Radio Free Blue & Gold: All Gus, all the time.

[wrench13]

Read the whole Gus thread... you'll be a fan. I know I am.

 

[Teknogeddon]

I've been following since it started. Just lurking mode.

 

[GaleriaGila]

G'on, Gus, g'on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Precioso!

WORK IT!

 

[Kentuckienne]

Would Gus like foraging toys like this. I put grapes, walnuts and pieces of apple in there

It looks great, where can I find one?

 

[SilleIN]

Would Gus like foraging toys like this. I put grapes, walnuts and pieces of apple in there

It looks great, where can I find one?

I have bought it in Denmark. It's not marketed for macaws, it's for hamsters and the like for putting hay into. I would think you have something similar in your pet stores, just look in the hamster section.

I also use some wooden hamster tunnels and hang them in the cages. They are great for walnuts, as they have to tip them to get the nuts out

If you don't have something similar, I can send you one, but would obviously be cheaper if you can find it in the US. Do you have the make "Trixie" in the US? They are the ones who made this one. They come in 2 different sizes. I use the smaller one

 

[Rival_of_the_Rickeybird]

Gus is a great guy, no doubt about it.

 

[Kentuckienne]

I noticed yesterday that Gus doesn't have a lot of feathers on the insides of his legs. The upper leg, has no feathers on the inside all the way up to the body. I looked for a while bit didn't find good pictures of "normal" macaws .... Are the inner legs supposed to be naked, or is he plucking?

 

[SilleIN]

I noticed yesterday that Gus doesn't have a lot of feathers on the insides of his legs. The upper leg, has no feathers on the inside all the way up to the body. I looked for a while bit didn't find good pictures of "normal" macaws .... Are the inner legs supposed to be naked, or is he plucking?

The feathers are a bit sparse in that area, but should not be completely bare. My B&G is molting at the moment and he's practically bare on larger parts of his legs. Have you had macaw down in the cage/house lately?

 

[GaleriaGila]

Dang... hope Gus isn't starting a bad habit. Sounds normal-ish...
How's abouts a picture?

 

[Kentuckienne]

I've been trying to get a picture, but Gus won't cooperate. I have lots of blurry photos, photos of where the bare spot was three seconds ago, etc. so today will try to get Boy to hold him so the spot is visible. Although this causes another issue that I think I will put in a separate thread.

 

[Kentuckienne]

Some photos of Gus and his feathers, or lack thereof:

Here is a photo of the down that appeared within a couple of hours of cage cleaning. I can hear him snapping these off, and when I look closely I think they have flat (cut) bases, not pointed ones:

Here are two views of the inside of his leg. I notice it is mostly bare, but there are a couple of tiny yellow feathers inside the bare area, which makes me wonder if he has plucked them. I found at least one tiny yellow feather on the floor recently. In the one photo, you might be able to see a bare spot also on the elbow of his wing - I think it might have been there when we got him.

Thanks for any advice. If he's starting, or resuming, plucking it sure would be nice to catch it now ...

 

[SilleIN]

Some photos of Gus and his feathers, or lack thereof:

Here is a photo of the down that appeared within a couple of hours of cage cleaning. I can hear him snapping these off, and when I look closely I think they have flat (cut) bases, not pointed ones:

Here are two views of the inside of his leg. I notice it is mostly bare, but there are a couple of tiny yellow feathers inside the bare area, which makes me wonder if he has plucked them. I found at least one tiny yellow feather on the floor recently. In the one photo, you might be able to see a bare spot also on the elbow of his wing - I think it might have been there when we got him.

Thanks for any advice. If he's starting, or resuming, plucking it sure would be nice to catch it now ...

I am so sorry, but it looks like he is plucking The way the legs look, it could be molting season, but the feathers are definately snapped/bitten off and not molted naturally.

Can you describe his normal day? I have had great success with my Sugar and he has not been plucking for about 6 months now. Tino is still completely bare, but just the week I have had him, I have found about 10 feathers on his back that have come out and he has left them alone. He has only plucked 3 feathers during his week here.

Sugar is never caged and Tino only during the night. They enjoy to be shown the world (even if it's just inside the house), where they sit on my arm and we walk around while I tell them what we see or where we're going. I also at least once a day have a 2-5 minut training session. They have a shower a minimum of twice a week, sometimes more often (during molting or now when Tino is bare). They also always have toys for them to chew. Tino, who is not used to toys, gets really simple toys as empty toilet paper rolls on a rope. They are really easy to take apart and they like that. It's especially a good idea to fill their cage with toys. Even if you don't see them play with them, they might use them, when you're not there and are better for them to use their beak on, than their feathers. If Gus is not used to toys, then buy toys for smaller birds. It looks really goofy, Tino is larger than Sugar and he has small bird toys for conures and 5 toilet rolls in a rope. If I had given Sugar something like that, they would be at the bottom of the cage within 5 minutes.

