Screaming S2

Empath

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Long screaming Sulphur Crested Story. Skip to the bottom if you dont want to read the essay below :p

I've had Freddy for about 12-13 months. he was brought to my avian vet as a "lost" bird. I had brought my quaker in to the vet shortly after Freddy arrived and they told me it had been lost etc. I was patting him and he was very cuddly and affectionate and seemed quite sweet. i enquired what thy would do with him and they said they'd try and find his owner and if that fails re-home him.A few weeks later they said to me "we cant find any trace of his owners do you want to take him" . they think he's under 10 years old

So I took him home, they warned me beforehand though that he :
1/ screams really loud (i'm sure i can fix that)
2/ hates women (i'll just tell the missus to stay away from him)
3/ has a thing for shoes (i'll worry about that when the time comes)

Within about 10 minutes of me getting him home and setting him up in a cage, i'm patting him through the bars and he's got his head pressed against the cage. then moving faster than lightning he's ripped into my finger. blood everywhere but it wasnt too bad. i gave him a few minutes then put my finger through again and he's gone for it again. i'm currently wondering whether the vet has given me the right bird cos this isnt the friendly bird i played with a few weeks earlier.

So i leave him be. the screaming started. Loud, oh yes very loud, but it's a long screech. I've previously had S2's i had one when i got Freddy. this is not a normal scream. this is the type of scream you'd expect if the bird had a broken leg and was screaming in pain. Initially i went over to see if he's ok and he's just glaring at me screaming. leave him for a few hours -he's still screaming.

and this is how the first few weeks with freddy went. my brother described his screaming as sounding like a nazgul. During this period he'd still go me through the bars. i let him out of the cage and he chased me trying to bite my feet. it appears he didnt have a "shoe" thing, he has a "foot" thing. ok i remedied that by wearing shoes.

when out of the cage he flew at my missus a few times. he's bitten her twice that i can recall, both times he flew to where she was and bit her. one of the occassions he flew to another room and went straight for her, she didnt even know he was out of the cage....

after a while he stopped biting and is largely affectionate to me. i can give him heaps of scratches and he's fine both in and out of the cage. the one thing i havent been able to eliminate is the screaming

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So in a nutshell Freddy will scream when i get home, scream when i go outside, scream if he's left in his sleeping room too long. he screams when i try and talk to my partner, sometimes he's just seems to like screaming. screamed if i covered his cage...

a couple of things: He doesnt scream as much when i'm at work or "not around". if i'm having a nap he's usually pretty good and doesnt scream. If i'm in the lounge room he will sometimes carry on, other times he's good. he has improved since 12 months ago when it was screaming constantly for hours

I have tried ignoring him, placing in a separate room, taking him in a smaller cage with me to another part of the house, waving a net at him (he hates this), given him a foragaing item (works 90% of the time), i've yelled at him (yes i know you're not meant to do this but you havent lived with freddy), tried to divert him when he's screaming by getting him to do tricks

the one thing i havent done is take him to the vet and do a full health check (hopefully in the next few weeks). he seems fine to me, he gets good food (which he eats). my partner is complaining of a ringing in her ear when he screams which is why finding a solution to this has become more pressing

and he's currently in a double macaw cage with my other s2 (who's pretty quiet). he has enough space, they used to be separate by a divider but the past month has been spent together. they're not close but they do tolerate each other

i spend what time i can with him out of the cage, but this is hard given his homicidal tendencies (towards my partner). i can have him out scratching him for an hour and within a minute of going back to the cage he's screaming again.

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I'm putting this up here in the hope someone else with a fresh set of eyes can give me some tips to reduce his screaming. He's inside most of the time. if i put him in the aviary he screams like a bastard if he cant see me (even though he's with other birds). i've been doing this Jan '13 and it's getting harder to take. the reason i haven't given him away before (and i have considered it) is because i dont want him being bounced around from home to home. I believe that he is the product of his past home/s and i believe if i just gave him away this would keep happening to him which isnt fair on him
 

