Help me with 6.5 week old lorikeet please!

[magouniii]

Hi everyone,

I've had a rainbow lorikeet now since 28 December 2023 and we got it 4-5 weeks old. I've previously handreared a Quaker parrot (i know they're different to look after just showing i have had experience at this). However i'm just wanting some tips as i know lorries are completly different birds.

So it has been great he spends alot of time hiding in the hood of my jacket or with the kids it sits behind their backs on the couch. We put it in a cage at night to sleep fully covered.

What i am concerned about is the last 2 days it is reluctant to come out of its cage even if tempted with food, where as before it would be screeching and obviously hungry but this has also coincided with me having put dry food and water into its cage so i'm thinking it is self feeding now and not as hungry? Also when i am mixing up its wet food it isnt gobbling it down like before so i am leaving the wet food bowl in its cage and i do see it eat out of it but should i worry about this? I have introduced some fresh fruit too which it nibbles at but doesnt eat alot.

Also, it seems to prefer to be on its own, my quaker would run to us for pats and cuddles this lorrie doesnt seem interested and i'm hoping it will warm up. Please offer any advice you can. During the day it is out of the cage to roam free and fly (i dont clip wings) as i believe they shouldnt be restricted all day, but it flies up onto the curtain rod and doesnt want to come to us (this has only been for the alst 2 days). It doesnt bite and when i can pick it up it loves scratches under the chin and neck area. I want an affectionate bird .

The first 2 photos was prior to its behaviour changing 2 days ago, you can see how relaxed and affectionate it was. The photo on the curtain is today it just wants to sit by itself. Nothing has changed its routine and nothing traumatic has happened to it. Please give me any advice.

Looking forward to hearing from you all.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Please consider a vet consult... loris are soooooo specialized and sensitive. Or maybe contact the breeder, if you can, for help?
Maybe you can use this...

Certified Avian Vets

Find an ABVP Specialist - American Board of Veterinary Practitioners

Find a Specialist ABVP Diplomates have proven knowledge and expertise above and beyond what is required to practice veterinary medicine. Beyond that, they have earned the privilege to specialize in the treatment of one or more categories of animals. Diplomates are in 49 of the 50 US states...

abvp.com

If none are near you...
Avian Veterinarians

http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803

In my opinion, any of the vets listed here should be better than a regular vet.
International contacts, too.

 

[jessem101]

Hi everyone,

I've had a rainbow lorikeet now since 28 December 2023 and we got it 4-5 weeks old. I've previously handreared a Quaker parrot (i know they're different to look after just showing i have had experience at this). However i'm just wanting some tips as i know lorries are completly different birds.

So it has been great he spends alot of time hiding in the hood of my jacket or with the kids it sits behind their backs on the couch. We put it in a cage at night to sleep fully covered.

What i am concerned about is the last 2 days it is reluctant to come out of its cage even if tempted with food, where as before it would be screeching and obviously hungry but this has also coincided with me having put dry food and water into its cage so i'm thinking it is self feeding now and not as hungry? Also when i am mixing up its wet food it isnt gobbling it down like before so i am leaving the wet food bowl in its cage and i do see it eat out of it but should i worry about this? I have introduced some fresh fruit too which it nibbles at but doesnt eat alot.

Also, it seems to prefer to be on its own, my quaker would run to us for pats and cuddles this lorrie doesnt seem interested and i'm hoping it will warm up. Please offer any advice you can. During the day it is out of the cage to roam free and fly (i dont clip wings) as i believe they shouldnt be restricted all day, but it flies up onto the curtain rod and doesnt want to come to us (this has only been for the alst 2 days). It doesnt bite and when i can pick it up it loves scratches under the chin and neck area. I want an affectionate bird .

The first 2 photos was prior to its behaviour changing 2 days ago, you can see how relaxed and affectionate it was. The photo on the curtain is today it just wants to sit by itself. Nothing has changed its routine and nothing traumatic has happened to it. Please give me any advice.

Looking forward to hearing from you all.

some questions to help address your situation. Is this your first bird? if so, Lorys can be a handful as your first.

-did you get the sex of the Lory? this is important, so you will know how to keep the environment in the cage to help prevent egg laying. Lorys tend to sleep upside down, on the floor, in weird places...need to get the Lory accustomed to a safe living condition.

-Do you have a local vet? yes you may have just gotten the lory, but every year i would suggest to bring your lory to a vet to get checked i.e. with blood tests and normal checkups. I took mine in to see the vet within the first week of ownership.

-Have you began training? for me this was VERY important, not just for me, but for the safety of my Lory. I only feed her dry lory nectar food (i am feeding her dry food, but your bird might like wet food, see what works best for you both) in the cage, when i take her out, only then would i feed her fruits/treats/veggies and so on, and i feed her in certain ways so she knew instantly i was a safe place. I also began flight training her, so if she climbs or gets to a place where i cant reach her, she will come to me on command. I am on a schedule with my Lory, which suites my lifestyle, so as she gets older, she wont get into a depression or expect something i cant provide. Training doesnt stop for any of my birds...even with my Amazon to which i have owned for the past 4 years..we are constantly training. I have learned the consequences with previous birds when not trained, and it can be horrific at times. Read up on some advice, training videos, your vet, whatever you think will suit you and your bird, jump on it if you can. at this age, they are like sponges, need to generate a schedule that suites your living conditions, which can be achieved by training. Lorys can be dominant, positive reinforcement has worked great for me so far. If you dont get ahead of it, they can get very nippy and will run over you lol This is probably why your bird is ignoring you if you already brought the bird to a local vet and he or she is healthy..he or she has no reason to come out of the cage, they see you as the person that brings food to his or her food bowl. encourage with a treat or a piece of fruit that he or she loves...buy a clicker and begin clicker training..play games, make training fun...and before you know it, the bird will leap out of the cage to get to you lol

-hormones...be careful where you pet the bird, keep it isolated to the head and neck...dont pet under the wings, and dont let the lory hang out on your shoulder..dont want to entice any negative behavior, especially when hormones kick in.

-make sure you are aware of their diets. their diets are different than most parrots. Make sure to get a scale, and weigh your bird once every week or every other week until they are adults, then i would weigh them once a month. Dont want your bird to lose too much weight as a juvenile. Diets for these domesticated birds can be a problem at times, as they aren't getting the same workouts as they would in the wild, so their moods are effected by their diet.

recap...find a vet that deals with parrots locally and make an appointment, and find yourself a place that will help you train your bird. Some places could be your bird's breeder, the vet, or you can find some trainers online. Training your bird early on is waaayyyyy easier than waiting till they are adults. Lorys are very active, need to have a way for them to blow off that energy daily. Flight training helps my lory as well as playing with toys...they need that interaction

thats all i can think of at the moment that helped me with not just my lory but with my other birds.