My new Senegal parrot

[SirHubi]

Hello!
I am a proud owner of a Senegal parrot . I got it yesterday from pet shop it is about 14 weeks old. It was probably handreared, because it loves going out of cage and it loves to go on my hands and shoulders. It is very friendly, cuddly and tame. However there are few problems.

First of all When it goes on my hand it has a bad habit of nipping fingernails. Sometimes it is gentle tasting, which i don't mind, however sometimes it is a discomfortable nip. What should I do about it?

Another problem comes up, when I go to school. It is getting very loud and my parents have to take it out of cage and then it is okay, however my parents won't be able to take it out all the time, so it would be great if it could stay in the cage during my school time and when I come back, the first thing i do is I take it out of cage.

And the last problem is finding him a treat. What should I use as a treat for it? On forum I read that millets are a good treat, however my parrot enjoys breaking it, but it doesn't seem to eat it. And i found out that fruit and veggies should be in parrot's 'normal' menu. The reason I asked you is, because i'd like to teach my parrot few tricks

[Michael]

First of all When it goes on my hand it has a bad habit of nipping fingernails. Sometimes it is gentle tasting, which i don't mind, however sometimes it is a discomfortable nip. What should I do about it?

Ignore it. The bird is curious and will do that. When it realizes that it doesn't achieve anything, it will eventually stop doing that. Also see about the placement of your fingers when holding the bird. Tuck any loose fingers away so the bird has less to nip on.

Another problem comes up, when I go to school. It is getting very loud and my parents have to take it out of cage and then it is okay, however my parents won't be able to take it out all the time, so it would be great if it could stay in the cage during my school time and when I come back, the first thing i do is I take it out of cage.

Congratulations, your parents taught it to be a screamer. Doubt you could ever reverse that now.

And the last problem is finding him a treat. What should I use as a treat for it? On forum I read that millets are a good treat, however my parrot enjoys breaking it, but it doesn't seem to eat it. And i found out that fruit and veggies should be in parrot's 'normal' menu. The reason I asked you is, because i'd like to teach my parrot few tricks

No, millet spray isn't very good for a Senegal Parrot. Too small and not very nutritious. An assortment of peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, saflower seeds, bread, pasta, and apples are treats Senegal Parrots usually love.

[SirHubi]

Ok thanks for answer , but how should we deal with screaming or what we should have done in first place to deal with it?

[MandyG]

You should have ignored it. If they learn that screaming doesn't get attention but being quiet does they will soon stop with the screaming. Except that most birds are quite vocally active during the beginning of the day and the end of the day, this is natural and I don't think you'd be able to train that out of a parrot.

Since you've only had it for one day you may be able to start ignoring it but now that it has learned that screaming quickly gets attention it will take a lot more patience. The bird will now scream for longer because it doesn't understand why today is different than yesterday and why nobody is coming to get it so it will keep screaming. Do not give in and get the bird. Each time you do you teach it that the key to getting out is to scream longer and louder until it gets the attention it wants.

There's a lot of articles and training products that you can buy that promise to help end screaming, I haven't personally tried them, but you could do an internet search to find some more information.

Just remember, every time you answer the bird by getting it out, going into the same room, even yelling at it; you are reinforcing the screaming behavior and it will be 10 times harder to end the behavior next time. Once the bird has been quiet for a few minutes you can let it out.

[SirHubi]

Thanks for your help! I'll try out these tips let's hope it will work

[SirHubi]

I was just wondering what is a difference between male senegal and female senegal if any? I know differences in their appeareance, however I am interested if there is any difference between their ability to learn tricks and speaking. I heard that cockatiel boys tend to speak better, however girls are better at tricks. What about senegals. I am just curious