Allee

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Oct 27, 2013
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U2-Poppy(Poppy lives with her new mommy, Misty now) CAG-Jack, YNA, Bingo, Budgie-Piper, Cockatiel-Sweet Pea Quakers-Harry, Sammy, Wilson ***Zeke (quaker) Twinkle (budgie) forever in our hearts
I'm no expert and it looks like you have a lot of experience with toos. I'm sorry you are going through tough times. When he starts screaming do you try to placate him while he's screaming? I ask because our re-homed U2 lost two homes due to screaming. I know they can scream loud enough to make your ears bleed, but the most effective thing we have done is to immediately leave the area when he starts screaming. We don't react in any way. After he had been silent for ten to fifteen minutes we go to him and visit. If he knows his screams will bring his best friends to him he will continue to do it. Yelling at him, net waving, moving him, talking to him, trying to stop him from screaming is all seen as a reward. Turning your back, leaving the room or completely ignoring him is the last thing he wants. Setting him up with toys and foraging opportunities, cartoons, music, anything that will keep him distracted. Good luck! I hope it works out.
 

Kiwibird

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Jul 12, 2012
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Sorry to hear he is giving you so many issues. Given the circumstances, he is probably suffering some pretty bad mental and trust problems. Screaming can definitely become a mental issue, especially in cockatoos. If your typical "ignore the bad behavior/reward the good" isn't cutting it, it may be time to try a different method with Freddy. Have you ever tried giving him "time outs"? As in when he gets a bug up his butt to scream, calmly cover his cage (preferably with a cover that is not his nighttime one, so he understands it is "the calm down cover") and wait for him to calm down. Once he's been quiet for a few minutes, then remove the covers and praise/reward him. This is not the *ideal* method, but it is effective with some birds. Kiwi responded much better to "time outs" then he did with us just ignoring his screams when we first adopted him. He is usually pretty quiet now, but he still occasionally gets one when he starts making inappropriately loud screams. We have a gray cover for time-outs and his nighttime cover is black, so he does not cross-associate the signals each one is meant to convey (calm down, or bedtime). Some birds just get SO wound up, their brains get stuck in a screaming "loop". The sensory deprivation of a cover snaps them out of it and allows them to calm down in a gentle manner without actually punishing them. It's at least worth a try to see if it's something he is receptive to in a positive way.
 

Pinkbirdy

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macaw,LS2,congo grey,2Blk Hd caiques,Hawkhead,yellowstrk lory,Blue frnt amazon,sun conure ,Yellow sided greencheek ,Goffin ,Rosebreasted Cockatoo,Greenwing Macaw,Blue and Gold Macaw,Nanday conure,Ecle
Ball up newspaper [and stick it through the bars on the top of the cage] and on the bottom too. Also cardboard boxes too. These guys are shredders . Its a huge mess but worth it . Keep visiting him being very positive no pressure . If things get better and he starts making [nicer sounds] gush over him . Our Ls2 came screaming and this is what we did [it also helped with my Goffin] . Out of all my birds these ones really respond to a set schedule . He might be an insecure bird and that's his problem . Also they will scream if their bored . Even if they have a cage full of toys they might not be the right ones . I think with 2s you have to keep trying a and think outside the box.
 
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Empath

Empath

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the most effective thing we have done is to immediately leave the area when he starts screaming. We don't react in any way. After he had been silent for ten to fifteen minutes we go to him and visit. If he knows his screams will bring his best friends to him he will continue to do it.

tried the ignore route, either kept doing what we were doing or went somewhere else he couldnt see us (out the front door). he kept screaming whilst we sat outside with the door closed. he does eventually quiet down but it is 15-20mins and the missus doesnt like feeling like she's being kicked out of the house cos of a bird.



Have you ever tried giving him "time outs"? As in when he gets a bug up his butt to scream, calmly cover his cage (preferably with a cover that is not his nighttime one,

the closest to timeouts is he has a "sleeping room". cos if i leave him in his main cage past about 8pm he goes mental. it doesnt matter if the light is on in the sleeping room, he's usually quieter in there. the issue is getting him out of the cage to put him into the sleeping room. when he's riled up he refuses to get into the cage. plus i dont want him to use screaming as an excuse to go to another room in case thats what he's secretly playing at. in the past i have tried to cover his cage but with a double macaw its hard getting anything to fully cover it. what he'd do is climb down to where it wasnt covered and keep screaming.... but i'm now wondering about a smaller cage just for timeouts which i can cover...

