Screaming At 2:30 AM

Taw5106

New member
Mar 27, 2014
2,480
25
Texas
Parrots
Buddy - Red Crowned Amazon (27 yo)
Venus - Solomon Island Eclectus (4 yo)
Buzz CAG (2 yo)
Sam - Cockatiel 1997 - 2004
Tweety - Budgie 1984 - 1987
Sweety - Budgie 1985 - 1986
For the last 48 hours her hormones appear to be raging again and the battle is on! The last two mornings, as usual I collect Venus and we do our morning routine however both mornings she has been making extra efforts to get to the floor and make it under the couch. Yesterday, she was so determined to get to the couch, she nose dived off my shoulder, hit the floor and ran at the speed of light, I lost, she made it. Then all the dogs ran to the other side of the room after she attacked Canelo and bit his rear, she did this as a sneak attack, poor guy. I did get her out from under the couch.

Well 2 days ago our first cold snap hit, we are in south Texas and the temps dropped to the 40s, and the last two nights Venus has started screaming for hours beginning around 2:30 AM, yes 2:30 AM!!!! So the last two nights I haven't really slept and this morning I gave up, scooped her up at 6:30 and started our routine which she ended early trying to run for the couch again. I said NO rather strongly and she halted. I put her in her cage and I've been researching night screaming.

She has a regular bedtime, is covered every night, no light at night. This morning I have investigated her cage and the area around it for anything amiss, nada. Now I'm looking into weather/temp changes wondering if that may have started her "I want to bake" button. Also this morning I removed the majority of her toys and I've been putting in new toys hoping to get her distracted. Some of the toys I made, toilet paper rolls filled with shred and almonds inside. Right away she went to town checking out her new toys.

Any thoughts or ideas?



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Husband just brought something to my attention. About a month ago I spent two nights in the hospital and while there he said all the fids were quiet, even Venus was silent until I got home. Interesting! He said the screaming is all me lol


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Oh no not again, poor you!

Well the obvious are, is she

Too hot or cold during the night?
Need a night light for a while?
Has she eaten enough to sustain her through?
Is something making a noise inside or even outside; wind chimes, dustbin etc?
Is she in pain, not is she a pain LOL?
Has the temperature dropped quickly? Do you cover her at night? We have been @ or around those temps for a bit but Plum is fine under his sheet.
A bit iffy this one if she clocks it and likes it but, what happens if you settle her for bed again and go back to bed yourself?

Hope you get this for your sanity's sake.
 
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could it be time to introduce a sleeping cage in another room. I have read in a few books this could help solve any issues during sleeping hours with the Eclectus. I have a smaller sleeping cage set up for Maxx in our bedroom if needed, yet to use figured why use a tool before it is needed. he does fine in the living room with the other 4 cages. could be with mine he was raised in a nursery with a bunch of cages and other birds and all the noise that goes along.
 
The only two times the Rb did night screaming were when we had mice...
Is that a yucky possibility?
 
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Thankfully no mice!!! I was checking first thing this morning. No roaches either, nor rats. I can't stand unwanted vermin but I was wondering about that first thing.

Our house was pressure washed two days ago but that was outside only and that day the weather dropped to 42F, 5.5C. We have a central heating and air unit. This morning when I went into the sleeping room I notice it was cooler than usual but it felt good. Husband and I while talking about Venus touched on the temp subject early this morning to which he told me I keep the house too cold and called me an eskiwoman, lollll! To which I replied to Husband, who is telling me this in only boxer shorts, to go put some clothes on then tell me the house is too cold. I keep it set to 72F. Well I checked the thermostat and it said 68F in the house AND it wasn't on to auto heat so I adjusted the thermostat and the heater came on. Tonight I'm moving all fids in the livingroom to sleep, making sure the temp is at 72. I fed them their morning chop and gave them all two snacks instead of 1 and tonight when I give them their 5PM chop I'm going to double the serving and remove the left overs when it's bed time.

