I need help with scarlet

[Brodie]

Please!!
Oh I can't deal with this anymore, I don't know what to do. When I decided to get parrots the main thing I thought about was that they can scream, and I was okay with that, I've been around parrots all my life, but this.. This is something else.
My bird has turned into the devil.
She screams as soon as she hears me wake up. Every ten seconds a VERY loud squark. Till I go to work, then she will start again when I walk in the door after I finish work. She has NOT stopped this since Friday.. It is now Tuesday..
I don't know what to do..
I am taking her to an avian vet tomorrow, incase it's something more.
Nothing has changed around her cage, I'm not praising the bad behaviour. But it's difficult to figure out when to feed her, because she is already screaming.. And I don't want her to think that's why I'm feeding her. But I obviously have to orelse she would have starved by now..
So I haven't changed anything about her cage, her surroundings, or her diet. I'm sure she is just about to begin her molt though, could it be anything to do with this?
I can't watch tv because I can't hear it, my neighbours are noticing the constant noise, and I live in a house of 7, they can deal with the normal parrot noise, but I'm sure you can all understand that a scream every ten seconds for 5 days straight is getting a little too much..
I spend just as much time with her as I normally do, and even the she is still screaming, not as much because I'm distracting her a bit, but when she does it's loud and she's much closer to me so my god it hurts the ears.
My headache won't go away because of it. I haven't watched one tv show in days. Everyone in my house gets woken up at 6:30 now. Even the kids!
And me and dean can't have a conversation or talk on the phone because as soon as she hears our voices she gets louder and more frequent.

 

[Ash]

That must be really hard D:
I have no idea sorry, but I'm sure someone else will be able to help you out.

I do think a vet check would be a good idea though like you said in case it's something more.

Has any of your routines changed? or has anything you can think of changed? I know parrots can get upset by small things. What about the temp? My cockatoo will scream if he can hear the wind. And if it gets too cold he will scream as well.

 

[Melandkids]

I have been going through this with Athena my bc conure. I was very frustrated because she gets as loud as a fire truck. So I went got this book about your out of control bird. Some of the things that has been helping for me... clucking, kissing, clicking sounds to distract Athena from the screaming. I try to show no reaction to the sound because the book said that it would be that I was responding to Athena. I also will leave the room if I can't handle the sound and know I want to react. 6 weeks later it has helped a lot. She still does it but not as much. I have to remind myself to keep distracting her with another sound. But I promise I wanted to pull my hair out because she would do it and then my brand new grandbaby would start crying too and then I would cry.

 

[Jtbirds]

Ok well I posted a method I use on cockatoos to stop screaming... I made this method up myself and it is proven to work I call it progressive destination. I work toward one point and work with the screaming in a positive progressive way... Some may not like it, but here take a look at what the method is about I do plan to post it as a guide format I need to talk to some mods about it though

Here's the link hope it helps: http://www.parrotforums.com/cockatoos/29480-please-help.html

This must be done repetitive or the destination won't be met persay. Tell me what you think and I could probably help you out more if needed.

 

[sodakat]

Could you move her cage so she can be more in the thick of things? Maybe she just wants to be part of what is going on. I would't want to sit in a room by myself if I heard my family in the other room having fun.

 

[Kiwibird]

I can very much sympathize. Kiwi was a bad screamer when we got him, like you could hear him a block away bad. For the first few months we had him, he barely made a peep (not even normal sounds or vocalizing). Then one day, out of the blue, he started screeching bloody murder when my husband left for work and it didn't stop. I also grew up with parrots, and THOUGHT I was pretty immune to their noise (especially since my dads too liked to loudly vocalize about 4:30 each morning for a solid 1/2 hour), but nothing prepared me for the high pitched scream of doom he can make. He started screeching when the sun came up, when my husband left for work, in the middle of the day for no good reason...and would go for a good hour at a time. We tried ignoring him, we tried praising "good noises", but those things did not work for us, and our nerves were frayed by the constant racket. We noticed when he launched into his screaming fits, he displayed obvious signs of over-stimulation (eyes pinned, tail flared, wings shaking, hanging off his cage ect...).

