Well Tinker is home. (Sad update post #865)

[BertAllen]

Happy Birthday! PS I never knew your name was Dave! LOL

Thank You.
Yep it is shown under my profile picture.

Happy birthday Dave!
I hope your day will be great with a lot of love from Tinker.

Thank You.

Got lots of love from Tinker today. He took a small piece of skin from the left side of my head and knocked my glasses off.
No idea why either as he was sitting beside me and we were talking back and forth.
He has his full flights back and is a Top Gun again. He is now resisting going back into his cage as he can fly away. UGH he certainly is trying.

 

[Begone]

I think I should try to have a serious talk with Tinker.

That wasn't nice Tinker!
Remember who feeds you and allowed you this kind of freedom.
You have no idea of how many parrot's out their that gladly want your life. So be nice and appreciate what you have!

 

[Snowghost]

Wow, I'm surprised he was strike out like that. I don't know if will ever truly understand parrots. Was that his way of saying I love you in parrot? I see pics of people cuddly and kissing their parrot, I'm not sure if I would trust them that close.

Paco would touch his beak to previous owners lips, I am not going to try that. He never bit her. Only once when he was on her shoulder he lost his balance and he grabbed the top of her lip to catch himself.

Is there something about me that makes him bite? I do have him out all day and I'm in his space changing paper, water bowl, treat and seed bowl. She didn't feed him fruit and veggies, had a water bottle that could be changed from the outside and the bowl has a little door that you can open to refill from the outside.

When I got Paco he smelled horribly. His cage had plexiglass on the sides I guess to keep the shredded paper inside. It had at least 6 inches of soiled shredded paper. He water bottle was brown with slime.

I took the plastic off. I scrubbed the years of gunk off of his cage. It was so brown it looked like rust.

So I remind myself he is not used to a clean cage, someone taking out the paper two or three times a day. I wipe down his cage and perches to get wet food off of it. He has only shredded paper maybe twice when I was gone for a long time. I know he was cage bound a lot she worked 70 hours at 2 jobs, and he was plucking that is why she re homed him.

So I'm thinking no plucking, no shredding paper, better diet he is at least healthier and smells great.

So I think with time we will get to know each other better and the bites will stop. It sure is a journey with these grey feathered friends.

 

[BertAllen]

Remember who feeds you and allowed you this kind of freedom.

Boxing day we had over 20 for dinner. It is a noisy bunch but most of that is downstairs in the family room. We eat upstairs then cleanup and move down.

Tinker was put in his cage at 11am after being out from 7am. He never got out again till the next morning and he was not a happy camper. I believe he took his frustrations out on me since I normally let him out at 3pm till about 5pm then out at 6 again till 8pm.
His routine was blown to the devil.

Today he was much better but Teresa had to pick him up at 8pm for bed time. It's quite obvious he likes a routine in his life even though I try to vary it a bit during the week.

Oh well that's life and we had a fun time today pushing his little ball back and forth on the island.

I tell him he has 50 shades of gray. The good, bad and the dam ugly. Now we will work on the good.

 

[Snowghost]

@BertAllen I can agree with routines. Its the one way I try to train Paco. I do the same thing every morning, make tea, let him nibble on pellets in bowl. I have now been able to ask him, "Can I get your goodie cup." I watch his body language and how his eyes are reacting (watch out for that stink eye) Once I feel that he is ready, I slowly reach in and I get the cup. He now will scoot over on his own. I feel this is great progress, if you recall I started out saying , "scootch over with a treat"

I leave him out all day while I look for a job on the internet or post here. Then shower and tell him what I am doing. Still working on "get in your cage by by" He seems a little slow on this. I hope to be working soon at H & R Block and I worry about having issues with him getting in the cage in a timely manner so I'm not late.

At night, I tell him nite nite, and I turn out the over head light and I have a lamp on. He will get in his cage and play "bat bird" hanging upset and then nibble on pellets, avi cake and then swipe his beak. I sure do get a kick out of watching him.

PS

I love the 50 shades of gray it is true, they are moody.

 

[BertAllen]

I think Tinker loves his rattle ball I found in a second hand shop.

 

[Begone]

Does he always have his wings down like that when he play?
Because I think he love that ball a little to much.
But let him, he needs to practice on something. And better a ball then you or your wife.

If I have right that will explain his behavior at the moment.