I weighed her and she is 394 grams, no major change in weight, a little gain in fact, she eats like pig, she's been working over her toys. Right now she is velcroed to my shoulder and is quiet. And she tried to redecorate my tree. [emoji19]. Also I wrapped a gift, gave her a scrap of paper, she threw it and beelined for the floor and under the couch. Ugh!


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Tracy can you roll up a couple bath towels and put them along the opening between the couch and floor? Then Venus couldn't get under it?

72 degrees??? :eek: Geez I'd be NEKKED if my house was that warm lol..I keep mine at 65 lol with no issues with me OR the fids.


Jim
 
Tracy can you roll up a couple bath towels and put them along the opening between the couch and floor? Then Venus couldn't get under it?

72 degrees??? :eek: Geez I'd be NEKKED if my house was that warm lol..I keep mine at 65 lol with no issues with me OR the fids.

Jim, you're out of your mind. Mine is at 74, and I find myself covered in blankets. There is a reason I live in Texas! Of course, we just had that Northern cold front fly in and now it's 40 degrees out so I basically can't even leave my home... How people live any place where it regularly SNOWS is beyond me.
 
Tracy can you roll up a couple bath towels and put them along the opening between the couch and floor? Then Venus couldn't get under it?



72 degrees??? :eek: Geez I'd be NEKKED if my house was that warm lol..I keep mine at 65 lol with no issues with me OR the fids.



Jim, you're out of your mind. Mine is at 74, and I find myself covered in blankets. There is a reason I live in Texas! Of course, we just had that Northern cold front fly in and now it's 40 degrees out so I basically can't even leave my home... How people live any place where it regularly SNOWS is beyond me.



I live in Houston and we keep our house at 66 [emoji5] Except usually the outside temps keep it warmer than that. This cool front has been nice.


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So i wont mention that i keep mine at 78. Oh wait I just did. I do put it at 70 for sleeping though.

When its this cold to go out
2 pair pants
Skirt
Tank
Tee
Long sleeve shirt
Sweater
At least 1 coat
Socks and actual shoes
Hat
 
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The battle over the temp continues. The house is still at 72, I'm wearing mid calf pajama bottoms and a tank top, Husband has pants, tshirt and socks on, and he's on the couch under a heavy blanket. I worked in the kitchen and opened a window, Husband asked if we turn the heater on, it was on, lol! We went out and he wore a hat and jacket, I didn't take a jacket, it was 56 and felt great, lol. He even said I was freezing the birds in hopes to make the house warmer, lol. It's been rather comical today with him.

All fids were stuffed at 5:00 and went to bed. So far, quiet, but it's not 2:30 AM yet.


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It's only 4 deg C! But if you are used to warmer temps generally then you are gonna feel any drop in temperature. Directional winds play a big part also.

Jim, turn that heat up fella! :)
 
As a child my parents raised Siamese cats. At least 2 litters.
I thought I had it bad when the female (in heat) would march up/down the hallway "calling out" for what she wanted all night.
I don't think it compares to a screaming parrot at night.
 
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You all have me cracking up! It was quiet all night! YES!!!! But the temp battle, good lord! Husband slept wrapped up in a quilt like a burrito, me I slept with a fan blowing and no covers. I love it cold. Last night I covered Venus differently. I got some cheap, gray fleece blankets, used furniture clamps to wrap two around and one to cover the play top. Usually it's a full size blanket thrown over the top and left about a foot at the bottom uncovered. I read an article that talked about making sure there were no openings, and she slept in a different room. Also, the winds picked up last night so this morning I went outside after putting the dogs out and they started barking like crazy. The neighbor's house is about 10 ft away and they have lights up, some are hanging down and were hitting their wall. Not too loud but had the dogs going. I wasn't happy to see the trash that blew in the yard, ugh, so we will be outside picking up and investigating things blowing. But YAY,to a quiet night!!


