An update on my poor sweet conure * pics

[coolit]

I posted a couple of threads about a month and a half ago.

The first was about buying the bird. (asking if the bird would be happy with my busy schedule) (At this point, I was under the impression the bird was well taken care of and social)
The second was about the terrible experience with the horrible owner who went as far as to threaten me after the purchase (when I lost my cool called her on her dishonesty)
The third was inquiring about the poor bird's lower beak that is seriously overgrown...

So here is an update on my bird, that is now called Poppy.


She is used to me, she loves her cage and her toys. She plays with them a lot, she eats really well despite her massive lower beak that goes over the upper beak.

She seems to like me a lot, she calls out for attention all the time and if I walk out of sight, she calls for me. I think this is a good sign.

But she is still terrified of my hands and does not want to be picked up.

Only about 3-4 times I had the chance to pick her up and play with her, place her on the kitchen table and setup toys...

If she is on me, she enjoys staying on my shoulder. I I try to take her with my hand, she freaks out a little.

If she is perched on my finger, she is fine, at this point I can give her a back neck massage and she loves it, opens her mouth, closes her eyes... seems to enjoy it immensely. I bring her back to her cage and she is fine, but still and always scared of being picked up.

The only way I can pick her up is if she gets out and climbs on top of the cage, she doesn't like it but when I do get her, I do all I can to make it worth wild for her, treats, massages and all.

The easiest way to pick her up is if she jumps out of the cage on the floor. Only once she came to me.


I think one of the reasons she is afraid is she knows she has no means of defense.. she can't bite with her beak like that... well she can but you don't feel a thing.

She can only approach my hand if I have a treat, she grabs it and goes away to enjoy it in a corner.

All in all, it's massive progress, before she was terrified. Now she is very happy but very reserved. Wants attention but wants distance.


For her diet,

Previous bad owner gave me a giant bag of orange smelling food
Living world Tropican. Lifetime Granules for cockatiels

I got her a bag of Hartz Bird Diet for Merium Birds. Cockatiels, Lovebirds, Small Conures.

She seems to love the change... I try to limit the amount of sunflower seeds because she adores them, so I use them as treats.

I know she should also have fruits and vegetables but she doesn't want to know nothing about them.

I give her apple, pear, carrot (thin sliced), pomegranate(the only one she likes), orange

In my own personal diet, I make juices every 2-3 days. Apple carrot, celery, spinach, cucumber... I sometimes give her a bit mixed with the shredded pulp... she still shows little interest to it.

I made salmon in the oven and that she adored...


Anyways, she is better, I just hope one day she will be very loving and no longer afraid of my hands... so I can then start training her a little.


Also, as her beak doesn't seem to stop her from eating or playing with her toys, I decided to wait for a trimming as taking her out will be a shock.
Let me know if you recommend I get this done asap... I am simply working hard not to scare the poor girl as I don't want to know how she was treated with the previous owner (Guetto, 19 year old punk who only shown me dishonesty and hustled me as I shown interest in the bird by taking me by emotions.)


Question, when she plays with her toys, she is screaming at them. Her favorite is a rough cement swing, she grabs it and goes crazy over it screaming like hell... is she trying to file her beak on it ?

If so, would she be traumatized or relieved if I got her beak filed sooner then later.

**Added info**
Her wings are badly clipped. My previous bird Pita had clipped wings from the breeder. If he jumped, he would go down slowly and smoothly. When he would stretch his wing, I would see all his feathers.
Poppy's wings... well if she jumps out of the cage, she goes down real fast... her wings are practically useless. Once I saw her stretch... and I barely saw the red feathers... Poor girl.

Here are some pics.

 

[Kiwibird]

I'm glad she's warming up to you more. Keep in mind, it took a long time for her to become distrusting of people, so earning her trust back isn't going to happen overnight. As for that terrible beak- poor baby! I would really have an avian vet take a look at that. That may require several trips to properly address, and she may find it easier to eat a wider variety of food once her beak isn't so overgrown. With the wings, it may be that they are clipped poorly, but it also may be she never learned to fly in the first place. Good luck with Poppy. She's adorable, and I'm glad she found a loving home.

 

[Nakiska]

Pat your self on the back! You are doing a FABULOUS job with Poppy! I loved all the pictures. She looks healthy, her eyes are bright and clear and she has that "happy conure" look to her.

As for the beak work...it's a tough call really...I mean if you can get her into a vet and get that process started, as traumatizing at it very well might be, if you do it sooner rather than later you might not experience such a drastic set back, then if you wait until you are both good and bonded. Get it all over with so you can both move on.

On the other hand, if she is bonded to you and knows she can trust you, then she might not feel so scared and alone and look to you for comfort.

I know one person who has an amazon, he takes him to the vet but refuses to go in the room when they do his check ups. He told me that way he doesn't associate any trauma with him. His bird comes out of the room and "there's daddy...yeaaa!!"

Might be an option with you, I don't know if it really helps or not, but it's been working for this guy.

Thanks for the update!

Toni

 

[MikeyTN]

Thanks for the update but why would you trade the pellet food for Hartz seeds mix?

 

[Terry57]

She is such a sweetie. If it were me, I would take her and get that beak looked at soon. She will feel so much better once they can start taking care of that.
I was also wondering why you took her off the Tropican? My Pi and my conure both eat Tropican pellets (different sizes for each) as well as some seeds.

 

[coolit]

Thank you for all the replies.

I personally don't know the difference between both foods.

She seems to like the other diet better... to my eyes, it looks more varied and natural then the pellets... But I do not know the details.

I looked at the fat content and the diet I got her seems lower in fat... and my bird is a little fat.

Looking at the response it is safe for me to assume that the other bag of orange smelling stuff is not only safe but good for her... that's good news, I will vary the servings.


I will get her looked at when it gets warmer. I refuse to put her in that tiny little carbord crap travel box of a bird carrier... it looks like solitary confinement in prison.
If I take her out, she will be in the comfort of her cage. Also... these days the temperatures are between -5 and -25 so I wouldn't dare take her out now.

 

[Terry57]

I feed the Tropican (the orange smelling stuff) mixed with their seeds
When I take my birds to the vet, I use a pet carrier as all mine get terrified looking out the car windows. You might want to bring a towel or blanket to cover her cage if your bird looks scared when you do take her out to the vet.

 

[JasmineGCC]

I think you are making huge progress so well done
My GCC Jasmine likes to share when I'm drinking fruit juice or smoothie - if she's out of her cage she will sit on my finger and we take turns at the cup or if she's in her cage she will gently take a drip off the end of my finger. Jasmine only sits on my finger for treats and will eg turn in a circle or hang like a bat for a pine nut. But she will bite my fingers if I am moving her so instead she steps into my sleeve (and hand) covered arm - I wear a fleece jumper usually. I feel hands are unpredictable for her so now fingers =treats only. I feed both pellets (always available) and seed (small handful in the morning only) plus I hang a millet spray once a week. Fruits she likes blueberries strawberries blackberries .... Mash potato scrambled egg and sweet corn. She will not eat a vegetable and I've tried a lot!!
Hope this helps