Advice about Harley

[lovesbirds]

Hi, Im new to the forum and looking for some help and advice please. I have a Sun Conure and a SI Eclectus hen and today we added a Congo AG, Harley. Harley will be 3 years old on 4/17 and the couple we got him from were trying to get rid of him because they said he was mean. They got him from a breeder and he was on a seed diet and wouldnt eat pellets so they just kept giving him seeds. They say he wont step up and viciously bites. The man had sores all over his hands. Harley's wings are not clipped and he rarely got time outside of his cage because of that. The man also told us that the bird "would intentionally make noises his wife hated" and she would spray him with a spray bottle! We have had him home for about 3 hours. We are taking him to the vet first thing tomorrow for a check up and to get his wings clipped and nails trimmed. Tonight I gave him a mixture of 2 parts seed mix to 1 part pellet and added the same vitamin to his water that I give to my picky little Sun. He also got the same veggie mix as my Ekkie. He is not shy and beeps, whistles, and pings quite a bit. We were told he has a large clean vocabulary, but so far I have heard him say "Harley, do you want the spray bottle?" and "I'll get the spray bottle" and still "Your gonna get the spray bottle." He repeats these sentances in between his beeps and pings. I have also heard "Harley, stop it!" and some hellooooos. I plan to NEVER mention the words "spray bottle" around him and give him plently of love and baths and nutritious food, and once he is a little more used to us, he will get "step-up" lessons. It only took my Ekkie 2 10-minute sessions a day for a week to learn it. And we have to get the biting to stop. I know about the "evil eye" and the "dont flinch an inch" rule, so hopefully I wont get too many wounds on my hands But, please, any advice is welcome. Since getting my first bird in Feb, I have devoured as many books on the subjuct as possible, but Im sure many of you have taken in mistreated, "mean", and neglected birds and have experience and knowledge I can learn from. Harley's isnt a really bad case, but he came from a home where his owners didnt know some important bird basics and didnt bother to learn them either. So I would love any advice, stories, and help you all can offer. Thanks so much!

[TheGreyMiester]

It sounds like you know a lot already. I think you have the right idea and you should do well. I really don't have much to offer except smother with love and ignore bad behaviors and make a big deal out good behaviours. Positive reinforcement on the good and ignore the bad.

 

Please keep us updated, this is quite a story.<br><br>Post edited by: TheGreyMiester, at: 2007/04/10 16:04

[Yankeebobo]

You certainly do have a good approach already in line for Harley. One thing that may help in Harley's case is to stick train him. Of course, I have no idea if he had a stick strike the cage before. But to have him step up on a stick may be important if things either get out of hand, or if things go well, you can transition from stick to hand.

 

As time goes on, you'll want to let Harley out a little at a time. Toys on the cage - perhaps the cage has a play gym already. This is where if he won't go in, the stick will help while you transition.

 

Talk to him daily - softly right at the cage until then. Feed him through the bars. Almonds (with the shell) work well as treats because they are also loaded with Vit D.

 

Good luck and keep us posted indeed.

[lovesbirds]

Here are some pics of Harley.

 

 

<br><br>Post edited by: lovesbirds, at: 2007/04/10 20:32

[TheGreyMiester]

awesome pics! he looks fantastic! all his feathers are in great shape and helthy looking. I had a picture in my head that he looked a little rough from over preening or something. I'm sure you will earn his tust.

 

ever use youtube? its a free video hosting service. I would love to see a youtube video of him. for more information go to www.youtube.com

[Guest]

Lovesbirds, reading your posting I got great confidence you will take the fear (because it seems to me that's what it is -for the 'spray bottle') out of him and a loving and trusting bird in return B)

 

Harley looks very sweet (but, is it me or... he also looks a bit 'on-guard'?)

