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Post by jimmyjones on Jan 21, 2011 18:11:11 GMT 10
Hi again! At the risk of pushing my luck, I'm going to ask some more questions...  So, my little alex (either Max or Toby - still haven't decided!) is in the habit of biting when I go to take him out of his cage. He always gives a little warning first that he's going to bite (open beak and a growling sound), but I'm not sure of the best way to proceed from there... What I've been doing is opening his door and leaving it for a few minutes so he knows he's about to come out. Then every time he looks like he's going to bite, I offer him a food treat. When he goes for the food I withdraw it, and offer my hand for him to step on to, which he threatens to bite again. This goes on for about 3-5 times until eventually he steps onto my hand, I take him out and give him the treat. I'm just wondering if that's the best way to handle the situation, or if bribing him with food is not a good behaviour to instill? Or, perhaps I should just let him stay in his cage as long as he wants, but I think he wouldn't come out at all if I did that. Unsure. |
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Post by vankarhi on Jan 22, 2011 6:50:34 GMT 10
ok back again.........I had typed a big reply to you last night but my internet had cut out and when I went to post it..........it was lost  So here I go again ;D Ok.......I had an eclectus hen here who would bite and bite quite hard at times. I bred her and she was never ment to be kept as a pet for me anyway........eventually I found what I considered to be the perfect home for her after refusing to sell her to other people. Anyway to stop her biting me I would go into her aviary and ask her to step up........offer my hand/arm and have a treat in the other hand just out of reach of her beak. She would have to stretch slightly to get the treat.........if she made no attempt to step up then I either turned away or walked away with the treat. Sometimes I only waited a few seconds sometimes I just started to clean her aviary.......but then I went back and asked her to step up again while presenting my hand/arm and offering the treat just slightly out of reach again. Usually I only had to to this a few times before she would willingly step up without biting me. I managed to avoid being bittern for the last 7 or so months that she was with me ;D It sounds like you are on the right track........just fine tune it slightly ;D |
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Post by vankarhi on Jan 22, 2011 6:53:55 GMT 10
Oh and I ALWAYS "asked" her to step up........I never forced her to step up.........it had to be her decision......I just had to learn how to get her to "want" to step up. She actually was a nice natured girl.......just for some reason she would bite me when I asked her to step up. She was a very curious girl who would come down and talk to me and watch me when I was cleaning her aviary and putting clean feed and water in.........but we managed to work out a relationship between us ;D
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Post by jimmyjones on Mar 24, 2011 18:28:57 GMT 10
Hi all, me again! So, I've finally worked out how to upload photos, and here are some snaps of my gorgeous little Max...    Also, I just have a couple more questions... Question 1. When we got Max, my partner was at home all day, but now we're both working which means Max is in his cage at home alone for a good 8 hours. It's a huge cage, with plenty of toys & a view of the back garden (but not too close). One side of the cage is against a wall, and I cover another side with a towel so he can hide behind it if he needs to. I give him a bowl of pellets, a bowl of veggies, a bowl of water and a fruit kebab. I also leave the radio on in another room with music and talk. So my question... how much should I be worried for him throughout the day while he's by himself? Is this too stressful/boring for him? Do I need to consider whether I can keep him or not if it means he'll be alone 5 days out of the week? Question 2... When I get home, I play with him, give him a little fly (he only lasts flying for a few minutes before he's too tired), I take him for a little walk in the park (holding him securely), and then return inside. At the end of that, he seems to be happy just pottering around chewing on a toy, and then content just sitting on the back of my chair while I"m at the computer, or on his second cage in the TV room while I watch TV and have dinner. I give him another little bowl of treats (a bit of popcorn or some rice crackers or pasta) then he's in his smaller night-time cage (with more pellets and water available) at around 7:30 - 8:00. My question... is that enough engagement for him, or is he likely to become bored? He SEEMS happy to just sit around and preen or whatever, but should I be encouraging him to climb around on ropes and exercise more or something? Sorry if that's too much information, but I'd just like to put my mind at rest that I'm doing good by him. Thanks in advance! |
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Post by avinet on Mar 24, 2011 23:10:45 GMT 10
Never worry about too much information, most don't give enough to answer properly. The more we know the easier to reply.
I really don't think you have anything to worry about - Max is getting plenty of attention when you are home, and presumably on weekends, so I think he is doing pretty well - a lot better than many probably. Good diet and things to chew go a long way to making an Alex happy. Adding branches and prunnings from Grevillea, Bottle- brush and Eucalypt will also keep him happy.
I also let my birds stay up longer in the evenings - they come out morning and evening and will doze a fair bit during the day in their cages so don't suffer from sleep deprivation. They are out of their cages to 10.30 or 11.00 pm and some of the cockatiels and other parrots have been doing that for nearly 20 years.
A personal thing on my part is I like my birds to be in pairs whenever possible - I think they have a more enriched life if they have bird company as well as human interaction. Alex's are pretty sociable birds and normally get on well with other Alex's. It doesn't even have to be of the opposite sex - Max looks like a male and another male will likely get on very well together if you want to avoid the hormonal breeding instincts that come with females in the future.
So while I think he is OK as things are at present, another Alex would be even better.
One thing that concerned me is your statement that you took him in the park for a walk holding him, and that he can fly. I think that is a disaster waiting to happen. If something scares him - barking dog for instance - Alex's are pretty strong birds and Max could easily get away and fly off. If you want to take him out like that I strongly suggest you get a harness and lead for him and get him used to it before taking him out like that. That way he could safely sit on your shoulder which would make it more enjoyable for both of you. Otherwise consider clipping to restrict his flight, but birds do enjoy flying so you have to think carefully about that.
cheers,
Mike
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Post by jimmyjones on Mar 25, 2011 18:01:54 GMT 10
Hey great advice, thanks!
Although I'd like to get him a little chum, I just don't think I can stretch to another bird in the house. I'm renting here too, so if I have to move it's going to be hard enough to find a place big enough for this one, but you never know... I'll think it over.
Also, his wings are clipped (he came that way - don't know if I'll continue to keep it up, as opinion seems to be divided on that point) so he can't fly far, and he's never made a move to try to escape when outside, but I do take your point about his strength and surprises, so I may hold off on that activity until he's harness trained...
I was thinking of purchasing the "Aviator" harness, as it seems to have got the best all-round reviews. Do you have any experience with that?
Thanks.
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Post by twr on Apr 1, 2011 5:38:02 GMT 10
You may be surprised how much lift a clipped bird can get with the adrenalin of fear (dog, sudden noise) & a gust of wind. It makes me quite scared for you and your Max, if you take him outside unharnessed. I think it will be only a matter of "when" not "if" something goes wrong.
If you are going to harness train, I'd start now while he's young. My birds are all adults & I know it is too late to try it, if I want to keep my fingers intact. I've heard from others & seen the pictures of them with their harnessed birds. I wish mine were harnessed trained. That would be cool.
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Post by jimmyjones on Apr 2, 2011 14:26:17 GMT 10
You may be surprised how much lift a clipped bird can get with the adrenalin of fear (dog, sudden noise) & a gust of wind. It makes me quite scared for you and your Max, if you take him outside unharnessed. I think it will be only a matter of "when" not "if" something goes wrong. Yes, I haven't taken him outside since the advice from avinet above. I'll get onto it asap I think. |
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