give in their diet and sunflower seeds are used has training treats. Plus chicken and egg for protein. We also get Pine tree and Casuarina cones for them to chew on. There are times when supplements can be beneficial for birds that are moulting. Water shouldn't be left long enough to allow the development of Bacteria. We have moved away from water bowls to water fountains. A diet with 30% seed is not suitable for an Eclectus. I would be looking at 3 to 5 %.
 

Milo

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
6/30/11
Messages
4,067
Real Name
Jenny
We give Henry and Angel a chop that consists of veggies, leafy greens, nuts and fruit. Millet is the only seed we give in their diet and sunflower seeds are used has training treats. Plus chicken and egg for protein. We also get Pine tree and Casuarina cones for them to chew on. There are times when supplements can be beneficial for birds that are moulting. Water shouldn't be left long enough to allow the development of Bacteria. We have moved away from water bowls to water fountains. A diet with 30% seed is not suitable for an Eclectus. I would be looking at 3 to 5 %.
Animal proteins aren't suitable for parrots, adding them to your bird's diet puts them at an increased risk for atherosclerosis.

As for not leaving the water long enough to develop bacteria, that could be just a few hours, which is more then reasonable to assume because most people work during the day. It doesn't mean that someone is doing something wrong. Fountains can be just as bad in terms of being a source of bacteria if they're not taken apart frequently and scrubbed (not saying that you don't).

What source are you using to determine the amount of seed for the diet?
 

Milo

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
6/30/11
Messages
4,067
Real Name
Jenny
I think it's also important to remember that we haven't spoken with this vet so we don't know their thought process. Just because we think the recommendation is odd doesn't mean it's bad.
 

EsJ87

Meeting neighbors
Joined
2/23/17
Messages
72
Location
Murrieta, CA
Real Name
Esther
That's not too bad for seeds, provided she's eating the other things. @EsJ87 I'm not saying you're doing anything bad! Just trying to understand since we're on the internet :) I don't think the supplements in the water are really necessary, in my experience birds don't really like them and they add a great medium for growing bacteria in the water.

That seems like a lot of fruit vs veggies to me, especially without any sort of pellet in her diet. When you say flinging, is she just picking it up and you're finding it whole?
I just haven't purchased any pellets due to the highly controversial nature of which pellets are good, which are bad, etc... So It's been hard deciding what to get. I do change her water at least twice daily. Occasionally more often if I see she's accidentally pooped in it. The bowls are large and there is nothing I can do to avoid her doing that, even if I move the perches inside the cage she seems to always manage getting the water dirty.

As per Seed amount - I did not ask the AV for her source. She just gave me a general parrot handout and stated less seed than what was mentioned on there for Eclectus than other parrots.

And Yes - a lot of the Fruit / Veggies I find at the bottom of the cage that appear in the same shape as they were cut when I first offer it to her. They don't appear to be chewed on at all. Before when she was more open to eating the fruit they'd appear in strings, which made it obvious she'd been eating it even if it was super messy- which is OK. As per the veggies, I'm giving what I have readily available, like I can try adding spinach to her veggie bowl today since i just bought that for our meals yesterday. She is also flinging her carrots, no matter what way i slice, chop or cut them. I tried zuchinni both green and yellow last week, and same, it was all at the bottom of the cage uneaten. The sweet potato she likes, but i find it goes bad VERY quickly, (like within 2 days) making the rest of the veggies really yucky so i end up having to throw it all away after the 2nd day.

I appreciate everyones input and help, that is why I came here after all. However, as you can imaging, it can be very tiresome to continually feel like you're doing absolutely everything wrong. Even within the forums themselves, I tend to get a lot of conflicting information - so it can be difficult to decide exactly what to do. Heck even in my attempt to feed her something new, I appear to be choosing all the wrong things... Like apparently the Soak and Simmer was a bad choice for bean mix to begin with. LOL . . . I don't want to starve Poppy out of my stubborn attempt to get her switched to all veggie chop mix and nothing else for one day to another. The reality is - She was weaned onto a ONLY seed mix, which of course I've been told is "really bad mix".... so having her completely off seed is going to take a long time. As a reminder I've only had her home since 4/11, so little over a month. The fact she at least tries almost everything I give her is a blessing, even if she doesn't necessarily take to eating it yet.