 

Thanks for the lovely photos

[Guest Monique]

Harley looks so nice!!! You really sound like you have a good basis from which to start. Just take it really slow and be really patient. I would start associating hands = good things and give him some bits to eat that way as the first thing. If you ever get discouraged along with posting here you could find a bird rescue, people that have done lots of fosters and call them, and they should be very familiar w/your situation.

[lovesbirds]

Thanks for the tips and support, everyone Harley didnt eat last night, but today spent time in his bowl eating seeds and picking out all the pellets He took an apple slice and some Cheetohs from our hands (very carefully) and had a nice time climbing on his cage. Cant get him in to be clipped til tomorrow and he has a gym ontop of his cage, so we let him come out and kept a watchfull eye on him as he threw little plastic golfballs off the top. At one point he even began to sing to us in a clear base *Swing Looo-o-o-o-w...* What a cutie! But FairY is right, he is very guarded and cautious. We dont want to startle him or scare him, but he is always ready when we are near just in case we decide to ambush I have a stick handy and while he doesnt seem to be afraid of it, he isnt too sure what our plans with it are, so it is on top of his cage for him to get used to. He is also molting right now, so the air is filled with little grey and white fluffies-we are watching him closely to make sure he doesnt start plucking. So far so good, I think! More as it happens...

[TheGreyMiester]

If hes molting, that might explain at least some of the crankyness.

[lovesbirds]

Excelent and unexpected progress last night!! He had a rought time the day before last because he got his nails filed, his wings clipped, then put in the shower. Poor little guy spent the rest of the day in the corner of his cage huddled like a rape victim But he did come out of it and talk to us that evening and yesterday he was back to his old self. He seems to be a night bird, he comes out and is talkative after 10pm. He beeps and whistles with warnings about the spray bottle in between, then he whined, "Harleyyyy, stop iiiit!" I couldn't help but laugh! He sounded like my kids when they fuss at each other (they are 7 and 8), then he laughed back he's such a card! When I got near his cage to put the cover on, he scooted closer to me on his perch and put his head down, so I very slowly, very varefully poked a finger in to pet him and spent the next half hour there with him It was so nice! Today was a repeat. He wouldnt take a cracker from my hand but when I put it in his bowl he walked over to get it and mumbles mmm, cracker. My husband offered him one later and he told him no cracker. He is such a clever boy! I can 't beleive those people didnt want this little jewel, Im so lucky!

[Guest]

I'm happy things worked out that well with Harley, Lovesbirds It seems you are really enjoying him now (and he you).

[acpand5]

I have also taken in a grey that was a (mean bird) She is great now. Looks like you are on your way to doing a great job with him. Good luck!!

[lovesbirds]

Unfortunately we had to be out of town some of last week, but I had some one come over every day to feed the birds and take them out. Now that we are home, I started to train Harley to step-up. He flew off his cage earlier yesterday (he landed promply on the ground since he's clipped) but I didnt want to towel him (he hates that) so i tried to get him to step up to my arm from the floor but he just hopped right off. So I finally held him in both hands, under the wings and around his boddy. From the moment he was in my hands til I put him back on the cage his wings were flapping. Poor guy, kinda scared him, but he didnt bite. Later, I held him the same way to put him on the perch in another room. Since he wasnt biting before I opted to train him to step up to my arm instead of a stick. He really wanted me to pet and rub his head, so I did that first to try and calm him down-he was all fluffed up and shaking then I finally got him on my hand about 5 min later. I figured that was great progress and took him back to his cage to get over the stress. I plan on 2 training sessions today. He did bite a little yesterday, but not enough to really hurt or break the skin, not the way I know he can bite. The guy we bought him from had big scabbed over sores on his hands. I think he is coming to trust me. I sure hope so!