It was actually after we visited my cousin, who had a 2 y/o kid, we found a solution that worked with kiwi too. My cousins kid was running around screaming at the top of his lungs, and my cousin calmly made him go lie in his bed, under his covers, lights out until he calmed down. Figuring parrots have about the same mental capacity, I started calmly covering Kiwi when he launched into a screaming fit so he could have that "time" he needed to cool off. I know it isn't typically recommended to do that with birds, but I don't really consider it a punishment. More of a "sensory deprivation" session to calm him down. I also started distracting him at known scream times (husband leaving for work, me cooking dinner ect...) by feeding him or giving some foraging. I also kept a close eye on him to catch him BEFORE he got too excited, and encouraging him to play with a toy instead. He caught on very quickly, and while I have no idea what sparked it, I'm just glad the behavior inky lasted a few months before we got it under control.

 

[drlisaort]

I'm so sorry to hear your beautiful Scarlet is screaming. If I remember correctly your earlier posts she went through a screaming period. Do you think it might be triggered from the same thing then now?

 

[Brodie]

I don't think it's the same thing, when I first got her I think she was just scared, and missing her breeder or brother. And even that wasn't as bad as this..
I won't move her cage because its in a perfect spot for her, she always has someone with her in the room, she's never ever lonely.
Nothing at all has changed, she hasn't got any different food, toys, nothing in the room or on any of us has changed either. Her routine hasn't changed either. I can't figure this out.. I've never had this problem so badly before, and it's all I've been thinking about.. I can't do anything about it. That's why I'm taking her to the vet tomorrow, as much as I don't want her sick, I'm hoping we can find out what's going on tomorrow, and fix it.
I would never get rid of her over this, but it's still very very frustrating!
I have tried covering her, normally that works every time with both my birds. I also don't see it as a punishment because its for a very small amount of time, I think it helps calm them.
But whatever this is that's bothering her is not calmed by being covered. She keeps going. It's that scream where she wants something.. But.. What does she want?! I wish she could just tell me

 

[Brodie]

Ok well I posted a method I use on cockatoos to stop screaming... I made this method up myself and it is proven to work I call it progressive destination. I work toward one point and work with the screaming in a positive progressive way... Some may not like it, but here take a look at what the method is about I do plan to post it as a guide format I need to talk to some mods about it though

Here's the link hope it helps: http://www.parrotforums.com/cockatoos/29480-please-help.html

This must be done repetitive or the destination won't be met persay. Tell me what you think and I could probably help you out more if needed.

When I first got Scarlet she was screaming alot, I tried this and it worked. Now, it doesn't.. It's always worked.. With both my birds.. Still works with my cockatiel, but the last few days it's a completely different story with scarlet..

 

[Brodie]

how old is she? what kind of diet, any new items in her room? what's her lighting schedule?

She's 10 months old, nothing new at all anywhere near her or in her cage. She wakes up with dean around 8-8:30 and I put her to bed by ten. That has now changed to 6:30 wake ups with me because she hears me as screams, till whenever no one in the house is making noise at night.. Which means no one can watch tv anymore after 10.
She has fruit in the mornings, with a tablespoon of seed, and some pellets, she also gets freshly sprouted seeds and nuts. Lunch time she will have pellets in her cage, all day she has pellets in there though she hardly eats them. And she will get more sprouts for lunch. Dinner she gets veggies, some chillies aswell, more sprouts and sometimes some chicken or egg but not too much protein too often. She eats everything, she's always eating and still is. Her droppings are normal, to me she is not showing any sign of illness, feathers are beautiful and clean, perfect colouring, eyes are fine, as is her beak, mouth & nose, she still plays with her toys, talks, interests, but she is moulting.
We have the BEST relationship and I would not change her for the world, except this.. Why??!!! She won't stop it

 

[SandyBee]

Molting will make her uncomfortable and when Bosley molted I know he ate more and was always begging for food, especially protein rich foods.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I think it's good your taking her to a vet. At wht age to eclectus start going through puberty? She may be feeling crazy and confused.

