new rescue issue

[ShellyBorg]

I have had Danny Boy for 10 days. He had a over grown beak , bad diet , a cage to small with only two perches that where sealed dowling and not well socialized. He went to the vet 5 days ago and came home with a clean bill of health.

Now I am noticing he does not move around his cage. I removed the dowles and replaced with perches of diffrent types and sizes. He will not move to even eat of drink. Today I moved his food dish up to that spot and he had been eating all morning. I keep a eye on his weight and he has lost over 100g in10 days.

So I think its fear that keeps him from moving, I will try.
Step up with sticks.
Always putting him on the floor of cage when putting him back. So he has to climb the bars.
Any other ideas?

[roxynoodle]

Wow, that is really intense fear if he was afraid to even eat.

Definitely keep the food and water bowls where he is comfortable getting to them, even if you have to keep a dowel there for now for him to perch on.

My amazon was in much the same state when I got him 1.5 years ago. He is still afraid of any perch that isn't a natural branch.

He was very scared of toys. I had to start, one at a time, by first attaching them to the outside of the cage near the bottom and move them up little by little every few days. Once I had one at the top for a few days, then I would put it in. A few days later I'd start with the next one.

He also didn't move much for the first couple of months except to climb the bars. Now he swings around upside down from toy to toy like Tarzan.

I'll take a pic of it in a bit, but his favorite thing is this big, hanging wood ladder. He likes to do gymnastics from it and chew it.

Right now just let him observe you sitting quietly, playing with other birds or animals, talking or singing quietly to him, eating and even napping if you can. Offer him treats in his food dish and just walk away so he doesn't feel you expect anything from him. When he feels comfortable offer the treats through the bars and move closer to his cage to talk to him. Imitate things he says or sounds he makes if they aren't fearful sounds. Play some little games like doing a slow blink and see if he will do it back. Scared birds won't blink. Stick out your tongue and see if he will do it back. Play peak a boo hiding behind furniture or under a blanket. Flirt coyly by hiding behind your hands and peeking out like you are just too shy to flirt outright (shy and new birds really seem to love that). When you let him out of his cage, sit on the floor and let him come down to you. If he won't step up, act like it's no big deal and just stay down there. Eventually he will get on your hand or arm.

[Wendy K.]

Shelly, I wish you ALL the luck with your Danny Boy. :) Audrey has given you some FANTASTIC advice!

[ShellyBorg]

Thanks Roxy. Part of the issue with Danny is he has no fear of coming out of the cage and playing , even cuddling with me. I cant get him on the big play gym yet becouse of quarantine. His stand he can be on is just a training perch. As with yours there is no toy play. I have taking to sitting by his cage and playing with his toys to see what he thinks. He says I can have them. I see a long road before I really see the bird he should be.

[roxynoodle]

Oh, that's great though that he's coming out and cuddling with you!

One of the biggest factors I think in getting Pete to play with toys was my conure, Rowdy. Pete will imitate what she does all day so if she does this or that he must do it as well. I'm using that right now to get him onto the parrot gyms.

[ShellyBorg]

Ok I wiil hold off on the worrying again for awhile until he is out of quarantine and he can see the TAG and quaker playing and moving around.

[Peeker]

I know you said the cage he is in is too small, but how big is it? Is it so small that he hits his tail on the sides if he moves around in it? Is there a chance the previous owner had him in another cage and switched to this small one for some reason? It seems strange that he won't change perches to eat. He must've been eating in his other home, ormaybe was he out of the cage all the time?

[ShellyBorg]

I have pictures for him in his old cage. The food and water where both next to the top dowl. All he had to do is move left or right and never leavr the dowl. He can turn around with out his tail hitting. If he spreads his wings tney will just about touch both sides.

[keepsmiling]

Is it possible there is something in his field of vision that is disturbing him? For example, out of a window, or a color he does not like? Any other birds or animals nearby that could be making him uncomfortable? Is he a candidate for a cage free life when he is out of qt? Will he take to fresh foods like a warm mash of sweet potato, quinoa, birdy bread, veggies, etc?

[ShellyBorg]

Is it possible there is something in his field of vision that is disturbing him? For example, out of a window, or a color he does not like? Any other birds or animals nearby that could be making him uncomfortable? Is he a candidate for a cage free life when he is out of qt? Will he take to fresh foods like a warm mash of sweet potato, quinoa, birdy bread, veggies, etc?

He will eat if he does not have to move to get to it. He is scared to do step ups If asked to do more then one in a row I found out yesterday. Its like he has no idea how to really move about. I put him on the floor and he looked at it in horror. It was not till I started to walk away did he start to walk and even on soild ground he was careful how he placed his feet. I am starting to think they got him as a fledgling, maybe even younger. He does not have a band. He has zero self confidence.
He is just now taking food that is not sunflowers. I figured out he like pellets soaked in oj. I cook for my fids every morning and he gets his share , he has started tasting it but thats about all.

[Pinkbirdy]

Thats good , with my zon I think they gave him alot of junk food . By the way he reacted to fruits and vegs [like hes never seen them ] .He throws things down ,but then I see him eating it later. Hes in a big wide cage [it doesnt go all the way to the floor] I see him playing on his back with toys on the bottom.Its my favorite kind of cage.:)

[ShellyBorg]

Well home made mexican is a HUGE hit! He stuffed him self!

[aliray]

Well thats a good start. Maybe he like exotic cuisine. Or you could try making him tacos and burritos. Is he feeling more comfortable with the new perches?