For the curious folks, I did give her 1 tablespoon more of seed (2 total), removed bean mix for 2 days now, and her behavior was NOTICEABLY better yesterday. Still not back to normal, but certainly the loudness came down a few notches, and she even had a full 2 hours of quiet time while we were in the room. She even took to playing and ignoring which is something I haven't seen her do a lot of lately. . . I may go out and try to buy more leafy greens today but am hesitant to introduce MORE changes at this particular moment, as this is the first signs of improvement we've had in 11 days.

Thanks again to everyone showing concern!
 

Shinobi

Jogging around the block
Joined
2/28/16
Messages
647
The selection and care of the food you give your pet bird is vital to its continuing health, because many of preventable health problems originate from the food.

Foods fed to Eclectus parrots are highly perishable, and will support the growth of many disease-causing organisms if left to sit. They must be removed, discarded and replaced at least three times each day. The Eclectus requires a diet high in beta carotene and vegetable protein, this is achieved through fresh, organic, seasonally available tropical fruits and vegetables is best such has banana, mango, pawpaw, passionfruit, rockmelon, Brown rice, watermelon, berries, pomegranate, kiwifruit apple, pear, strawberries, banana, kiwi fruit, grapes, bell pepper, snow peas, green beans, sweet peas, carrot, celery, beets, Swiss chard, guavas, figs, pomegranates, passion fruit, melon, papaya, mango, cherries, blueberries, cranberries, almonds, pine nuts, pistachio nut and various squash.

Dark green leafy vegetables are an excellent source of β-carotenes. While the above fresh foods provide a good base diet, breeding birds also benefit from dandelion, including the roots and flowers Think variety and fresh ingredients when mixing and feeding Eclectus.

We have limit green vegetable components arising from cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, mustard, and turnip tops as these plants contain oxalates and they can interfere with absorption of other nutrients and in large amounts these vegetables can cause problems.

Henry and Angel’s diet consists mostly of vegetables, fruits, and nuts. While Eclectus don't eat many seeds in the wild, and since dry seeds are deficient in many nutrients, we feel they are more crunch than lunch so they are the exception rather than the rule at our house. We do have pellets available during the day.

Seed for Ekkies should be sprouted! Sprouted or germinated seed undergoes dramatic biochemical change, converting the nutrients stored as carbohydrates and oils into a wider variety of more highly digestible nutrients. They are certainly a valuable addition to the diet of all captive seed eating birds.

However, seed preparations can be contaminated with bacteria, fungus and fungal toxins. therefore, sprouting seed have the potential to become contaminated with bacteria and fungi (moulds). Because these germs and moulds are extremely harmful we have limited the seed intake of Henry and Angel between 3 and 5% and only to best quality organic seeds. This was done with consultation with our avian vet.

He also recommended to give a small amount of fish or chicken (half a teaspoon) along with a chicken bone, once a week. Apparently, it seems that parrots in the wild also eat insects, which are a source of protein. Eggs whites are also an excellent protein source, But the yolks provide excessive cholesterol and predispose the birds to atherosclerosis and heart disease if fed too much. We only give egg white once to twice a week.

Chewable foods are vital for mental health they provide, rather than the nutrients they add to the diet. Eclectus are constant chewers and this helps to combat the problems associated with boredom. Things such as pine cones, banksia cones, “nuts” from bottlebrushes, Grevillea flowers, gum nuts, hakea nuts, Casurina nuts and natural branches all are very useful additions to the diet and should be offered in generous amounts.

However, an owner must regularly monitor their Eclectus parrot’s weight, and adjust diet intake to maintain optional body weight, and prevent obesity. For your birds to reach its full potential you must start with feeding a diet of the very highest standard, for food is the foundation for our birds’ health.