Ball up newspaper [and stick it through the bars on the top of the cage] and on the bottom too. Also cardboard boxes too. These guys are shredders . Its a huge mess but worth it .

my other Too loves cardboard packaging, but freddy just rips it through the bars and throws it onto the floor. when he's angry he just chucks things on the floor like a kid. he hates my partner, but she still tries to feed him treats, but he often takes it from her and throws it onto the floor...
 

Kiwibird

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Jul 12, 2012
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the closest to timeouts is he has a "sleeping room". cos if i leave him in his main cage past about 8pm he goes mental. it doesnt matter if the light is on in the sleeping room, he's usually quieter in there. the issue is getting him out of the cage to put him into the sleeping room. when he's riled up he refuses to get into the cage. plus i dont want him to use screaming as an excuse to go to another room in case thats what he's secretly playing at. in the past i have tried to cover his cage but with a double macaw its hard getting anything to fully cover it. what he'd do is climb down to where it wasnt covered and keep screaming.... but i'm now wondering about a smaller cage just for timeouts which i can cover...

Places like Ross/TJmaxx/Home Goods sell cheap blankets for King/Cali King beds that might be large enough to cover a big cage. Just be sure it's a plain color so there's no potentially scary prints. I would ask the vet what his/her opinion is on swapping cages for time outs, because I'm not sure what potential message that might send. You don't ever want any action with a bird to be a punishment or to frighten them, the whole theory of time outs is to give them a quiet moment to compose themselves when they have been WAY overstimulated. And you certainly don't want to accidentally encourage them to keep on doing a negative behavior. In fact, have you ever asked the vet what they make of Freddy's screaming? I know our vet was very helpful with helping correct Kiwi's behavioral problems when we got him, and helped do so in a way that didn't cause further problems.

my other Too loves cardboard packaging, but freddy just rips it through the bars and throws it onto the floor. when he's angry he just chucks things on the floor like a kid. he hates my partner, but she still tries to feed him treats, but he often takes it from her and throws it onto the floor...

Given that you have 0 background on Freddy, it is entirely possible he was never taught how to play. It isn't necessarily an instinctual behavior, rather a learned behavior to help birds who live in domestic homes cope with boredom. Even birds in the wild learn how to shred and forage from their parents. Freddy might not understand why he's being given newspaper or other toys, or may not know what to do with them, so he's screaming out of boredom even with a cage full of fun stuff to play with. Have you considered setting aside maybe an hour each day to take Freddy out of his cage, and into a room away from the other birds and just have 1 on 1 playtime? That would give him some quiet bonding time, and you could show him how to play (i.e., you rip a piece of newspaper in half, then offer it to him and see if he follows suit). If he enjoys it, it could even progress in the future to include your partner so Freddy becomes more comfortable with her. Again, this may be a good question for the vet.
 
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Empath

Empath

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1 Yellow Sided Green Cheek
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Given that you have 0 background on Freddy, it is entirely possible he was never taught how to play. It isn't necessarily an instinctual behavior, rather a learned behavior to help birds who live in domestic homes cope with boredom. Even birds in the wild learn how to shred and forage from their parents. Freddy might not understand why he's being given newspaper or other toys, or may not know what to do with them, so he's screaming out of boredom even with a cage full of fun stuff to play with. Have you considered setting aside maybe an hour each day to take Freddy out of his cage, and into a room away from the other birds and just have 1 on 1 playtime? That would give him some quiet bonding time, and you could show him how to play (i.e., you rip a piece of newspaper in half, then offer it to him and see if he follows suit). If he enjoys it, it could even progress in the future to include your partner so Freddy becomes more comfortable with her. Again, this may be a good question for the vet.

You're correct, there's zero idea what he's previously been through. in fact when he first started viciously attacking feet my thought was that he'd been kicked. even if my feet were near the bottom of his cage he'd climb down and want to attack them. he hasnt done that in a long time though and it's no longer an issue.

after i had him about a month, i was in the aviary with him. i was leaving to go out but before i did i went and gave him a good scratch. i turned and walked towards the door of the aviary (it's about 6m long). i heard this rustling and the next thing i was bitten on the back of my heel! he'd jumped down and run across the aviary to bite me!

