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Julie White
Flier
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 421
Location: Staines, England |
| Tim Bears Grudges |
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Yesterday I was called by my son to go round and look after my Granddaughters as my Daughter in Law had to go to the hospital for a blood pressure check as it's still up after the birth of little Ellie 8 days ago, so the birds didn't get much time out of their cages. Tim was waiting i n his usual place to come out today and when I put my hand in he nipped me, it seems that whenever I can't for some reason get him out of the cage as usual he feels that I need a reprimand, it's the only time he does it and it surprised me because it's only become apparent this past week. |
Saturday July 15, 2006 12:40 pm |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10073
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| Re: Tim Bears Grudges |
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Hi Julie.. Could you distract him with a toy, prior to have him step up?
Perhaps he'll forget about nipping then? |
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Saturday July 15, 2006 7:52 pm |
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Julie White
Flier
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 421
Location: Staines, England |
Hi Sue, the toy is a possibility or I wondered about just shutting the cage door again for a few seconds, he doesn't bite hard but he definitely means to nip, I thought at first it was because he'd been in the cage for longer than usual and he was excited to come out, but his attitude shows he means to nip, if Mischief gets excited when she comes out of her cage she can grip my finger a bit harder than usual and not mean it, Tims movements are very deliberate and he does a little twist of his head at the same time. |
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Saturday July 15, 2006 9:46 pm |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10073
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Hmmm I don't really understand what Tim does.. But this might help? You know the chewing movements Sennies make? (When they're friendly)
If you want him to step up, and you expect him to nip, talk to him with a high voice, until he starts to 'chew'. (Or you can also see this as talking without making any sound: Fast movement of the beak)
Then have him step up.
It works for me.
Especially when I'm nervous. I'll just wait till Iago starts doing this.. 
If he doesn't then I come back later. |
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Sunday July 16, 2006 9:22 am |
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Julie White
Flier
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 421
Location: Staines, England |
Hi Sue I know what you mean when you say chewing I call it beaking and Tim also wiggles his tongue, what I was describing is that instead of just gripping onto my finger with his beak to step up he actually gripped a bit of skin and twisted his head just a little. Tim is a thinker, when he's making up his mind to try something new you can see something in his attitude, usually it means something good is about to happen, I'm very tuned in to him because when he first came here the only way I could make advances with him was to try and put myself in his place because he was so terrified so in a way this nipping shows that he's becoming braver as most Sennies will nip from time to time, so I have to be very careful about how I tackle the problem. I think your suggestion of using the higher pitched voice is good and I'll try that. |
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Sunday July 16, 2006 10:50 am |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10073
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Ohhh yikes, I meant.. Talk to him using the higher pitched voice.. Wait for the beaking to begin: The chewing.. Then make him step up. |
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Monday July 17, 2006 8:45 am |
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Julie White
Flier
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 421
Location: Staines, England |
Hi Sue, the thing with Tim is he starts the chewing thing as soon as I go to him, he starts by putting his head on one side and opening his beak wide and chewing and tongue wiggling, also fluffing the feathers on his head and letting them lay flat (I call it a parrot blush, probably not the right term for it). It's like he's saying he's really pleased to see me, but on occasions when I couldn't get him out as usual he starts like that and as I'm talking to him and saying up for him to climb up he decides that he'll let me know he doesn't appreciate being left longer than usual. He only does it on the occasions when I couldn't get him out as usual, all other times he's his usual sweet self. |
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Monday July 17, 2006 1:48 pm |
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sentiels3
Experienced flier
Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 1312
Location: Joliet, Ill |
Hi Julie, some birds do get mad when their owners have been gone a long time. My mom's cockatiel starts getting mad when she's been gone about 2 hours. I don't know how he can tell time but he can. He then begins chirping loudly and will at times attack mine or my dad's feet. He's 14yrs old and set in his ways and onery. I try giving my mom ways to help but she just does what she wants. He's a very extremely spoiled tiel and usually gets his way.
