Taming Rehomes

[Merlee]

I have been looking at CL for a DYH for months and the majority of birds that I have called about have been kept in the cages for a considerable length of time. We are talking about 2 years minimum thus far, and who knows how long previously. I have never dealt with a bird who was not hand tame and admit to being afraid to start at my old age.

I am interested in 2 of them which are at opposite ends of the state. Right now I am very discouraged. I would like to hear some experiences from members who have taken a chance with rehomed birds so I can get recharged with the search. I am starting to think it's just not meant to be. :17:

 

[ShellyBorg]

If you are willing to put in the time a rehome is great! Plan on spending lots of time next to the cage and sharing food with them. Don't push step ups or interactions. Birds are flock animals and when they feel safe they will crave spending time with you, but it can take up to a year to make a good solid bond. I have seen where birds have not been out of there cage for years become great social little pets who love there people. It just takes time and love.

 

[Merlee]

Is that all I can do? If I get a rehome who has had no interaction, that means I will have to be the bad lady to take it out of it's existing cage and environment. Does that sound like a way to gain its trust and change the potential aggression? If these birds have not been out of their cage, how am I going to get it into a travel cage without being bit or flying away because nobody clipped their wings. Please don't tell me to take one for the team. lol.

Somebody said there are multiple ways to train a bird to trust you. I am looking for those ways. Maybe I have this thread posted in the wrong section?

 

[Birdman666]

I could write a book on the subject... unfortunately I don't have the time.

Virtually every bird I have taken in was a rehome, or multiple rehome. (Including three that had been rehomed 5+ times, usually for "problem behaviors.)

So, yes, if you follow the correct behavior mods, it generally works out just fine, depending on what the problem is.

Biting is easy to correct. Screaming is a little harder, to very hard depending on the bird. Plucking is very, very, very difficult.

I always approach a rehab/rehome as if I am starting over. Craig's List birds are generally neglected - which does not mean abused - just neglected.

Keep in mind, DYH amazons are the hottest of the Hot 3's... which doesn't mean they are bad birds, it just means that they have a long breeding season, and can become territorial and hormonally challenged during breeding season.

 

[Merlee]

I guess I have been lucky with this YN rehome I have. Twenty-seven-year old male and never shown any aggression at all since I got it in January.

Birdman666, since you can write a book, you and henpecked will become my new best friends if I get a rehome.

 

[MonicaMc]

Check out my thread on my newest rehomed bird... a little conure.


http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/36663-long-overdue-intro-jayde-red-throated-conure.html



I've also taken in older rehomes than her, she's just the newest.

 

[Birdman666]

I guess I have been lucky with this YN rehome I have. Twenty-seven-year old male and never shown any aggression at all since I got it in January.

Birdman666, since you can write a book, you and henpecked will become my new best friends if I get a rehome.

I got my red lored amazon as a vet rescue. She was taken to the vet to be destroyed because she was vicious! She was attempting to remove fingers. She had major fly at your face panic attacks, and she had two hour or longer panic attacks in her cage, which resulted in broken wing feathers, and everything else...

When I got her, you had to force her to come out of the cage, i.e. toweling her, and she could not be handled EXCEPT wrapped up in a towel... this is where we began.

Four months later this bird would go to anyone, was recalled, was startle trained, and was out and about trained... and curled up into a ball on my shoulder and pressed her upside down face against my cheek for extended head scratches...

AND THIS WAS A BIRD THAT "NEEDED TO BE PUT DOWN!"

Ummm.... NO!

So, yeah.

It's do-able!

I once rehabbed a 60+ y.o. set in his ways, cagebound, Male DYH. (Former owner died. Only person that had ever been able to handle the bird.) He wasn't the friendliest bird ever, didn't care much for touching, but he would eventually step up on command without biting.

 

[Merlee]

Monica, Great story! Thank you for sharing that link. I love reading stories which have happy endings.

Birdman666, how is it you were able to get a bird that the owner paid to be put down?

 

[Birdman666]

Monica, Great story! Thank you for sharing that link. I love reading stories which have happy endings.

Birdman666, how is it you were able to get a bird that the owner paid to be put down?

The vet refused to kill a healthy bird, especially when she found out the "training methods" being used by the former owner. She got the lady to sign the bird over to the rescue. And once at the rescue, there were only two people who could get anywhere near her. I was one of those two people. So, I ended up taking her on as a challenge...

