Hello! I'm new - I have a Meyers that I rescued

[MrCoconutParrot]

Hello,
My name is Sloan. I live in Miami Beach, Florida. In July the security guard in my condo building found a parrot in our parking garage. The building staff had no idea what to do with this bird so I volunteered to take it to the vet and try to find the owner. The bird had a band but no microchip. I tried to find the owner by calling local vets and through social media. Nobody claimed him. I decided after spending a lot of money at the vet - to keep the bird. He is healthy and is a male (I had the dna blood test done on him). He was malnourished and dehydrated but otherwise he was good.

It is now 5 months later and Coconut is doing great. I never had his wings clipped and I think I may need to now. I live in a small apartment and he has a nice cage with toys. He prefers to be out of his cage but since I work during the day, he must be inside. When I am home he is out and flies around.

My new problem is that I can not get him back into the cage. He knows when it is bedtime and flies away. Perched on a ceiling light fixture, refusing to come down. Sometimes our before bedtime chase can take an hour. One night I just could not get him and he slept on the lighting fixture.

This is not good for him or me. I feel so sad about having his wings clipped. Will he hate me? I feel like it is taking his "arms" away. I am hoping in the long run the wing clipping will make him less "bitey". At this point, he is the ruling the apartment, not me. He is the dominant and I am the submissive. Don't get me wrong, when he wants to get petted and play, he hops on my shoulder and is a sweetheart.

I am looking for some advice & support on the fact that I have to have his wings clipped! Would also love to hear from any other Meyers parrot people!

Sloan

 

[thekarens]

If it were me I'd clip him just enough so he can go forward, but not upwards until you can train him.

 

[Mayden]

Welcome! I'm a little fatigued right now so I think I'll reply properly another night, but just wanted to let you know that you're not alone out there with your flighty troubles!

Wing clipping is a highly debated issue...and I'm sorry I can't get into it just now, but it's not the only option. Things like target training will help with these types of issues too!

 

[MrCoconutParrot]

How exactly do I ask the vet or parrot shop staff to clip Coconut's wings so that he can fly forward and not up? What is this clipping style called?

 

[thekarens]

Mayden has a point. I'm in the clipping camp for these situations, but others aren't. You can Google target training to decide for yourself. If you want him clipped and you tell the vet how you want it done they should be able to do that for you. It's a matter of clipping less feathers

 

[Blueridge]

Hi and welcome to the forum! Don't worry about clipping his wings. If you are worried about him holding a grudge against you, give him over to the pet shop or vet guy and go somewhere out of sight of your parrot. Then he won't see you and connect you to his wings being clipped. This is why sometimes avian veterinarians take your bird to a back room so they can't see you and hold a grudge against you.

He won't hate you! Don't be such a silly goose!! Or should I say... A silly parrot?! Heh heh heh

And please don't feel bad about it either. I feel it would be best for both of you for him to be a clipped bird.

:22:

 

[Matilda]

My avian vet once told me clipping a parrot's wings was like "hobbling" a two-year-old and telling the child to go have a great life. Yes, it's a controversial issue. But google Barbara Heidenreich, who is an amazing parrot trainer, and get some advice on working with your parrot from her, before you do anything. Meyers are feisty. But super-smart. They can learn.

 

[MonicaMc]

My new problem is that I can not get him back into the cage. He knows when it is bedtime and flies away. Perched on a ceiling light fixture, refusing to come down. Sometimes our before bedtime chase can take an hour. One night I just could not get him and he slept on the lighting fixture.

This is not good for him or me. I feel so sad about having his wings clipped. Will he hate me? I feel like it is taking his "arms" away. I am hoping in the long run the wing clipping will make him less "bitey". At this point, he is the ruling the apartment, not me. He is the dominant and I am the submissive. Don't get me wrong, when he wants to get petted and play, he hops on my shoulder and is a sweetheart.

Why should he go back in his cage? What reason does he have? Once he goes in, the fun ends!

You could always give him a special treat that he *only* gets when he goes inside his cage. Once he is inside his cage, pay attention to him for a few minutes! Talk to him, scritch him while he's on his perch... let him know that going back into the cage isn't a bad thing!

He's not trying to dominate you. Parrots aren't dominant creatures, they do certain behaviors because it serves a purpose. If he's biting, you shouldn't be trying to figure out how to get him to stop, but rather why is he biting? Once you can figure out why he's biting, then you need to take steps to avoid getting bitten. The only bite that can't be rewarded is the one that never occurs!



I have 7 birds, all flighted. I only consider 3 of them to be tame, yet it's rather easy to get the majority of them back into their cages!

 

[leschornmom]

I happen to be "lucky", in that my rescue Macaws came to me with very deformed wings so we don't have to worry about clipping vs flying... That said, don't be scared off if everyone on here has a different opinion. It only took me a couple of days to figure out that we each have different birds and we each have different issues to deal with. You just need to find what works best for you and your "child". Definitely google Barbra Heidenreich. She has ALL KINDS of info on a rebellious birdie and how to train them!
I DO recommend at least trying to go cageless... It has worked very well for us. (Though I do put my babies up at night for their own safety as I have 4 dogs.) Everything I have read talks about how much calmer birds are when they don't have cages. They don't have a territory to protect.
My couple spends their day on different perches depending on what time it is. When I'm training them, they're in my foyer. When I'm showering... they have one in the bathroom. There is one in our great room for when the family is just hanging around. I plan to make one for the kitchen too. They are super easy and cheap to make. Just go to a hardware store and buy 3/4 in pvc piping and whichever connectors you require for your design.
The thing to keep in mind is that I can tell you all the things that have worked for me and my birds, but you have to find what works for you. Maybe you find you need to clip their wings after all. Maybe you clip their wings and go cageless... Maybe you come up with a COMPLETELY different plan altogether! Good luck!

 

[Betrisher]

My Alexes were proper little toads once they learned they needn't go back in the cage for me. I spent weeks doing the hopeless trail around the house calling 'step up' plaintively to no effect.

Then, I discovered my birds utterly love sweet things! Being a shameless briber, I just started showing them the honey jar and putting it in their cage. They knew full well what was in the jar and in no time flat they'd be safe inside! LOL! Of course, they only get a smear of honey and only when it's 'home' time. Sometimes, I use peanut butter and other times I use dried pawpaw (papaya). I keep these treats in reserve for moments when I need a super-effective bribe. Only thing is, now the Beaks don't mind going home after a strenuous exercise and training session.

Work at discovering what your bird really hankers after and keep that as the 'home time' treat. Over time, you'll probably be able to dispense with it, but always keep that one treat as your ace in the hole.