All he wants to do is nest, I think

OK, I'm understanding Scooter better and better I think. I'm going to be able to solve the stepping up issue pretty straightforwardly, and I'm now sure the bad cycle of getting inadvertently transported via beak is the causal factor there. Since he's not overly bandaid phobic, I've been able to make pretty good progress by protecting the finger and letting things play out. As long as he's not downright vicious, the bandaid is sufficient protection to allow me to not jerk away. So that's good, but the other thing that's causing some grief is that his mind seems to be on building nests ALL THE TIME now. The latest drama was that he figured out how to get into my desktop file thing. He was out playing on the desk doing his usual things (usually throwing stuff on the floor for me to pick up-- he has a whole toy box that lives on the desk -- chewing up paper, asking for scritches). Then things got very quiet. He had shimmmied up the webcam cable and gotten onto the files, which he has done before, but I cleaned the darned thing out and that left space for him to get down under the hanging files and he was happily shredding the bottoms of the folders making a nest. I actually had to take out all the files and scoop him out of there to get him to come out and he wasn't very pleased. I also need to figure out how to keep him from getting in there or it will happen all over again.

When it's not the file box, it's kleenex boxes, the cage paper, any dark hole with something shreddable handy. Usually if I can take the object away for a few minutes and let him settle down, then he's quite handleable, but I do think it's getting to the point where it's really all he wants to do -- crawl in someplace dark, shred paper and make a nice nest.

I'm thinking I need to do one of several things: give him an opportunity to do that when he's in his cage the bulk of the day -- but that would risk he might never want to come out I suppose. My husband has suggested just giving him a nest box and letting him sleep in there, use it as much as he wants. Or alternatively remove everything from his environment that's vaguely cavity like, but I think he'd be less happy that way. These are birds that are cavity dwellers and use the nest cavity year round, not just when breeding. He likes to sleep on his back and he's never been problematic about his sleep tent as long as I wait for him to come out of it in the morning. Finally, maybe I am doing something environmentally that's making them broody. With Scooter it's the nest fetish, with Scotty it's regurgitation and the occasional attempt to shag the human hand. I've tried to do all the usual things -- 12 hours of darkness, full spectrum lighting on a timer, reasonable diet (although both have their dietary foibles), no inappropriate handling... Am I missing something?

Scooter just seems to get more and more difficult for me to handle as he gets older. Scotty is still a complete sweetheart for me, so I don't think it's my inherent handling style, but Scooter is quick and volatile and whatever he's doing, he's 100% into that for that moment. Scotty is much more laid back and even contemplative. If Scooter is a little afraid of something he either alarm calls or he's across the room before you can blink. If Scotty is a little afraid of something, he leans away from it and gives it the "eye". With Scotty there is time to see when things are going wrong before they go wrong, with Scooter it's over before I've even processed what's happening. He needs a slow motion button!

At any rate... Scooter is now 2 1/2. He was 11 months when we got him. If the root of his volatility is wanting to breed, would I expect it to improve from here out, or will it get worse for a few more years? Although he likes me and likes to interact with me, he's never given any indication of seeing humans as potential mates. Is it possible he's not going to be really happy without a mate?

I turned down the temperature in my apartment and that got rid of the bulk of nesting behavior. Cheney Bird has no access to boxes (he's afraid of them) and no sleep tents. He has a rope toy he hangs behind, but that's about it. He also has no access to nesting materials -- newspaper, next boxes, etc. He seems no worse for the wear.

I still let him hang out under the blanket with me at night. Generally, I lay down and he sleeps on my hip under the comforter. He's not grumpy about being put back in the cage and seems to only like the blanket as special cuddle time.

How old is Cheney bird now? I sense with Scooter something has changed in the last 6 months. He's always liked enclosed spaces but it's gone from entertaining to obsessive IMO. Hard to explain the difference. We do keep the house pretty warm and frankly the weather has been such that we've still had the AC on, not the heater.

The veterinarian estimated his age between 3 and 5 based on his blood work, but estimating that way is hardly accurate. I know he was moulted into his adult feathers when he got to the rescue and that he was at the rescue for a year. As he was found in someone's back yard in Baltimore with a band that had precious little information, it's hard to say conclusively.

He did exhibit nesting behaviours to the point that I contacted the rescue and the foster family who had him to see if he had behaved similarly with them. They responded that he hadn't and after sending videos of his flirty walk and infatuation with certain toys, they suggested that it was likely he was going through puberty or was comfortable enough here that he could express those behaviors.