Freddy does know how to forage by pulling things out, i use those green "cans" with the holes and he just pulls stuff out of them. he will rip up cardboard tubes as well, just not general bits of cardboard. i will try the paper ripping with him 1on 1

I do believe Freddy was well looked after previously. he knows how to sing songs - "go freddy, go freddy, go go go freddy" whislt bobbing up and down and he also spreads his wings and yells "freddy". i've tried to get him into dancing with music but he's only done that once or twice. the first few months were trying to figure out what he does. he loves scratches under the wings and i try and give him heaps of scratches every day. but still the screaming continues.

happy for the the suggestions to keep coming!
 

Sassy

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Neytiri -CAG 4/11/12
Scooter Pie -Caique 8/12
Butch - citronella 'too 1988
Skittles - caique 4/13
Ringo - caique 2009
Chica - caique 2006
Rascal - RBC 2001
I'm going to follow this one. Sounds exactly like what we are going through with butch our hybrid/triton too.
 

Juliejet

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I will be watching as well as Jet my black Too cries for me constantly but he is only 6 month old and that's what makes him happy , I use the time out room so we can have a little break he doesn't see it as punishment as he is in a big cage with lots to do the radio on and he can see out the window he is out with us on his play stand 8 hrs a day but I put him in the time out room 3 x half hr lots so we can have a break ,I'm hopeing as time goes on the crying lessens .
Empath I see you have a Black Too as well may I ask you a Q over the last few weeks Jet doesn't like being petted on the back of the head is this normal for a black too ?he use too ,should I just forget the petting ? Or try to encourage him to let me
 

tony

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I have a Goffins and an African Grey
I have a Goffin's cockatoo that is going to be 11 this year. When we got her, we already had a Goffin for almost 20 years. She thought that this baby was hers, she loved her immediately. This past July, she died suddenly. We had her almost 30 years and it just about killed me. But Dusty really misses her. Their cages were next to each other and the little one always felt that the other bird protected her, I think. Since she died, Dusty has been screaming constantly at night. We always had a small light on for them. She will wake up just about every 2 hours and just scream to the top of her lungs and not quit. I tried covering her cage but she really hates that and screams louder so I take it off. I tried taking her out and sitting on the couch a while but it is hard to get her back in her cage and I really don't want her to get used to it. I need to sleep. Lately, in the past few months, it has escalated. I don't go into that room at all so she will stop but she keeps it up every second for almost an hour. (I timed it before she stops for a while but will start up in about another 2 hours.) I cannot get any sleep and it is affecting my health. She is such a sweet bird, otherwise, but I can't get her to sleep. I wonder if she is really missing her sister. A friend mentioned something to me-it may sound bizarre, it does to me- but we had cremated the other bird's ashes and have them in a box in the living room with us. My friend seems to think that we need to bury the ashes and maybe it would help my bird to sleep and find peace. We are at a standstill here-both my husband and I work and we need to get sleep but lately I don't think we get but a few hours sleep, if that. The screams have escalated, getting much louder and longer, and we don't know what to do. Ignoring her does not help. We just need to know why but of course, she can't tell us. I know she is at the age where she would nest-does that have anything to do with it. She is a most loving bird, otherwise, and always wants to be with us and cuddle or just sit on us. Please, any advice would help. Thanks.
 
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Empath

Empath

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Update: Freddy's still being difficult :D

i've been trying to encourage the foraging a bit more, with limited success. today at lunch i went home for lunch and he just screamed regardless of the fact his favourite treat (almond in shell) was in his foraging toy. he normally goes straight for it but today he wanted to yell. I also tried some millett (keeps him busy) but he got bored quickly


