More Chatboards | Print | Share | Report Post

Re: well said Elizabeth
Posted by mark on 8/11/06

You know what you are talking about . Keep up the good work
Have a good day, Mark


On 8/10/06, Elizabeth wrote:
> On 8/10/06, Sherry wrote:
> My Red-Belly is acting aggressively towards me. (he is
> around 8 months old). When I hold him, he attacks my ear,
> my chin, and screams. When he does this, I can't get him
> to stop so, I put him on or in his cage. A friend told me
> that she heard that a diet with sunflower seeds makes them
> aggressive. Have you heard this? Is this just a phase he
> is going through?
>
> Another question - are parrots like other pets where they
> need a certain amount of attention and handling to stay
> emotionally well?
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> Ok, you have a few questions so I will do my best to answer
> them without being terribly long. The first question - if
> your parrot is being aggressive I *never* suggest allowing
> your companion to perch on your shoulder, it is too close of
> an area to your face. Even a "smaller" parrot like yours can
> do lots of damage given the chance.
>
> The second reason for this is if you need to be able to stay
> on top of your bird it is hard to see what they are feeling
> (reading their body language) out of the corner of your eye
> or attempting to retrieve a stubborn parrot from running
> across your back.... I would suggest keeping your baby on
> your lap, arm or a play stand.
>
> By putting your parrot back in its cage when s/he bits s/he
> has taught YOU when I am cranky & bite - I get to go to my
> nice happy home. You need to reinforce all the good
> behaviors - just like with a small child. A not yelling but
> firm NO, followed by a "be nice" and a :-( face gets the
> point across. Most of my guys read my facial clues and learn
> that way...being firm and non-negotiable is the key. REWARD
> the good - did I get that part across???
>
> Diet - sunflowers are NOT the diet for parrots. It does NOT
> have enough nutrients and is essentially feeding your parrot
> french fries - yes you could eat only french fries but it
> would make you sick. You would NOT be able to get the
> vitamins/minerals that you need not to mention fresh
> fruits/veggies.
>
> I would offer lots of fresh foods - think foods like
> broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers (all colors), collard
> greens, sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots etc. I make my
> birds food every 3 days up fresh and I vary their diet to
> what is in season and looks good. Hard boiled eggs are also
> a great addition...some fruits like apples (no seeds) etc.
> should be included some as well. For nuts almonds, esp. in
> shell should be relished, almonds also have healthy
> properties to them as well.
>
> You can also offer a pelleted diet as well - zupreem you can
> get at almost any pet store....their are lots of others too.
> If you do not have an avian vet I would suggest getting
> one, you can look at www.aav.org for a list for your area.
> They can also suggest more helpful information and I would
> check out if you have a local bird club - they can be worth
> their weight in gold as far as talking with people who will
> have tips.
>
> Parrots are like a 2 year old child - they have needs, wants
> and bad days too. You need to spend several hours (1 MIN) a
> day with your parrot - this does not mean all of it has to
> be hands on....on a play stand with toys and food is great.
> Mine love to sit with me while I am on the computer, they
> love showers.....watching baseball with my husband. So yes
> they need attention, rules on how to behave and LOVE.
>
> Your parrot is going through the testing phase, if you allow
> him to get away with it he will get worse and boss you
> around. You need to set reasonable limits, re-enforce the
> good actions and love him no matter what.
>
> Oh, for mental health make sure your parrots cage is large
> enough to house several toys (rotate them every week or
> two), dishes, perches (several) - I like a natural varied
> perch, a perch for nails, a REAL natural perch and a swing.
> You can change the perches, just DO NOT have the cement
> perch at the highest point....
>
> Best wishes~!
> Elizabeth

Posts on this thread, including this one

• Aggressiveness, 8/10/06, by Sherry.
• Re: Aggressiveness, 8/10/06, by Elizabeth.
• Re: well said Elizabeth, 8/11/06, by mark.
• Re: well said Elizabeth, 8/11/06, by Elizabeth.
• Re: Aggressiveness, 8/14/06, by Sherry.
• Re: Aggressiveness, 8/14/06, by Cheryl.