About my rescue. (Help?)

[gracefuldancing]

Okay. This story is not as bad as it is sad. My baby girl, Jade, hasn't been abused or neglected as such. She is 20 years old, lived with one owner for the first 19 1/2 years of her life in what is assumed to be a happy home. Then her owner died and the owner's son didn't want to "mess with a bird" and turned her over to a rescue.

 

She started plucking. She hasn't done any follicle damage, she still has down everywhere, but even though she seems happy with her foster family, the plucking hasn't stopped. I don't have the first clue, other than I know the first thing I will do is take her to the vet for a full workup to rule out any organic causes for the plucking. After that, I have no idea.

 

Secondly, she doesn't know "step up" or any other command and I have never tried to teach an older bird anything like that. I got my Eclectus, Jasper, as a baby and he was just learning to step up.. but, someone else began the training and I just continued it. I don't know how to make the first move when it comes to teaching this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Finally (and I know this goes in the diet section, but while I'm at it..) she is and has been on a diet that is half seed and half human food - as in cooked, have dinner with me, human food. She's (as far as is known) never had fresh fruits and veggies or pellets. I know I have to change her diet and I have to do it pretty quickly, but I don't know the proper way to go about doing it. I know I have to do it gradually from seeds to pellets, but that is the extent of my knowledge.

 

So, all in all, she doesn't come with many issues.. they're just issues that I have no experience dealing with and I need all the help you guys are willing to provide! Thanks.

[Dave007]

Well, maybe after 20 yrs she just doesn't feel that training to step up is appealing and a person has to accept that cause it's all a part of *history*, *baggage* that a bird comes with.

This doesn't apply to you but if an adult bird is gonna bite someone because they put their hands in the cage to feed it and the bird is gonna serious damage because that's the way it always was then the bird is gonna continue doing that and the owner has to adjust to that, not the other way around. The bird has to be let out of a cage in order to be fed This doesn't apply to you but if an adult bird goes on an owner's shoulder and continually bites and hurts as it's been doing for years then the owner has to accept that the bird won't be a shoulder bird and has to adjust to that, not the other way around. The lifestyle and training and rules and regulations or lack of that the bird has ingrained in it's mind it has to be accepted by the owner. Of course changes can be tried but baggage is rarely forgotten. Taking on a pre owned much older bird is totally different that a baby bird. Not that this necessarily applies to your bird's situation but there's loads of adult pre owned birds that are friendly, loving, sociabil, who love all people in a family BUT they've been heavy duty chronic pluckers for most of their lives and will remain that way for good no matter what a person does. The plucking bothers the owners more than it does the bird.

Concerning the food, my opinion is to only work on the veggies. Fruit isn't that important, shoulsn't be given all the time because of acidity and about 90% of the fruits that people offer aren't even eaten by greys in the wild.

Pellets aren't all they're cracked up to be plus many birds who have never touched them many not ever wanna touch them. Pellets are processed and will go bad if they're not eaten within a certain time. A bird who is accepting of many human foods is getting a good diet. Human food has many things that a bird benefits from.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2010/01/14 21:46

[Jayd]

When Dave speaks...We all listen, good advice he has brought forth to you...I to have older rescue fids, some are plucker's, time and patience are the ingredients required from you, don't give up...

Jay

Karma

[ecodweeb]

You'll find the birds often help you eat better as you incorporate more veggies into your mealtime planning for them to eat, and you eat them too. Red palm oil is pricey, but easy to cook with, and a vital nutrient to greys.

 

I have a decade old plucker, rehomed for the third time. She only stepped up on a covered arm or a stick. Have you tried either of these methods?

 

Once you establish what her favorite treat is (nut or whatever) try to use it as a coaxing tool to get her to step up. Don't expect miracles. It took me 3 months with a parrot who liked men and would step on their arms (sometimes throw that foot up and fall off the cage when I walked by in long sleeves). Getting her to trust my hand took at minimum 3 months, but now she will offer her foot when my hand comes up and puts her head down. She wants to be a good bird.

 

Remember also that your baby has been thru a really traumatic experience and is still grieving. She needs time, and space. It might do you both good to try burning some soy candles (no scented ones) and perhaps burn a small bit of sage to cleanse the air in the house (I don't believe that sage is in any way harmful to a grey, and it's very pleasant smelling).

 

Lastly, I suggest reading books to your new friend. Sit with a chair, in or out of cage (leave the door open and see what happens), ignore the whistles and distracting noises, and read to her. I bet she will start to mimic you in short order with this. Be sure to greet her properly every time, and try to have others do the same. Using the same phrases becomes familiar, home-y, and will help her relax.

 

They just need unconditional love. I had scars on my hands at first with Talula but just yesterday she had a feather that I needed to check on her wing and she gruntily but submissively let me hold her on her back (in "parrot hold" you use your thumb to hold their neck just below the beak -- not for the fait of heart, and not something I'd suggest you do unless she's bleeding for quite some time) and look at the feather (turns out it wasn't broken). I always treat her and say good girl talula when done.

 

You should also invest in a product called Aleo Vera Juice, get it at walmart in the health and beauty section near the pharmacy. Get a spray bottle and spritz her every other day with the Aloe and then in between with warm-ish water (luke warm). This will help foster her feather regeneration, as well as a high veggie diet with some red palm oil (whole foods carries this).

 

Good luck to you, she's not impossible. You were wise to come online and seek guidance, karma to you for helping this troubled one. My flock sends their condolences for her loss.

[Jayd]

Hello again, don't be to concerned with a large diet change right now, let your bird decide when she wants to pearch you, take things "Easy and Slow". When using aloe juice,[refrig after open...] "SOAK [the water/aloe needs to penetrate to the skin.] to your bird, wait 2 or 3 days, "Soak" with "distilled water", then again with Aloe in 2-3 days etc. By rescuing this bird is the best thing you could do, now give her time....

Jay<br><br>Post edited by: Jayd, at: 2010/01/15 15:00

[danmcq]

Welcome gracefuldancing and Jade!

 

It's GreYt having you here. :-)

 

Karma to you for taking in an older grey.

 

The others have all given excellent advice in not making any changes quickly. The most important thing to do is make her as at home as possible and finding the thing she is used to, as you are doing a great job of already.

 

They all need to go to a new home when their owners pass on after a long and loving life together. It is a sad situation and thank god Jade found a caring person as you to give her a home to learn that love exists outside the previous flock with open arms by the right person. :-)

 

My Grey will probably be in a similar situation in twenty years (Hope I live that long) and will need a loving one as well. Thats the problem with a critter you love that has a life span as long as a human.

 

I am looking forward to hearing how all is going and getting to know you and Jade much better. :-)