I will be watching as well as Jet my black Too cries for me constantly but he is only 6 month old and that's what makes him happy , I use the time out room so we can have a little break he doesn't see it as punishment as he is in a big cage with lots to do the radio on and he can see out the window he is out with us on his play stand 8 hrs a day but I put him in the time out room 3 x half hr lots so we can have a break ,I'm hopeing as time goes on the crying lessens .
Empath I see you have a Black Too as well may I ask you a Q over the last few weeks Jet doesn't like being petted on the back of the head is this normal for a black too ?he use too ,should I just forget the petting ? Or try to encourage him to let me

my female black RTB just whinged/cried for ages when i got her. if she could see me but couldnt get to me she whinged. if she was out of her cage she was ok. even now i've had her for 3 years, if she's in a cage in the kitchen she just whinges constantly. so when she comes inside and isnt out of her cage she goes to a separate room where she's content. in terms of the head scratching mine generally loves it, but like all birds they sometimes dont like it (particularly if the pin feathers are coming through). i wouldnt worry too much about it. tyr it every now and then and see if he's ok with it. could just be a phase



Since she died, Dusty has been screaming constantly at night.

i have no idea why it would be just at night (unless its kind of like a nesting thing) but my first thought is that its due to loneliness. Dusty had her friend for almost 11 years and is now alone. about 3 years ago I only had 3 birds - rocky my s2, Zara rtb2 and a rainbow lorikeet. one fateful night rocky flew off when i was bringing him inside (i'd had him for 4-5 years and he'd never done this). He flew into a tree in the backyard. i put zara in a cage and put her outside as i was hooping her constant whinging would bring rocky down. my lorikeet was inside at the time and i was bringing him back upstairs as he was carrying on cos his friends werent around when he flew off my hand and out the crack in the door. i lost 2/3 birds that night :(

but what i noticed in the days after that was zara was more whingey than normal. she'd been with these others birds for only about 8 months but was used to them being around and in a routine. her crying was actually quite sad and it killed me, so i imagine it's a million times worse for Dusty and you guys. I realised i needed to get another bird for zara to have around as a friend, which is how i got my eclectus (someone was moving and wasnt allowed pets at their new place). afetr the new bird came in she settled down, they werent friends initially, but it seemed to calm her down.

i dont know the practicalities for you, but it seems like Dusty needs another friend. whether it's another 'Too or otherwise i think they get used to having other feathered creatures around. given that its been a few months it doesnt sound like dusty has gotten used to the loss of his friend. I really dont think it has anything to do with the ashes as i dont imagine conceptually or even from a sensory perspective dusty would know what they are
 

Betrisher

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I haven't had a chance to read all the answers to your post (sorry). But here's a video which talks about it toward the end - I think her methods are good (at least, they knit well with what I believe is good training).

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6mW-5-wc0k]Help for Parrot Behavior Problems - Barbara Heidenreich Answers Your Questions - YouTube[/ame]

Back later - hubby just walked in with Major Groceries! :eek:
 
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Empath

Empath

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Empath

Empath

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1 Red tailed Black Too
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1 Olive Musk Lorikeet
1 Yellow Sided Green Cheek
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Just thought I'd post an update. I've been doing a few things with freddy. When I get home I give him a foraging toy. He's happy to see me but wants his treat. When he's screamed I've totally ignored him-not even looked anywhere near the cage, or just walked away to another room.

These little adjustments have made a big difference. He still screams but nowhere as much or for as long!
 

Juliejet

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Red tail Black Cockatoo
Empath seems like baby steps is paying off for you.
I too have had a little bit of success I have been doing a little whistle when I leave the room for a contact call it has helped with the scream in when I leave the room.as for the crying when I'm in eye range it still happens this is a little tricky as he does it every 2 secs,when I try to positively reenforce the very short times he is quiet he just starts it again when those times happen I will go to him and clap say happily what a nice quiet boy you have been then he will do it louder and boob up and down ,at this moment he is eating and is quiet a few cries every 30 secs this is when I think and have done go in and prase him or I just sit and enjoy the peace cause I know as soon as I move he will start.I know it's a long process but sometimes it is draining.the worst time is when I'm in the kitchen cooking as I'm preparing diner and he just sits there crying intensely even if I give him food.i can't put him in the other room cause he has just came out of there while I go to work for 2 1/2 hrs and it's not fair on him,we have another 5 adults in the house and they have been very patient with all the crying.thank you everyone for your input
 

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