BaxtersMom

Pat,I remember you going through this with Fergie and chewing the cabinets up awhile back and I could tell how frustrating it was for you. I had no idea at the time how terrible it really could be but now I know:laugh: I'm just glad I posted about it. It makes me feel so much better. I figured it was hormonal but I didn't know if this degree of aggression was normal. He has been such an evil little thing lately. :evil: I think hearing what everyone has had to say and their advice has helped me calm down myself which can only help Bonkers feel better too. Atleast I know it will pass,even if it does take a few months to get through. Whew! I do think this is a bad case of it and I hope that next time it won't be as bad on us. Now I am just wondering about my other 3 fids and how they are going to handle it:blink: :unsure: A big thank you to everyone!!!

Azzie, It sounds like the same behavior. Bonker is much more vocal too. Not so much screeching but talking if very low tones and has shrilly noises mixed in. Not the usual sounds he makes. These noises are totally different and mean totally different things. I feel better now knowing that I'm not the only one who has one with this bad of a case. Atleast to me it seems severe. He has been sticking like glue with some of his toys. He will hold on to a toy usually with a bell on it and just hug and snuggle it and make all these wierd noises. He grabs the bell and talks into it like a telephone. One toy he was so "obsessed" with we had to take out of the cage. It was just not normal if you know what I mean:pinch: . My husband has just been petting him around the neck and head so that part is ok. I am just thankful he still accepts my husband. It seems like Bonkers will tell him all about what he is going through. If we could just understand it. But 4 weeks...oh no...so it's true. Atleast I know the approximate time limit and I won't wake up each morning thinking "this day will be better" :laugh: I still have a few weeks or a month to go. :blink: I will be watching his diet for sweets and starches. I didn't know about the nuts:S I guess for now it will just be pellets with a little seed as his diet. Is that ok you think? Maybe some cooked pinto or kidney beans would be ok and veggies? I don't want to give him anything that will make those hormones worse. Thanks a million!! I feel there is hope for us yet:cheer:

Thanks Char, I read alot of it had to do with the long daylight hours but I didn't think of covering him up and limiting the light. That sounds like a great idea. The amazon we have is a dna male and we don't know what Bonkers our conure is. He actually lost some of the interest in the amazon when we took the paper out below the grate. We have been keeping confined to his room where his cage is so he hasn't been around the other fids as much the last couple days. Oh it's such a mess. This must be a severe case. I do feel sorry for him too cuz he's probably really confused himself. Sigh. Thanks for the advice:) We have always considered him a male. If males suffer worse I'd say he's a male cuz it couldn't get much worse I don't think.

What is TMNT if you don't mind me asking:blush:

