My dad won't listen - I need help.

[GlitchTown]

I applaud your concern for Sammy and willingness to find solutions. Many at your age lack the maturity to care let alone consciously despair over the household situation.

Seems you're managing a closed-circle of issues that perpetuate Sammy's nippiness and lessened friendliness. Your idea to take him out more is excellent but may not be sufficient. This brings me to the controversial subject of clipping wings. Is Sammy clipped? Clipping can increase Sammy's sense of vulnerability and draw him closer to you, your dad, and perhaps the rest of the family. I don't suggest casually, but if you are willing and able to give him increased quality time, he may feel better accommodated. Another suggestion for closeness is to have him sleep in a cage near your bed. Is it possible to wheel the cage into your room at night? If you have a 2-story house with your room upstairs, perhaps a small "sleeping cage." Need not be elaborate, and many birds readily adapt to multi-cages.

Test case: One of my hand-fed Goffins was becoming rather nippy and aggressive. This persisted long enough I took him to the vet for a well-check, and my esteemed CAV suggested a one-time clip. Sure enough, he became more clingy and dropped his uncharacteristic nastiness. Nine months later, he is as sweet as ever and remains fully flighted.

Oh, Sammy is actually far from the "aggressive nippy" type. He actually seems to be bonding to me too much it seems. What I meant by that is that it seems like he can't stay still - when he's on my shoulder, he often starts crawling down onto my chest and chewing on my shirt. When I use my computer or do homework, he climbs down my arm and picks at my pencil/mouse. It just makes it very distracting, but I'm attempting to train him out of this by raining him with treats while he's on my shoulder and giving verbal praise, and giving none when he climbs off my shoulder onto my arm/chest and quietly returns him to my shoulder. Is this right?

I also have a separate question. When I put Sammy on top of his cage, it's almost always because I need to do homework/get on my computer/go outside. But I notice that once I leave the room, Sammy just stays in one spot. He doesn't play with any of the leftover toys I put up there or anything. This kind of defeats the purpose of even putting him up there. Any tips there as Well?

Thanks!!!!

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[GlitchTown]

I applaud your concern for Sammy and willingness to find solutions. Many at your age lack the maturity to care let alone consciously despair over the household situation.

Seems you're managing a closed-circle of issues that perpetuate Sammy's nippiness and lessened friendliness. Your idea to take him out more is excellent but may not be sufficient. This brings me to the controversial subject of clipping wings. Is Sammy clipped? Clipping can increase Sammy's sense of vulnerability and draw him closer to you, your dad, and perhaps the rest of the family. I don't suggest casually, but if you are willing and able to give him increased quality time, he may feel better accommodated. Another suggestion for closeness is to have him sleep in a cage near your bed. Is it possible to wheel the cage into your room at night? If you have a 2-story house with your room upstairs, perhaps a small "sleeping cage." Need not be elaborate, and many birds readily adapt to multi-cages.

Test case: One of my hand-fed Goffins was becoming rather nippy and aggressive. This persisted long enough I took him to the vet for a well-check, and my esteemed CAV suggested a one-time clip. Sure enough, he became more clingy and dropped his uncharacteristic nastiness. Nine months later, he is as sweet as ever and remains fully flighted.

Oh! Regarding clipping, he is clipped. And, I'm starting to wish he wasn't. Like you said, he almost always goes for the fight, not flight, response for anything he's scared of. Also, I would like him to be non clipped so he could have a free roam opportunity, and not rely on me 100% of the time. As molting is starting to end, though, one of his primaries grew back. He's definitely able to fly much better, and I'm just starting to train him recall as best I can.

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[MangoMuttonChops]

i
I also have a separate question. When I put Sammy on top of his cage, it's almost always because I need to do homework/get on my computer/go outside. But I notice that once I leave the room, Sammy just stays in one spot. He doesn't play with any of the leftover toys I put up there or anything. This kind of defeats the purpose of even putting him up there. Any tips there as Well?

Maybe he's just comfortable there or Maybe that's just where he goes to be safe when someone's in the room. Lala always seems to be perched on her cage door but I've "caught" her somewhere else when in was super quiet. Maybe it's just his sweet spot.

 

[jugoya]

Ok so...
Here are so easy to use things that you can make toys out of.

Toilet paper rolls.
Old books; or newspaper (ball it up!)
Hemp twine
His old toys cut into smaller pieces and restrung up.
Birdsafe wood! (Say from outside... look up kinds that are good. Let it sit for a while!)
PingPong balls (My birds love to chase these things around)

Plastic cups! Stack them up.. conures LOVE knocking things down... or put one of those pingpong balls into it with string and make a plastic cup bell!
Water bottles... the kind that makes crinkly sounds... just tie one to the top of the cage and let the bird have at.

On and on and so forth.

If you can't get your dad to buy them... make em with stuff your family uses as trash.

 

[clark_conure]

"Oh, Sammy is actually far from the "aggressive nippy" type. He actually seems to be bonding to me too much it seems."

