Cage Bar Twanging -- All Night Long!

seraffa
Hatchling

Posts: 12

Cage Bar Twanging -- All Night Long! Jul 15, 2014 11:44:26 GMT -5

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Post by seraffa on Jul 15, 2014 11:44:26 GMT -5

MAN! I've started to read about other members' "little stinkers" and am beginning to think Pauly is a bird attracted more to sounds than visual stuff. He thinks his cage bars are a harp!

This went on even after I covered the cage. I yelled a couple of times in the middle of the night, then (something people never should do) went over and banged the cage HARD with my hand! It went deathly quiet, and for 5 minutes I couldn't sleep. I didn't hear a flutter when I banged, but was terrified I had given Pauly a concussion knocking him lifeless inside of the cloaked cage. I carefully peeked in with my cell phone's light and there he was, glued to the side of the cage above his new happy hut. *I should have known*. An hour later.....twang twang twang twag. "Shut up"........twang twang twang twang twang.....Sun rises.....twang twang screeching twang twang fussing twang twang twang twang.

He's eating and drinking normally and his temperature is WAY up. Poops on me when we cuddle - lots and lots of poop this morning. I have him outside most of the time this morning. I've been reading that parrots have to be shown that certain behaviors won't get them anywhere. He's pretty quiet now, except for a muffled "hey, what are you doing?" when I shade him from the sun with a towel. He's tried the "pleading" calls but all I do is occasionally visit him OUT THERE on the step, and plan to repeat this process if he tries this behavior tonight.

Should I get him a toy zylophone? Something that is fun that makes noise, that he can use creatively, but that can be taken away during "sleep time" to help teach him to let us sleep?

cnyguy
Senior Forum Manager

Posts: 2,144

Cage Bar Twanging -- All Night Long! Jul 15, 2014 20:34:58 GMT -5

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Post by cnyguy on Jul 15, 2014 20:34:58 GMT -5

The way you've been responding to Pauly's cage-twanging is actually likely to encourage him to do it more. Parrots love drama-- like being yelled at-- and think it's a reward for their behavior. Ignoring the unwanted behavior might be more likely to work. You might try toys with bells or other things that make noise, but that won't necessarily stop Pauly from playing the harp on his cage bars.

Banging on the cage to discourage unwanted behavior is something that should never be done under any circumstances. It can frighten the parrot and may jeopardize the bond you've built with the bird. I wouldn't recommend isolating him outdoors either-- it could lead to worse behavior.

Has Pauly been to an avian vet for a well-bird checkup recently? If not, it would be a good idea, considering that his temperature may be high and his poops seem abnormal.

seraffa
Hatchling

Posts: 12

Cage Bar Twanging -- All Night Long! Jul 16, 2014 13:45:17 GMT -5

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Post by seraffa on Jul 16, 2014 13:45:17 GMT -5

Good news Gary - we got the cage bar twanging and the elevated temp at night eliminated. I didn't mean "diarhhea" about the poops, by the way. Sorry if I exaggerated. I thought everyone was finished pooping within 2 hours of waking up but I really haven't hung around to compare poop habits between all 3 birds.

It was pretty simple after ordering a NEW bird book to read *hip hip hooray* - also the morning screeching to wake me has been eliminated. All we need to do is reinforce now.

I'm so glad I have everyone on a daily schedule already to observe things!

I'll take Pauly for his first checkup AFTER mating season is over. I don't need some vet to try and wheedle extra tests from my pocketbook just because the bird's hormones are high right now. Many physicians do that frequently to women when they have hormonal changes, too - and the results are not productive.

In the meantime, Pauly accepts yoghurt and his immune building fruits and veggies are in his Zupreem. I also have elderberry syrup around - the most powerful virus destroying substance on the planet for humans, and plan to mix that in with the yoghurt for him. Yoghurt is great for "cleaning up the bad bugs" but only something as powerful as natural elderberry berries or elderberry syrup does the job in breaking into viral walls to kill contagious viruses.

I think it's possible for parrots to go through a time of "cleansing" when they are switching over to a better diet. Extra poops might mean a digestive tract that is adjusting itself to good food instead of a seed based diet. Everyone's been on Zupreem for a week and a half now. I just cleaned all the cages this morning during our time in the back yard. Tonight I must get that wet mop for my room. I am very careful about my health and have never had a cold or flu for 2 years now - which at least means I am not "bringing in" anything to the parrots. ::)We are going thru a week here on the gulf coast that has a lot of grass pollen, weed pollen, and mold spores though. That has not been fun. I got a couple of earaches and sore throats from the mold as the body tried to cleanse itself.

Last Edit: Jul 16, 2014 14:04:53 GMT -5 by seraffa

jodis
Hatchling

Posts: 1

Cage Bar Twanging -- All Night Long! Sept 29, 2021 11:50:57 GMT -5 via mobile

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Post by jodis on Sept 29, 2021 11:50:57 GMT -5

Hello, I’m new to this forum. I found myself here because my bird twangs on the cage bars as well and it drives me nuts. She is a parakeet about a year old and I can tell she does it just to irritate me. She started doing this a week after I got back from a two week trip. She had never done it before that. I have tried putting new toys in her cage and grass mats that she can chew on instead and it helped for a little while but she persists in twanging the bars, mostly in the same to spots. She reaches up and twangs the top of the cage. I would love to know what book you found that advised you on how to eliminate this behavior.