Tweedle

We are making progress by going backwards! Training-wise I have gone right back to the begining. Not getting very far with the treat testing though, she is suspicious of everything. Pippa will step up from her cage top, but not happily from anywhere else. So I decided to completely stop getting her to do it by 'making' it happen, but to ask for it instead. I want her to know that she doesn't have to be scared/worried, I'm not going to make her do it, I'm not going to make her do something else afterwards, and if she does want to do it, Good Things happen. I have only 'asked' for a step up from the top of her cage, where I know she is happy to do it, and every single time I have made excited happy noises, immediately delivered a peanut, and put her straight back on the cage where I know she is happy. We've been doing this for a couple of days. So this evening, I held my hand near her, but not close, no so close that it pushes a step up to happen. I asked for a step up. She gave me that 'Nope' look. So with the other hand I showed her and told her 'I've got a peanut for you'. I could literally see the thought cross her face 'Oh, OK then!', and she jumped/fluttered the distance to my hand. Whoop Whoop! Here's your peanut! Enjoy it on your cage honey! Choice. Reward. Trust. Now I've just got to build on it, ever so slowly, and never give her the chance to doubt me. Just hope I can keep my impatient human nature in check.....

She's still pulling the newspaper through the grating...hmmm. New tactic - have provided rice paper! Something to shred and swallow. What do you reckon? Will have to wait and see what she makes of it.....

Hahahahahaaaaa! Or should I say, Harharharharhaaaarrrrrr

I shall keep looking for any dollops of newspaper deposited around the cage.....and perhaps unroll them for the lottery numbers or whatever she's trying to hide Simon is convinced she's eating it, so the grating has gone back on. I'll get more time to watch her again this weekend. Other than that, her crop is filling and emptying (though she has plucked it a bit, grrrrr) and she's pooping normally, so I shall stop flapping now.

Now, I have never reared a bird, I'm not that into birdie babies....but.....Oh My Word those little noises just got to me! How very, very cute. Hope all is going well for you both.

Depends on the vets! We don't have a huge throughput of birds, and have comprehensive cleaning throughout the day. One of our vets recently visited an avian specialist, and they spray the entire room with F10 after every single bird.

Excellent question

There is a grating for this cage, which I haven't used for some time as she seems to do better (poorly feet) on the flat surface, and I thought foraging on the bottom was a natural behaviour to encourage (as long as v.clean). When the grate was down there, she was still able to pull the paper through if she wanted to......I've just never seen her eat it before :eek: Guess I may have to reconsider....

awwwwwwwww (It was going to be a smaller 'awww', but this thing declared a post must be at least 10 characters long )

aaaargh little panic here. I've just seen Pippa carefully rip off a section of newspaper, slowly carry it to her water bowl, dunk it several times, and then eat and swallow it. ?!?!?!?! Dietary inadequacy?? Making paper mache for nest building?? ?!?!?!?! I've never noticed her do this before. I imagine this could cause problems (impaction?), should I remove all newspaper? What could she be wanting to eat? Bearing in mind today I have given her sprouts, walnuts, pine nuts, but she won't touch anything other than the Harrisons. *bemused*

Thankyou Azzie. I can assure, the pleasure is all mine. Today Pippa munched a hole in her adventure pack cover. Guess she's not so scared of it now. And I discovered she doesn't recognise peanuts cut up into bits. It's got to be the whole thing, or it's not a peanut. Neither is she familiar with naked sunflower seeds. This treat testing is going to take some time!

I'm really sorry to be ignorant, but I have no idea what the pros and cons of a water bottle would be. I hadn't even considered them....until I got a somewhat soggy back carrying Pippa in her adventure pack! *goes off in search of existing threads*

Hi Babysweet - afraid I've not got the experience to add anything, but I've learnt lots from this thread and related links, and considering the many issues that have been raised in a difficult decision making process. Many thanks.

Oh, I have loved this thread

awwww, ickle baby pics

Oh, I left Pippa's Adventure Pack on the table, thinking to get her used to the sight of it. She appears to have got over her fear of the bird-eating-monster and munched a hole in the cover. D'oh! 'It's all chew toys to them'

Hiya Mowli's Mum, I'm afraid I've never hand reared a bird - I've given intensive care to lots of animals at work though, and know how wearing and worrying it can be when lack of sleep and all that fretting gets to you. With everything else going on, I hope you get all the help and support you need to get you through the tough times. Keep reading, keep asking. There are threads on caring for bubba's here. I don't have any call to read them I'm afraid, but the lovely Jayd has given sound advice and encouragement to others that I have noticed. Best wishes to you on your baby raising mission.

Ah, it depends on the pub! A Dartmoor pub garden is the perfect place to take one's parrot

See, I still can't decide whether taking your parrot to the pub is very cool, or very sad. But if it keeps her happy and gives a change of scene I am prepared suffer and be known as the mad old bird

Just re-read your post, and I think some of the others might be better for the 'in-out-in-out' trip to work you described. Getting the cover on and off the cage is the faffiest bit, though you can leave it on and just unzip to get to the door. I leave the cover off and just use the cage on it's own when going on the garden for a short while.

I'm no expert, but imagine lots of variation and choice would be the thing. I'm sure someone who knows about these things will be along in a min.

Yes, they appear to be mostly downy ones. I'm not sure many more will come in that lower area/keel, but higher up the breast is looking the best it has since I first got her. I've been on holiday, and back to work tomorrow, but my other half is home at the moment so she'll have company. *Fingers crossed for no plucking frenzy*