I believe Bonkers our conure is having major hormonal issues!! I have been beat up and bloodied by the smallest flock member of our house. No Joke. Started about a week and a half ago. He (I call him a he but really don't know) Anyway, he started out all of the sudden befriending our our amazon who he hated just a few months before. Went to the bottom section of his cage below the grate and shredding his paper up and getting very possessive of the paper shreds:dry: If I went to talk to him, he would charge me. Very teritorial. If I got to close he would bite me hard! We took the paper away from him because we thought this might be nesting behavior. Then he started dive bombing my dog out of the blue. He couldn't stand the sight of him it seemed. A day or two later~ I found myself to be his target. He just seems so full of rage all day long. My husband has always been his favorite and so far he is still sweet and loving to him which is the only good thing this situation has going for it. He is fully flighted but for several days spent alot of time down near the bottom of our amazons cage or walked the floor. Anytime me or my dog would walk through the house he'd come running! It would have been funny but he was out for our flesh and our blood! He has torn my toes up and my dog just makes mad dashes through the rooms to get from one place to another. At first I just thought he was having a bad day or two. He can be a little brat at times but nothing compared to the way he's been this past week or so. He does ride on the shoulder as much as he can. He's always been that way and never a problem. But now he is not allowed anymore. He bit my cheek real good and my shoulders are totally off limits now. So I have gotten bloody toes, bloody fingers a bloody cheek but today was the worst and really scared me. He seen me from across the room, hopped off Baxters cage, flogged me with his wings and just started ripping into my hair and my ear!!!! I got a pretty good cut on my ear and it bled alot. For some reason ears bleed easily. Anyway, this made me furious and I am not making any more excuses for him.:angry: I am assuming that the hormones are raging inside this little bird and I can understand it but it can't be excused any longer. For the safety of my dog and myself I have decided he is going to stay in his cage untill he is over this. It is for his safety too because my dog is little but if I my dog ends up getting fed up with him I'm afraid Bonkers won't know what hit him. Bonkers is also getting on the cabinet doors and trying to rip the wood off:angry: But he is cage bound untill this nonsense passes. The only exception is that my husband can go in the room with him and let him out for short amounts of time but I'm not going to be in the same room with him while he is loose. Before you all ask, no I haven't treated him badly or done any harm to him. We haven't changed things around, etc. He is eating well and not acting the slightest bit ill. We were told he was about 4 or 5 years old by our local pet store lady. She said that because of the way his eyes were. Don't know if it's true but that's all I have to go on with the age. I do believe this is a good case of hormones by some of the parrot behavior website I have read. I am just wondering how long this can last. I've heard it can last a month or two. Is this true? This is the first time I have went through this with any of my birds. At first I didn't know what was going on with him or why he would act this way so I am hoping that when someone elses little "angel" turns in the devil they will know what to expect. I have already been told to trim his wings but I we are Not going to do that because he would just run across the floor to get us anyway. I have been told not to feed him sugars and starches. Is there anything else I can do to ease this situation. Any other advice would be appreciated. I'm handling this the best way I can but it still doesn't seem good enough. I hate having to keep him in the cage most of the day. Now I know what people mean when they say they don't touch their birds when they are hormonal. Thanks for listening{Feel-bad-00020080} Sincerely, Bruised and Battered

Great link. I will have to go back in and read more when I have a bit more time. Looked very interesting.

OMG!!! I didn't know it was your birthday~ Happy birthday Judy!!!

I smoke and I hate it:angry: I quit smoking indoors long before I had any of my birds so it wasn't a big deal and no changes had to be made when we brought Baxter in the house. But, My cat that died last January was 12 years old. She was such a healthy cat but I did smoke around her and I honestly believe it was a contributing factor in her passing away so early. If I would have just known...we might have gotten a few more years together:( . I think 12 was kind of young for a cat to go. I think this was a great thread to bring up. Thanks Penny.

Sounds like a party as it should be. Hope Charlie is have a great birthday party with his friens.

It is an older thread but there have a couple new people join it. I did open an account of Facebook a few weeks ago but wasn't sure why I was opening so I closed it again. I guess I could reopen it:blink: I always seem to jump on the band wagons when everything is outdated:laugh: Is facebook about the same or is it more complicated? More fun? I've been having a blast on myspace so far getting it all set up....It's been keeping me from my studies and I have tests tomorrow:ohmy: :whistle:

This is great news. I bet you are so relieved! No more worrying and wondering. That would be just awful to go through. Tell Jake no more traveling by his self.

A special Day For a Special Grey Wouldn't want it Any other way. Happy Hatch Day Charlie

I just signed up a few days ago and really need some friends to add to my list. www.myspace.com/ekodays Like GorgAss, please put in there that you are from the forum. Hope to see you all soon:) Oh yea, I have found out it is super fun, too. :laugh:<br><br>Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2009/06/07 16:04

