Taming Mishka (Green-cheek conure)

[Ladyeclectic]

Indeed. I already love my baby exactly the way she is, it's just so heartbreaking sometimes to see her so scared but not fighting back. I wish I'd waited a little while longer to handle her but there was no way I was going to have her first real handling AND her first vet visit on the same day.

The Dude has the day off classes so he says he's going to work a bit with her this morning as well. Since he's home I didn't mind putting a new mash in her cage this morning: 1T Harrison's pellets, 1T oatmeal, maybe 1/2T honey and 2-3T of her seed mix. She nibbled at her savory mix yesterday (at the seeds at least) but I thought I'd try a sweet mix today. It'll be her first time trying Harrison's, hope she likes it!

 

[Von1983]

hehe!

I'll look forward to hearing how you get on with the pellets!

Cal hated Zupreem, loves Kaytee exact!

Luckily she loves both fruit AND veg though!!!

 

[Ladyeclectic]

I am very happy with Mishka's veterinarian! The first thing we did (after checking all openings for any signs of illness) was clip her wings and wow, did it make a difference! There was the initial "WTH!" as she realized flapping her wings didn't keep her aloft; the vet recommended a darkened room to work with her, to get a small handtowel to keep her wrapped while hanging out with her and also to play peek-a-boo to make the towel fun. She recommended 50/50 blend pellets/seed (I'm probably going to do more pellets than that) and more veggies than fruit. I was given a small container to pick up poop and fill for later fecal tests and we're going to do blood tests and a nail trim the next time I bring her in.

Mishka was a good girl except for when she nipped me when I was trying to pick her up off the ground (she was scared and I can't find the mark, so it doesn't count as a "bite").

The doctor did advise me however that GCCs are bossy little things, especially once they reach 1-2 years old (sexual maturity). She recommended I keep her wings clipped (the one thing we didn't see eye to eye on) in order to keep some dominance. I will admit, her showing me the scars of where her CAG tried to assert dominance the one time she allowed it to stay flighted was pretty convincing though!

Anyway we're on our way home with strict instructions to begin socializing her, getting her used to being handled, and basically follow the instructions I read tonight in PFD about taming. There won't be any more stress tonight for her, but tomorrow will be longer sessions of handling. It'll be very interesting to see how things will go!

 

[lisamarie973]

hehe!

I'll look forward to hearing how you get on with the pellets!

Cal hated Zupreem, loves Kaytee exact!

Luckily she loves both fruit AND veg though!!!

Maui HATES Zupreen too, in fact, I have a HUGE bag that I can't even use:02:, I think I know someone close in my area that may can use it though. Maui is DEF a Kaytee Exact baby, allll the wayyyy..... Once, I ran out of Kaytee for his night time feeding and resorted to the Zupreem to get him through the night (it was a Sunday night, pet store closed) and he didn't want ANYTHING to do with it!!! LOL, I ended up making up some crazy veggie blended concoction to tithe him over.

 

[Von1983]

Awww I'm glad it went well Lady! That's the thing with these fids of ours....all the changes in personality and behaviour throughout their life! Cal is a bossy moo but I'm hoping to correct that without clipping for now. I guess it just helps that in her situation, out of cage time is restricted to one bird proofed room due to the other animals in the house. I will never say never though!

lol Lisa....I wasn't shocked at Cal loving kaytee over zupreem. The rainbow smells just divine and the zupreem...? Ewwwww! lol

No wonder Maui feels the same way. I find it so funny when you run out of their favourite things. It happened once with fruit here. Cal has apple and grape as a sort of snack before bed. I ran out of grape. She likes apple but the look on her face....what you trying to pull? Where's my grape?! What's this? MELON? But I had melon EARLIER.....

Too funny.

 

[lisamarie973]

LOL!!! Yes, I agree, they do sort of give you that LOOK!! Even at 10 weeks old already. Too funny, she'd already had her rationing of melon DARNIT!! She's thinking Sheesh, what did I do to deserve my GRAPES to be taken away!!!!! And here ALLLL this time, I thought I'd been a good bird today!!

 

[Von1983]

Oh I know...it's nothing short of CRUELTY!!!

 

[SharonC]

At least you guys get just a look! Fred says Want Some Freddie over and over and over, if he doesn't get some people food that he thinks he wants!

 

[Von1983]

hahhahahahahahaha! *takes a breath* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

Oh Freddie <3

Cal tends to just attempt to take it straight from your plate/fork/mouth. No nicities with my girl.

When I tell her off and sit her down with a firm no, she uh uh uh uh! Nooo's me back!

 

[Ladyeclectic]

Thought I'd give a little update: we've been working with Mishka more and more as the days go on. Yesterday, because he doesn't get as much one-on-one time with her, the Dude took her into the bathroom alone and spent time talking, petting and grooming her a bit. I poked my head in a few times and we practiced Step-Up several times; she still isn't too thrilled about there being a strange finger constantly in front of her when her current perch is just fine thankyouverymuch, but she does step eventually. I is so proud of my baby!!