We use water fountains because the risk of contamination from bacteria, food or droppings is lower than using water bowls. But we still change the water Daily.
 

janicedyh

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
7/24/16
Messages
1,821
Real Name
Janice
Please don't think we are being critical. I think all of us are learning more every day as to what works and what doesn't. I'm sure no one is trying to make you feel like you are doing everything wrong. We just want to help...none of us automatically knew how to feed an Eclectus and we all were new to it initially. You have a great wealth of info here on AA. When the info you find conflicts it only means you need to do as much research as you can and do whatever rings true to you. I'm sure you are intent on doing your best or you would not be here asking those who have been through this before. Don't ever stop asking.....please
 

Milo

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
6/30/11
Messages
4,067
Real Name
Jenny
I also feed Rosco Harrison's coarse lifetime pellets. I found he had issues with Zupreem as his main diet.

What I encourage you to do is check the sources of information. I am very much in favor of evidence based medicine and care with the research to back it up.

There are a good many people out there who have very specific ideas about eclectus that I don't necessarily think hold up under scrutiny. Ultimately you have to balance what works with your girl with what's recommended.
 

EsJ87

Meeting neighbors
Joined
2/23/17
Messages
72
Location
Murrieta, CA
Real Name
Esther
At the recommendation of this thread I went in and picked up some varied greens - I made a chop which had Spinach, Dandelion greens, Kale, Red/Orange/Yellow Bell Pepper and Carrot. The ingredients made 1/4 cup portions to last for 1 daily feeding until June 9th. I split the chop into baggies to freeze, each containing ~3 days worth. I'll probably add other random other ingredients as I make them for our own meals (zucchini, sweet potato, etc).She appears to be very curious and has dunked her head in the bowl a very times, unsure if she's tried it yet. Will keep y'all posted.
The screaming continues.... lol

Here is what it looks like!
Instagram
 
Last edited:

janicedyh

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
7/24/16
Messages
1,821
Real Name
Janice
If she is a little hesitant because its new don't give up. I try to find something Dobey likes....something like a radish, carrot or such and grate it fresh onto the mix. I swear, its like having a baby sometimes...trial and error. I gave Dobey a nice pepper for snack today....he stuck his head into the bowl and before I knew it he slung it across the room. Doesn't mean he doesn't like peppers...he just didn't want them today : /
 

EsJ87

Meeting neighbors
Joined
2/23/17
Messages
72
Location
Murrieta, CA
Real Name
Esther
This weekend we caught poppy attempting to bathe in her water bowl while my husband was vacuuming! We've never seen her display that behavior before. So I promptly added a baking dish with water and she happily splashed about for all of 2 minutes. She hasn't tried it again since but I was happy to se her do it for the first time.

The screaming continues unfortunately, albeit for lesser periods of time. . . I bought her a new intricate toy on Saturday, in the hopes that some new stimulus would distract her. She was distracted enough on that first day i think and gave my ears a nice rest. Sunday was just more of the same unfortunately screaming at every chance I'm within visible range. I feel bad as her out of cage time has decreased considerably. I'm practicing when she screams to put her back in the cage and walk away. I only come back and open her cage to allow for outside time once she's been quiet. That never lasts very long though. My husband was surprised she was "quiet as a church mouse" during my absence for 4 hours on Sunday... immediately upon my return home she started screaming her little head off for about 2 hrs before she grew tired. . . It still baffles me that I am a source of her verbal stress... even when she's been quiet for a few minutes, I try to reward her with a cheerful "Good Quiet PoppY' to which i get a loud squawking response lol... Like OKKKK SORRY I addressed you Princess. LOL
she's lost the little interest she had in the chop - which is unfortunately because i still have most of it in the fridge. I think she dislikes it once it gets soggy from the thawing process. I continue to feed fresh fruits in the AM, and her regular seed and dehydrated veggie diet. offering fresh veggie sand chop in the afternoon and nights. Not much else has change as we go into week 3 of this behavioral issue.
 

Milo

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
6/30/11
Messages
4,067
Real Name
Jenny
Has she had a vet visit? You could also start some sort of clicker training with her to see if that helps the problem.

Could you post a video of this screaming? It might help to identify the type of noise she's making
 

EsJ87

Meeting neighbors
Joined
2/23/17
Messages
72
Location
Murrieta, CA
Real Name
Esther
Has she had a vet visit? You could also start some sort of clicker training with her to see if that helps the problem.

