How to handle the parents?

[Artagiel]

Hi!

I figured this would be the best place to ask this.

Abby and El have decided to try and raise a family, currently they are sitting on 5 plastic eggies (I do not want to breed and swapped out) although the eggs are fake right now the protective instincts are very real especially in Elvis.

How can I interact with them still without being injured or possibly damaging the trust I have worked so hard to gain from them before now?

I am still opening their cage when I get home every day, one will come out (who ever is not on egg sitting duty at the time) and will be just like themselves pre-breeding away from the cage but El when he is on the eggies is very protective and will fly after you for simply coming near the cage. He also seems to go for the face. I didn't know what to do when he did it the other night so as calmly as I could I put my arm in the way and then when he attacked that toweled him and put him back home in his cage talking as soothingly as I could. I worry that I am going to ruin our bond if I don't get some ideas on how to live with them during this time. How can I keep them feeling safe, secure and happy when they are going through this tough time?

 

[Ede-bird]

I am no expert, but it sounds like you are doing everything right. The real experts should be along soon and have more info for you!

 

[suncoast]

Can you move their cage to a more secure spot away from all the activity? Not isolated just somewhere where they don't have to be on high alert all the time.

I would also give them fair warning when your going to go by their cage or change out the food so that they know your coming. Something like "Hey it's okay, just walking by." before you actually get there.

Ginger

 

[Artagiel]

They are in the bedroom, that is the least active part of the house. I do talk to them as I go by or when I need to change the food or water (I won't let Bill do it right now because I can take a bite and not react but he can't.) but still he is just very protective of the eggs. Away from the cage he is himself so I know it is just being a good parent and he is not cheesed off at me, he just really doesn't want anything to happen to his "babies". I found that if I don't look he doesn't react as badly, I flat out kept my back to him getting Noodle out and that seemed to work with him not charging out beak open. I just don't want to stress him out, the only other place the cage could possibly go is our hall area, it has no windows and at night I think they would be kept up by us watching TV so with the apartment the way it is now the bedroom is the safest place.

I could swap out Noodle and their cage placement, that way they would be in a corner and Noodle would be closer to the bedroom door. I am pretty sure they are agile enough to figure out how to fly into the living room still for out of cage time.

 

[suncoast]

I think your doing a fine job. You've minimized the traffic and give them a heads up.

They will figure out that you mean no harm and I wouldn't take it personally when he comes charging out. He's just hardwired to take his Dad job seriously.

Ginger

 

[Greycloud]

If you don't want to breed, I recommend separating them. I know they love the company of eachother but continuos egglaying is going to physically stress the hens' system. Also this may correct all your problems with agression.

 

[ilikebirds]

Sometimes mama and papa decide to nest, and lay unfertile eggs. Though they are both sweet, Mama is super scary at this time. She will huff and puff at anyone. She tries to attack when you feed them if she is on eggs. We do our best not to bother them, and just admire what a good mama she is trying to be. She doesnt care how much we sweet talk her, or what treat we are trying to give her. So we wait until they give up, and mama goes back to her sweet self.

What is noodle? I think that may be the cutest, most colorful parrot ive seen!

 

[Artagiel]

They are bonded and I won't separate them for my convenience. This is the first time they have laid and I think it was mostly due to me providing the right light amount for it with all the holiday running around. I took them from someone on craigslist so that they wouldn't have to go through a painful separation and I am prepared to do whatever I need to do for them, if she continues to lay to the point it would be considered harmful I will consult with my vet about other options before even considering forcing them to live apart.

Noodle is a Goldie's Lorikeet, thanks, she is adorable and her personality is just as colorful as her feathers.

Thank you all for the advice I will ride this out the best I can with them and I feel better knowing that the aggression around the cage right now won't lead to them losing the trust they have given me so far. I really treasure how far they have come since I got them and I would hate to go backwards after it all.

 

[suncoast]

Ginger

 

[Thugluvgrl187]

In my experience with nesting birds we have always just let them be when they are physically in the nest. We had some that would let you check out the eggs and scritch them while they were sitting on eggs while we had others that would lunge out if they saw you through the nest hole. As Ginger said putting them in a less traffic area would be good and give them a signal that you are coming so they are startled. Now I wouldn't suggest toweling them if they are nesting behavior. That might make them more hostile and make them feel like they have to be more threatening. Remember this is a normal reaction to nesting birds. They are just trying to protect. Maybe you can try leaving the cage door open to see if they would like to come out. Hope this helps.

 

[Artagiel]

They don't have a nest, the eggs are on the bottom of the cage and the door is left open for them to come and go as they please when I am home and just me passing by the cage is what makes El charge out and fly at my face. I didn't want to towel him but he wouldn't stop attacking me and I couldn't think of another safe way to get him back home at the time, still can't so I hope it doesn't happen again. <3

 

[Thugluvgrl187]

Oh they are just using the bottom of the cage huh lol. Since the eggs are out in the open it might be causing them to be more protective of them. I don't blame you for toweling him if he was biting. I know how aggressive they can get when eggies are involved. I think eventually once they see that the eggs haven't hatched they will probably get tired of them and go back to being lovey dovey.

 

[Artagiel]

LOL, yeah I hope so. Abby laid egg number 6 last night...while perched on the top of the blinds. I guess she again didn't know what was going on until it went splat on the floor.