TinyTimneh Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Hey all, First off, haven't been here for a while, nice to be back ! Anyhoo, as I've said before one of Jacko's major problems is his territoriality towards other birds and animals around his cage. Indeed, I believe it to be a large component of his plucking in that he is so frustrated (he also is in sexual overdrive most of the time as well---despite the fact I don't envourage the behaviour in any way). Browsing through the Macaw Dreams website they mentioned sleep crates and I'm thinking of setting three up for my birds. Seems logical that the only time a bird would spend almost all his time in one place is if that place was his nest. So then I thought... HEY wait a minute, if Jacko is territorial because he feels like his cage is his nest because he spends most of his time there and doesn't get to go to roost, then adding a sleep cage should solve some of my problems with him. Does this seem like a logical solution to any of you? Anyone here use sleep crates/cages.. if so any tips to introduce the flock to them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovethatgrey Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 I own a sleep cage but don't use it for that purpose. I do know of several parrot owners who do use sleep cages and it has helped them with territorial issues.{Feel-good-00020114} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PekingeseMama Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 I have a sleep cage for my jenday conure, but not my grey. The conure 'cries' to be near me at night, so he has a day cage and a sleep cage in my bedroom, next to my bed. The grey stays in the living room and seems to be content without an extra cage to sleep in. But I do think having a sleeping cage is helpful with territorial birds. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 I don't know about the whole territorial issue, but I have 2 greys. Talon has a sleep cage and has since she was 8 weeks old. Rikki does not. When we got Talon, she was a gift for my son, and we put her rather large cage in his room, we quickly learned that this wasn't in her best interest when we were not home, so I bought her a play cage for the downstairs. We have always put her to bed in her upstairs sleep cage ever since. Rikki never had one, and has always slept downstairs in her mansion. I do cover them both at night to give them quiet time and privacy.:laugh:<br><br>Post edited by: Talon, at: 2009/06/03 12:26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinyTimneh Posted June 3, 2009 Author Share Posted June 3, 2009 all right thanks guys, it'll be nice to be able to cover them again too... the grey's cage is too tall for me to find a blanket that fits (plus i'm too short to reach over it ) i'll be setting them up tonight, will keep you posted on how things go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
she Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 I dont use a sleep cage for Charlie,He is happy just to be covered up and as I am not one for late nights this works fine.I do believe a sleep cage can be of great value in some situations and hope it works for you.Oh and it is just hillerious seeing me cover Charlie up,I too am vertically challanged (a short ass)but just about manage with a lot of heaving and stretching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tycos_mom Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 I'm not that short but my birds cages are huge. I think if anyone saw me when I'm covering the birds the would think I was nuts I throw heave it pull push what ever it takes with Tycos cage I use two kingsize blankets to totaly cover her cage its so big and I don't have a proper bird cover same with Ferrgie but its not as hard because he cage isn't quite as tall as Tycos. Aday's is against a wall but she has the biggest cage of allmy birds so I just cover the top half I figure if thats what she get used to while she is a baby that will be all I'll ever have todo. Jeepers was never covered before I got him so he also only gets the top half of his cage covered. the rest are small birds and easy to cover. I often think it would be so much easier if they all had sleep cages and I think when my youngest daughter grows up I'll turn her room into a bedroom for the birds I have enough small cages around here to give them all a comfy little place to sleep most of my rescues came with small cages which I have replaced with extremly large cages so I still have a shed full of smaller cages that sit there taking up space. I've been tempted to give Jeepers a sleep cage because he is so cgae teritoial but I don't have a clue how I would get himinto it every night since he won't step up yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Well it's a good question if a sleep cage MIGHT help cage agression. I personally have never heard of a sleep cage being a solution, but that does not mean that it isn't worth a try. You might want to try 1 sleep cage, before buying all 3. :-) My Grey has never been cage aggressive, he is however agressive if you try to invade his space unvited when on his hanging kitchen area hanging play ground or his t-perch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinyTimneh Posted June 3, 2009 Author Share Posted June 3, 2009 Well, all ready had two sleep carriers lying around so it's just a matter of introducing my two smaller birds to them and picking one out for my smallest bird. Lol and oh, I'm sooo vertically challenged that no amount of huffing, puffing, pulling and heaving will get that cover on lol... gotta love being under five feet tall (also explains TinyTimneh) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
she Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Oh that makes two of us shorties,im under 5 ft aswell.<br><br>Post edited by: she, at: 2009/06/03 19:25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinyTimneh Posted June 5, 2009 Author Share Posted June 5, 2009 Well, as my mother and grandmother used to say (who are five three and five one respectively) good things come in small packages (like greys ) So this is night two of my sleeping crate experiment and I must say this morning was the first time in a long time I have not woken up to pieces of down lining Jacko's cage. He didn't pluck himself at all last night. It wasn't the most relaxing night last night for anyone because it was a new routine but everyone seemed at least decently rested. I'd say he's plucking (knock on wood) less generally as well. Still plucking---but not nearly as much as some times, although I can't say that the sole reason is the sleeping crates (I'm also now sharing meals and showers with him--he also gets out in the Aviator daily plus I'm on vacation from school). On a side note the little bugger tipped over my wax plant and broke the pot lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinyTimneh Posted June 5, 2009 Author Share Posted June 5, 2009 Oh, and of course I forgot to mention I'm already seeing an improvement on his territoriality---I'm very excited to see what other changes will happen in terms of his behaviour . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Thanks for the report, it sounds like positve results. :-) Looking forward to hearing more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
she Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Yes it does sound as if first impresions are good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinyTimneh Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 Hey all, so unfortunately things have backslided since my last post. It's been a week or so since then and although first impressions were good Jacko has since become extrememely aggressive inside his crate. He will bite and charge me or lunge and pounce on the blanket without hesitation although he is fine when he has been removed from his crate. Up till now I've been simply toweliing him and removing him to his cage--he is also plucking much more now and has been for a few days. He is only in there when sleeping and I cover him. At first I thought it was because he was in close proximity to the cockatiel and linnie so I moved their crates across the room. Still no change. He is also regaining the same aggressive traits inside his cage as well---any thoughts or suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tycos_mom Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Poor baby just isn't happy is he. Mabieyou vet could help with a few suggestions to help with his plucking. I wish I had some answer for you but I don't have any birds that pluck. Tyco did before I got her but stopped as soon as I got her wings fixed at the vet so I really can't help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinyTimneh Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 He's started plucking again more because I've had to be away from him so I wasn't around to help curb the habit. I also was foolish and shared strawberries with him--but the plucking is starting to decrease again--I also haven't fed him sunflower seeds in a while so I might just take those out of his diet permanently... My vet was useless and actually told me it's 'normal' for greys to pluck and that I should be happy he doesn't pluck himself bald or chew his skin. She also treated me like I was a hypochondriac with my grey so I will be trying to find another vet if I can... he does exhibit a pattern similar to Giardia-related pluckers (underneath wings, on his back behind his neck and occaisionally the inside of his leg and rarely his neck)--so that's always a concern although he doesn't show any symptoms besides the plucking. Mostly it's just simply a habit for him and I haven't quite figured out the combination of things to stop him. I might stop the crates because for now it's just making things worse in terms of his hormones raging...I thought it wouldn't because he only sleeps in there but oh well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tycos_mom Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 I was hopeing that it would work for you because I have a Macaw that is very cage protective he is a rescue and was locked in his cage in a room all by himself for many years aparently his previos owner develped a severe alergy to him after her cancer treatments and instead of rehoming him she locked him away and only went in there to give him a bowl of seeds and water and that was it for at least 5 years so to say the least I have mywork cut out for me. He is getting better and better all the time I must say he's very sweet and is allowing scritches on his terms and once in a very long while he will even step off his cage and onto my shoulder. He has pretty much stopped any hard biting now but still beaks me when he gets nervous. I thought if your sleep cage worked I would try it with him but now I'm reluctant would not want him to start attacking over a new cage. he's already got one that I can't get him away from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinyTimneh Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 I think where I may be going wrong is that it's a small dark enlosed space where he sleeps flat-flooted like he would be in a nest. I think using a separate cage and not a small dark crate would keep the problems i'm having from developing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinyTimneh Posted June 27, 2009 Author Share Posted June 27, 2009 All right everyone, quick update--particularly for you Tycos_mom so I can maybe help you out with the macaw. Did some modifications wherein I removed the towel he was sleeping on and just put in plain newspaper. His aggression dropped dramatically.. a couple days ago I felt bad and gave him an old t-shirt to lay on while he's in his crate--he bit me hard that night as I was going to put him in the crate but he actually has been much better about the biting since then. I'm beginning to think that he's not biting me personally but I'm the only thing he can get to--I think he's angry at the towel/shirt and not me. With a bit of modification I've learned how to put him in without risking getting bitten and so I'd recommend that you give it a shot-- it has made a few improvements. Also where I went wrong was I used to let him play in it alot during the day--which I shouldn't have--the crate should be solely for sleeping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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