Help with my Timneh, please read

[tmg1617]

Hi Guys

I have a 23 year old Timneh female, lived with me since she was a baby and is very much loved.

Originally brought as a boy but she started laying eggs 5 years ago so he became a she! She's had eggs twice since then that i've found. Over the years she's had phases where she's pulled a few feathers out on her chest leaving a little patch but it hasn't lasted long and they've grown back.

Since she's started laying eggs the feather plucking this time of year has got worse and worse and right now she's looking pretty bald which is the worst she's ever been.

For years i've made her toys, filled the bottom of her cage with cardboard boxes, tubes ect which she would normally shreds up and have lots of fun with, but now at this time of year when she's in her cage she turns the boxes into a nest which she protectively guards and will spend hours in.

I've taken her to the Vets, he told me to take away all her cardboard boxes which he said would eventually stop her natural urges and stop her doing this around this time of year....I think this would not work and just be to hard on her and it would also make her life when she's in her cage boring, plus it would create different problems so i haven't done that.

I've spoken to a Parrot Sanctuary who told me she's reverted back to being a wild bird and should come and live with them in a big avery with other Timneh's....I can't believe this is true as there has been no personality change. she's certainly not wild and is still singing and chatting away as normal. Plus i don't want to let her go.

So to the point of my waffle, i'm looking for any advise, similar experiences and suggested solutions. I am toying with the idea of finding a male Timneh and seeing if i can introduce them but i don't know the first thing about how to do it or where i can find a boy of a similar age so any thoughts on that would be gratefully received too.

Thanks for reading my message and i hope you can help.

Thanks Tracey

[Lisa B]

Originally Posted by tmg1617

Hi Guys

I've spoken to a Parrot Sanctuary who told me she's reverted back to being a wild bird and should come and live with them in a big avery with other Timneh's.... Thanks Tracey

NO! I find that hard to swallow as many unwanted end up there, and that is not what you are asking for.

I agree with your vet. I dont offer my guys dark places such as boxes to destroy because it does add to nesting behavior. No matter the species, that is natural behavior for a parrot.
I also dont let my guys roam the floor looking for nice nesting places. I know people who do that as well.

We would like to have them interact with our family. With that, it means they become domesticated. Its a fact of life. We chose to bring them into our lives. We are responsible for them. However, I have watched people time and time again, ignore good intended advice, only to turn around and rehome a bird because the problem has become to much for them. A problem by the way, THEY created. And the bird pays the ultimate price.
Lost , confused, grieving and not understanding where its home and family went.


With my rant said(which btw, is NOT directed at you...I am just sharing with you)
I would take out the boxes. You are doing what you can with making toys and trying to distract her.
I can say I have a 20+ year old grey that I have had for about 4 years. I am noticing that around this time each year, he starts to pluck....I hand it over to "wanting some"
He feathers out again beautifully after the spring.
My timneh was also in his 20's and again, no nesting behavior was ever demonstrated, Because the opportunity was not presented.

Sometimes, we have to learn its just part of life. Having a mate, or living in a free flighted santuary with others of her species is NOT going to guarentee her being happier, or fully feathered.
Some of the happiest, healthiest, most love greys in the world pluck. As long as there is no medical issues behind it, it might just have to be something not get upset over.

Greys are VERY smart and in tune with our feelings. They can read us quite well. Just try to stay calm around her when she plucks and love her nekkid or not.

They are also very smart. I do believe that that in itself adds to the plucking and tootsie widdling. they just dont know how to get it all out and make us understand. They are very determined and dont forget.

It seems that Greys pluck more out of fustration, and boredom, where as Too's will be more unhappy and turn to self mutilation. Reason being that Too's are known to not keep their mates in the wild for more than 6 years.
When in captivity, we force them to be with us, for longer than that. That turns to screaming, aggresiveness and mutilation.

I hope that is of some help....

[Amie]

(Seconds everything Lisa just said!)

Also, giving her a male is probably not going to help. She's 40, and has already picked her "mates" and they are not the feathered kind! Usually, older birds refuse to breed, especially if she's been by herself for that long.

And, because I'm very anti-breeding for the inexperienced, please don't turn her into a breeder. That starts a cycle you can't stop, and unless you're ready to handfeed babies for 4 months, (some of that being every 3 hours while the sun is up!) you're going to end up with a bunch of untamed birds that will not be able to be sold as pet, and then that sanctuary will get what it wants.

