How to stop bird from going into unwanted places

[Amsasa95]

I *just* got my new parrotlet from a local breeder, she's absolutely adorable. And I KNOWW you're not supposed to let them out on the first day with no training but..oops I let her out and she headed straight for the false ceiling, after a couple minutes (felt like hours) of coaxing her out we FINALLY got her down and back into her cage (phew), but I know it's going to be a problem once we start letting her out more after she's gotten used to us. We also have a ceiling fan which, our previous parrot ,ruby an African grey loved flying onto it and threatening to poop on me as I sleep. Good memories , she's not dead or anything we just had to re-home her after my parents remembered how awful Greys can get. My point is, is there a way to keep her from going up there? Apart from blocking it off, literally every room in the house has a false ceiling and a ceiling fan. Thanks!

 

[noodles123]

Welcome!


You can't....Other than through training and environmental management (aka supervision and blockades)....I will post a lot more, because parrots are super complicated and I hope you researched a lot . Same with a human child or pet monkey...Only this one flies (and cutting that off is not kind either)


A grey is a parrot...a parrotlete= both parrots.. ...this is a human toddler that never grows up. They re-homed your last because she was acting like a parrot...that is serious...and yet they got another parrot? "just had to re-home" is like the understatement of a lifetime in terms of how the parrot felt, but I get that you meant no harm (that said, it's a major problem and very hard on the birds)... This is the same thing, all over again...


Ceiling fans should never ever be on if you have a parrot..this is the tip of the ice burg. Please read this thread and all of the links for extreme detail, as you are probably the only one that can help your parents see that what they are thinking is wrong--please see my reply and links http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/89863-thinking-getting-cockatiel.html <-- I would post all of these same things for you and your parents- so please read my reply, watch the videos and view every link (as well as the links within the links!)


Also-- all parrots are sweet until sexual maturity...prepare for that as well and don't start things now that will be sexual later (no huts, no tents, no full body stroking..,.pet only on the head and neck EVER-- unless medical) 10 hours sleep nightly= essential (and on a schedule)


On Teflon/PTFE/PFOA/PFCs- because your parents sound new to his (make no mistake, any use of these in the same home harms your bird, whether or not you see it)-doesn't matter if the bird is in another room...This is huge. https://www.ewg.org/research/canaries-kitchen

 

[noodles123]

Also... you can absolutely let them out... You really can... You just shouldn't chase or towel them to get them back in and must ensure a safe environment. I couldn't touch my bird for 3 months, but you can bet she was out every single day-- I just didn't push or scare her and didn't try to force her back in-- you have to plan and don't just lock them up the second they go back in or they won't go in again because you taught them that going in means getting locked up.



500% they need to be locked up at night-- it's your job to find creative ways to make that process less painful without destroying trust.

 

[Stitchthestitch]

I agree with noodles,and. I not housing to repeat what they've said. letting your bird out is a good thing. The. Sooner you start your routine with them the quicker they settle into it.

An idea to get birdie back in their cage is Food. Food is always a good motivator to get them where they are needed. My green cheek has cottoned on when I need to put him away, but he cannot resist nutriberries and I make a big show of getting the bag, opening it, pulling one out and very obviously putting it in his cage. Eventually he can't resist and will go in. It's never taken longer than 15 minutes and it's better than chasing him plus, it makes it his idea going back in.

 

[fiddlejen]

I use room-darkening curtains to convince my budgies to go back into their cage when they are full-on resistant to the idea. The cage is the birds' home, safe-place, sleeping-place. When the room gets dark it will head back to its cage. My budgies (especially my green one, Jefferson) and minimally tame and sometimes getting the room all the way dark is the best way to get them to go back to their cage.

Regarding your ceiling fans. Do you have wall-switches? My house has two of them; one turns on by a pull-cord, which I have looped up such that I would need a ladder to turn it on, and, the birds canNot pull it. The other has a wall-slider, and I put a piece of tape over it. I CAN get thru the tape easily if I were to choose to turn it on, BUT, it completely prevents any Accidental turn-on of the fan. I would recommend doing the same. Make it so that a ceiling fan cannot be turned on by accident. Birds can be killed or badly injured by ceiling fans.