I've had same parrot for 25 yrs. My husband bonded w her first. Had to to work. Left the bird w me even though she tended to bite me. She got over that. I'm her caregiver. She won't ever bite me. Really misses me if I'm gone. But she started feather picking when young and never got better. 7 years ago we made a long move. She was boarded at the vets for a month before traveling here. She got reaccustomed fast. Was doing same routine but refused to play with her block toys any longer. She's loves to eat, just not any fruits and vegetables. I hide them in birdie bread I make. She'll eat nutriberries. Gets a nice breakfast w cookable food. Will eat the pasta out of the breakfast and not touch any of the veggies in there. Will pick the tiny black seeds from kiwi but won't it it. Used to eat grapes, apples, pears before.
Before you get going. Her cage is large. I change out the toys. She has a swing. She has an outside cage and goes out for about 3 hours a day. It has toys. She eats her lunch al fresco. She has a stand and can be in any room with us when she's in. And I have a good cover for her cage so she gets 12 hours of sleep in the dark. She has a full spectrum light. She loves music so we have a radio on low w that playing. She literally lived with a vet that had his own African Gray. She's been examined. She weighs a pound and is in good health.
But she looks like hell. Has no neck feathers, chest feathers, bald under her wings and is picking feathers from top of her wings now. She used to have a small vocabulary just screams wanna go out for everything now. Vet thinks she may be overly hormonal. So I read up on that and watch any protein intake. I don't know what to do. I've tried the foraging, the chopped veggies, fruit, seeds. Changing rooms for her. Changing toys for her. Giving her more baths. Less baths. Sprays. Chammamile drops.
My husband's presence sets her off. She acts like she's in love w him but will bite him just the same. I can't retrain her because she has nothing special as a treat. Tosses peanuts right out of her seed. Will periodically quit eating nutriberries. She literally has nothing for a reward if I do try to train her. If you let her be, she'll climb down and chew up the bottom of a DOOR, wreck a kitchen cabinet, chew through cords. She's really awful but at same time sweet. I am looking to make her a felt collar to stop her from continuing to pull out her feathers. Only thing that occurs to me is she has never been around another bird. Has no idea how to act, but has been watching cats we have as pets. We only have one cat now. It might be that she grooms daily like they do.
I've been fed up with the featherpicking for a long time. Vet just said welcome to the world of neurotic parrots. I don't know what to do outside of getting rid of my husband lol. I truly think if he wasn't around she'd be a much better pet. When he worked all the time I had her playing w toys during the day, going outside. Much more quiet. This screaming for everything started when we moved. We had to stay w friends and to stop her from screaming making too much noise I'd rush to do whatever. Well that's never been undone since. I can sit through hours of screaming w no reaction but the husband can't. What can I possibly do? Suggestions please. TY
Before you get going. Her cage is large. I change out the toys. She has a swing. She has an outside cage and goes out for about 3 hours a day. It has toys. She eats her lunch al fresco. She has a stand and can be in any room with us when she's in. And I have a good cover for her cage so she gets 12 hours of sleep in the dark. She has a full spectrum light. She loves music so we have a radio on low w that playing. She literally lived with a vet that had his own African Gray. She's been examined. She weighs a pound and is in good health.
But she looks like hell. Has no neck feathers, chest feathers, bald under her wings and is picking feathers from top of her wings now. She used to have a small vocabulary just screams wanna go out for everything now. Vet thinks she may be overly hormonal. So I read up on that and watch any protein intake. I don't know what to do. I've tried the foraging, the chopped veggies, fruit, seeds. Changing rooms for her. Changing toys for her. Giving her more baths. Less baths. Sprays. Chammamile drops.
My husband's presence sets her off. She acts like she's in love w him but will bite him just the same. I can't retrain her because she has nothing special as a treat. Tosses peanuts right out of her seed. Will periodically quit eating nutriberries. She literally has nothing for a reward if I do try to train her. If you let her be, she'll climb down and chew up the bottom of a DOOR, wreck a kitchen cabinet, chew through cords. She's really awful but at same time sweet. I am looking to make her a felt collar to stop her from continuing to pull out her feathers. Only thing that occurs to me is she has never been around another bird. Has no idea how to act, but has been watching cats we have as pets. We only have one cat now. It might be that she grooms daily like they do.
I've been fed up with the featherpicking for a long time. Vet just said welcome to the world of neurotic parrots. I don't know what to do outside of getting rid of my husband lol. I truly think if he wasn't around she'd be a much better pet. When he worked all the time I had her playing w toys during the day, going outside. Much more quiet. This screaming for everything started when we moved. We had to stay w friends and to stop her from screaming making too much noise I'd rush to do whatever. Well that's never been undone since. I can sit through hours of screaming w no reaction but the husband can't. What can I possibly do? Suggestions please. TY
