Question:
>IMHO, I don’t think you can make a conclusion on the treatment of the >former owners based on what you have described. In my experience, I have >had two handraised cockatiels that I kept flighted in my bird room, and >they both went somewhat wild and got fearful of my hand, maybe because >I didn’t handle them often enough. They were certainly never abused.
Ok… thanks for the insight! :-) It makes me feel much better. I’ll try my best to find the owners, and I’ll post an update when I do. Kathryn
Response:
Kathryn I dont think that bird was mistreated – the behaviors you describe would make me think that he was spoiled rotten ! The fact that he will land on you pretty much discounts the impression that he was "never tame". It appears that he is used to "being in charge", and doing what he pleases. This guy was never taught any manners…. An "untame" bird would flee trom you, and certainly would not eat from your hand. I don’t think he was a victim of poor treatment, but a product of poot parenting! Doug "Some things are too hot to touch, the human mind can only stand so much…" Dylan
Response:
We have a young Amazon that was like that when we got him. Turns out he was hand fed but then turned loose in an aviary with very minimal human contact. Don’t think that really counts as mistreatment & he is calming down more all the time. Mike – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->What gives you that impression, and are you sure that his problems are the >result of a previous owner’s mistreatment and not spending a long period of >time outdoors? > This bird is just as clingy as the other strays. He wants to sit on > me and cuddle up all the time, and if I’m out of the room he starts > screaming until I come back or he comes out and finds me. > But any hand movements at all terrify him. He will land on my head or > my shoulder, but if I move my hand up towards it him he goes balistic. > Jumpy, hissing, nipping, somewhat defensive, and if I don’t get the > hint he starts screaming and takes off. And then he gets upset > because he’s not near me anymore. > The only time he will let me hold my hand anywhere near is when I’ve > got a treat to offer him. Then, looking all around, very tense and > suspicious, he’ll lean over, grab the treat, and back off real fast. > This distrustufulness especially applies if my hand comes at him from > the back or from the side, or from anywhere that he can’t see it full > view. > I suppose you’re right, that this could be from spending a long period > of time outdoors… it could also probably be from the fact that he > was just never a tame bird. Do you think I’m reading things the wrong > way? > Kathryn
Response:
> …a product of poot parenting!
Would that make him a little toot? =] — Randal – Homo sapiens Dharma-Xena – avian warrior/Moustached Parakeet Birdzilla – pied violet LB Third-Eye-Bird – whiteface violet LB If you talk to God, you’re praying; if God talks to you, you have schizophrenia. –Lily Tomlin Mail domain is pobox.
Response:
Dharma was quiet afraid of hands when I got her home. She did not liked to be picked up by just anyone at the pet store (after the second visit she would look up, see it was me and step up =) and when the employees would put the birds away at night one in particular would be impatient and grab her. The employee confessed this to me after I asked several questions about the behavior. Just keep working with him/her and it will get better – the previous owner may not have had the patience, inclination or sufficient time to gain her trust. Just this weekend Dharma let me check her wings and her right foot. For the rest of the weekend she would hold up the foot periodically – I guess she thought it was a trick since I had praised her for it =] — Randal – Homo sapiens Dharma-Xena – avian warrior/Moustached Parakeet Birdzilla – pied violet LB Third-Eye-Bird – whiteface violet LB If you talk to God, you’re praying; if God talks to you, you have schizophrenia. –Lily Tomlin Mail domain is pobox.
