Cage Aggression/Scared/Will not step up/pretty much hates me.

[BriarCrow]

Hey folks. you might remember Rio from my previous/first post here. Rescued him from my parents home, he's around 15 years old, i've known him his entire life, and he's been with me about a year and a half now.

I followed steps to try and make him comfortable with me, used to his new enviornment, not trying to push him to step up if he didnt want to, let it be his choice...thing is, he has never wanted to come out, never has wanted to step up, has never wanted to be near me or moved out of his cage AT ALL.

This wasnt a terrible thing, as he was normally ok with taking treats out of my hand, coming out on his door to get treats, etc. we were going ok with clicker training, and trust was coming along, if not at a glacial pace.

over the last couple of months however, his cage aggression has become worse and worse. he will bite and growl at me any time i come near the cage to change his food or his water, he recently came after me when i tried to clean it whereas before he would just sit quietly at the top of the cage and watch me. now he will come out on the door, seemingly to get a treat and instead will peck hard at my hand and growl.

this aggression BS has got to stop or I can no longer care for him. my patience is running thin, and am to the point of trying to find a rescue that can take him.(i've had no luck as they are almost always full to capacity and i would rather try to work with him as much as possible before it comes to that.)

every suggestion i keep reading is to take him out of the cage and move him to another part of the house but I cant take him out or he will bite the crap out of me or fly out and run away. He wants nothing to do with me at this point. I feel like i'm just terrorizing him by doing this, and there's no trust between us for me to do this.

I have tried sitting next to his cage and reading quietly, and while he will calm down eventually, as soon as i get up to leave it's back to growling and biting at the cage bars. it feels like one step forward and two steps back.

I need to know some step by steps on what to do when he exhibits this behavior. do i say NO when he growls at me? do i spray him like a cat? do i ignore it and keep talking nice to him? eye contact? no eye contact?

clearly it has to be something i'm doing wrong, since he's just going on instinct and not human emotion.

 

[Doublete]

Look at every post birdman has made. He is the expert. He will probably suggest wrapping your arm in a towel and using a perch to move the bird.

 

[Mimsy01]

I would definately read on birdmans posts.

As for me, I do not let anyone stop me from cleaning cages and basic care regardless of tude. So in this situation he would have to be moved to either a small bird safe room, another cage, or have his flight feathers trimmed and moved to a stand, while I clean. Cleaning is not an optional in my house. In your situation I'd probably make cleaning water/bowls/cage bottom something I do all together for my own ease so I don't have to move him as often throughout the day. Once a week I like to do full clean outs. The animals in my care do not get to dictate if and when their cage is cleaned.

The rest of the training-I'd be reading and bothering mr. birdman on.

 

[BriarCrow]

ok i'm reading up now on what he has to say for other people.

 

[DexMom]

Thank you for rescuing Rio. Thank you for committing yourself to his care, even when the going gets tough. Lots of people would have given up by now and the fact that you are seeking help and solutions says a lot about your character. I hope you and Rio find a way to be happy together and enjoy each other's company.

 

[Anansi]

So if I'm understanding you correctly, this is a bird that basically never came out of his cage? For 15 years? If so, this behavior isn't unexpected or even unusual. He's basically a cage-bound bird. The cage is all that he's known, and as a result he's become very cage territorial.

So yes, you do need to get him out of that cage and into another room if you hope to make progress. I know you are frustrated. It's understandable that you feel this way. And it's commendable that you took on this rescue in the first place.

Deep breath, now...

Best case scenario is to use a perch to get him out of the cage instead of your hands. (I've seen the damage determined ekkie beaks can do.) Once you get him out of sight of his cage and onto a training stand, you can begin working with him more effectively.

I hear what you're saying about the difficulty of getting him out of the cage. Maybe, when it's mealtime, you can put the food in his bowl but keep the bowl outside of the cage so that he has to leave the cage to eat. Once you've done that for a few days, you can try having him step onto that perch to reach the bowl in your hand. (But keep an eye on his body language. Don't let him tag you.) Then, once he's on the perch, walk with him to another room.

You'll want to exhaustively try variations of this tactic before going with the tougher option of reaching in and removing him from the cage. I think getting him to come out on his own is always the best way to do it... but I do understand that there are some birds out there who might never get around to doing it voluntarily. Just make forced removal your last resort.

Things to keep in mind: Parrots are very empathic creatures. A great deal of their communication with each other is non-verbal. Body language. Why do I mention this? Because he'll be watching you. VERY closely. So if your patience is at a low ebb at that particular moment, you'd be better served waiting until you are calmer. Frustration is definitely not your friend while dealing with a parrot. He WILL sense it... and react to it. Same with fear. So wait until you are as calm as possible before approaching him.

As for your questions, telling him "no" in a calm and even voice if he tries to bite you is the right thing. If he manages to bite you, control the beak with the fingers of the other hand. Thumb on one side and index and middle fingers on the other, a little above the point, and gently turn the beak even as you push into the bite with the hand/finger being bitten. Then roll in the direction of the gentle twist and remove the finger/hand from the loosening beak.

If he's only lunging or attempting to bite, say "no" in a firm, yet even, voice and control the upper beak. Take control of the situation.

No, spraying him with water is a bad idea. All it will do is serve to shatter whatever trust you may have with him now.

If your eye contact is especially freaking him out, then focus your gaze on his beak or something. (Probably where your focus should be, anyhow. Lol!) I've never found eye contact to be a particular problem, but every bird is different.

Also, while you should endeavor not to be hesitant in your movements, try not to be too rapid or jerk with your movements, either. Smooth, relaxed movements are best.