Edits to add:
You may want to look into getting her a non-mating friend. Another Timneh, or a Congo, or maybe a different species altogether. Always different cages, but always near each other. Birds do better in a flock. . .we are currently looking to remove "only bird" from our ekkie, which is a title she recently inherited and is not at all happy about. She won't stop the plucking!!!

p.s. some sanctuaries will always tell you the bird is better off with them. I never get that. Your bird is not "wild" by any companion pet standards (or, is not more wild than any other companion bird is as they are not yet domesticated) and you are not harming her in any way. So why should you give her up?? No reason. Honestly, she's probably happier with you after 20 years than she would be at a sanctuary!!

[Lisa B]

Originally Posted by Lisa B

It seems that Greys pluck more out of fustration, and boredom, where as Too's will be more unhappy and turn to self mutilation. Reason being that Too's are known to not keep their mates in the wild for more than 6 years.
When in captivity, we force them to be with us, for longer than that. That turns to screaming, aggresiveness and mutilation.

....

just noting that this information came from a lecture by Mattie Sue Athen on Bird Behavior. For more information on this subject, we will have to wait for it to hit print.

[huntress]

Whoops - someone said shes 40 and you said 23. doesnt matter. Ditto what everyone else said and nothing will make her revert to the wild more than a mate. Dont do it, you will lose your sweet bird.
One thing we tend to overlook when giving boxes and tubes to chew is there is often zinc in adhesives. Maybe you can try some leafy bird safe branches for shredding. Eliminate dark places and boxes. Stick with paper shredders and such. Shorten her days if you have to by getting her a second cage in a dark room so she has less than 12 hour days and good long sleeps! Love her naked boobies anyway;-)

[Amie]

Originally Posted by huntress

Whoops - someone said shes 40 and you said 23. doesnt matter.

Yeah, that's me. I'm a mac user, and at work we use PCs with different keyboards and number pads. My fault.

And in my defense, I got it right once

[LGood22573]

I agree cardboard boxes encourage breeding behavior. I would take the card board box out and maybe try one of those fuzzy perches that they can snuggle up to instead. Maybe one of those birdie tents that hang down and they can climb in and snuggle.

[Lisa B]

I know of a good alternative for the birdy hut thing. Its in the prototype stages...I have to see if its ok to post the info on it.....its more like a tunnel then box. I MIGHT, get one for emma being she sleeps with her head upside down, and she makes my neck hurt. I can only imagine how it bugs her and maybe it will help her down the road....no one knows, but it might be worth a try.

however if she uses it more then for just roosting, then we have to take it out.

[tmg1617]

Thanks for all your replies, the suggestions and opinions are gratefully received :O)

Unfortunately she doesn't chew / destroy any perches or wood i give her, that's why i started using cardboard boxes (i do remove all the adhesive i see), tubes e.c.t as alternatives.

I will wean her off the boxes then, it felt a bit harsh at first, what with the Vet pretty much saying all she needed was a perch and some food, hence why i came on here for some advice from parrot owners who had experience rather than ' text book knowledge'.

She has a second cage in my bedroom which she goes to bed in every night and gets a min of 10 hours.

As for getting a second bird i have been considering that idea, weighing up the pro's and con's and i totally agree with you, the parrot world doesn't need another inexperienced breeder so if i can find other alternatives, then i would much rather do that.

p.s she could pull out every single feather and i'd wouldn't love her any less, i just want her to be content :O)

[Amie]

Originally Posted by tmg1617

As for getting a second bird i have been considering that idea, weighing up the pro's and con's and i totally agree with you, the parrot world doesn't need another inexperienced breeder so if i can find other alternatives, then i would much rather do that.

p.s she could pull out every single feather and i'd wouldn't love her any less, i just want her to be content :O)

Lots of us have nudists. Mine has a new look going. She's a fluffy grey ball, but NO colored feathers allowed on her chest or butt.

At least we can't see the skin any more. . .eh!

And you can have another of her species without having babies. You have to have the "mood set" as it were for mating. At least on the females' side. But I'd stay away from babies of the same species. We're looking to get a new friend for Scarlett and everyone suggested that if we get another ekkie, to stay away from babies. Younger is fine, but no babies. Something about making both more hormonal because Scarlett is 8 years passed maturity, and the older bird never accepting the younger of its own species. . .It came from our avian vet and a few breeders we trust, so we're taking it pretty seriously. Others may have had different results, but we're trying to make Scarlett happier, not stress her out more--so no chances!

Why not rehome or rescue another bird with feather issues? I bet they would be good therapy for each other. it's what we're doing at present. Just remember that rehomes and rescues will have some personality issues you need to work through. But it isn't hard if you're committed!!