Small problems with Yoshi... need advice

[jessdecutie18]

Lately Yoshi has been frustratingly loud at times... and I was reading other posts but I'm not talking about random yelling and being playfull, I'm talking about attention shrieks. Overall, Yoshi is a good and happy bird. We love her to death. Maybe this problem is part our own doing... but let me explain:

 

This morning was a perfect example of the last two weeks problem with Yoshi... I'll be getting ready for work, in sight of Yoshi and she will yell her contact call over and over and over until it drives you crazy. Now Yoshi used to use her contact call when my husband and I disappeared out of sight, and we would call back a couple times "Hey Yoshi... I'm comming Yoshi... hang on Yoshi" and she would quiet down. Now it has gotten bad. It started with her being a couple arm distances away on her playstand while we prepare food... and she contact calls until we either bring her over on our shoulder or we give her food to eat. She has plenty of toys on that stand... Now she can be on her cage-top and I'll be in the next room and its call after call... I pop my head out and say "peekaboo" or "hey I'm here" but then she keeps yelling... I don't want to keep getting her and she associate yelling with getting what she wants...

 

So we have tried hard the last week... saying "No Yoshi" soon as she yells and turning our backs on her... at which time she yells immediately after. So we have been putting her in her cage with another "NO" and leaving. She yells a bit more, then quietes down and we go bring her out again... often though she just starts yelling again after some loving, as soon as we walk a little bit away again, even still in eye distance. It really is frustrating, and I know my husband gets really upset that this is happening. I'm the bird lover, and I can stand it, but I know that it needs to stop. I just don't feel like she is understanding what the problem is, but maybe we just need to keep trying, keep saying no and taking her away. It isn't like she doesn't get enough attention... she is with someone most of the day... and she is the sweetest funnest little girl whenever we are with her. Last night she cuddled with me in bed as I watched American Idol and fell asleep after burying herself under the covers.

 

Also, my second problem, is one that probably has no solution until Yoshi can fly again... she has gotten pretty fearless about jumping off her playstand and flapping and hitting the floor then scuttling across the ground to get to me or Mike in the kitchen. We usually put her back on the stand as we don't like reinforcing this... and it scares me her hitting the ground, although she doesn't seem phased... well yesterday she jumped and I put her back on the stand saying "Yoshi, you stay there" then I grabbed some peanuts and she excitedly waved and turned around and did all her little tricks when suddenly I noticed she was bleeding between her legs... a little higher up... it looks like she hit her lower front on the ground and I don't know why it was bleeding... broke a little blood feather or something? Well It didn't bleed much, not enough to drip or anything, but it sure scared me. I think Yoshi was just mad because I had stopped giving her peanuts and was fussing over her instead... she had a shower last night and the blood is gone... now I especially don't want her jumping off that stand!

 

So thanks for listening to my problems, any advice is appreciated!

[Lyric]

How old is Yoshi now? Sounds like she may be going through a phase where she wants you with her all the time. They will become a little more independent as they age. It sounds to me like you are handling the screaming well- ignoring is the best way, they really hate to be ignored. As far as the diving off her stand goes, I'm not sure about that- you may need to put some towels down for padding around the stand where she usually lands. I'm sure some others may have better advice too.

[Jayd]

Lyric gave some good advice, pad around the cage in the landing area, they can "split they're breast bone" let her jump, she'll learn to flap harder. When she screams, really ignore her, don't respond, after a while between screams, give her a toy, not food. When she's screaming, don't even let her see you talk or look at her....In between screams, tell her "whisper" or "indoor voice" speak quietly to her. Ignore...

Jayd

P.S. It's hard...

[Greywings]

Perhaps avoid the stand for a while? Use a big fluffy comforter to pad the landing if you feel you must use it. I would suggest one of those rope hammocks that hang from the ceiling, it gives them more room to play and climb more surfaces to hang and swing. I think it helps them build confidence. She sounds a bit like she is regressing to her babyhood and needs some confidence building either through more interactive training or more safe things to do to express her self and feed her needs.

[ecodweeb]

Definitely pad the area around the cage and stand.

 

I would be petrified if my bird jumped and had any visible blood that wasn't from a broken feather.

 

My blessings to you, you'll work through this.

[katana600]

Your post helped me because Kopi will fling himself off his stand if he gets spooked and he can get about six feet away with the conservative wing clip, but it scares me a lot. Something that I had forgotten about was the thick foam interlocking squares I have from Sears that are for concrete floors. I am going to try making a landing strip for Kopi so he doesn't have such an impact on the hardwood floors, yet it will be easy to clean. They aren't terribly expensive. I was wondering if she started the clamoring after you were gone for a short while for training and she is looking for reassurance that you are near. Hopefully it is a phase. You are handling it well by talking gently and quietly to her and trying your best to ignore the loud outbursts.

