Any Senegal psychiatrists out there?

[BeatriceC]

I've had Leo now for a couple weeks. He's mostly settling in nicely with the expected mood swings as he starts to bond with me and my family. He does have one odd behavior that I'm trying to figure out, and was hoping you guys might have some insight.

When I got Leo, his old human had simply been filling his food bowl all the way to the top with a seed mix. When I dumped it, there was probably about a cup and a half of food in his bowl. Obviously Leo was accustomed to having free access to food at all times. His old human was attempting to switch him to a pellet diet and had two different kinds of pellets. One is a fruity kind of pellet (with colored pellets shaped like fruit, but it came in a zip lock bag so I'm not sure of the brand) and the other is Roudybush maintenance. He wouldn't eat the Roudybush at all until I started crushing it a little (maybe the pellets were too big?) and would eat the fruity stuff just fine. I've been feeding him two meals of a mix of both types of pellets and seeds a day with snacks of carrots, apples, broccoli and bananas in between. The bananas work really well as treats, btw.

Anyway, for the last several nights I've noticed Leo perched on his food bowl to sleep. It's almost like he's a hen guarding a nest of eggs. He's extremely territorial and goes all Exorcist bird on me when I try to get the bowl in the morning to feed him (I've been covering the cage at night instead of trying to do a different, night time cage, since he was reacting so badly to that).

I'm wondering if he's somehow thinking that food is scarce now that he's getting meals instead of a huge amount of always available seeds. Is that a thing with parrots? If it is a thing, how do I help him get over it?

 

[RavensGryf]

I think it's just Leo's idiosyncrasy (sleeping on the bowl). Just be glad if he doesn't sit backwards on it and use it like a toilet like my Robin does! I had to move the bowl. Anyway, being territorial and possessive about the food bowl is quite common, and can happen with any species of parrot. I don't know about 'getting over it', as it's pretty instinctive. Mine aren't too bad about it. Raven does all the body posturing and such, but I swing out the feed doors from the outside, so I don't know if he's more bark than bite, but I don't find out.

Griffin used to literally jump through the air and launch his body at my hands when I'd take his pellet bowl. He never got me because I was quick, but I've learned to touch it only when he's away from it. Lately though, he hasn't been so bothered by my hands by it. Maybe because I grab it fast, but maybe he is over it, I don't know. Can you wait to service the bowl when he moves from it? Wait til he's out of the cage or far enough away from it, then grab it.

I always keep food in the cages at all times. They at least have access to their pellet dish always. Is there any reason you're concerned about leaving at least a small portion in the cage?

 

[BeatriceC]

I give him enough that there's always a little extra when I change the food at meal times. I don't want to make him feel like food isn't plentiful, but I live in an area where moths and other critters are a problem, so I don't want to leave food out for days and weeks at a time. The food I dumped out of his bowl when I first got him was full of ants and moth scudge. That can't be good for him and it's definitely not good to have a pest problem in the house.

And he does sleep with his butt over the bowl. So far I haven't seen any poop in it, but that's a worry as well.

 

[RavensGryf]

As far as the moths and bugs go, my guess is they are coming IN the packaging with the seed mix, rather than getting in there from the environment. There are brands (Volkman's for one off the top of my head) that is supposed to be guaranteed to be bug free. Or, freezing the mix first works. The pellets shouldn't attract bugs ever. Also, I'd throw out all the stuff the old owner gave you.

Not all birds poop during the night. Some do, some don't. The ones who don't or don't do much, have what people call a morning bomb... a gigantic sized first poop of the day.

 

[BeatriceC]

From what I've observed, Leo is the morning bomb type!

And yes, we do freeze Goofy and Cookie's food when we buy it, before giving it to them, then transfer it into airtight containers. Good point about throwing out Leo's old food. I did freeze it overnight, but it didn't dawn on me to just pitch it and start over. The man I got him from kept a pretty clean house and everything is in either ziplock bags or in the original bags that have ziplock closures. There didn't appear to be moth scudge in the bags of food, just in what was out.

We do have a major battle with moths, ants and silverfish in the house itself. I have to be pretty OCD about cleaning to have a prayer of not being overrun. It's bad enough that all our closest are cedar lined. I just have a difficult time with the idea of leaving food out for more than 12 hours or so, so I give him enough that he should be able to eat all he wants. I over estimate so that there's still some left, but I'm not pitching too much.

Other than this little quirk, he's doing quite well, so you're first statement is probably right and that this is just his little idiosyncrasy. Now to figure out how to get him away from his bowl without losing a finger...

 

[RavensGryf]

Well I think he'll 'eventually' walk away from his bowl, right? LOL :09:

I think everyone gets the more common insects in the house. It's hard to keep the little things out regardless of how clean of a house one keeps. However, besides ants (and we took care of that problem) I never get bugs in the birds' food. It really shouldn't be a problem no matter where you live. Did you not have a problem with that until you got Leo (and the food from his old place)?

 

[BeatriceC]

Oh, it's been a battle MrC has been waging since he moved into the house. In 1994. That's why I have issues with leaving food out for more than half a day. I'd rather pitch the old stuff and give him fresh twice a day than leave a big bowl out indefinitely. That's honestly the biggest reason for meals rather than one giant bowl all the time. Plus if he poops in it there's less waste.

And I have to get this "Exorcist Bird" routine on video. It's funny and creepy at the same time. Hopefully with time he'll be firmer in the knowledge that my hands will only bring him good things. It's only been a couple weeks, and while he's doing well and beginning to develop trust, he is still adjusting.

 

[SailBoat]

Regarding the bugs that you mentioned, each are attacked to one's home for very different reasons.

The moths are more likely to be based with the dry foods that you are providing. Freezing dry food is highly recommended, but much longer time periods are required. Best results come with longer freeze periods. We freeze for at least two weeks prior to use and than only remove what we will use for the next few days, leaving the balance in the freezer.

Ants differ greatly, so it depends on what ants you are finding. The most dangerous are carpenter ants, which could be eating your home into dust. whereas, sugar ants are attached to fruits and sweets in general. Determine, which of the at least five different types you have and treat based on that specific type. Most ant problems are solved by creating a chemical block around your home and eliminating their targeted food sources.

Silverfish are very likely not due to your parrots or their food. They really like dark, damp places, which contain moist cardboard or like paper products, even poorly stored clothing. Very common in homes with damp crawl spaces under them. Check for slow leaks around water and sewer pipes under and in the bathrooms, kitchens and the walls and flooring areas that the pipes travel in or along. Target finding the source of the dampness and eliminate the source of the dampness. Then repair, or replace the wood and trash the cardboard, paper products and clothing that they have been eating and nesting in.

 

[Birdman666]

ANYONE WHO OWNS ONE! Kinda goes with the territory doesn't it?!

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