Because I highly doubted he was going through this for the first time, as that would put him at younger than 3, I assumed he was just comfortable here and followed their instructions. I began covering their cages between 8:30 and 9:00 and waking them up between 8:30 and 9:30. Even if I could hear him awake and playing, they stayed covered for the full 12 hours. I usually keep my apartment pretty warm because I'm always freezing, but I turned the temperature down about 5 degrees. He stopped nesting and focusing on one toy at this point and began playing with others.

I did notice that when I tried to introduce a sleep hut for him, the nesting behaviors came back despite the temperature and sleeping schedule remaining the same. When I got rid of the hut, his behavior returned to normal. Now he uses a rope toy with wooden blocks on it to sleep behind. The only time he gets to "nest" now is about 2 hours before bed time. He comes to bed with me between 6:30 and 7:30, we turn all the lights off and he burrows under the blanket. He'll sleep here until I put him back in the cage for bed time. During the day, he has no interest in the blanket and actually flies away from it if I try to cover him.

I would try keeping Scooter covered for the full 12 hours and reducing the temperature. If that doesn't work, I would remove access to any nesting sites and leave them only for special times.

ScooterNScotty wrote:

He needs a slow motion button!

Ain't that the truth! Merlin is the same, which I think is the reason for the harness training failure for me. He takes off before you see the "I'm uncomfortable" part.

Merlin has been "gettin busy" lately with his boing, but other than this occasional thing, he has not shown any of the behaviours Scooter is showing you. I know Merlin is younger, but he likes the kleenex boxes and dark places, just like Scooter as well, though he does not seem to be building nests as yet.

I do keep them in darkness for 12 hours these days. We don't cover, but the room they sleep in stays quite dark and they don't wake up much before 9. Occasionally we don't get them tucked in by 9, but I definitely try to keep them in "bed" a full 12 hours.

Reducing the temp isn't much of an option right now -- I'd have to crank up the A/C! Too expensive. The house temp will maintain lower when it gets cold enough outside, we have the thermostat set fairly high when cooling and fairly low when heating, especially at night.

I've tried removing the hut and not seem much difference in "angry" or nesting type behavior expression. Granted I've never taken it away for more than a couple of days. I may try it again, but it's not going to be until after I'm back from the trip I'm about to take and he's gotten over that.... maybe by then, we'll actually have winter weather of sorts.

RogerP wrote:

ScooterNScotty wrote:

He needs a slow motion button!

Ain't that the truth! Merlin is the same, which I think is the reason for the harness training failure for me. He takes off before you see the "I'm uncomfortable" part.

I gave up the training and now shove Cheney into it. He's upset for a whole two minutes while I buckle him in. Once he's in it and outside, he doesn't even notice it. He's no worse for the wear by being "forced" into it and it's never affected our relationship. He loves me as much as ever once it's off.

Try taking him out on errands a couple of times a week (in a carrier if necessary) and see if that wears him out/changes his attitude. You'd probably need to do it consistently for a minimum of a month before you see any real changes.

patdbunny wrote:

Try taking him out on errands a couple of times a week (in a carrier if necessary) and see if that wears him out/changes his attitude. You'd probably need to do it consistently for a minimum of a month before you see any real changes.

Yes, that's one of the motivations behind getting the trim done. I'll still use the carrier, but as flighted as he is now, I'd be afraid to even crack the door open, let alone actually let him out even inside.

He may just be bored. I'm still in kind of a funk and not being the world's best parront... I went way too long between making him new toys and he went through the new one in 48 hours. He loves balsa and chews right through it, the harder wood he doesn't much bother with.

I'm lazy with the toys. Buying new toys constantly would bankrupt me. I look at everything and think about toy value. A couple of days ago I trimmed back a rosemary bush. I took the clippings and put them in all my bird cages. Added bonus - house smells really nice right now and the birds have a lot of new perches. Most of the birds had a blast trimming all the little rosemary leaves off the branches. Some were afraid initially, which I thought was funny. "OMG! It's not a colorful artificial thing!"

Another toy thing I do is just get a bunch of bird-safe party favors from the dollar store and put a little pile in the cage without doing anything else. The birds will just dig through the pile and see what's there. Last week we went to a thrift store and I got several baby rattles which I hung in cages. Human baby toys are nice, not labor intensive, and I like the various textures (bumps and waves, etc.).

And, of course, I'm big on the fresh fruits and veggies in huge chunks for toys.