[Guest]

Lovebirds, that sure sounds very hopeful. I like your approach. It's with love and patience you are dealing with it, and that is, according to my unprofessional opinion, the best way to achieve progress

 

I'm sure looking forward to be reading about your further experiences in this, and wish you and Harley the trust in eachother you both seem to have anyways

[lovesbirds]

Harley stepped-up tonight! :cheer: Well, yesterday he got a little fiercer with his bites, so I decided to go with stick staining 1st. Yesterday we had a minimal amount of progress. He would get one foot on the stick then get off. If I lifted the stick he would step off and he puts his head down so that I cant get the stick under his belly. The first time today we worked, I would put the stick between his legs and lift gently. To keep his balance he would have to get on the stick. I was starting to worry because it is such an ordeal to get him out of the cage or off of it for training session. Poor thing was very stressed. Tonight, I offered the stick infront of him once and he did the head thing, so I put it between his legs and lifted. Then a few times after that he would get one foot on and I would left gently so he would put the other foot on and eventually he was stepping on with one foot then the other without me having to lift the stick. Im so Excited! Put him back on his cage from the stick and gave him some sumflower seeds as a treat (I have been taking them out of his sed mixture this week to wean him off the seeds). Now he is in there reprimanding himself - "Stop it!", "Harley, stop!", "Harley..." in a threatening tone, and his usual spray bottle threats I keep telling him things like I love you! and Mommy loves Harley! and Mommy loves me! I hope he starts saying that stuff. I dont know what happened to him that the previous owners didnt tell me about, half his vocabulary is threats:dry: But we did make great progress today:cheer:

[MARIR]

sounds like the previous owners, might have hurt him physically and/or mentally. He's beautiful. Patience, Love and Understanding....Sounds like he's getting exactly what he needs from you. it's great to hear the progress that your making w/ him...Good luck and keep up the good work!

[Caspersmum]

Hi,

 

I'm just a bit further on than you with my CAG Casper. Just like you, I wasn't told by his previous owners about behavioural problems. The first thing that gave it away was when he started talking after I'd got him home - the first night he was using very bad language - some of it I won't repeat here! But he'd sqwauk and then shout 'shut up' at himself. I've done pretty much what you're doing - ignoring the bad, praising the good. Although I still get the odd belch out of him I haven't heard him swear in ages - it really does seem to work. So keep the faith - it DOES work. And the same goes for the biting and the stepping up. It sounds like you're doing a fantastic job.

 

I've also managed to get Casper onto a pellet diet, having been a complete seed junky. I tried him on one of the Kaytee pellets first of all (its the only one available in pet shops in my area), which he hated. I then tried Hagen Tropican, and he took to it straight away - I didn't even need to switch him over slowly. You might need to try a few to see which he likes.

 

Hope this helps a bit,

 

Julia

[Guest]

Julia and Lovebirds, it's great to read you both made so much progress with your birds. I am also very happy for them, because that means they start to feel much more comfortable and less stressed each little step along the process B)

[lovesbirds]

Harley stepped up to my hand last night! :woohoo: My husband deserves the credit tho. He used a bit of trickery by holding the stick over his hand then when Harley went to step on the stick, he just moved his hand in place then lifted once Harley had one foot on him. Now he steps up to our hands right from the perch! check out the video...this is from tonight.

 

http://members.aol.com/imakefights/harley.wmv

 

 

The only thing that worries me is that Harley seems so scared when we get him out of his cage (which is not such an ordeal anymore :whistle:). When he is on the perch and stepping up he just shakes and shakes (and I know he isnt cold). But he still talks to us and has started mimicking us sometimes. I talk to him and click my toungue and he clicks back. Last night my husband had Harley on his hand and yelled upstairs to my son, "Bobby, come here" and Harley said "Bobby!". And I havent heard him making threats about the water bottle so much either.

 

Im so glad you are making progress with Casper, Julia! Harley seems to like the Zupreem pellets. Once I started taking the sunflower seeds out of his seed mixture, he goes strait for the pellets and mostly ignores the seeds. He loves peas and corn, but wont eat any of the other fruits and veggies I leave him. All in all, I think we are doing good

 

Steph