Could you post a video of this screaming? It might help to identify the type of noise she's making

Yes she saw a Avian Vet last Saturday - She's fit as a fiddle. No health red flags or concerns. Stool is normal. She's eating a good amount of food.
I did take video yesterday - will post shortly.
 

EsJ87

Meeting neighbors
Joined
2/23/17
Messages
72
Location
Murrieta, CA
Real Name
Esther
VIDEO TIME....

Here is a video on what my normal Morning Greeting is like. This was on 5/16/17, before her vet visit, which she was cleared on with a clean bill of health... I'm showing the seed and dehydrated mix I give her. Which again is given only AFTER her morning fruit, and constitutes only 1 of 4 different meals given to her through out the day. The other 2 are whatever fresh veggies I have available, and the pre-made chop which has like 6-7 ingredients of veggies. Harrison's pellets arrive n the mail tomorrow which I'll be adding to the seed mix.

Here is another video shortly after the last one. As seen her, even after I give her her favorite foods, she still doesn't really stop verbalizing. As mentioned in the first video, this isn't really her being super loud, although I'm probably still referring to it as screaming as the loudness varies from one second to the next with no apparent changes in the environment.

This third video was taken 2 days later, and is a pretty accurate representation on how she acts in the mornings, and pretty much every time I initially walk into the room. Sometimes this is just PASSING the kitchen area which is a good 10-15 feet away from the cage. She's a little louder here than in the last 2 videos, but still not the loudest she gets. Once she realizes I'm not going to engage her, she will sit in a certain spot in her cage and increase volume, and continue like so for ~20min if I'm lucky, or 90min-2+hrs hrs when she's particularly energized. . .

This video was taken on May 22 (Monday) 2017. Again, simply showcasing the behavioral issues we've been experiencing for almost 3 weeks now. This was taken later in the evening, after she'd been screaming quite loudly for about 2 hours, the last 30 mins of which Husband and I were just sitting on the couch. I picked her up for some quality time, which I had hoped would calm her down a bit. . . Her volume had gone down at the time this was taken, however she remained consistent... This video also showcases her regressive feeding behavior. I have NOT given her any warm/mushy foods since before her Avian Vet visit on May 6th. For the record - Clean bill of health, fit as a fiddle, No red flags or concerns... She was also FULLY weaned for ~4 weeks before coming home on 4/11/17 (Allegedly) and did not exhibit this behavior at all in her first 3 weeks here. ALSO just as a note, I do NOT purposely encourage this feeding behavior, and only did it this time so I'd be able to record it. She will do it reflexively when I get my hands too close to her beak and also when I am attempting to give her a MIST Shower with a water bottle, both of which I am more careful of now to attempt to extinguish the response.

I hope someone finds these useful - Because I clearly haven't been able to interpret them in a useful way ...
 

Milo

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
6/30/11
Messages
4,067
Real Name
Jenny
I agree that they sound like "feed me" noises. Offering comfort feedings or adjusting her diet until she gets more settled in your house might help. Glad to hear all was well with the vet visit! I'm sorry you guys are having such a time with this :/ have you contacted the breeder at all?
 

EsJ87

Meeting neighbors
Joined
2/23/17
Messages
72
Location
Murrieta, CA
Real Name
Esther
I agree that they sound like "feed me" noises. Offering comfort feedings or adjusting her diet until she gets more settled in your house might help. Glad to hear all was well with the vet visit! I'm sorry you guys are having such a time with this :/ have you contacted the breeder at all?
I did contact the person who i purchased her from - she was basically useless. She assured me the bird was NOT asking for formula...and i caught her in a lie where I found out the bird was much younger than what I was initially lead to believe. (4 months old instead of 6). She never got back to me on a hatch date even though I've requested this multiple times. . .

What is considered a comfort feeding? Additionally, any suggestions in what adjustments to make? . . . The vet's suggestions of increasing her seed made everyone on the forums panic, so I refrained from doing so. However, even after I serve her fruit and chop and whatever veggies I have around, she continues to scream until I serve the seed. As seen in the video, even AFTER I serve the seed, she will continue to scream with a half full beak. She also doesn't stop... even after she is done eating and moves away from any of her bowls. As mentioned previously, some people say feeding her some type of formula is likely to encourage and positively reinforce the screaming behavior which I do NOT want to do...

