• 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

Hormonal and Territorial

Kassiani

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/12/20
Messages
6,832
Location
Southeastern U.S.
AFED5C40-489F-4BCA-9FA3-A69838F679F6.jpeg
He has really been picking at that sore again. I don’t react to him when he does it, and I haven’t been reacting when he displays to me either (flared tail, slow head bob, occasional attempt to regurgitate). I’m just trying to go about my work while occasionally talking to him or throwing a treat in his dish.

I know he wants out of his cage, but under the circumstances, I don’t think that would be safe for him or me. I hope that’s the right thing to do with him!
 

faislaq

I have macaws and don't post enough pictures
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
10/25/16
Messages
16,507
Location
Texas
Real Name
Karen
View attachment 371838
He has really been picking at that sore again. I don’t react to him when he does it, and I haven’t been reacting when he displays to me either (flared tail, slow head bob, occasional attempt to regurgitate). I’m just trying to go about my work while occasionally talking to him or throwing a treat in his dish.

I know he wants out of his cage, but under the circumstances, I don’t think that would be safe for him or me. I hope that’s the right thing to do with him!
How stressful for the both of you. I can't imagine how you're feeling. It sounds like you're handling it better than I would! :bighug:
 

Kassiani

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/12/20
Messages
6,832
Location
Southeastern U.S.
Yeah, my head is pounding and I’m just worried about him. I put together a veggie and apple skewer to distract him from himself, and he’s been eating the apple at least. I’ll call that a small win :unsure1:

DEE953ED-E8CD-4F55-A53C-EABA066220B2.jpeg
Do you all think letting him out of the cage would be a bad idea, too?
 

faislaq

I have macaws and don't post enough pictures
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
10/25/16
Messages
16,507
Location
Texas
Real Name
Karen
Yeah, my head is pounding and I’m just worried about him. I put together a veggie and apple skewer to distract him from himself, and he’s been eating the apple at least. I’ll call that a small win :unsure1:

View attachment 371852
Do you all think letting him out of the cage would be a bad idea, too?
If you think he might be dangerous, I'd leave him in. It's better than a bad confrontation, plus he didn't get out of cage time at the rescue, so no big loss yet. If you think he would just like to explore a little and you have a Plan B just in case, You could just open his door and let him take it from there. Either way he'll settle in before you know it.

Buzzard was locked in his too-small cage for a year, so when he came to us, we propped his cage door open with a metal barstool every day. Took a few days before he even came out & almost a week before he'd sit on the door. But he doesn't fly and wasn't acting aggressively towards us (until hubby cut his hair :rofl: ).
 

Kassiani

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/12/20
Messages
6,832
Location
Southeastern U.S.
Those haircuts can be life-changing! Lol! His cage is in a separate room, so he wouldn’t be breaking quarantine. I’m afraid he might not go back in or come after me. And I’m not really in the mood for stitches! Lol!
 

Kassiani

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/12/20
Messages
6,832
Location
Southeastern U.S.
Just a few minutes ago he spun one of his toys around in anger and the momentum caused him to fall to the bottom of the cage! I saw it happen because I was coming to give him a carrot for his dish to see if he would like it! SMH...

I'm calling the vet to see if they can put me on a list for tomorrow in case someone cancels. My appointment is on Wednesday!
 

faislaq

I have macaws and don't post enough pictures
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
10/25/16
Messages
16,507
Location
Texas
Real Name
Karen
My dad's budgies' cage is open whenever someone's home. The birds go in on their own to sleep and to eat. Not sure whether Opie is familiar with his cage yet to know that's where to roost. Do you think he'd go back in for bribes if you needed him to? Just visibly drop in an extra special favorite treat and "leave" until he's in so you can close the door?
 

Kassiani

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/12/20
Messages
6,832
Location
Southeastern U.S.
He is more or less comfortable and familiar with his cage now. He has his perch where he likes to sleep, and the one where he likes to hide. He knows the food and water routine and the cage cleaning routine. I would hope treats would work, but he sometimes refuses the treats that are typically his favorite (walnuts) when he's mad. The cage has a play top, but I don't have a separate play gym for him yet.

I'm not going to win any points tomorrow because there was an opening at the vet's, so I can take both him and Kuiper in tomorrow. I'll be rounding them up around 7:30 a.m. to hit the road by 8 a.m. It's a drop-off appointment.
 

