Giggleagain
New member
Although I read this forum almost daily, I don't feel I have anything to contribute because most of the time I am "winging it" when it comes to catering to and understanding my Quakers and my YNA Willie. The Quakers have been with me for a year (the self-mutilator Peabody) and a year and a half (Clover the plucker). Willie the YNA I've had for 5 months now, and here is how things stand today.
Clover is still plucking and probably always will. She has no health issues and the plucking is simply habit. She hates feathers on her chest. Period. She speaks less frequently because she is molting, but is a master whistler and usually a sweetheart with an attitude. Right now she is very VERY hormonal and I'm thinking of taking her out of the bird room for some cooling-off time. She has formed some kind of friction-free "friendship" with Peabody and I don't want it to become more than that.
Peabody has gone many weeks without biting himself, but once in a while - specially when a lone feather is growing on his right thigh, he just has to bite half-way through his leg. The collar is his best friend, but nowadays I only put it on after a bite until his leg has healed. He'll go another 4 - 6 weeks now without biting himself again. Progress.... I hope he stops doing it completely some day. I am now regularly greeted with a raspy "Good morning", and unfortunately his voice sounds a lot like mine. He has learned to count to three, but will only say THREE (while Clover whispers TWO), and he is working on SEVEN, I don't know why! The other numbers are vigorously nodded through. One nod per number. At night he asks me whether I want a scratchy scratchy, huh??? huhh?
His own head and body are bristling with pin feathers, so I know he needs the scratchy himself!
YNA Willie the Butt has blown his cork. He is a talker and sings and croons like a mix of Frank Sinatra and an opera soprano. 45 minute non-stop Happy Birthday, ABCDEFYANZ, take me out to the ballgame you crackerjack woohooo, how much is that birdie in the window? Happy ballgame, wohooo, wolf whistle,GOOD BIRD, twinkle twinkle hahahahaha, followed by some type of self-composed soprano solo, and ending with a self-congratulatory "good job"!!! All of it in quite an acceptable "inside voice" bearing testament to his amazing self-control.
I get tickles now and he allows me to scratch his head, under his chin, caress his eyes and neck. At bed time only. He calls me "mom" or "maja" and although he'll step up on the saving arm when he "accidentally" flies off his play stand, we still don't trust each other enough to try a normal step-up again. We only do the emergency kind. Only.
I kinda think he knows that *I* don't trust him even when he raises his foot and "calls me over". I fell for that once, with disastrous results. It's been a few months ago but my left forearm is still numb and my memory very fresh!
I need to film him calling me over, it's sure to give you all a belly-laugh. He makes this grabbing movement with his fingers (or toes). I don't know if he is really calling me over, waving hello, good bye, or asking for food (or a finger to bite). His self-answered phone calls would make you laugh.....and cry, because there is a conversation he has over and over again, where he says "No, no I don't want that!". " We gotta get rid of him but I said no, no but I don't want a dead bird, you hear me? I don't want a dead bird".
Ohhh the histories these birds carry within themselves are just so sad
Clover is still plucking and probably always will. She has no health issues and the plucking is simply habit. She hates feathers on her chest. Period. She speaks less frequently because she is molting, but is a master whistler and usually a sweetheart with an attitude. Right now she is very VERY hormonal and I'm thinking of taking her out of the bird room for some cooling-off time. She has formed some kind of friction-free "friendship" with Peabody and I don't want it to become more than that.
Peabody has gone many weeks without biting himself, but once in a while - specially when a lone feather is growing on his right thigh, he just has to bite half-way through his leg. The collar is his best friend, but nowadays I only put it on after a bite until his leg has healed. He'll go another 4 - 6 weeks now without biting himself again. Progress.... I hope he stops doing it completely some day. I am now regularly greeted with a raspy "Good morning", and unfortunately his voice sounds a lot like mine. He has learned to count to three, but will only say THREE (while Clover whispers TWO), and he is working on SEVEN, I don't know why! The other numbers are vigorously nodded through. One nod per number. At night he asks me whether I want a scratchy scratchy, huh??? huhh?
His own head and body are bristling with pin feathers, so I know he needs the scratchy himself!YNA Willie the Butt has blown his cork. He is a talker and sings and croons like a mix of Frank Sinatra and an opera soprano. 45 minute non-stop Happy Birthday, ABCDEFYANZ, take me out to the ballgame you crackerjack woohooo, how much is that birdie in the window? Happy ballgame, wohooo, wolf whistle,GOOD BIRD, twinkle twinkle hahahahaha, followed by some type of self-composed soprano solo, and ending with a self-congratulatory "good job"!!! All of it in quite an acceptable "inside voice" bearing testament to his amazing self-control.
I get tickles now and he allows me to scratch his head, under his chin, caress his eyes and neck. At bed time only. He calls me "mom" or "maja" and although he'll step up on the saving arm when he "accidentally" flies off his play stand, we still don't trust each other enough to try a normal step-up again. We only do the emergency kind. Only.
I kinda think he knows that *I* don't trust him even when he raises his foot and "calls me over". I fell for that once, with disastrous results. It's been a few months ago but my left forearm is still numb and my memory very fresh!
I need to film him calling me over, it's sure to give you all a belly-laugh. He makes this grabbing movement with his fingers (or toes). I don't know if he is really calling me over, waving hello, good bye, or asking for food (or a finger to bite). His self-answered phone calls would make you laugh.....and cry, because there is a conversation he has over and over again, where he says "No, no I don't want that!". " We gotta get rid of him but I said no, no but I don't want a dead bird, you hear me? I don't want a dead bird".
Ohhh the histories these birds carry within themselves are just so sad
