Adopted parrot hates cage changes, please help!

[RobynnLynne]

I adopted Mr. Sunshine 3 weeks ago and he has adjusted better than I thought he would. He is at least 12, possibly up to 5 years older. He has fear of the hand, but is learning to trust me and bond.

I started target training with his beloved peanuts from inside the cage after the first week.

My problem is, though he has adjusted well and has even come out of his cage, he doesn't like anything in his cage changed.

To help him get more exercise and make his feeding dishes and perches more varied I need to change a lot. I just don't want to upset him.

Can anyone help me know the best way to implement the following changes without freaking him out?

I want to get the plastic dish he is accustomed to eating from out of his cage and replace it with stainless steel like his current water dish...then, use the location he is eating from now to offer him daily chop.

I want to add a dish to the back of his cage for pellets and maybe a little seeds for now to encourage him to move around more.

I want to add a flat perch, and move his current perches to make things better, yet encourage play and activity.

I would like to include a few more toys.

Thank you for any help!

 

[wrench13]

I would test the water first - if he is a nervous bird sudden changes esp inside his cage might freak him out. Yelow fronts are not one of the hot 3 and are one of the more milder dispositioned Amazons. But one can never tell. My own parrot Salty usually could care less about new additions to his cage, but one time I tried putting a big purple puzzle toy in there and WOW did he freak Conventional wisdomis to put the new object near his cage so he can observe it for a few days, then try putting it in his cage.

 

[wrench13]

Oh and try to ditch the peanuts - Amazons can become peanut junkies easily, and they can harbor all sorts of molds and fungi- even people grade.Try pine nuts instead, shelled or not, as a training treat.

 

[RobynnLynne]

Good info about the peanuts. I was just using as treats as he came with a big bag. He is a junkie! Can I just drop them or slowly phase them out?

 

[noodles123]

Can you let him enter and exit his cage safely (for the bird)? I couldn't touch my bird without getting bitten for over a month (step ups were much later) but she was allowed to come and go from her open cage when I was home---she wasn't a very strong flier so I wasn't too worried about her slamming into things (but yours might be a risk- mine did fly a few times)---if flying is an issue, try curtaining off the rest of the house by hanging a sheet or you could put the cage in a smaller room without as many hazards--that way, if it flies, it doesn't break its neck or get into things it shouldn't.. This would be temporary obviously (you want your bird in the main hub of activity within a home, so a smaller room might not be the best)---a bird who spends all of its time in the cage often becomes "cage-bound", so you don't want that.

Place new things within his environment well ahead of time (within eye-shot of the cage). It is best not to add new things to the cage while they are in the cage--- it can cause panic. If he ever spends time on a perch, try adding them then. If he doesn't at least see if you can add things while he is on the top of his cage. If he shows a strong amount of fear, I would wait to make changes until you have a stronger bond/less nervous bird (which hopefully will happen as he spends more time out of his home---not by force, but by volition).

Avoid any huts, tents, hammocks, shadowy spaces, piles of bedding, tubes, low ledges, boxes, fabrics, drawers, under furniture etc (these can simulate nesting and increase hormones which can then lead to heightened cage defending behaviors---among other undesirable behavioral issues).

 

[RobynnLynne]

Yes Noodles123, I have his cage door open most of the day when I know I can watch him like a two year old. He's been out three times on his cage door in the 3 weeks since I adopted him.


My main concern is his health and diet. He has a yucky old plastic bowl I want to ditch for a stainless steel bowl. Plus I need to add another bowl for his chop and fresh veggies. Also his perches need cleaned and are not placed optimally.


He is very comfortable in his cage and when he comes out he fluffs up his feathers and talks. He has been though a lot so I don't want to push him.


He tolerates me moving around his cage slowly and I have peeked my face in a few times each day and played peek a boo with him. He now seems to enjoy it tho I was a bit wary the first few days.


I have done target training when he is in the cage on his favorite perch thinking it will help when he does come out. He does well with it and leaned it fast.





I am making chop for him today and would love to trash that ugly old plastic bowl that he dined on seeds and nuts in for the past 5 years and offer his chop in there.


I placed a new bowl near another perch with his seed mix in 3 days ago but he hasn't gone near it.

But he just doesn't like anything moved or changed! He is such a bird! LOL!