I agree there are many opinions about what to feed greys. I just hope that what ever everyone decides to feed is healthy for them and approved by their vet and not just because it is easier to feed seeds since they like them. It's like raising children on candy and junk food. Sure they eat, love it and can grow on it but are their insides really healthy??? They might look good and normal but how do they feel inside? I believe Baxter was raised for 12 years on a seed diet only and he looked good when I got him. I started feeding him pellets and veggies and was persistant and he looks much better and healthier today than when I got him. I didn't even know about pellets when I brought Baxter home but it didn't take me but a day to find out. It's not always easy to feed them what they need when seeds are so convienent and readily eating it but remember they are depending on you to feed them correctly and what they need to be healthy. Not just to live. I don't have anything against seeds because I feed them to all my flock daily along with pellets, vegetables and nuts. I believe it's a well rounded diet that is good for them. And for those of you who don't think pellets are important...Please take this up with your avian vet and get his professional opinion. It's better to ask an expert and be sure what is right than to just have a discussion to make yourself feel better about what you are feeding your grey. We all need to do what's in their best interests. Not ours.

Not all rehomed birds are problems or have problems, although some of them do. I think Alot of it has to do with the person who is taking them in and understanding them and their needs and the situations they come out of. Me and Baxter hit it off great from the start and he was a pretty neglected grey but he is living the life of Riley right now:P I love him so much:kiss:

Great picture!!! Looks like he is loving that corn.:woohoo: That's how mine are with corn on the cob too. It's mess but I love watching them enjoy it so much. It gets everywhere and corn goes flying when they shake their heads. :laugh: Big hit at our house! Thanks for sharing the photo.

I used to have a lot of hobbies but just don't seem to have as much free time as I used to. I love to go on road trips to who knows where. That's fun. I love taking photos. I would like to get into scrap booking but think it would be way too times consuming and expensive, too I love going to yard sales and finding treasures. That's a favorite. I love to shop in vacation spots, even if it's only window shopping. And of course my flock of birds...They are so entertaining. :blink:

I know some seeds are quite toxic but I am not sure if the Mango seeds are or not. Hopefully, someone with more knowledge will answer about them. Untill then I wouldn't let him get to anymore of the seeds. Watch him carefully in the time being to see if shows any bad signs.

You just reminded me of something in your post. When I first brought Baxter home, he would go up in the top corners and kind of pace back and forth. It looked like pretty neurotic behavior to me. It's like he was trying hard to get out through the bars and wanted out really bad pacing quickly back and forth:( He did that for about the first month I would say, maybe a little longer. That's all just a memory now as he has not done that in a long long time. I totally forgot. I bet your Charlie just needs some love and care. I think that is why me and Baxter are so tightly bonded together. I have opened his hole world up and let him do so many things that he was never allowed to do. I feel real bad about his previous life but am glad that I have contributed to making it better. I can tell Baxter loves me for it too. Its so heartwarming for me. Keep us posted on how he does.

Sounds like Sully is doing extremely well and he looks like he has ALOT more feathers:). My eclectus doesn't play much either. He has toys and he does play with them from time to time but I never see him get really excited about toys. One toy he does love is a long bell on a chain with those thin wood pieces with the holes in them with the long straw (chinese finger traps?) in between that I put together myself. He loves to chew the wood and loves to shred the staw type things. (sorry I don't know what they are called:( ) Those are the things he gets most excited about. Each bird is different though and I'm sure you will stumble on his favorites through time though. Tigger took me awhile to figure out. I think they are just real laid back birds. :whistle: Tigger is different than all the rest of my flock. He does keep more to himself than all the others. He will stay on the inside of his cage probably more than outside of it even though his door is always open. Sully and Tigger sound like they have a lot of the same traits so I am wondering if it isn't just "ekkie traits" for lack of a better word. I think Tiggers favorite thing in the world though is to just sit on my or my husbands finger and watch TV or on the portable perched placed next to us. He loves TV and he loves to be close. He really shows interests in the animated/cartoon Disney movies like the Land Before Time. He watched the whole thing and to watch him he looked like he was really into it too:woohoo: I know it's not very exciting but thats one of his all time favorites. Have you tried just sitting with him or taking him to all the rooms you go to just so he can be close? How does he react to it? Have you let him watch TV or cartoons yet? I read that they liked TV in my book on Eclectus's so I gave it a try and he appreciated it. I am just curious because I am thinking it will help me understand my Tigger better myself. It's good to have someone to compare notes with:) Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2009/06/03 00:29<br><br>Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2009/06/03 00:31

