We Really Need Your Help!

[Michelle4672]

I am the owner of a 7 year old Congo. Bought him as a baby from a breeder who I thought was very good and caring. However, when we took him to a very well known/respected avian vet for his initial check-up...she informed me(very abruptly) that he must me the product of over-breeding...she seemed very angry with the breeder, who she did not even know.

 

I never went back to that vet, because she had me in tears and truth be told....Sammy was mine now and what was I going to do...even if she was right?

 

I love him very much...he is extremely smart....says quite a few things. He has picked his feathers since day 1. I have tried everything under the sun to resolve this, but to no avail. He does not pick to bare skin. As soon as they get any length...he bites them off at a certain point. I have come to terms that this is what he does and will probably always do. Again...I have tried so many things!

 

He is and always has been an extremely nervous/anxious bird. I have been "his person" since the beginning and he will have nothing to do with anyone else. I know this is not uncommon. BUT...he seems to have such separation anxiety with me. If I was in the same room as him and not holding him...he would start biting his feathers and his nails. I had to eventually move his cage around the corner, so he can hear us but not see us all the time.

 

 

 

Things are getting worse as he is getting older. I used to be able to take him to the vet, now I can not even handle him enough to be able to do this. We have to use a towel to do anything like that with him and of course that causes way to much stress and blood loss from all of his thrashing around. So, we are unable to take him to the vet anymore for check-ups.

 

We adopted 2 little girls a few years ago(after we thought we were done adding to our family) and I know my time with him has not been what it was or what it should be. But he is too aggressive to have out with little ones around.

 

Now....the big problem...he is attacking me recently to the point that I am afraid of him! I have never been afraid of him. I have been bit in the past...but nothing big. He has bit me 3 times in the past few weeks that were an attack type of bite and drew enough blood that I almost needed stitches!

 

I am now afraid of my own bird and even afraid to clean his cage! Please help! I do not want to re-home him, but what should I do? Is there hope for my little guy??

[karunk]

There is always hope.. i am a newbie to the bird business, but i have known patience to pay off in such situations.. have u tried clicker training?? i know people train really aggressive birds using the technique in no time..

 

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Bird-Click/

 

and also try getting Melinda Johnson's book on clicker training.. when you join the group, in one of the folders, you will find a detailed step by step explanation of how one of the forum members trained a very aggressive/nervous bird to accept food and step on to her hand.. it might help you in this scenario..

 

as to first hand advise, i would let the more experienced people in the forum to help you..!!

[Spinner]

Michelle,

I'm quite surprised that a vet would put that kind of assessment to a bird. That you never went back to that vet was the best thing. Purge your mind of the vet's unkind description.

 

First off...there is always hope! As long as you are willing to stay in there and work with Sammy there is hope.

 

It sounds like you've got a lot going on that may be factors in Sammy's reactions; You had a bad experience with the vet, you have new family members in the house, less time out of cage, you have a sensitive bird, etc. With all these things going on, it's really hard to say what may be causing changes in behaviour.

 

You and Sammy need to reestablish some trust with each other, and reestablish some consistency. Get rid of the towel, get back to a training stick or step up/down command training (that will do both of you good). You have got to be able to handle Sammy with some confidence for both of you. Get some new toys. etc.

 

Remember:

 

Animals don't carry a grudge, the only react.

[danmcq]

The others have given GreYt advice and information.

 

The dynamics of your home changed 2 years ago and from Sammy's perspective, probably for the worse. Looking at it through his eyes, which is what needs to be done. He has lost the time he cherished, close contact and seemingly been banished from interfaction with the flock. He has know knowledge of why and resents it and I would imagine is quite jealous as well. This leads to additional frustration. He is at prime breeding age, has urges to find a mate and desperately needs attention and one on one time.

 

Believe it or not, he can feel your fear now. YOu need to overcome this quickly and only approach when you are calm and not fearful or nervous. Watch his body language closely and learn how to avoid bites once you can see they are going to happen. The first step is avoiding the bites and it may include having to use a wooden perch for step-up as Spinner suggested.

 

Some how you need to schedule in out of cage time and time with him one on one. If he is not already, he needs to be where the family is most the waking hours.

 

If you don't have plenty of toys to play with and foraging in his cage, place many in it and change them out once his interest wanes. Another thought is diet. Keep his diet exciting and bountiful with plenty of veggies, a little fruit 2x a week, bean mixes, mash, birdie bread, seeds, nuts, drip some red palm oil on items like eggs, oatmeal and pellets and mix it or let it soak in. etc.

 

I hope these things help and that you can work your much loved Sammy back into the household mix and continue to have decades of enjoy and enrichment in each others lives. :-)

[Michelle4672]

Thanks for all of the good ideas and for reassuring me that I can bring my Sammie back to where he once was! You are very right in that the dynamics of the house have changed and the time I spend with him alone is not what it once was.

 

I do know what the signs(body signals) are for a possible biting situation and I have always avoided being bit by not approaching him at these times. However, the biting he is doing lately is very aggressive...in that he is lunging at me from out of nowhere....hence, my new fear! I know as a parrot owner, being bit is part of the territory...and I have been bit over the years...but it was the kind of bites that leaves a mark and hurts, but that is about it.

 

The last few times he has lunged at me and really got me good. The other day he was walking around while I was cleaning his cage and he came over to me and grabbed onto my toe with a vengeance....I lost so much blood! This is a type of aggression I have not seen before recently. And yes, I know that he knows I am a bit fearful now where I NEVER was before. They can sense that a mile away!!

 

Thanks for letting me know that I have to start back at square one with the trust thing...great point!

 

Any thoughts on how to use a stick to have him step up. I have never needed one myself(before now!)...but we have tried it many times in the past so that my husband or teens could pick him up...but he is always terrified of the perch and thrashes around the cage. Any ideas?

 

I have heard of the clicker method, but am not familiar with it. I will look into this, too!

 

Thanks so much!

[danmcq]

Michelle4672 wrote:

Any thoughts on how to use a stick to have him step up. I have never needed one myself(before now!)...but we have tried it many times in the past so that my husband or teens could pick him up...but he is always terrified of the perch and thrashes around the cage. Any ideas?

 

Yes, in that case DO NOT use the perch for a step-up. :-) That jsut adds fuel to the fire.

 

As you already said, the trust is in need of reestablishing and then the step-up to your hand will come, as before.

 

I know your busy when he got your toe for example. But, to avoid it, you almost need a 6th sense of where he is and make sure that whatever body part he is headed for, is not there when he reaches it.

 

Those deep wounds do hurt, bleed a lot and of course induce some fear of another happening. I try to avoid those too, being the number 2 in most love in this household. But, I know they were my fault when they happened because I was not paying close enough attention at the time either. :pinch:

 

I wish you good luck in working with him and look forward to hearing updates. :-)