Kassiani

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/12/20
Messages
6,832
Location
Southeastern U.S.
I'm determined that all will go well transferring my two newbies to their carriers this morning! Admittedly, it will be the first time I have every laid a finger on either of them. I have on a long-sleeved shirt, a heavy fleece, and I have a nice soft blanket with which to corral Opie!

Wish me luck!
 

faislaq

I have macaws and don't post enough pictures
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
10/25/16
Messages
16,507
Location
Texas
Real Name
Karen

faislaq

I have macaws and don't post enough pictures
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
10/25/16
Messages
16,507
Location
Texas
Real Name
Karen
:congrats: You did it! A successful first vet trip!
 

Kassiani

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/12/20
Messages
6,832
Location
Southeastern U.S.
The vet was very thorough with his exam. He did not believe that he was picking the wound on his chest due to some lesion or other skin infection, and so it is just the adrenalin rush that Opie gets from picking at it...as with pulling out his feathers. So, soft collar was the way to go. He makes angry sounds at it trying to get it off--I shouldn't laugh, but it's so cute! Poor man!

Anyway, labs sent out and x-rays taken. It was the close of business today when I was able to pick them up, so I'll hear more in a few days once the labs are back. My vet wants me to keep them separated for the full 30 days of quarantine. He said that the stress of moving to a new home often lowers the immune system enough for any latent infections to show themselves.

:congrats: You did it! A successful first vet trip!
Thank you! Really!! I was nervous about getting Opie in his carrier, but it was Kuiper who was the hardest to wrangle!
 

camelotshadow

Joyriding the Neighborhood
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
11/9/11
Messages
21,494
Location
S California
Real Name
Christine
:laughing9:

Glad you got them in & out of the carriers! Always a challenge.
Little Kuiper was the stinker.

Opie looks so cute with his fuzzy ray of sunshine around his neck.
Hopes he finds other activities to get his adrenaline rush & leaves his skin alone.
Still the mutilation is rather new as there was no signs of open wounds on him most of the time you have seen him.
Glad things check out OK. Your vet sounds wise & thorough.

:congrats::yourock:
 

Kassiani

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/12/20
Messages
6,832
Location
Southeastern U.S.
Little Kuiper was the stinker.
He is my special feral boy!! And too skinny! I don't think he'll object to a little fattening up!

Yes, my vet is very knowledgeable and even considered that the feather loss in front of Opie's eyes might be a sinus infection, so he checked to see if there was drainage or an infection. There isn't, so it is just part of this new hormonal-based ramping up of destructive behaviors.

The only thing I don't like about the collar is that he can't reach up and hold a piece of food with his foot while he is wearing it, and that makes him furious! I don't think trimming down the collar would work because then it wouldn't protect his naked chest. I broke up a walnut into tiny pieces and put it in his food dish. That worked much better! And I'll try the skewer again tomorrow.
 

camelotshadow

Joyriding the Neighborhood
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
11/9/11
Messages
21,494
Location
S California
Real Name
Christine
How much do Kuiper & Opie weigh?
Close to the 37 grams the rescue vet supposedly got?
 

Kassiani

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/12/20
Messages
6,832
Location
Southeastern U.S.
Kuiper weighed 30 g today. What I suspect is that the rescue vet made a typo when entering his weight at that time. I think it should have been 28 g, not 38 g as stated in the report. I’m afraid I didn’t think to ask about Opie’s weight today.
 

Kassiani

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/12/20
Messages
6,832
Location
Southeastern U.S.
I haven’t worked up the nerve to let Mr. Cranky Pants out of his cage yet.

But I have started target training! Go figure...he’s doing pretty well! I’m going to work with him two more times today to get his mind off his troubles, lol!

Although he hasn’t actually gotten on it, he has been chewing on his Seriously Nutz swing! And regurgitating to it...although he’s not leaving the food on the swing. Just brings it up and chews on it and swallows again.

He throws regular temper tantrums about his collar, but it has stayed on! I need to try to film one because it’s so cute! Not to him, of course, but still! I’m beginning to think he may be a bit of a drama queen:crycry2::king:
 

faislaq

I have macaws and don't post enough pictures
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
10/25/16
Messages
16,507
Location
Texas
Real Name
Karen
And regurgitating to it...although he’s not leaving the food on the swing. Just brings it up and chews on it and swallows again.
That's why we call the Kong on Buzzard's playstand his "girlfriend"; he feeds "her" and "she" feeds him. :wtf:
 
Top