[Luvparrots]

You all know that Ana Grey was clipped when I got her and it took a year for her to be able to fly. The first time she jumped onto my laminated wood floors my heart stopped. She always wanted to fly and it became a daily occurrence that I learned to accept. When you think about it baby birds have been jumping out of nests for centuries onto the ground and seem to have all survived. Each time Ana Grey jumped she got stronger and better with her landings. So have a strong heart and remember when children learn to walk they fall on their bottoms a lot and all seem to survive!

[Elvenking]

I have always padded the bottom of Issac's cage for this reason. When he was a baby he was always flinging himself at the sides of the cage to get my attention or beg to be let out when i would be leaving or coming home. It also has the benefit of making cage maintenance easy.

 

Since Yoshi cannot fly I suppose the best advice has been given...try to pad it somehow.

 

As far as being loud, I haven't got a clue as to what to do there. Ignore is the best advice that I have heard. They want attention, and what ever gets it...will stick! <br><br>Post edited by: Elvenking, at: 2010/03/31 22:12

[judygram]

There is not much else you can do about the screaming but ignore it, just turn your back and do not look back at her but I suspect this is a phase she is going thru right now and may subside in time.

 

If she cannot fly and has a tendency to jump off of where she is perched to get to you then don't put her up high so she has less distance to fall from. This is kind of what I have to do with Josey as she doesn't fly, still waiting for all flights to grow back, and pad the area around where she is perched to keep her from splitting her keel bone. You don't want that for that is serious business.

[Xtreme575]

Everyone is giving excellent advice, but even by saying "No" you are giving attention and reinforcing the behaviour. Just truly ignore it. If Paco is doing something I don't like, and I'm heading to work, I will wait for a silent moment to put him back in his cage. I don't even want him to think he's getting that attention for making noise.

 

The jumping... I too go through that. Paco was overly clipped and I'm impatiently waiting for the flights to grow back. I also have padded the areas of the floor where he hops down from to save him from breaking his keel bone. Lately he has figured out that a small jump from the seed skirt of his cage is no big deal and I often hear him clucking behind me like a chicken on the loose.

[Jane08]

Another thing you can do with the screaming which helped us is everytime Kea made another likeable noise we would immediately praise her, give her a treat and make a big fuss over her, she got our full attention. Everytime she made the scream that was her contact call I would totally ignore her and walk off out of the room.

 

After doing this consistently for some time she finally realised that she got attention for particular noises which she started to do more for the attention. She then forgot all about the screaming call because this didn't get her attention.

 

It's now got to the point where she uses our names when she wants attention or to know where we are and we just call back hello Kea and she is happy.

[Dave007]

Your bird is going through a phase like many other phases that happen with parrots. It's new, it's novel, it's something else a parrot has found out it can do. Eventually, the yelling subsides. Rarely do you hear a majority of people say that they're having long term problems with a screaming grey. They're normally become quiet as time goes on. As time goes on, some people even worry that their bird might be suffering from something because it's too quiet after going through a phase of being loud which it's not. Compare it to a bell. At first the bird can't leave it alone. The bird starts to fight with it all the time. The bird screams, squawks at it, bites at it, knocks it all around. This goes on for quite a while but eventually, the bird lessens the constant battles with the bell. It happens again but not to much. The squawking eventually fades away.

There's nothing wrong with doing many things as you want right now in order to curb it but just to let you know, it will go away whether you do something or nothing at all. I say this just so you can relax concerning the temporary, annoying thing your bird is doing right now.

As far as him getting more brave about jumping off his cage, right now that's his way of flying even though he can't yet. When he finally gets his wings in, he'll do the same thing except that it'll be airborne.

 

Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2010/04/01 17:48<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2010/04/01 19:47

[jessdecutie18]

Thank you everyone for the advice you have given me! I will definately let you guys know if anything changes. Yesterday and today, Yoshi has been just as loud, and called throughout my entire lunch break today. My husband said he thought she was doing better this morning, but he now thinks she is doing worse. I guess we will just have to stand strong.

 

Thank you Dave for your explanation too, and that you believe it is just a passing phase. I passed your reply on to my husband to give him hope, as he doesn't have quite as much patience with her as I do

[pearllyn]

Alfie has gone through that loud phase, and it did pass. In the meantime - earplugs!

Padding around her stand is a good idea too!