 

[BertAllen]

Does he always have his wings down like that when he play?

Actually no he doesn't do that at all.

I wondered about this myself when he did it, that's why I recorded it.
He is just 20 months old and I think he is a bit young for that but who knows for sure.

 

[Begone]

He is just 20 months old

Not to young for that so I think he is practicing.

 

[BertAllen]

Not to young for that so I think he is practicing.

It must have been a one night stand as he tossed it on the floor and ignored it all night. LOL

 

[BertAllen]

WHY oh why!
Tinker was sitting 20 feet away talking and whistling TV tunes and then he flew straight at me and bit the back of my hand.

I managed to wash it out and get the flap back in place. Polysporin for an antiseptic this time.
Bled like a stuffed pig dripping from the couch to the bathroom.

 

[Snowghost]

OUCH! I swear I don't know what get's into these birds. After weeks of trying to get Paco to step up, trying figure out what makes him want to bite, I had great success. I took your advice @BertAllen and stuck out my bare arm last night and bam he stepped up a perfect gentleman, no biting, lunging or chomping. Insert Happy Dance here. I just know though that he will turn around and bite the next time. Sorry about your hand. Will we ever understand them?

 

[TAG-Aviary]

WOW I can't believe I haven't posted here for a week but life keeps getting in the way.
Tinker and I have had issues with him biting me for no apparent reason. He just runs over to me while we have been playing and chomps down. I seems to happen around 8pm and he knows that bed time is near. Now these are not real bites but they do draw blood or give me blood blister type marks.
Gus my wild Amazon, now his were real bites and I still thirty years later can see the scars. Once he trusted me he never bit me again.
Anyway I have to figure out what I'm doing or missing to cause these reactions in him.

We are still buddies though and here he is digging into his second pie pumpkin. He loves the fresh seeds but hates the seeds I buy at the Bulk Barn.

View attachment 289760

Here he is saying, "ok now you know what I weigh where's my treat.

View attachment 289761

I love this stand, if you dont mind me asking where did you get it?

 

[Snowghost]

@TAG-Aviary Before Paco I had a wild caught Amazon for 25 years. She never let me pet her, I was o.k. with that. I had a boyfriend that taught her to fly to the shoulder and take a peanut from your mouth. That was the only interaction with humans she allowed. We had our own language, I understood her calls and she understood me. I loved her dearly. I still miss her squawking .

Paco and I have come a long way in the 9 months we have been together, I have had so much support and advice from everyone here.

Birds Rock!

 

[BertAllen]

I love this stand, if you dont mind me asking where did you get it?

I made it.

 

[BertAllen]

@Eloy
I believe we have a 20 month old hormonal CAG. Last night and this morning he is following Teresa around with his wings down. He is giving me the evil eye and nipping Teresa.
He is also getting into everything he knows he shouldn't be near.
I had to darken the room today to be able to pick him up and take him to his cage as he will not let me near him right now.
I will be so glad when spring gets here and he can spend time in his aviary.

 

[Snowghost]

oh wow, I know nothing about hormonal CAG's. Good luck.

 

[BertAllen]

oh wow, I know nothing about hormonal CAG's. Good luck.

I'm keeping a close eye on him.
He is ok with Teresa right now.

 

[BertAllen]

Alright we got it under control for the moment. Notice I said moment LOL.

I got rid of his dildo ball and he has quieted right down. No more bites and is stepping up again and playing nice.

Dam he is not even two years old yet, this is going to be a wild ride for the next 2 ->4 years for sure. Tinker is a very independent bird and I know if I clip him it will change him to be dependent on me to get around so, I WILL NOT clip.
So this means I will periodically bleed when I miss read his signals.
Oh well life sucks sometimes. Anyway being a Millwright most of my life I have cut myself much worse than he ever will and I lived and even learned how to put in stitches. Whisky helps!

Tonight he played well and settled down at 8pm for bed time.

PS
My wild Blue Fronted Amazon was so easy. I miss Gus so much!

 

[Snowghost]

@BertAllen Oh Lord I almost lost it on the dildo ball. Lovely Blue Front, sorry I didn't meet Gus. As I type Paco is Mr. Chatter box, even with the set backs he is really opening up. Chirps in CAG when I come home and chirps when I approach him. He had come a long way, even my room mate thinks he amazing. Gotta love these guys!

He is 19 do I need to look out for hormone issues? He is my first male.