My IR is too smart...

[oceanaussi]

A few of you might remember my problems with my (probably) female IR. She lost her mate while they were at a carer while I was on holiday. She escaped from her cage all the time and attacked me. I bought another IR (not tame) and she relaxed a bit but still escaped. As she bites me so hard I'm not game enough to cut her wings and my partner (who wanted the birds) doesn't want to do it. So I finally found the right devices to keep her in the cage - most of the time. But as soon as I take the food or the water out she escaped.

Anyway, the day before yesterday my partner cleaned the cage and i asked him if he locked everything properly. "Yes." Ok. We went for a drive and on our way home, he received a phone call from the neigbour that the blue bird got out. The neighbour didn't want to come in the garden because of the dogs. I've got a Gundog who's trained to hunt so I was pretty worried.

Anyway, when we got home Jackie was sitting in the mango tree at the end of the backyard. the whole neighbourhood were looking and I locked the dogs up and tried to retrieve Jackie without success. She flew off in a big circle and we could see her near the pub (2 streets down). We drove up and down the street but couldn't find her. I thought that's it as I don't think she would survive in the wild. She was hand-reared and when I heard all the other big birds around I was convinced she wouldn't even make it thru the night.

Today when I came home from work, I walked past the aviary and couldn't believe my eyes. Jackie was on the outside!!! I picked her up, put her in the cage and she was really thirsty. I can't believe she found her way back and put a big padlock without the key on the cage as I know if I leave the key in, she'll open the padlock as she's done in the past...

[vankarhi]

Well aren't you the lucky one and isn't Jacki a very clever birdie ;D

Oh and it is nice to see you here too.

[oceanaussi]

Yeah, I can't believe it! I knew she was smart as she knows how to open all sort of locks but that she would find all her way home sound and safe really amazes me!

What do you mean with 'nice to see you here too'

[vankarhi]

I haven't seen you lately.......but maybe you have been on when I am off and I have been pretty busy with work and xmas and having the house on the market blah blah blah.

[oceanaussi]

Well, this morning when I checked on my IR, Jackie was gone again. I have no idea how she got out of the cage as everything is closed and locked. I hope she'll find her way back again. Oh will have to cut her wings next time he's around. I'm just not game enough as I know how hard she bites.

[vankarhi]

If she comes back and you do get the chance to clip her........towel her to clip her. Or take her to the vet and he can do it. lol When we clipped Skye's toe nails late last year, we had to towel her as she definetly would not like to see me clipping her.......so Stephen held her in a towel and I got her toes out and clipped away.

[oceanaussi]

She's back and I took her to the Vet to get her wings clipped. The cage is now Fort Knox (well, at least I believe so...)

[madaussie]

Yes i had one like that we called her legs as she had a bad habit of biting other birds legs she broke a few as well grrr, well i found the only way to keep her in was to use dog clips like on the leads that was the only thing she could not open .
j