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Glad to hear that the adjusted cage cover worked, Trace! I wouldn't have pegged that as the cause, unless there is a bit of a draft or something, as 68-72 should easily be warm enough. But looks like you're on to something. Birds really keep us all thinking outside the box, don't they?

As for the temperature wars, yeah, that happens in my home as well. It isn't at all unusual for her to be wrapped in a comforter while I'm enjoying the cooling breeze from a fan. Or for her to have the heat on in the car while I'm contemplating squeezing through the narrow gap of open window and leaping out into the cool, refreshing air outside! Lol! So I know your pain!
 
Oh that doesn't sound fun at all:eek:. I hope you have found the solution and Venus continues to settle
 
Tracy can you roll up a couple bath towels and put them along the opening between the couch and floor? Then Venus couldn't get under it?

72 degrees??? :eek: Geez I'd be NEKKED if my house was that warm lol..I keep mine at 65 lol with no issues with me OR the fids.

Jim, you're out of your mind. Mine is at 74, and I find myself covered in blankets. There is a reason I live in Texas! Of course, we just had that Northern cold front fly in and now it's 40 degrees out so I basically can't even leave my home... How people live any place where it regularly SNOWS is beyond me.

LMAO Mitch! It snowing right now as I type! The outside thermometer at the kitchen window shows it to be 34 outside and my thermostat is set at OMG! 66!! I better turn it down a click! :rolleyes: :eek: ;)


Jim
 
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Tracy can you roll up a couple bath towels and put them along the opening between the couch and floor? Then Venus couldn't get under it?

72 degrees??? :eek: Geez I'd be NEKKED if my house was that warm lol..I keep mine at 65 lol with no issues with me OR the fids.

Jim, you're out of your mind. Mine is at 74, and I find myself covered in blankets. There is a reason I live in Texas! Of course, we just had that Northern cold front fly in and now it's 40 degrees out so I basically can't even leave my home... How people live any place where it regularly SNOWS is beyond me.

LMAO Mitch! It snowing right now as I type! The outside thermometer at the kitchen window shows it to be 34 outside and my thermostat is set at OMG! 66!! I better turn it down a click! :rolleyes: :eek: ;)


Jim



We are back up to 69 outside, its hot! Come back cooler temps!

Two nights of quiet but I didn't sleep last night, insomnia paid me a visit. Yesterday though Venus was rough working with, in fact Husband said she was a red terror. I couldn't stop laughing. I'm leaning towards hormones again because when I changed out her cage liner, she figured out how to get a bit of it and started pulling it up through the grate. I switched it out with newspaper, newspaper fits nice and flat but that stinker still got a hold of it and shredded it. She's trying to nest in the bottom of her cage which she tried to do last February. And when I put her to bed last night she became extremely aggressive trying to attack the blanket through the cage bars while I was covering her cage.

As for blocking the couch with towels, we did that a few months ago and it worked OK but I used a quilt. One dog thought it was rolled up ready for him. He was pulling out, unrolling it and made a bed out of it. Last month we got a new couch and it is huge. Beautiful sofa sectional, lots of seating, but when she gets under it, a new realization hit me, the couch is huge, where is she and am I going to get attacked if I put a my foot down, like JAWS, lol! Right now I am reinforcing "NO" with her. She's hard headed for sure.




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What is the measurement of the gap between the floor and the couch, Trace?
 
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What is the measurement of the gap between the floor and the couch, Trace?



Six inches, higher than the old sofa and it's "L" shaped.

This morning when I woke her I didn't bring her out of her cage. She was very aggressive, zipped to the bottom of her cage and was attacking the blanket as I removed it. Then she ran to one corner, where her shredded paper is slightly piled, sat opened beak with her eyes pinned. I think she's going to lay very soon dark spot or not. I'm waiting to see if her mood changes so I can pull the paper out.


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