 

[camo]

I wish, I could give you answers, but I just wanted to chime in and wish you well in your efforts. My boy and girl are both adopted, both came with there own baggage, but perhaps not to the extent of Rio, so I wouldn't begin to suggest I know what you need to do.

There were times with Pebbles especially, when I thought I would never earn her trust, and things seemed to go backwards as soon as I thought I was making progress.

All I can offer is hope. If someone had told me in the first few months, how Pebbles would be now, I don't think I would have believed them, she was so afraid and untrusting. It's hard when you try so hard and have so little success, and then when you have success, the next day it's back to square one or worse, but it is all worth it in the end.

I wish you all the best, keep asking questions, and keep at it, trust me when I say they are all well worth the effort.

Cheers,

Cameron

 

[JerseyWendy]

If I could thank your post a hundred times, Stephen (Anansi), I would!!

 

[Allee]

BriarCrow, I really hope you are able to keep your rescued Ekkie. Working with a rescue has special challenges, seeing the results of your hard work and patience is an amazing reward.

Anansi/Stephen, thank you for sharing your Ekkie knowledge and excellent advice.

 

[drlisaort]

My heart so goes out to you...can't even imagine how tough it must be. I had a Cokatiel (lived 23 years) and he was totally as you describe. But...he was easier to manage because the cage was smaller so I would take the top off and he'd be with the top where the upper perch was and I'd clean the remainder of the cage.But...as I mentioned he was much smaller....and more manageable. I gave up on trying to make him step up or interact or come out of his cage for that matter. I made his little home as comfortable as possible and talked and sang to him all the time. Then, and now my cages are always near my computer where I work when I'm not at the office so he'd feel my closeness. Sending positive energy to you. You are amazing for rescuing your Ekkie in the first place. Bravo for you!

 

[Terry57]

I completely agree with everything Anansi (Stephen) said! He has so much Ekkie experience, and Ekkies are different than other birds in many regards.
I am so glad you rescued Rio, and I know that with time and patience you will be rewarded tenfold with him.

 

[BriarCrow]

hey folks, thanks for the suggestions! I've ordered a small hand perch online to try and use to push his stubborn self out of the cage. thing is, i know he's going to be terrified since it's a new thing, so how do i get him used to the perch without freaking him out thinking it's going to eat him? is there any nice way to do it other than just letting him look at it for a couple days and messing with it in my hands, then going forward giving him the step up command when i put it near him? cause he's gonna freak for sure.

 

[Anansi]

I bet if you wrap it in millet spray, your problem will be peeling him off the perch instead of getting him on it! Hahaha!

 

[solrac13]

don't panic you are lucky!!! Because ones he gets use to you he will do his best to stay near you!!

So take your time and keep your distance>> because ones they love you is hard to get away from these little monsters lol be-leave me be patient and enjoy his distance!!

 

[solrac13]

My Jade wants to command me, as soon he wakes up he calls me LOUD so i open his cage and fly out to the balcony ( his ply ground so he can scream wisel chat as loud he can possible be) Then at dinner time he will knock on and on at the bay window so i alow him in so he can fly direct to my dinner table and beg for human food!!!) Then He will jump in my sholer and bite my ears on and on untill im finally fed up and send him back to bed cober his cage and then he will chat for ours softly on and on NI hao, chofeng meiyo. Laaaaaa la laaaaaaaaaaaaa laaaaaaaaa I love u, ni hao Hello wisel and so on !!!! Non Stop if i let him free he will get as close posible to my face.. wish is not alowed at all as i know how it may ended up!

 

[Anansi]

Hahahahahaha! He sounds like my Jolly! Well, both of mine really, but Jolly will fly, whereas Maya will not.

So is Jade fully flighted? And is your balcony enclosed, or open air?

 

[solrac13]

My Jade is fully flighted and my balcony 25 floor has some cabels so pepo;;e dont comite suicide. but if he really wanted to sacape there is a way because those wires arent closed enough >> to tell u the truth he has no intention on sacaping any day soon

 

[BriarCrow]

So i tried the perch idea today after having it near his door and putting treats on it, so he would be forced to interact/touch it a little for the past week and a half.
I went to use it to get him out, and you would have thought i had put a bob-cat in the cage with him. feathers flying, screeching, heart racing, world war 3. He flew out of the cage and ran around the kitchen floor(he cant fly). i goalied him away from the cage, since that's where he constantly wants to go back to. he crawled onto his mini travel cage, so i slowly opened the door and he jumped inside.( his travel cage, to him, is the next best thing to a safe place.) i took him outside were he nervously cooed and squaked while i tried to feed him treats and talk sweet to him. gave him a light mist shower with the garden hose since it was hot.(he hates bathtime, though, so this might not have been a good idea but he was all cobwebby from jumping all over every corner of the floor.)
after another hour of hanging out, he seemed like he had calmed down enough so i took him back inside, re-arranged some of his toys in his cage, cleaned off his perches while the travel cage was on the table so he could see me. when i tried to get him out again he squaked and freaked out by the idea of my hand coming near him, and flew out back into his cage. so, i dont know....that was a really rough and tramatic experience for both of us, i think.

i know everyone is saying what a good job i've done by rescuing him, but i dont see it that way. i feel like i'm doing more harm than good to his rehabilitation. after a year and a half, i'd have thought i could have made better progress with him than this. this is...awful, and i dont think i'm doing a good job at all. i feel like i'm doing more damage to him by inflicting terror in him, but is this one of those gets worse before it gets better things? no one else owns birds near me, so it's hard to have any one on one conversation about what's normal in this instance of bird ownership. everyone else's birds on here seem so happy and enjoy their owners company so clearly it has to be my fault that he's terrified of me.