 

[Brodie]

Apparently between 2-3 years i have been told. But I could be wrong so maybe someone else could answer that who knows for sure?
I'm almost certain it's not though, because she is still just ten months old

 

[Jtbirds]

Well did you try it with the one two and three numbers because that is my added part it makes a system out of it that she must follow and then will learn and eventually will get used to that two means I'm gonna be covered and will stop... I will be writing a full guide on it directly it is just taking me some time.

If your plans are already to take her to the vet then go for it there may be a underlying issue.

Or she could be screaming for you or something else she wants, let us know what the vet thinks if need be I'll give you a more precise version of what I mean and you can see if that works. I'll try and get the guide up this weekend.

 

[Brodie]

Well did you try it with the one two and three numbers because that is my added part it makes a system out of it that she must follow and then will learn and eventually will get used to that two means I'm gonna be covered and will stop... I will be writing a full guide on it directly it is just taking me some time.

If your plans are already to take her to the vet then go for it there may be a underlying issue.

Or she could be screaming for you or something else she wants, let us know what the vet thinks if need be I'll give you a more precise version of what I mean and you can see if that works. I'll try and get the guide up this weekend.

A guide would be great thanks!
But yeah I have tried it all, and it has always worked for me, cover, ignore, lights out ect.
Even just ignoring her used to work, the only one who ever really got covered was my cockatiel because sometimes he gets REALY hypo haha.
But now nothing works, that's why I'm so overwhelmed, I'm good with this stuff, can normally always tell what is wrong too. But I'm stuck. I'm not used to being stuck with this kind of stuff, I study them for gods sake.. Lol
Hopefully my avian vet can help tomorrow!
Thanks for the help and I will keep you all updated!

 

[Kiwibird]

Hopefully the vet finds her in good health, and can give some professional advice on what to do.

The only thing besides complete overstimulation I can think of is maybe she hasn't gotten enough mental stimulation recently. When was the last time you switched out her toys? Was it possibly around the time this behavior started? Have you seen her playing with her toys at all? Through no fault on your part, she may just not like the toys she has right now and is screaming because she's bored. Have you tried giving her some different types of toys or more challenging foraging opportunities since the screaming started? I know Kiwi isn't a big chewer and wood/shredding toys go virtually unnoticed in his cage. He seems to prefer beads, baby toys, foot toys, and toys with knots (which he unties). His "preferred" toys will keep him occupied and challenged for hours, but the ones he doesn't like become nothing more than space wasters. I know you haven't had Scarlet for very long, so maybe you just haven't quite figured out her likes and dislikes yet

 

[sodakat]

I thought you said she screams when she can hear you but not see you. That is why I suggested moving the cage. Then you said there is always someone with her where her cage is now so you don't want to move it.

So is she screaming for you? I mean if there is always someone with her and she is still screaming, and she screams when she hears your voice, then it seems to me that she is screaming to you.

10 months is way too young for this to have anything to do with breeding or the desire to breed. Also, when they become sexually mature, screaming is not what they do; instead they hunt out dark spots or scritch around at paper or whatever chewables they have in an effort to create a nest. What she is doing has nothing to do with the catch all phrase of "hormones".

I would up her food amount tremendously for starters just to be sure she isn't calling to you, her nurterer, for food.

The second thing I would do is to take her on at least one outing every single day in an effort to stimulate her a bit and get her to focus on something besides you.

Even a trip out to the front porch or sitting in the car without going anywhere. Something. A trip to an actual destination would be even better.

If you have a bicycle, maybe you can rig up a carrier/basket to take her places.

 

[SandyBee]

I also would increase her bathing frequency right now going through a molt, it will help with preening, stimulation and getting her more tired.
Also I think food has something to do with this, they do need more when they molt.It takes a lot of energy to grow feathers.

 

[Brodie]

Thanks guys! Ill try some of these things today!

 

[Brodie]

Wow everyone I have figured out what her problem was!
This morning I was going through the treats I have stacked under tickas cage on the shelf, and I seem the almonds I brought on Friday, because thirsday I ran out.
She has one or two every morning, she absolutely loves them!
I hadn't given them to her because I forgot about them! Didn't think about them once. I found them and have her some and she hasn't screamed since, she enjoyed them, chatting, and once finished was happy! Haha
I cannot believe it was something SO simple!
Thank god that's over!! Haha I still can't believe it..