Need advice for Segenal parrot

[Handyman]

I have bought a 4 year old Senegal Parrot that was talking and friendly with the previous owner. The owner was a single female with two teenage daughters and I am a male. The parrots name is Gabby. Gabby was hand fed from a babby. Since I have gotten Gabby she has been well not too friendly to us. Gabby has a sharp beak and has bitten everyone. She will take treats from us through the cage but seems to like females better the males. We cannot get her to step up. Gabby rarely talks at all. We have had Gabby for two weeks now with little improvement. I want to let Gabby out of her cage but I am worried about getting her back in her cage without causing her more trauma. What should I do to make Gabby feel more at home?
Thanks

 

[mtdoramike]

First off, congratulation on your new family member. You will need patience and lots of it. I wished you would have looked for help when you first got Gabby, it may have made a bit of difference.

Are her wings clipped?? If they are then great, if not then this should be your first step. A clipped bird is easier to deal with then a flighted bird. Also, when they clip her wings, there is a couple of hours threshold where she is a bit more mellow and easier to handle. With her wings clipped, she has to depend on you to go any where.

Then let her out of her cage and sit near her and talk to her, whisper sweet nothings in her ear, sing to her read to her. Your main goal is to get her accustomed to seeing you and hearing your voice in a none threatening way.

You also have to understand, she was raised by an all female house hold and it seems she wasn't all that well socialized. Did you see the previous owners interacting with Gabby, like handling her, her talking to them ??? or was this something that the previous owner told you? I always take with a grain of salt what a seller tells me. I ask them to demonstrate how tame the bird is before I even consider it, espcially if they advertise it as being hand tame. You would be surprised at how many folks won't touch their bird when asked to eventhough they say it's hand tame. When this happens it's an automatic red flag that the bird has been desocialized and cage bound.

You have to realize since gabby was raised by all women, she may never take to a man period. The best you can hope for is tollerance on her part. But you will never know until you try it.

Good luck and let us know how it's going.

Mike

 

[JensFlock]

I would try letting the males in your family give treats like you're doing, and maybe see if she will do better with a female in your household trying to get her to step up. Once she realizes that males can be ok, hopefully she will warm up to you.
My cockatoo that I've had for a couple of months only really liked males. That's all he was ever around. Now he has me, a female living alone. Over time he has really taken to me. He still has his moments, though. Lots of patience and love!!!!

 

[upcgirl]

It is early in your relationship yet. Like Mike said, take things slow, sit by the cage and talk to Gabby. Read her a book, just let her get used to you. She isn't used to men, or perhaps, what the former owners didn't tell you maybe she was abused previously by men.

I rescued my Senegal and though a woman supposedly bought the bird. Another woman spent all this time with the bird. However, Max prefers men. I am the third woman to flock with Max but Max loves my boyfriend (who doesn't spend any real time with Max LOL)

To try to get Gabby to step up, try this. Take one hand/arm and put it in front of the bird. Grab a treat--make sure it is an irresistable FAVORITE!, and with the other hand, put the treat in front of the arm that is close to the bird. Therefore, the bird has to step onto you to take the treat

I actually got Max to do this the other day! I have had my Senegal for a month and he has not wanted to step up at all.

 

[suebee]

lots of patiance!! lol as jen says

but i do agree with mike over the hand tame comments, i would say nut is hand tame,but i am also wary of asking nut to step up!

also 2 wks is not long for your bird! the basics are there taking treats etc but you have not mentioned if she had out of cage time etc what her old routine was? and how much she was interacted with in her old home! just because she was hand fed, does not mean it makes for a tamer bird if she has not been handled in awhile

also when/where are these bites happening?

you will also find that at certain times through the day your bird is more acceptable of being asked to do things, as time goes on an you get use to each other

most important 10/12 hours sleep time and a routine

do not stroke down the back, as its sexual

try placing the cage in an area where she can see what is happening throughout the house, so if living room is where all the action is, thats where cage should be

good quality pellets (i feed harrisons) lafebers nutri berries as treats, lots of fresh fruit an veg (some you may have to eat infront of her, if she has never been introduced to them) NO CHOCOLATE, APPLE SEEDS, ADVOCADO avoid all high fat, sugar, salt human foods

my trick with nut was i use to eat infront of her, to get her to come to me

do not put your hands into her cage to ask her to step up, put a perch on door etc that she can climb onto an step up from

keep us up dated an welcome to the wonderful world of sennies

 

[Rennagade]

So true Suebee! My babies have never had an issue with stepping up. BUT if i was to put my hand in Gretchen's cage she would take a serious chunk out of me! (Zeus is ok with me being in his bedroom but NOT Gretchen) I have to let her get out first and then she is happy to step up and have smoochy kisses. She is SOOOOOO teritorial. Even when i'm pulling up the sheet in the morning if she is already out of her box she will lunge at me through the cage. Then she comes out and is just fine.

 

[upcgirl]

Yes, the only way Max would come to me is if I have food. LOL They are huge suckers for food. They want to know what you have and if you are willing to share.

My afternoon routine with Max is this: I come home, I go into the bedroom (where we have his cage--we have cats, so I have to leave him where he will be safe) I say hello to him. I will pet him--if he allows me to. I will take out his dishes and examine what he has eaten & what he hasn't. I will wash out his dishes with dish soap and water. Dry them, and refill them. I will place them back into the cage. I will then go back out into the kitchen, this time, chopping up various veggies and a little fruit (they are supposed to have 75% of their diet pelleted. 20% veggies and 5% fruit/seed/nut) And I will sit there with some for me and others for him, and start eating a few different things in front of Max.

When I got Max, Max refused to come to me. He would let me pet him, but he just didn't trust me enough to come to me. Even though I have had him a month, I just now got him to step up and I really don't see him doing it all the time. LOL But I got him to start coming to me very quickly. I would bring in veggies and eat in front of him. That drove him crazy--he would pace and dance on his perch, trying to see what I had in that bowl. So I let him out and he flew to me.

Then, after I know I have his attention, I will open his cage doors and let him come to me. Then, we'll enjoy our fresh foods together.