In this case....it won't help with the noise but the biting is usually solved with a time out. the time out method.

In that case if your bird is bonded to you, and always comes to you (this is key)... it's easy to get him to stop biting. Might take a few tries maybe a couple days to fully sink in. But I prefer to always go with the "time out" method.

When he goes to bite, say "no!" and immediately put him on the floor like 10-15feet away from where you were. Not on his cage or play-stand or anyplace he likes to go. The floor usually is best.

Then turn around and go back. He will eventually figure out he is being "shunned" by his "flock" (you) for inappropriate behavior. He will figure it out and walk back and generally be sweet, sometimes not, but after the second or third time he will figure out the connection. Don't go get him, let him think about why he was on the floor, (and calm down) and take the walk of shame back to you and apologize in his way. (or fly back).

This is how you let it sink in, beak grabbing or the earthquake method don't explain to he bird it's not acceptable, it's a panic response that he might consider funny and do more often. I trust the time out method, but it only works in a safe no other pets environment and with a bird that is bonded.

 

[LordTriggs]

I swear we need to turn the timeout method into our signatures!

 

[clark_conure]

Might as well, but it's only downfall is you can't have pets in the house at the time, and the bird has to be bonded....they have to totally be a flock member for the message to work. That's why I don't always recommend it...it's more for nippy birds that are aggressive but already trust their owners. Not "I got my bird today and he's skiddish." they need to work on the trust first. bite training is easy after a bird has joined the flock/family. The trust part is the hard part that takes patience.

 

[Scott]

Oh, Sammy is actually far from the "aggressive nippy" type. He actually seems to be bonding to me too much it seems. What I meant by that is that it seems like he can't stay still - when he's on my shoulder, he often starts crawling down onto my chest and chewing on my shirt. When I use my computer or do homework, he climbs down my arm and picks at my pencil/mouse. It just makes it very distracting, but I'm attempting to train him out of this by raining him with treats while he's on my shoulder and giving verbal praise, and giving none when he climbs off my shoulder onto my arm/chest and quietly returns him to my shoulder. Is this right?

I also have a separate question. When I put Sammy on top of his cage, it's almost always because I need to do homework/get on my computer/go outside. But I notice that once I leave the room, Sammy just stays in one spot. He doesn't play with any of the leftover toys I put up there or anything. This kind of defeats the purpose of even putting him up there. Any tips there as Well?

Thanks!!!!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Oh! Regarding clipping, he is clipped. And, I'm starting to wish he wasn't. Like you said, he almost always goes for the fight, not flight, response for anything he's scared of. Also, I would like him to be non clipped so he could have a free roam opportunity, and not rely on me 100% of the time. As molting is starting to end, though, one of his primaries grew back. He's definitely able to fly much better, and I'm just starting to train him recall as best I can.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

OK, I totally misread the situation!! Seems Sammy may indeed be "overbonded" and his behaviors are a sort of response to what he perceives as insufficient attention. Might help to teach Sammy to self-entertain with a large selection of toys. Change frequently, and yes, use all sorts of inexpensive/free objects such as paper products. (try to minimize dyes of unknown origin) When a toy gets trashed you can cannibalize them and make new ones out of pieces.

 

[GlitchTown]

UPDATE:

Well, first, I'm extremely glad I posted about this. Since then, I've been able to compromise largely. I've basically dropped most of my free time, and honestly I couldn't be more glad. Making Sam happy is the best feeling ever. His general personality is a lot more like himself, and even more so his screaming has faded mostly. I've fixed our schedule with our time together being a priority, my next step is getting him more toys and more importantly feeding him a whole bunch of fruits and veggies. Any suggestions on what fruits/veggies to get?

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[MangoMuttonChops]

I've been following the post and haven't seen a photo...do you have one? I'm so glad you have found your groove!!

 

[GlitchTown]

I've been following the post and haven't seen a photo...do you have one? I'm so glad you have found your groove!!

Oh haha I'll send some recent ones

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[itzjbean]

Love the pics!!

There are so many fruits and veggies that Sammy can enjoy. Check out my CHOP Chronicles thread (on what I feed my cockatiels) for a couple easy recipes! You don't want to feed him too much fruit (lots of sugar) but encourage eating of veggies. The ones to AVOID are: avocado, rhubarb, onion, garlic, chocolate, alcohol. The best thing you can do is offer a wide variety to see what he likes and he may have a favorite he really enjoys!

 

[clark_conure]

My advice, get what you like...a bird can only eat a little bit at a time and it's better to eat with them. SO if you like apples get apples, like strawberries or oranges get those. Sharing food is 1)great for bonding and 2) your not spending 30 bucks on produce that only gets a few grams or ounces at most eaten.

My conure liked the freeze dried bananas and I was like hell I'll get him some fresh ones, he couldn't have cared less. SO I just get what I like and give him his fill. Oh also those sweet peppers that come in bags, blackberries, basically anything you eat he's going to want to eat so get what you like.