Help needed and a ?

[c marvel]

When I let my baby senegal Vest go to the top of his cage he likes to try and chew on the blinds there. Before I got the bird I put a huge towel over half of the blinds because I was concerned he wouldn't be warm enough. What happens is he'll climb the towel, cling there and than go on to try to chew the blinds. If I catch him and walk up to the cage I'll get his attention. Sometimes he walks over to me and we play. Then at other times I have to get closer and tell him Down. He'll listen sometimes and than go back to trying to chew the blinds after a few minutes. He took a small bite out of the blinds today depsite my monitoring him and my best efforts.
One weird behavior I saw him do today was to back his ear end up aginst the towel and than lower his head/front. He did this two or three times. I thought maybe he was taking a poop at first. There was no indication that he pooped though.

Oh--I'm confused..Is petting his back okay or is this a no no?


Cap

[Wolf]

Well as far as the blinds go everything is normal, so if you don't want him to chew on them move him back far enough that he can't reach them.

I think that with the behaviors that you have described, I would take your bird in to see your vet and have him checked for mites and/ or internal parasites.

[liz]

Because the cages are so big, I had them pushed up against the windows. When I rolled them out to clean behind I found all my vertical blinds have been scalloped. I have had weather stripping pulled off doorways and even found a hole in the wall behind my toilet.
They are going to chew. I have not figured out why yet but there is a thread WHAT HAS YOUR PARROT DESTROYED.
I have slowed mine down a little by giving them things other than toys to chew on. Branches, untreated wood (they really like tomatoe stakes) and plastic bottle caps seem to help.

I forgot, how old is your parrot? Rambo does that when he is in season. Drives us nut with his backing up and rubbing on things and us.

[Pajarita]

The question that begs asking is: 'Why are the blinds down?' During the day, they should be all the way up so the bird can get natural light and, at night, the bird should be asleep in his cage so there should not be a problem with them - UNLESS you are keeping your baby bird up after sunset or keeping the blinds down during the daylight hours and neither is healthy for them.

[liz]

The only difference between open or closed is when the blinds are open they are mashed together and easier for the bird to destroy multiple at the same sitting.

Just pull the cage out of reach of the blinds.

[c marvel]

Well as far as the blinds go everything is normal, so if you don't want him to chew on them move him back far enough that he can't reach them.

I think that with the behaviors that you have described, I would take your bird in to see your vet and have him checked for mites and/ or internal parasites.

Vest had the basic wellness check two weeks ago Wolf. I don't live in a city/big town so for me it's almost a two hour drive each way to take Vest to the vet. Taking him to the vet between shifts is not realistic.
The behaviors I mentioned - - I personally think he's just playing. He shows no sign of having coordination problems or anything like that and appears to be very healthy. I mentioned it before . . I'm a first time parrot owner and it's been a steep learning curve for me. Vest seems to be a very sweet, forgiving parrot.
One thing I definitely learned today, Sunday, is that Vest adores (Just loves) to have his back petted or stroked after I praise him. I say good bird, good boy, or good fellow and he loves getting his back petted. At other times he doesn't like it so much.
My family had a parakeet when I was a teenager and that parakeet learned to mimic a number of words. He had a vocabulary of approx. 9 words. This parrot is obviously different and I'm doing my best.

Cap

[c marvel]

Because the cages are so big, I had them pushed up against the windows. When I rolled them out to clean behind I found all my vertical blinds have been scalloped. I have had weather stripping pulled off doorways and even found a hole in the wall behind my toilet.
They are going to chew. I have not figured out why yet but there is a thread WHAT HAS YOUR PARROT DESTROYED.
I have slowed mine down a little by giving them things other than toys to chew on. Branches, untreated wood (they really like tomatoe stakes) and plastic bottle caps seem to help.

I forgot, how old is your parrot? Rambo does that when he is in season. Drives us nut with his backing up and rubbing on things and us.

Vest is 13 or 14 weeks old.


Cap

[Wolf]

The fact that you are petting his back may have something to do with the actions that you have described as a birds back and belly are erogenous zones and they should not be petted there. I understand that your bird is not an adult, but even young animals can get stimulated sexually. Stop petting him in these areas and see if the behaviors improve.

[c marvel]

I have solved the problem with the blinds. Whoever lived in this room before me made a huge mess with one blind's drawstring--It was tied into a huge knot. Anyway, the blinds now work properly.Check out the link I found Thursday night.. http://www.ballancebehavior.com/Portals/1/Petting%20the%20Pet%20Parrot%20Ballance%20Behavior%202013.pdf
Vest clearly wanted to be petted under his clavicle (I think that's the right word) tonight. I wasn't sure if that was okay.


Cap

[Wolf]

I have solved the problem with the blinds. Whoever lived in this room before me made a huge mess with one blind's drawstring--It was tied into a huge knot. Anyway, the blinds now work properly.Check out the link I found Thursday night.. http://www.ballancebehavior.com/Portals/1/Petting%20the%20Pet%20Parrot%20Ballance%20Behavior%202013.pdf
Vest clearly wanted to be petted under his clavicle (I think that's the right word) tonight. I wasn't sure if that was okay.


Cap

I love that page, it pretty much says it all!!

Parrots---a wildly varied in color and size, living, intelligent sex machine with a buzz saw on the end of its face.

Sorry my humor again.