I intended to rehab her and give her back. I rehabbed her, and discovered I couldn't live without her. That pair bond thing works both ways, y'know.

 

[getwozzy]

When we adopted Jackie I had NO "big" bird experience. I knew nothing about amazons. Talk about scared ****less by the size of his beak. Lol he came from an elderly home- the lady has alzheimer's, and her husband passed away a few years ago...well, Jackie spent those few years in a dirty cage in a bedroom, never let out, and only received minimal care- food and water. When we brought him home he would lunge at me every time I came near his cage, and probably would've plucked my eyes out if he had the chance. After six months his favorite spot was riding around on my shoulder, letting me preen him, give him kisses on his head, just all sorts of stuff.

 

[getwozzy]

All living things respond to love and the proper amount of attention...

Life in solitary, locked in a cage with no interaction, is considered a form of torture by the geneva convention...

Can't agree with you more.

It took a lot of time, patience, persistence, and lots and lots of unconditional love.

 

[Pinkbirdy]

A lot once they get over their fear [and learn to trust you]. Are desperate for your attention. Just take the approach ,your happy with what their willing to give.

 

[Birdman666]

I've found that most of the birds I have worked with have turned around fairly quickly with the right environment, discipline, attention and behavior mods...

Sometimes, if the bird is neglected, just going to a new home can help. Clean cage, new surroundings, regular bathing, good food, suddenly the bird feels night and day better. Introduce toys, attention and "out time" to the equation...

Hey, this doesn't suck!

You'd be surprised how quickly that little light goes on in their brain. Especially when there are multiple other birds in the house, getting loved on and spoiled. They quickly get the message that I am somewhere safe, and that this is something birds enjoy... and behave accordingly.

In the meantime, you structure the interaction the way you want it to be, and the bird generally adjusts to it...

I think having other birds who behave helps in this situation. I know for a fact that my birds enforce "flock ettiquite" around here, and newbies, quickly learn that misbehaving will cause the other birds to gang up one you...

 

[Merlee]

Thank you all for sharing your stories. By sharing your success stories, you help convince others to adopt a bird in need rather than going to a breeder for a baby. I will be honest and say that this is exactly what my husband and I have discussed. He would rather not deal with other people's problems, while I have an opposing view. I will look for a potential rehome for a certain length of time, and, if nothing meets my criteria, then I will talk to a breeder. Cross your fingers for me that I find one before next spring.

 

[strudel]

He would rather not deal with other people's problems, while I have an opposing view.

I think it boils down to that. It needs more effort and you have to be prepared to put in that effort. I am not a "bird person" (yet!) but most of my dogs and cats are adopted. Some have "issues", one of my dogs was quite a surprise with his "issues" and, despite having done training with my other dog, I didn't know what to do with him. I was told to send him back to the orphanage, or even have him "put down", but I wasn't going to just give up because it was a bit more difficult than my other adoptions. I got a behaviourist who pointed out some things that hadn't occurred to me (he was SCARED of me and everybody else), I changed my approach to his training and over time, he's come a long way. My point? You might rehome somebody who quickly realizes that all is good, or you might have quite a job of work to gain trust, but it comes down to you and whether you want to take what might not be an easy route. It's not about the pet, it's about you and your husband and your determination to do whatever might be necessary.

I've found that most of the birds I have worked with have turned around fairly quickly with the right environment, discipline, attention and behavior mods...

Can you please point me to a good resource for the behaviour mods for getting birds to trust you and become more tame? I have some rehomed cockatiels that I'm trying to get used to me and able to be handled. I've brought them inside and they are less freaked out by me, but I'm not sure where to go next.

 

[Birdman666]

Put it this way. In all the years I took in rehabs, I only failed to modify their behavior ONCE! And that was a bird that was kept in a storage unit for 32 years, and had gone quite mad due to sensory deprivation. (He could be a sweetheart one minute, and downright dangerous the next.)

That bird has been placed in a permanent sanctuary, and is now the flock leader of a group of misfit macaws... he ultimately found where he belonged, and is happy.

So, I absolutely do not believe a word of that "birds with baggage" crap.

Some just require more work than others.

My red lored amazon rescue was a 5 hour per day, everyday job, for about 4 months. Since then, I haven't had to do anything, but enjoy her companionship!

Put in the work, do the behavior mods, and you get the benefits.

If I didn't do that, she'd still be cage bound, phobic, and biting.