There have been no chomps, just little squeaks and spins of the head to let us know we're preening something painful (like skin I'm still learning what's what on such a teeny bird) or if she's done with being touched (but it's rare for now). We still have to chase her around a bit to get her on the hand - it's easier for me because she'll be fine with coming out on top of her cage (then, yes, I have to chase her a bit), but she's still nervous around the Dude and stares at him through the bars so he has to go inside and chase her (not so ideal).

She's eating a Harrison's/seed/oatmeal/honey mix every morning (mostly the seeds but I'm taking my time introducing the pellets - she has quite the sweettooth!) and seems to be doing well with taking to pellets. I still can't get her to do more than peck (once or twice) at vegetables though so I'm going to get creative. This weekend I hope to pick up some dehydrated veggies and fruit from Whole Foods or anywhere that doesn't have Sulfur Dioxide listed as an ingredient, as she seems to like the bite-sized morsels (and if I can get her to eat dried, maybe I can do the same for small wet bits? *shrug*).

She's my little princess.

 

[Ladyeclectic]

A couple additional pictures:

Friday afternoon, after the first time she actively stepped-up for me. *geeks out*

Yesterday the Dude and I taking her on a little walk outside my apartment. She was so curious about everything; made it easy to pet her as she was too distracted to notice the hand.

She's my baby!

 

[Cowtown]

That is so cool....
Is her wings clipped?

 

[Ladyeclectic]

Yes she is or else there's no way we'd have taken her out. The vet did a good job of cleaning up the previous clip job and now she flutters to the ground instead of soaring all over. My hope is to have her flighted eventually and harness trained but that won't be for a while (although I'd like to get her used to the harness itself soon).

We've been just hanging out lately; she loves the top of my head but obediently steps up each time I go to move her back to my shoulder. My plan is to get a play gym as soon as I have $$ again so we can hang out close but not on top of each other.

I had the best skritches session with her yesterday though. She can be a total love when she wants to be!

 

[antoinette]

Birds love play gyms. Gives them so much freedom, and at the same time they are supervised. Mishka loves her time on her play pen

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LTQKaC6TEk]YouTube - PARROT AFRICAN GREY ON PLAYPEN MISHKA[/ame]

 

[Bobby34231]

You'll want to be really careful about Mishka Sarah, even though shes clipped you'd be surprised on how with just a little of the wings left that the smaller birds are able to fly, especially with the extra motovation of being out in the open

 

[Ladyeclectic]

LOL!!!! I adore your Mishka videos!! They're always so full of happiness and FUN!

I'm thinking of getting this gym for my own (much smaller) Mishka:
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Super-Pet-Activity-Center-Playground/dp/B000TZ1XCU/ref=pd_luc_sbs_01_01_t_lh]Amazon.com: Super Pet EZ Care Activity Center Playground for Medium and Large Birds: Kitchen & Dining: Reviews, Prices & more[/ame]
(the smaller version)

I like the price, and the fact I can hang lots of things from it. If I choose my toys right my little Conure probably won't even want to go to bed.

 

[antoinette]

LOL!!!! I adore your Mishka videos!! They're always so full of happiness and FUN!

I'm thinking of getting this gym for my own (much smaller) Mishka:
Amazon.com: Super Pet EZ Care Activity Center Playground for Medium and Large Birds: Kitchen & Dining: Reviews, Prices & more
(the smaller version)

I like the price, and the fact I can hang lots of things from it. If I choose my toys right my little Conure probably won't even want to go to bed.

That play pen is awesome not small at all, actually bigger than my Mishka's one

http://www.parrotforums.com/members/antoinette-albums-mishka-s-playpen.html I attached a playpen to a hostess trolley.
Placed a board at the bottom for her potty.
Mishka loves being wheeled around and says ..
Car.... and makes the sounds a car.

 

[Ladyeclectic]

JustHust a quick update, now a month down the road. I'm more and more in love with this bird by the day! She's my little angel - always wants to be where we are and the perfect shoulder bird. Totally a daddy's girl though; when she's on him it's all kisses and preens (she does kiss me and tries to preen me but my hair's too long lol). We haven't put together a PVC gym yet but she seems to love crawling around my music stand and a nearby Boing, but she'd much rather climb all over us. She's just started climbing down our bodies, as if we're her own private jungle gyms - too cute!

We hung out this morning while I cooked up some veggies for her and my boyfriend's new bird (he had to have his Sun and, granted, she's cute but fiesty and just like Mishka when we first got her - here we go again ). All she wants to do is be with her people now, a month later.

Gah!! I adore this little thing!!!!!