maybe you can just let him calm down a bit and talk to him before taking him out of the cage.  |
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Tuesday July 18, 2006 5:07 am |
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Julie White
Flier
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 421
Location: Staines, England |
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Hi Sentiels I think thats a good idea to let him calm down. I have no idea how old he is as he was rescued and had been wild caught. Our RSPCA took him from a house where there were about 100 animals and passed him to a parrot rescue. He'd been kept covered up in a small cage for about 2 years, he was mutilating his feathers and doing repititive behaviour like zoo animals, also he was malnourished. He came here in Feb. 2000 and it took a long time to tame him as he was paralysed with fear and wouldn't eat if there was anyone in the room. Tims feet have always been dark grey and scaly, Cheeky the other Sennie is 7 years old and his feet are still pink, so I think Tim must be probably 20 or more. I thought it was a breakthrough when he started to growl about 4 years ago as it showed more normal behaviour, although he's really very sweet and loving, also he had to learn to fly again because his flying muscles had wasted and had to be built up, so it's been a long haul with him, he wouldn't come out of the cage at first, and on the advice of the Poicephalus Section of the Parrot Society here I made him come out of the cage, as they said he was going mad because of being confined so long. They told me to towel him and make him come out and I felt awful doing it at first but it worked, also a behaviourist told me to put him on my chest and let him take food from my mouth like another parrot and that worked like a charm and brought him round quicker than anything else although it sounds unconventional, but he was at the stage where it was all or nothing with him, also changing the cage to a much bigger one with a domed top and putting little pots of food around it and rope perches for him to climb around helped. I would hesitate to tell anyone to follow the extreme advice I got but he was at the point of no return mentally and he couldn't go to an aviary as he couldn't fly. Sorry to have gone on so long. I love this site because only gentle things are suggested here i.e. nothing to cause him to lose confidence. |
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Tuesday July 18, 2006 12:27 pm |
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sentiels3
Experienced flier
Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 1312
Location: Joliet, Ill |
 Julie, it sounds like you have done a wonderful job with Tim. Just keep up with what you are doing especially if it is helping Tim. Sounds like he came from a very bad situation and you have given him a better life.
Continue with the patience you have shown Tim and do let him calm a bit before letting him out. Tim needs a lot of love and special attention of which he is getting from a great mom.  |
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Tuesday July 18, 2006 9:33 pm |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10073
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quote:
Originally posted by Julie White
Hi Sue, the thing with Tim is he starts the chewing thing as soon as I go to him, he starts by putting his head on one side and opening his beak wide and chewing and tongue wiggling, also fluffing the feathers on his head and letting them lay flat (I call it a parrot blush, probably not the right term for it). It's like he's saying he's really pleased to see me, but on occasions when I couldn't get him out as usual he starts like that and as I'm talking to him and saying up for him to climb up he decides that he'll let me know he doesn't appreciate being left longer than usual. He only does it on the occasions when I couldn't get him out as usual, all other times he's his usual sweet self.
Oh yikes..  Well, my brains are working at this time.. When he starts like that, and suddenly changes.. Hmmm, let me think. Could you get his attention focussed on someone else, you might be holding? Something he likes?
I know it's not very good to do this, but I sometimes do when I am VERY nervous.. You know, i get Iago's favorite treat.. Then I wait untill he starts 'talking/chewing'.. I show him the treat, and hold it let's say in my left hand. Then I make him step up with my right hand. He'll be less inclined to bite when he sees that nice treat!
When he's done perfectly, I'll give him the treat. (NOT when he's bitten me, but he doesn't do that when I have a treat)
Hope this helps you? |
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Thursday July 20, 2006 11:02 am |
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Julie White
Flier
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 421
Location: Staines, England |
Hi Sue, the suggestion about the treat is a good idea and Tim really loves fresh banana which I'm using for the clicker training, I'll let you know how it works. |
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Thursday July 20, 2006 3:33 pm |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10073
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Julie, I truely hope this will work for you! I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed.. Please let us know! |
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Thursday July 20, 2006 5:24 pm |
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Julie White
Flier
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 421
Location: Staines, England |
Thanks Sue, I'll let you know, I didn't have the usual time to get the birds out from their cages yesterday so today should be interesting, whats the weather like there? it's very hot here and I have to keep spraying the birds and taking the dog in the garden and tipping cold water over her as the temperature is averaging the mid 30s here. Aimee the dog is 11 years old now and she's a Belgian Tervuren, she thinks she's still young and gives much younger dogs a run for their money playing in the park. |
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Friday July 21, 2006 12:43 pm |
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Julie White
Flier
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
Posts: 421
Location: Staines, England |
Tims been a perfect gentleman today I'm happy to say, I made sure I talked to him before getting him to step up and he was really good but I'm feeling a bit mean because I usually give him and Mischief banana as a treat but because I now use it for clicker training all eyes were upon me when I had some banana on my breakfast. I may have to find another sort of treat so will suspend until I get some other treat for them probably peanut butter or maybe chopped up monkey nuts. |
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Friday July 21, 2006 3:13 pm |
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