Response:
>second visit she would look up, see it was me and step up =) and >when the employees would put the birds away at night one in >particular would be impatient and grab her. The employee confessed
I was thinking it might be something like that… guess there’s no way to be sure, though. >this to me after I asked several questions about the behavior. Just >keep working with him/her and it will get better – the previous
Every day so far has been a bit better. :-) This bird has so much potential — he really is a great little guy. I think he’s starting to warm up to me, and I can see him becoming a bit more trusting each day. >Just this weekend Dharma let me check her wings and her right foot. >For the rest of the weekend she would hold up the foot periodically >- I guess she thought it was a trick since I had praised her for it >=]
Hee hee… that’s so cute! Glad to hear she’s doing well. :-) Kathryn
Response:
I think you’ve got something there — my cockatiel is very spoiled and has lately begun nipping at me when I try to pet her. Why would being spoiled bring this about? What can I do about it? I thought maybe it was just springtime and hormones . . . – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I dont think that bird was mistreated – the behaviors you describe would >make me think that he was spoiled rotten ! >The fact that he will land on you pretty much discounts the impression >that he was "never tame". It appears that he is used to "being in >charge", and doing what he pleases. This guy was never taught any >manners…. >An "untame" bird would flee trom you, and certainly would not eat from >your hand. >I don’t think he was a victim of poor treatment, but a product of poot >parenting! >Doug >"Some things are too hot to touch, the human mind can only stand so >much…" >Dylan
Response:
Randal, you crack me up, Boy! > …a product of poot parenting! > Would that make him a little toot? =] > — > Randal – Homo sapiens > Dharma-Xena – avian warrior/Moustached Parakeet > Birdzilla – pied violet LB > Third-Eye-Bird – whiteface violet LB > If you talk to God, you’re praying; if God talks to you, you have > schizophrenia. –Lily Tomlin > Mail domain is pobox.
– Kellie Final Portrait * A Novel by Kellie Sisson Snider Kass Arts Publicity <http://kassarts.bizland.com>
Response:
>What gives you that impression, and are you sure that his problems are the >result of a previous owner’s mistreatment and not spending a long period of >time outdoors?
This bird is just as clingy as the other strays. He wants to sit on me and cuddle up all the time, and if I’m out of the room he starts screaming until I come back or he comes out and finds me. But any hand movements at all terrify him. He will land on my head or my shoulder, but if I move my hand up towards it him he goes balistic. Jumpy, hissing, nipping, somewhat defensive, and if I don’t get the hint he starts screaming and takes off. And then he gets upset because he’s not near me anymore. The only time he will let me hold my hand anywhere near is when I’ve got a treat to offer him. Then, looking all around, very tense and suspicious, he’ll lean over, grab the treat, and back off real fast. This distrustufulness especially applies if my hand comes at him from the back or from the side, or from anywhere that he can’t see it full view. I suppose you’re right, that this could be from spending a long period of time outdoors… it could also probably be from the fact that he was just never a tame bird. Do you think I’m reading things the wrong way? Kathryn
Response:
Kathryn, IMHO, I don’t think you can make a conclusion on the treatment of the former owners based on what you have described. In my experience, I have had two handraised cockatiels that I kept flighted in my bird room, and they both went somewhat wild and got fearful of my hand, maybe because I didn’t handle them often enough. They were certainly never abused. I think you should try to find the owner and then meet them and take it from there. Janet Levy
Response:
If you think this one has had it bad, maybe you shouldn’t try quite as hard? I don’t think I would. Also, if it was mistreated, maybe the owner won’t be looking quite as hard to find it. > More and more, I’m getting the impression that this newest stray > cockatiel has been abused. At the very least, he’s been in a place > that was NOT condusive to happy, healthy birds. > Added to that, he is the only stray with a band, so chances are much > better of me being able to track a breeder and perhaps even an owner > down. > I should probably still try just as hard to do so, eh? … > :-/ > Kathryn
– Kellie Final Portrait * A Novel by Kellie Sisson Snider Kass Arts Publicity <http://kassarts.bizland.com>
Response:
:More and more, I’m getting the impression that this newest stray :cockatiel has been abused. At the very least, he’s been in a place :that was NOT condusive to happy, healthy birds. What gives you that impression, and are you sure that his problems are the result of a previous owner’s mistreatment and not spending a long period of time outdoors? -J. — Jennifer Mullen | Water is a chemcial. http://members.home.net/aratingae/ | | |
Response:
More and more, I’m getting the impression that this newest stray cockatiel has been abused. At the very least, he’s been in a place that was NOT condusive to happy, healthy birds. Added to that, he is the only stray with a band, so chances are much better of me being able to track a breeder and perhaps even an owner down. I should probably still try just as hard to do so, eh? … :-/ Kathryn
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