Also foraging toys are great. Even something as simple as taking some treats and folding them into some blank printer paper will make them use their head

I hope I have given you some things to try to stop the behaviour Please ask and I will try my best to help you And good luck

 

[Rival_of_the_Rickeybird]

Gus, please stop. You've come so far. K, hang in there. I'm sorry to see this news but I am glad you have a team behind you.

 

[Kentuckienne]

His person gets up about 6:30, brings him out of the cage, feeds and waters then has breakfast. By the time I get up, half hour later, sometimes Gus is sitting with him watching tv. Person cleans the cage and usually shuts the door to it, because when Gus sits on the open door he poops on it. So Gus sits on the big perch, and sometimes climbs up to the play top. He has pellet and water bowls up there too. He sometimes bops the orange thing alternating with regurgitation. He has a wood chew toy that he doesn't chew. I made him a paper spike that he loved to rip up, but the second day I heard a funny noise and he was choking up something. I watched, and he was ripping off little bits of paper and rolling them up into balls in his beak, and sometimes I didn't see him drop the ball so I worry he was eating them, so took the paper spike down unless someone is there with him to watch. He doesn't move well - he had a very hard time climbing down from the top of the cage to the perch on the side, and twice he has simply fallen off the perch, even the large one. He doesn't have much grip strength. A couple of times at least I pick him up. If he will let me, we sit and have head scratch time. If he doesn't want a scratch he runs up to my shoulder and I take him around the house to look out all the windows, then put him on the living room perch. Usually he won't go there, or won't stay long, and I take him back to the cage. Sometimes I set up the computer at the table next to the cage, put on my bird cape, and he sits on my shoulder and either chews on the beads on the cape, or tries to reach the papers on the table, or starts to pick at the sides of my glasses. If he does that I put him back on the cage. I never see him pull any colored feathers out. He pulls out down feathers, with a snapping sound, so biting them? does it make a sound to pull them out? The floor always has down feathers, and every now and then a yellow feather, like a breast feather. If he goes for a head scratch, after a while he starts preening himself and he gets carried away - starts pulling out down. When he does that, I stop scratching, he stops preening, then he picks up my hand in his beak. More scratches! We both give him little food treats throughout the day.

He watches me fix dinner, and then his human fixes him a bowl, and when he sees that he gets excited and turns in circles on the perch. After we eat, he sits in the living room until bed time, which has been after 9. Trying to get that moved to an earlier time, since he is getting pretty serious about making a nest in husband's lap, putting husband's anatomy in peril. It's been so bad the last couple nights he almost wasn't handle-able, he went into overdrive instantly. My heart goes out to him, so deprived for so long, and I hope he will settle in.

So...

If there is a way to hang toys back in his cage, and keep the door open without him sitting on it, it might give him more options.

I ordered some plastic chains, whiffle balls, I cut up some leather, got Popsicle sticks and pine sticks, to make some more toys for him. He doesn't seem to get chewing the big wood, so maybe the craft sticks or some balsa wood would be easier. I ordered some stainless still bells, too, since he likes to swing things. And person says he'll make him a ladder, so he can climb up and down from the play top to the perch easier.

Since he's only been with us a month, the feather damage may be old and he may not be doing it anymore, except the down. His feathers are ragged to my eye, torn and poor, but he was just rescued this spring. When we got him his tail was filthy. He took one shower, then was afraid of the shower, so the other day I misted him with warm water. He made alarmed noises and reared up. Definitely sent a mixed message ... He opened his wings and let me spray them, at the same time sort of beaking at the mist and holding a foot up. But he didn't run away, and he could have, so I went ahead and got him pretty wet.

Someone is in and out of the house most of the day, J works out in the wood shop and I'm in the basement, and we both come and talk to him often. He is out of the cage all day, maybe that's part of the problem, would he feel more secure if he could go in? I just figure he was stuck inside for so long....

That's the complete Gus day, as far as I can recall. I described everything because I don't know what's important.