I am getting very discouraged at this point. For example at this very moment she is screaming so loud She can be heard from 2 rooms away. . . I am starting to lose my patience and don't know how long I can go through this without some type of respite. :( My sanity is getting worn down to the point where I will literally hole up in my home office for an extra hour or two after I'm technically done with work just so I don't have to face the constant screaming on what should be my time to relax. Its sad for us both and I hope I can figure out how to help her change her behavior back to what was her initial norm soon.
 
Last edited:

Shinobi

Jogging around the block
Joined
2/28/16
Messages
647
Screaming Birds are usually caused by an underlying problem which is triggering stress in the bird. These triggers include. Illness therefore rule out a possible illness by having your bird examined by an Avian veterinarian. Nutritional problems from an inadequate diet. The bird may change the amount of vocalization or other behaviours because of a poor diet. A change in the flock makeup, such as a new flock member or the loss of a flock member. Loneliness, frustration, fear, boredom or Jealously. A change in the bird’s environment, such as a move to a new home or a new flock. Inadequate sleep due to cage location, household noise (e.g., TV), too much light, or people moving around the house.

Screaming is normal behaviour for a parrot and it’s not possible to eliminate the screaming and loud squawking altogether, but aim to reduce the screaming to a tolerable level. This can be achieved with gentle patience and consistency among all flock members. Start to rehabilitate the parrot by making sure her basic needs are being met. The triggers of the screaming could be identified and eliminated by keeping a diary of all screaming episodes. Included the time, day of the week, what is happening at the time, the moods of the people and the bird before, during, and after the episode. With this information, the triggers can hopefully be identified and addressed.

“What should I do when the bird screams?" and "What should I do when the bird is behaving properly?" are the questions you need to ask yourself.

you don’t want to inadvertently reinforce Bad behaviour, for this can make the problem worse. Look at this from the parrot's perspective, getting any attention, may be a reward and will like you to yell back since they love drama and the yelling becomes a reward. Negative punishment will only increase the stress on the bird and either make the screaming worse, or the bird will turn to another unacceptable behaviour such as feather plucking or biting.

Positive reinforcement is the best way to correct a bird's behaviour. When she behaves correctly reward her with something good. This could be a special toy, a food treat, and verbal praise. Don’t use them to bribe the bird into better behaviour. These are rewards

At times, in certain circumstances the bird will exhibit bad behaviour So it’s very important to determine what “behaviour” you want the bird to do instead. By teaching the bird to talk or sing instead of screaming you’re replacing a negative behaviour with a positive one and you reward the positive behaviour and don’t reward in any way “bad Behaviour” Therefore understanding why the bird is screaming is important. You can adjust your actions depending on the circumstances.

Remember, parrots use vocalizations as warnings and as ways to find the rest of the flock when separated from it. Screaming can often be prevented from starting by simply answering the parrot when she calls to you, and letting the bird know when you are leaving and have returned. The screaming of parrots can often be resolved or minimized. But will take time and could require help from an experienced avian behaviourist, but if it allows the bird to stay in the house, it is worth it.

Ideally Short daily training sessions should begin when the bird is first brought home. Parrots respond well to facial expressions and verbal praise. This type of positive reinforcement should be used only when the appropriate response is given by the bird and no rewards given for incorrect responses There is no aggression or punishment is involved in this training.
 

Milo

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
6/30/11
Messages
4,067
Real Name
Jenny
Considering how long this has been going on, I think that taking a step or two back in how this is addressed would be helpful.

What I'm seeing in the videos is not an eclectus scream. To me it sounds like a begging noise (very similar to the one Rosco makes in the mornings if he thinks I'm not getting his food enough) , and a comfort feeding of some warm mushy foods may not be a bad idea. Some users here get handfeeding formula and offer it on a spoon. It's normal for a younger bird to retain that feeding response for a little bit after being weaned

Depending on how she was weaned at the breeder, it makes a lot of sense now that she might not recognize a lot of the fresh things as food. I'm sorry if I missed this before, what seed mix are you giving her? I'm going to reverse my previous advice and say go ahead and offer an increased amount of that. I haven't had a lot of luck getting my birds to eat any sort of dried fruit/veggie mix, and it sounds like she wants much to do with it either? You can try sprinkling some of the seed she will eat in that to see if it encourages her to dig around more, and you can do the same with the chop.

