Help me, please, with my feather plucker, self mutilator, scared, and aggressive CH Conure

[SumitaSinh]

@Kassiani , I consulted with one of my psychiatrist friends regarding plucking and self mutilation in budgies. He advised Fluoxetin syrup for this condition, as it's like depression in humans... I was wondering if it can be used for Opie also ( obviously after discussion with your vet)... Forgive me for this unsolicited advice, but I am very concerned about Opie (and Opie's mom, too)

 

[Kassiani]

I appreciate any and all suggestions @SumitaSinh It's kind of you to care! I don't want to go down the route of an SSRI drug for him if I can possibly help it. I'm working with a plucking habit of 21+ years, and any changes I make to his environment and daily activities will take a while to have an effect.

I accidently caused my little man to have a fright last night when I went to bed around 10 pm, but I was able to settle him down pretty quickly. I'm pondering a solution, but that will be another thread!

 

[Kassiani]

I’m happy to report that it has been mid-May since Opie has needed to be in his collar! He and the budgie boys had to be boarded for 4 days recently at the rescue while I flew to visit my dad and sister. He handled it like a trooper, but he has been a bit more grumpy over the past few days. Hopefully I will be forgiven!

I had to share these pics because it is so cute!! He has a no-pill fleece preening toy that he only gets in his cage when he’s not being hormonal. He has started burying his head in it at night! It has two parts that hang down from the middle, and he likes one part (leg?) on either side of his head. These are pictures taken using the security camera. Here he is on the perch in front of the toy.


Here he is with his noggin completely covered by the fleecy toy! Lol! He looks like he’s wearing a mop on his head




But the cutest is this last one where he has one piece over his back and has turned his head and buried his beak in it!

 

[Mizzely]

So cute

 

[Greylady1966]

No collar he is doing amazing with you. The pictures are so cute, I really needed a good laugh and Opie made that happen.

 

[Kassiani]

My sensitive boy...it's so funny trying to figure out what he won't pay any attention to, and how the most innocuous things he sometimes finds upsetting. I wear glasses and have pairs for driving, computer and reading work, and sunglasses. He is most used to my reading glasses as that is the pair I wear most often in the house. I drove home on a cloudy day in the drivers and was wearing them around the house. Opie started acting aggressively toward me by biting the bars! Once I realized I was still wearing them, I changed into my readers, and all was well.

I had hand surgery yesterday morning and came home with a big, white bandage on my hand and smelling of the antiseptic soap and iodine scrub. Well, you would have thought I was a three-headed, conure-eating monster! Poor lad! When I finally was able to shower and change into bandaids this morning, life was much better for him, lol!

 

[SumitaSinh]

We haven't seen him for ages

 

[Hermesbird]

We haven't seen him for ages

Agreed! Pictures are requested please!

 

[Kassiani]

Mom was a little slow getting the door shut with his chop, so he decided to climb down the outside of the cage to get to it!

 

[Greylady1966]

He looks so sassy! The look on his face is priceless.

 

[Hermesbird]

Oh he knows he’s handsome!! I see he has his flights! Is he comfortable with flying!

 

[SumitaSinh]

Hi Opie, thanks for sparing few feathers. You're doing great, keep it up,.. Muuuuaaaaah

 

[Kassiani]

Oh he knows he’s handsome!! I see he has his flights! Is he comfortable with flying!

He hasn't yet flown. I'm trying to set something up a training situation so that I can increase the gap bit by bit for him to get to a treat. I'm hoping this will encourage him to fly!

 

[Hermesbird]

I'm hoping this will encourage him to fly!

I hope it’s works!

 

[Tazlima]

He hasn't yet flown. I'm trying to set something up a training situation so that I can increase the gap bit by bit for him to get to a treat. I'm hoping this will encourage him to fly!

I got my grey to start flying with this method, but rather than limiting it to training sessions, I set up a play stand on a plastic bin next to her cage. Water was available in the cage. Food was on the stand. That way she had to cross the gap whenever she wanted to eat, but there was no pressure of feeling rushed or watched. We're a year on and she can now fly about six feet under the right circumstances.

For a long time, every flight she made was kind of panicky, with her feet splayed in a landing position. The past couple months she has worked out how to tuck her feet for a smoother, more controlled flight. She's gotten quite confident going from one horizontal surface to another, so just the other day I made a change that will require her to either take off from the (vertical) side of her cage, or start on a lower level and ascend. Either way, she'll learn a new skill.

It doesn't sound like much, but considering the muscle atrophy in her wings and the complete lack of knowledge or confidence re: flying when we began, she's made amazing progress.

 

[Kassiani]

I got my grey to start flying with this method, but rather than limiting it to training sessions, I set up a play stand on a plastic bin next to her cage. Water was available in the cage. Food was on the stand. That way she had to cross the gap whenever she wanted to eat, but there was no pressure of feeling rushed or watched. We're a year on and she can now fly about six feet under the right circumstances.

For a long time, every flight she made was kind of panicky, with her feet splayed in a landing position. The past couple months she has worked out how to tuck her feet for a smoother, more controlled flight. She's gotten quite confident going from one horizontal surface to another, so just the other day I made a change that will require her to either take off from the (vertical) side of her cage, or start on a lower level and ascend. Either way, she'll learn a new skill.

It doesn't sound like much, but considering the muscle atrophy in her wings and the complete lack of knowledge or confidence re: flying when we began, she's made amazing progress.

I’m so happy for your girl!! That sounds amazing!

 

[Kassiani]

I received a request for photos, so I took these just a few moments ago!



My dreamy eyed boy!

I'm afraid I've hit quite a plateau with my Opie. I'm so, so busy at work, that our training time is shorter than it has ever been. I really hope that I will eventually be able to encourage him to fly. That is my dream for him.

He is also showing signs of becoming a it hormonal again. I'm hoping this is just because he is molting, and not that I'll have to deal with spring and fall hormones! Time will tell.

For all my birds, I'm just really frustrated because I literally work, eat, take care of birds, and sleep. And the taking care of birds is often the bare-bones minimum of feeding, cleaning cages, and a bit of out of cage time. We are profoundly short staffed at work, and I'm often working until 8 or 9 at night.

Hang in there, Opie! Mom is going to make this better, I promise!!

 

[April]

I received a request for photos, so I took these just a few moments ago!

View attachment 394344
View attachment 394345
My dreamy eyed boy!

I'm afraid I've hit quite a plateau with my Opie. I'm so, so busy at work, that our training time is shorter than it has ever been. I really hope that I will eventually be able to encourage him to fly. That is my dream for him.

He is also showing signs of becoming a it hormonal again. I'm hoping this is just because he is molting, and not that I'll have to deal with spring and fall hormones! Time will tell.

For all my birds, I'm just really frustrated because I literally work, eat, take care of birds, and sleep. And the taking care of birds is often the bare-bones minimum of feeding, cleaning cages, and a bit of out of cage time. We are profoundly short staffed at work, and I'm often working until 8 or 9 at night.

Hang in there, Opie! Mom is going to make this better, I promise!!

There’s the handsome nakie boy! I just love seeing pics of him I think he’s such a beautiful young man
I’m sorry to hear that it’s been rough for you and the flock lately I know how that goes working when it’s short staffed it’s been that way at my job since before Covid and now it’s even worse. I hope it will get better for you soon .

 

[Greylady1966]

I'm hoping things improve for you soon!

 

[Hermesbird]

Life unfortunately has ups and downs, Opie and the budgie brothers know you love them!!