Davy Update

Hiya everyone!

Davy has been doing pretty well, but have a few setbacks. (For quick history, he is 5 yo BFA, locked in a way to small cage with little to no human interaction, then adopted by a truck driver for a few months, then a couple for 3 months before me, he was a hand fed baby, but now isn't really hand tame, and he will be with me forever, then my daughter will take him!)

Davy has now been with us for about 2 months. I have been the one working with him, and we have most definitely made a connection. He calls for me when I leave the room, and will come to me when I talk to him, he even lets me preen his face. He is still shy around my hands, i have to move slowly. He will play with me, he grabs my finger with one foot and sorta rolls over, 'beaking' my hand (and usually doesn't bite hard).

This is all done from the top of his cage. He will absolutely not step up. He can be coaxed onto my arm from the cage for treats, but will not stay any longer than needed. I have tried taking him away from his cage, but he shakes and flies away, and I am afraid he will hurt himself. He has full flight feathers and can fly pretty well.

Now for the 'setbacks' we had been doing very well, lots of preening and playing, no bites. Until a crazy morning when I was getting ready (about a week ago) and I walked by his cage with my hair in a high pony tail with a big white scrunchy and he full on attacked my hair (and I think the white scrunchy) and got stuck in my knit hoodie. In the process of getting him unstuck i got bit pretty hard on my index finger, but it was expected, he was afraid and stuck. So i got him back in the cage and calm enough that he let me preen him through the bars. Since then I have been bit a LOT, my finger is starting to look like Swiss cheese. I am thinking that the drama of the first situation was pretty bad, and what I have been reading 'Zons love the drama.

He has also flown to my head again (I had the white scrunchy again) but he landed, flapped a few times, then went back to his cage, so I am almost thinking he was just coming to me, and not really attacking?

I am learning his moods better, I have read the 'Zon behavior sticky like 10 times. He is biting more but I still feel like we are making good progress.

And just yesterday I was standing by the cage, and my boyfriend walked up and startled Davy and he ran over and got on my shoulder and buried himself in my hair. and I was very still and just talked to him until he calmed (and bf walked away) and he calmly went back to his cage. That is good right? I am a safe place for him?

Anyway, it is so wonderful to get feed back from other 'Zon owners, as he is my first Amazon. Sometimes I feel he will never be a happy adjusted bird, but then I realize what a short time we have had him, and how much better he is doing.

Oh also, he is talking more. All he said before he came to us was hurry up, now he says ohhh yeaaah, and hello, wolf whistles, and mumbles at me when I talk to him

You are doing very well. Some rehomed Amazon owners work for years to get as far as you are with only two months.

Keep working at it. There will be ups and downs.

Thanks SailBoat. I sometimes wonder if I am pushing him to hard, but he calls me to him, and I cannot resist interacting with him.

As far as biting . . . I know I will get bit, I have scars from my 'Too from 10 years go, but there seems to be so many different views on how to combat the biting. When he is displaying and in a mood, I don't go near him. But what about when he lowers his head and wants to be preened then turns and bites? how do you discourage it? Ignoring the bite isn't always an option when he is drawing blood lol.

also, i am trying to search to find other threads on here, because I KNOW there has to be lol, but I am not coming up with much. I did see a post by Birdman about wrapping the towels and then a ace bandage under a heavy shirt/sweatshirt, however he doesn't bite my arm, just my fingers . . . and tried gloves, yeah that freaked him out

maybe you should think about getting Davey's wings trimmed..It would make him more reliant on you for him to get around..and stop him from attacking your scrunchie lol..just a thought.


Jim

Jim,

I have often thought of clipping his wings, I have always kept my birds flightless as I believed it was the safe option. I have always done it myself, and I have been holding back with Davy because I don't want to break the trust we have developed. I would have to wrap him in a towel to do this right now. Also I have two small dogs, one of which rushes Davy every time he flies and I want Davy to be able to fly away from him. I of course do not leave Davy out if I am not home and even if I am not near by. I stopped wearing the white scrunchies we have done better since!

He gets very panicked when he isn't on his cage. He will come to me to pick him up if he flies to the couch or whatever, and i can get him on my arm with treats and he does well. I am working on getting a perch so I can work more with him away from his cage.

IamJolyn said:

Jim,

I have often thought of clipping his wings, I have always kept my birds flightless as I believed it was the safe option. I have always done it myself, and I have been holding back with Davy because I don't want to break the trust we have developed. I would have to wrap him in a towel to do this right now. Also I have two small dogs, one of which rushes Davy every time he flies and I want Davy to be able to fly away from him. I of course do not leave Davy out if I am not home and even if I am not near by. I stopped wearing the white scrunchies we have done better since!

He gets very panicked when he isn't on his cage. He will come to me to pick him up if he flies to the couch or whatever, and i can get him on my arm with treats and he does well. I am working on getting a perch so I can work more with him away from his cage.

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I understand about the toweling..I have never trimmed any of my birdies feathers or nail,,kind of a chicken I guess. I leave it to the vet. however with Amy I have taken her to the local pet store where there are a couple young people who do a great job,and yeas<they have to towel her and she doesn't like it too much,but once secure,she just munches on the towel and says amazon stuff to them and when they are done,its like she never went thru anything.
Jonesy however has only been done by the vet when I adopted him in april.
He is still a good flier even clipped,being able to go about five feet,from his roof top to me on the couch or vise-verse.

Jim

It is nice that you have a local pet store that will clip for you. I live in Cheyenne Wyoming, there are only two pet stores in town, petco and a local ma and pa. The local ma and pa owners do not like birds at all. I don't know if petco grooms birds?

I am still of the mind to keep him uncliped for now. I think it would break his trust in me even to to have him clipped. I would really love to get him used to a harness so I can leave him flighted and take him outside.

I was walking by his cage, talking to him, and one of my kids asked me a question, and turned my back to the cage, and as i was answering her, Davy climbed right on my shoulder, fluffed up and preened himself and my hair and ear. I was a little worried i was going to get bit, but he was very loving, and i slowly moved closer to his cage and he hopped off my shoulder back to his cage. I think that is a good sign, he at least is trusting me more!