I got Baxter last year. He was 12 years old when I got him. He didn't fly either. Baxter was a cage bound grey. He was never let out of his cage so since he never had the opportunity in all those years, he just didn't do it and didn't know how to. When I got him, I let him out of his cage right from the start to come and go as he pleased. I thought he would fly but he didn't. He was never clipped and had all his flight feathers, too. I think it is due to the fact that he was never able to flap his wings and build up his muscles so that he could fly. We have had long practice sessions (months and months) where he will hold on to my fingers and I will tell him to "Fly Baxter Fly" and he would flap his wings like crazy and go through all the motion but never let go of my finger. :lol: (so cute) He would get out of breath from it pretty quickly because he was not in shape but has build his stamina up quite a bit now. He also will get on the top of his cage and flap like crazy. He is building them up and checking them out. I got him last year in July and it probably took a good 6 or 7 months before he actually flew on his own but he will do from time to time now. It will just take time, patience and lots of practice. He was never around other birds before I got him so he didn't have any other birds to learn from either. He does now and he is doing really well with his flying. Still doesn't have the greatest control but has learned to round corners and can fly up onto a table or counter sometimes. I am not sure if this is the same kind of situation as yours but I thought I would share it with you anyway. Hope it helps.

Baxters is about 13 years old. I got him last year so he was never a snuggly grey. Previous owners didn't let him out of the cage at all so I know he was never a cuddler. But I will tell you one thing, Baxter and me bonded so wonderfully that I he does not have to cuddle with me. He is still a very emotional and loving bird and his loves shows through for me without the cuddles. I'm sure the cuddles would be so sweet but just know that in the future the love will still be there and still be strong.

I agree with Judy on this one. I have read several different veterinary sights online that suggest that pellets should make up 60 to 70% of their diet. And the rest nuts, seeds, fruits, etc. If you gave them 90% pellets that wouldn't leave much room for anything else. I like being able to give them a nice variety daily. 90% Harrisons pellet wouldn't hurt I'm sure but I am kind of thinking the same as Judy on this one....They would sell more that way;) As for how much to feed...you will figure that out in time. The best way to tell you is give them a few teaspoons in the morning (along with whatever else you want to give with the pellets)....see how much they eat during the day. If he eats it all, then you might want to give more. If he doesn't eat it all then perhaps a little less should be given. I've give mine a few teaspoons or small handful of pellets in the morning and check back in the afternoon. It's a good way to monitor how much they are eating. If needed I give them some more:) Lately my grey has had an increase in his appetite. He is eating pellets like they are going out of style and I had to up how much I was giving him. I guess they might go through hungry times just as we do. Sometimes they eat more and some times they eat less just like us:silly: Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2009/05/31 22:13<br><br>Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2009/05/31 22:14

OMG!! What other thread. Is this true??? Jake has been found??? :woohoo:<br><br>Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2009/05/31 18:39

I am hoping you will be reunited with Jake again in the future. If not, hopefully you will find comfort in knowing that Bonkers our conure was a lost bird and managed to find his way into a new home all on his own. Conures especially are so clever and resourceful. He landed on our neighbors shoulder while he was out on his evening walk right before dusk. Luckily we lived only 2 houses away and that's how he came to be with us. So Bonkers knew what to do...find a person~cuz they have food. I don't think the previous owners looked for him because we had all the information online and at local rescues, vets and pet stores. Hopefully Jake will find someone who can reunite you guys back together. As for our amazons recent attempt to get out, my husband decided he is going to get his clip wings clipped. We clipped his wings when he first came to us because he was so frightened and wild and crashed alot. Now they have grown out and he is trying his wings out alot. I struggled with the decision but really think it is in Coopers best interest. Still hoping Jake will find his way back to you. Are you looking at all the websites seeing if anyone has found a lost conure? Keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you and Kim.