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Post by siobhan on Feb 13, 2016 18:05:32 GMT -5
Jade has destroyed another happy hut, so I got her a new one, and those of you familiar with her know that taking things out of her cage and putting them in is chancy at best. So I had to open the top of her cage, attach the new one, take off the old one, distract her and dodge bites while she yelled and squawked and lunged. We got 'er done with no bloodshed, and she immediately took possession.
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Post by zim on Feb 13, 2016 19:44:47 GMT -5
Lol, that sounds like quite the chore! Just curious, has she always been that way? Or is that something that came with maturity?
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Post by siobhan on Feb 13, 2016 20:46:03 GMT -5
She's always been that way.
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Post by biteybird on Feb 14, 2016 0:35:50 GMT -5
Bonnie is like that too, particularly if she thinks I'm going to touch food dishes. Recently she's been a bit better with me taking her happy hut out to clean it, but before that I could only do it when she wasn't in the room.
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Post by beccilouise on Feb 14, 2016 9:42:31 GMT -5
Well done, Siobhan! What an ordeal! Glad both you and Jade emerged from it unharmed. Zim, from what I know (which is not much, so feel free to shoot me down!) females tend to be more territorial around nest sites than males do GENERALLY, although as all birds are individuals there are inevitably exceptions to this rule. I've read in numerous books and articles that the best way to avoid territoriality is 1) a sizeable cage, 2) moving the cage and the toys inside it relatively often, 3) having several bird territories (such as two or three cages or a cage and a play gym) that can be relocated around the house and 4) the bird regularly seeing new environments, such as outside or going on car trips with their owners. In addition to a decent diet, proper lighting and 12 hours of darkness a night, these things are supposed to help Quaker parrots in particular to minimise territorial behaviours. I have this play gym for Byron: www.northernparrots.com/forest-jungle-parrot-play-gym-medium-antique-prod951505/ at the moment it is located mainly in the living room while we have our bathroom done, but generally it lives in his room and he gets wheeled around the house on it. I also rearrange and rotate the toys in his cage as often as I can and sometimes I wheel the cage itself into a different room. Others may well have better solutions based on experience, as I am just doing this in anticipation of future behaviour because Byron is only 7 and 1/2 months (nearly 8 months) old.  |
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Post by julianna on Feb 14, 2016 14:39:33 GMT -5
The best part is she took possession right away. I like that.
I don't think females are more territorial around the nest sites cause Oscar is male and is very territorial. No one... except me... is allowed even near his cages, toys, food, etc. Oscar has 6 places that he plays. Two large cages, the can soup drawer, and three drawers in the bathroom. He is territorial of them all. When hubby needs to use the washroom, there is a screaming match all the time he is in there... and it isn't hubby screaming... lol
Oh... he also loves climbing around in the closets.. cause he thinks the hangers are some type of cage.
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Post by Jan and Shah on Feb 14, 2016 16:11:12 GMT -5
Shah is very territorial about his happy hutch from time to time. He is not territorial about his cage as long as I am putting food into it. Cleaning is a different ball game - he hates it and tries to attack me. If I change anything in his cage, he goes into melt down and will continue screaming until things are changed back - last time the screaming lasted for 3 days.
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Post by zim on Feb 14, 2016 20:01:31 GMT -5
last time the screaming lasted for 3 days. Oh my god, wow. These little guys hold a grudge huh? |
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Post by siobhan on Feb 14, 2016 23:03:22 GMT -5
Jade was cage bound for some time before we found her. I don't know how long, but she was never touched or let out. So her cage is her safe place and her stuff, not just her tent, is HER stuff. That she lets me do things to it at all is a huge leap, and that I got it done without a bite is huge. She used to attack me for filling dishes and changing paper. She wasn't trying very hard, comparatively speaking. I'm not entirely sure she wasn't mostly just showing off and soaking up some individual attention.
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Post by Jan and Shah on Feb 15, 2016 4:04:14 GMT -5
Jade has come such a long way thanks to all your work with her. Life must be so much nicer for her now. It is wonderful that no matter how long we have our fids, they continue to amaze and delight us.
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Post by beccilouise on Feb 15, 2016 7:58:14 GMT -5
I'm so sorry to hear about the neglect that Jade went through. It's so sad that such an intelligent little bird could be so grossly misunderstood. It sounds like you are doing a truly amazing job with Jade and have a level of patience I can only envy. She sounds like she's really responding to the time you are giving her and I agree with Sharni, life must be so much better for her now.
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