I'm sorry for bringing it up again, did the vet do blood work?

This is an incredibly frustrating situation, I'm sure it's taking a toll on everyone involved, including Poppy. If making adjustments doesn't work my next advice would be contacting your vet for a recommendation on a behaviorist that would be able to work with you directly.
 

EsJ87

Meeting neighbors
Joined
2/23/17
Messages
72
Location
Murrieta, CA
Real Name
Esther
Considering how long this has been going on, I think that taking a step or two back in how this is addressed would be helpful.

What I'm seeing in the videos is not an eclectus scream. To me it sounds like a begging noise (very similar to the one Rosco makes in the mornings if he thinks I'm not getting his food enough) , and a comfort feeding of some warm mushy foods may not be a bad idea. Some users here get handfeeding formula and offer it on a spoon. It's normal for a younger bird to retain that feeding response for a little bit after being weaned

Depending on how she was weaned at the breeder, it makes a lot of sense now that she might not recognize a lot of the fresh things as food. I'm sorry if I missed this before, what seed mix are you giving her? I'm going to reverse my previous advice and say go ahead and offer an increased amount of that. I haven't had a lot of luck getting my birds to eat any sort of dried fruit/veggie mix, and it sounds like she wants much to do with it either? You can try sprinkling some of the seed she will eat in that to see if it encourages her to dig around more, and you can do the same with the chop.

I'm sorry for bringing it up again, did the vet do blood work?

This is an incredibly frustrating situation, I'm sure it's taking a toll on everyone involved, including Poppy. If making adjustments doesn't work my next advice would be contacting your vet for a recommendation on a behaviorist that would be able to work with you directly.
Hey @Milo I show the seed mix in the very first video - It is Volkmann's Eclectus seed mix, With the sunflower seeds taken out... this is what she was weaned onto, and from my perspective the only thing she was fed. I go ahead and ADD in a variety of dried veggies (corn, peas, carrot, red chili) I purchase from the bird store. She does peck at all fruits and carrots, and loves green bell peppers. The chop she is very disinterested in... She will dunk her head in there but most of it ends on the floor. I will continue to feed everything I have made for her, and add pellets once they arrive as well. I will try adding the "additional" amount of seed into the chop mix to see if it will encourage her to eat more of that as well.

Vet did not order any blood work as he did not see it necessary since she appeared in such good health, he did a pretty hands on exam when I first took her in on 5/11 and even spoke with me at length (30mins) about behavioral mods I can try. the suggestion was to move the cage to a different part of the house where she is more isolated, and at that point much easier for me to practice the "walk out" when she starts to scream" and allow me to reward her when I walk in and she is quiet, or at least not screaming as loudly for an approximation. Currently her cage is in the "grand room" which is up against a corner, nestled between out TV and a large Window. (She can still hide away from the window is she like, or have a partial view, and does het some nice sun for a ~2 hrs a day at dusk which she enjoys quite a bit. She has FULL view of the whole living room / dining room / kitchen areas - we selected that spot as we wanted her to have as much stimulation and interaction as possible. Given the new behavior thought, this is problematic, as pretty much anytime I am in view - which is ALL the time I am not either working, or in my own bedroom, the screaming goes on. But idea of moving her into an isolated room makes me sad and I haven't wanted to "punish her" like that if I can avoid it. However, it is starting to come into consideration now...

I actually will be going out on vacation on Fridays and coming back on Monday night- She will be boarded at our local Bird specialty store, and I am hoping that will give her some time to reset so to speak. It may also simply make her issues worse... ? Between now and then I will increase her food (in all forms not just seed) and see if that makes any difference. If the problem worsens upon my return, and continues for more than another week or so, I may have no other option but hiring a behaviorist. I can (and was prepared) to deal with occasional loud screaming as I accept this is normal parrot behavior, and have enduring multiple bloody bites (which ironically don't bother me as much). . . but considering I will be starting nursing clinical in 2 weeks, this CANNOT continue indefinitely for all hours of the day and night on end.
Thank you for your support and advice.
 
Top