 

[SilleIN]

His person gets up about 6:30, brings him out of the cage, feeds and waters then has breakfast. By the time I get up, half hour later, sometimes Gus is sitting with him watching tv. Person cleans the cage and usually shuts the door to it, because when Gus sits on the open door he poops on it. So Gus sits on the big perch, and sometimes climbs up to the play top. He has pellet and water bowls up there too. He sometimes bops the orange thing alternating with regurgitation. He has a wood chew toy that he doesn't chew. I made him a paper spike that he loved to rip up, but the second day I heard a funny noise and he was choking up something. I watched, and he was ripping off little bits of paper and rolling them up into balls in his beak, and sometimes I didn't see him drop the ball so I worry he was eating them, so took the paper spike down unless someone is there with him to watch. He doesn't move well - he had a very hard time climbing down from the top of the cage to the perch on the side, and twice he has simply fallen off the perch, even the large one. He doesn't have much grip strength. A couple of times at least I pick him up. If he will let me, we sit and have head scratch time. If he doesn't want a scratch he runs up to my shoulder and I take him around the house to look out all the windows, then put him on the living room perch. Usually he won't go there, or won't stay long, and I take him back to the cage. Sometimes I set up the computer at the table next to the cage, put on my bird cape, and he sits on my shoulder and either chews on the beads on the cape, or tries to reach the papers on the table, or starts to pick at the sides of my glasses. If he does that I put him back on the cage. I never see him pull any colored feathers out. He pulls out down feathers, with a snapping sound, so biting them? does it make a sound to pull them out? The floor always has down feathers, and every now and then a yellow feather, like a breast feather. If he goes for a head scratch, after a while he starts preening himself and he gets carried away - starts pulling out down. When he does that, I stop scratching, he stops preening, then he picks up my hand in his beak. More scratches! We both give him little food treats throughout the day.

He watches me fix dinner, and then his human fixes him a bowl, and when he sees that he gets excited and turns in circles on the perch. After we eat, he sits in the living room until bed time, which has been after 9. Trying to get that moved to an earlier time, since he is getting pretty serious about making a nest in husband's lap, putting husband's anatomy in peril. It's been so bad the last couple nights he almost wasn't handle-able, he went into overdrive instantly. My heart goes out to him, so deprived for so long, and I hope he will settle in.

So...

If there is a way to hang toys back in his cage, and keep the door open without him sitting on it, it might give him more options.

I ordered some plastic chains, whiffle balls, I cut up some leather, got Popsicle sticks and pine sticks, to make some more toys for him. He doesn't seem to get chewing the big wood, so maybe the craft sticks or some balsa wood would be easier. I ordered some stainless still bells, too, since he likes to swing things. And person says he'll make him a ladder, so he can climb up and down from the play top to the perch easier.

Since he's only been with us a month, the feather damage may be old and he may not be doing it anymore, except the down. His feathers are ragged to my eye, torn and poor, but he was just rescued this spring. When we got him his tail was filthy. He took one shower, then was afraid of the shower, so the other day I misted him with warm water. He made alarmed noises and reared up. Definitely sent a mixed message ... He opened his wings and let me spray them, at the same time sort of beaking at the mist and holding a foot up. But he didn't run away, and he could have, so I went ahead and got him pretty wet.

Someone is in and out of the house most of the day, J works out in the wood shop and I'm in the basement, and we both come and talk to him often. He is out of the cage all day, maybe that's part of the problem, would he feel more secure if he could go in? I just figure he was stuck inside for so long....

That's the complete Gus day, as far as I can recall. I described everything because I don't know what's important.

Great, that gives me a quite good picture of his day

If he regurgitates to the orange thing, he might be treating it as his egg (Sugar does that some times) and the down he is snapping, could be for his eggs nest. Eventhough it seems this is the only toy he enjoys, I would try to change the toy to something else for a week or two and see if this changes things.

I would also make sure he gets a shower often. None of my birds really enjoy shower time, but I put them on a perch by the tub and they watch me shower while I sing and dance (I know, we do the stupidest things for our animals). This makes them think shower time is a blast. When I'm done I take them on my arm and rotate under the shower, so they end up under the shower 50% of the time. I talk to them in an upbeat voice and praise them.

When I got Sugar he HATED bath time, now he's ok with it, not enjoying it, but doesn't hate it either.

These birds are used to live in the jungle with high humidity and often rain showers. In our homes the humidity is far too low for their skin, we therefore need to "soak" them quite often. If Gus doesn't mind the misting, that will do just fine. Just don't quit, just because they don't like it. It's like children not liking bath time, you have to make them anyway

I would also look into finding wooden or cardboard toys he will chew. I give my macaws nuts in their shell, this is also good foraging "toys". Macaws in the wild is using their beak all day for nuts, breaking open unripe fruit etc. If it's too easy to eat, they have no use for their large beaks and beak muscles. They will then use it for other things

Please keep us updated on Gus' progress and please know, that we all know, that if Gus is plucking, it is definately not your fault. You have been doing this bird a HUGE favour in taking him into your lives

 

[Kentuckienne]

Great, that gives me a quite good picture of his day

If he regurgitates to the orange thing, he might be treating it as his egg (Sugar does that some times) and the down he is snapping, could be for his eggs nest. Eventhough it seems this is the only toy he enjoys, I would try to change the toy to something else for a week or two and see if this changes things.

