ah, the past few weeks with fully-flighted Sully.

[JDS5607]

Well, Sully's last two flight feathers came in, and boy... is he LOVING being fully-flighted. He can go everywhere I go.... wooo : /

 

Lol, I love him, but it makes it difficult to take care of my household chores and cook while being able to leave him out of his cage (usually on a t-stand o the door of his cage). He comes flying into other rooms when I am doing laundry or other things away from the main living room (he's never alone, usually my husband is "watching him" (or as I call it, Birdie/Dad bonding time) when I'm doing chores)

 

Anyway.. When I am busy and he's flown to me, I say; "I'm busy" and put him back where he was. It's not working. As soon as I get back where I was and re-started, in he comes. I know the simple solution is just to keep him in his cage until I'm done, but with three cats, other birds, a sick father that lives upstairs, he would always be in there...and he deserves lots of time out Any pointers to teach him to stay on his tstand or cage when I need him to? I don't want him to be a shoulder bird, and he won't stay on his t-stand, even if I keep one in every room.

[Luvparrots]

Oh the joys of having a flighted parrot!!!! Try three that are out all day long!!! My three follow me around all through the house and they have boings and perches in each room. If they are on me and I want them off, I just flick my shoulder and they go flying and have to choose a boing or perch to light on. Because they are flighted they have no problems. If they get to be too much trouble I just send them all to their bird room where I can close the door. They have toys and their cages and foraging things in there so they are content. Because I live alone, I can easily see that there are no "dangers' around that they can get into.

[MarcusCAG]

Marcus' feathers have almost all grown back in, so I'm awaiting the day when I'll start experiencing such things as you describe with a medium-sized parrot. At this point, it's just our "little boys" who are all fully flighted and can get lift (and lots of it!) and Tybalt is by far the one who gets into the most amount of trouble. He's smaller than Marcus but very fast, and he's truly an aerial acrobat. When he starts getting into too much trouble I do lure him back into his cage with an almond or something; usually he'll just fly back and forth from his hanging Boings and swings and stuff though and have a lot of fun trying to sneak time on the (stopped!) ceiling fan blades. (I think it's a game now, Will Mommy notice I'm up here when I'm not supposed to be? Me stopping whatever I'm doing to 'shoo' him off--since he won't step up yet--takes more time away from my chores than anything else he does!)

 

But maybe with Sully, since flying like this is so new for him, he's just pushing his boundaries a little more and in a few weeks he'll settle down some, and then you can get more done... think of it like the terrible twos or something, haha. Truly, though, I hope that you both can work something out together so that he can enjoy being out quite a bit and yet you can get your work done, too. And a sudden thought: Maybe give him lots of foot toys on his cage top and that might make it seem more appealing to play there quietly by himself for longer, too.

Edited September 30, 2011 by MarcusCAG

[Talon]

My situation is like Luvparrots. I have 3 flighted birds who are out all day. They follow me from room to room usually, they just want to be with me. When I want them off, I do a spin on 1 foot and they fly off. I usually say, get off at then same time, they will fly to a perch, tree or boing and see what I am going to do next. It takes a while for them to get that idea, but they do. As far as expecting them to stay where you put them, that most likely will never happen, they are flock creatures, you ARE their flock and it is their instinct to be with you. My 3 like to have quiet time around 12pm or so, they will get very quiet and usually not follow me. Many days I put them I. Their cages in the afternoon so i can go to work or upstairs tom work. They are better behaved when they have that time to themselves. The days iallow them to be out all day, so etimes they get unruly....

[Elvenking]

He comes flying into other rooms when I am doing laundry or other things away from the main living room (he's never alone, usually my husband is "watching him" (or as I call it, Birdie/Dad bonding time) when I'm doing chores)

 

Any pointers to teach him to stay on his tstand or cage when I need him to? I don't want him to be a shoulder bird, and he won't stay on his t-stand, even if I keep one in every room.

 

LOL....So sorry but I could not keep from laughing. If you EVER figure this one out...let me know. I have fully resigned to being a bird magnet and turd cleaner for life. If he poops in designated places...you should color yourself extremely lucky. As for wanting to fly to you...as much of an honor as it is...I know how it can disturb while trying to do chores. You just have to decide if you can deal with it at that time...or place him in the cage for a bit while you do what it is you need to do. Having a flighted bird has forced me to manage my patience, but I love that he can fly.

[danmcq]

Wonderful news he is fully flighted and enjoying it!

 

Like Penny (Talon) if our birds are out, they are either on one of us or sitting near by watching. We pretty much do the same thing as Penny in terms of making them get off our shoulder if they will not step-up when we try. They do learn after a while that when removed either by a step-up or a fast downward move off our body to make them fly means to sit there and watch until we are no longer doing that task.

 

When we are doing certain tings that require our full attention and is either dangerous or an off limits item like the stove, sewing machine etc., we cage them until finished, then let them back out.

 

Other than those instances, you would thing they were a dead bird glued to our shoulders...

[JDS5607]

HAha Thanks for all the responses! I don't expect Sully to stay put... but if he would just understand he can be WITH me, but can't be ON me all the time

 

It is an honor, and adorable when I think about how badly he just wants to be with his people... so maybe we can come to an understanding. He loves to stand on the laundry basket and "help" me fold clothes (until I pull a towel out, which shifts the weight, flipping the basket and clothes on top of him ) So that situation is solved. Now if only I can get him to grab a towel and start drying dishes

[Elvenking]

HAha Thanks for all the responses! I don't expect Sully to stay put... but if he would just understand he can be WITH me, but can't be ON me all the time

 

It is an honor, and adorable when I think about how badly he just wants to be with his people... so maybe we can come to an understanding. He loves to stand on the laundry basket and "help" me fold clothes (until I pull a towel out, which shifts the weight, flipping the basket and clothes on top of him ) So that situation is solved. Now if only I can get him to grab a towel and start drying dishes

 

 

That is the way it came for me...you just realize one-by-one....things you can do to manage it. It's worth it.

[chezron]

Penny,

 

I LOVE the visual of you spinning on one foot! Only my quaker is allowed to sit with me and only when I am at my desk, because he sits quietly. Brutus, the grey, needs to be scratched constantly or he will start to destroy things, so he is not allowed to perch on me. Only in the evening, he is invited to perch on my knee and he gets lots of affection at that time. Pancho, the amazon cannot fly yet and seems content to be on or in his cage. Anytime Brutus lands on me I duck quickly and he flies away (another good visual). He actually doesn't try much anymore. He can fly to me when he is invited, but never on his own terms. I have set up close activity centers so he can be near by but not on me as I work in the kitchen, etc.