I would also make sure he gets a shower often. None of my birds really enjoy shower time, but I put them on a perch by the tub and they watch me shower while I sing and dance (I know, we do the stupidest things for our animals). This makes them think shower time is a blast. When I'm done I take them on my arm and rotate under the shower, so they end up under the shower 50% of the time. I talk to them in an upbeat voice and praise them.

When I got Sugar he HATED bath time, now he's ok with it, not enjoying it, but doesn't hate it either.

These birds are used to live in the jungle with high humidity and often rain showers. In our homes the humidity is far too low for their skin, we therefore need to "soak" them quite often. If Gus doesn't mind the misting, that will do just fine. Just don't quit, just because they don't like it. It's like children not liking bath time, you have to make them anyway

I would also look into finding wooden or cardboard toys he will chew. I give my macaws nuts in their shell, this is also good foraging "toys". Macaws in the wild is using their beak all day for nuts, breaking open unripe fruit etc. If it's too easy to eat, they have no use for their large beaks and beak muscles. They will then use it for other things

Please keep us updated on Gus' progress and please know, that we all know, that if Gus is plucking, it is definately not your fault. You have been doing this bird a HUGE favour in taking him into your lives

I am officially spooked. The first thing I did this morning was take down the orange thing while Gus was in the other room and replace it with a spike of papers. He chewed the papers but didn't try to regurgitate for them. He only pulled out two down feathers instead of 10. I haven't seen him regurgitating all day, in fact. He did go to be a half hour earlier last night and we'll keep moving that up ... but the orange thing might have been a trigger. THANK YOU for suggesting that - I might have got around to taking it down because I was worried he would catch his beak in a hole, but I never in a thousand years would have made the connection that it was putting him a nestling mood. Wish us luck!

 

[SilleIN]

I am officially spooked. The first thing I did this morning was take down the orange thing while Gus was in the other room and replace it with a spike of papers. He chewed the papers but didn't try to regurgitate for them. He only pulled out two down feathers instead of 10. I haven't seen him regurgitating all day, in fact. He did go to be a half hour earlier last night and we'll keep moving that up ... but the orange thing might have been a trigger. THANK YOU for suggesting that - I might have got around to taking it down because I was worried he would catch his beak in a hole, but I never in a thousand years would have made the connection that it was putting him a nestling mood. Wish us luck!

That's great. It would be really great if it's that easy And you can thank yourself, you were the one who described everything to get the advice

 

[GaleriaGila]

Kentuckienne, MANNNNNNNNNNNNNN... is there some expertise and goodness and brilliance here or WHAT???
You're amazing, Sille. Thanks for helping one of my favorite people here.

 

[wrench13]

I am also amazed at the very high level of expertise that is available on this board. There is comradeship friendship pirate ship any kind of ship that you can think of. Not a lot of bull ship thank God.

 

[Kentuckienne]

AYE!

It's still a struggle ... He did still take off a couple of down feathers, and he did try to regurgitate after tearing up paper on the spike later in the day, but it was certainly toned down. He went to bed a half hour earlier again, so his day now goes from 6:30 to 8:30 and tonight it will move to 8, until he gets at least 12 hours of dark.

He allowed me to carry him around and scratch his head a little, but when he sits with his person in the morning and evening he still goes into puke mode. He keeps trying to puke, and if he gets in the lap he wants to make a nest and gets really excited. It makes it difficult to cuddle and scratch him if he goes instantly into that mode. I'm watching them right now ... Gus is sitting on his knee, starts puking, Jeff distracts him, he moves further up on the knee then reaches down and picks up a hand in his beak, as soon as he's being scratched he starts puking.

Is there a known good way to distract him once he starts that, or is any distraction good? It seems that everything which gives him more life, energy and confidence also gives him more of a mating drive. And of course that makes sense, that's nature! Are there some parrots who just never settle down? Or is this just a phase? He started life as a spoiled rotten parrot, and now he's a spoiled rotten parrot again. Do we just pile on the distractions? Cage full of toys, spray bath every other day, more shoulder time (he doesn't seem to puke on the shoulder) ... Or is there something close enough to what he wants but that competes with the behavior so serves as a substitute?

If he stops pulling out the feathers, it's a great victory, and I'm going to keep hoping that smart humans can find a way to outwit a little birdie. Oh, I can't tell you how much it means to be have emotional support and advice. It is such a helpless feeling, looking at him and wondering to do to help him. He's at such a disadvantage .... Hunchbacked, weak, falls off the cage, doesn't talk, doesn't know how to play, honestly is probably not that smart ... Not what you dream of in a companion parrot, really. I love him anyway. This is why parrots should not be pets ... For every Alex, for every Salty, there must be multiple ordinary or dumb or ornery birds that disappoint their owners and get passed on or shunted aside.