Hello and Request for Help :)

[Wolf]

In the paragraph preceding the one where you mentioned the rice getting over cooked the description of what you were making didn't list any veggies so that is why I said that you needed to add them.
Toothpicks? I don't like them because of the sharp ends, which could be removed, but they tend to break with sharp ends. I have taken bamboo skewers and clipped the sharp end off and used them for some of my birds. Mostly I prefer to take wooden clothespins apart for them if I am short of suitable scraps of wood as even though I do use the bamboo skewers, they are not my favorite. I try to keep wood too large for them to swallow.
I don't think that you are doing any harm by uncovering him at the time you said.
I give my birds eggshells fairly often, I have not given big pieces of eggshell but it should be fine.

[Pajarita]

I don't like toothpicks, too sharp. The little wooden ice cream 'spoons' or little stick thingies they sell in craft stores can be given instead. I never, ever give my birds eggshells. I know people recommend them left and right in birdsites but, even when you crush them, some of them end up with sharp edges and they are worrisome to me. Aside from that, eggshells from regular eggs should never be offered because washing or boiling them might take care of bacteria but it doesn't take care of all the crap (antibiotics, pesticides, etc) the hens eat and which ends up in the eggshell itself. Now, if you are like me and only buy eggs from pastured hens that were fed an organic and vegetarian diet, it should be OK on that department.

[mikella]

Thanks you guys for the advice.

I'll find an alternative to toothpicks and won't let him have eggshells. Is there anything you can think of that is super thin and crunchy like that? He LOVES that sort of texture.

[Pajarita]

Thin in terms of thickness or in terms of tiny like a toothpick? Because if it is in terms of thickness, try saving the husks from organic corn, wash them when they are still green, dry them up and bunching them together with some twine, hang them from the top of the cage or a branch or whatever. They are thin and make a crunchy 'paper' sound when they chew on them.

[mikella]

Yes, thin in terms of thickness. Thanks, I will give that a go!

[liz]

I twisted all the layers before they dried. The birds love to shred one at a time.

[mikella]

I hope he likes it. It seems as if everything he gets really excited, peeping away about, are things that aren't good/ideal for him! Actually, not 'it seems' - it's true He snatched a piece of a tortilla chip out of my husband's mouth several weeks back and has been OBSESSED ever since... Even seeing the bag he's falling over himself to get to it. The ingredients are organic corn, organic canola/sunflower oil, sea salt, calcium hydroxide. How bad is this? I'm assuming certainly not ideal, especially because of the salt... and oil. (No, it's not a regular thing! He's a sneaky little thing though.) He absolutely loves 'chip-like' things (hence the eggshells, which he also snatched on his own) and I need to figure some things out for him. I'll have my parents check for organic corn tomorrow at the market. I can also get some organic eggs..... But is the shell BAD in any way for him? Is it 'calcium overload?' That is what I would worry about moreso than the sharp edges I think.

He's jammed in my sleeve right now, pinching away.

I let him totally inside my shirt for the first time this morning. I started with inside my hoodie but over a zip-up and t-shirt, then a couple days ago I started letting him over my t-shirt under my zip-up and hoodie, but not up by my exposed neck... Then today I let him inside up at the neck of my t-shirt (of course armoured up with a bra haha)... And NOW he just wants to be in there constantly since I let him. Right now he's over top of my t-shirt though and it's much more bearable. When he's by my skin, he nibbles and pinches and nips and with one layer (albeit thin!), it helps...

He does the same thing with my husband, nipping his skin constantly..... But I don't think it's THIS constant. It's hard to handle! I do noooot have tough skin. And of course he likes being inside that final layer the most.

[Pajarita]

Of course he does, little stinkers are smart and know the difference between skin and cloth.

Try giving him a piece of thin, dry toast - it's nice and crunchy. He won't get calcium overload from the eggshells.

[mikella]

I'm afraid we're creating a monster. He is DEVOURING all clothing. Literally ruins everything he's allowed contact with. I don't mind at all him munching holes in designated clothes - but is there a way to have him eventually understand that he can't do that all the time? I like for him to be able to do it because I'm sure it's a natural thing for him, plus he pretty much doesn't do ANYTHING with stuff that he's given to fiddle with/chew/etc. (it's very rare that he does - or if he does, it lasts seconds haha) - so I know it's something he must in some way "like" to do or feel comfort in doing or something. Also - he pinches skin every few seconds when he's inside clothes and frig it is toooo muuuuch to handle! Think this will decrease with time? Or is it something we need to teach him to stop? We say "no bities" when he's pinching and "NO BITE" when he bites or pinches really hard and get him out.

Another announcement.............. I wholeheartedly feel that [i]literally[/i] in the last few days there has been quite a big change in my and Quigley's relationship. Today for the first time I went to get him (he was in having a snack for about 15 mins bc he is so anxious to get out in the morning that he won't eat - and even going in for a snack a bit later doesn't last long)... and I didn't have my layers on. I just had a t-shirt on. He got up on my hand and off we went. MY anxiety is decreasing, I'm trusting him more, and he's starting to (believe it or not!) I think like me. This is huge. Huge huge huge. The last ten weeks have been so insanely difficult and emotional and I am beginning to see the other side...

Once he was in my shirt (and pants - yes, pants) the other day, there was no way I could keep my hands away because I feared for my life and had to protect my "bits" and yes, there were bites, but there were even more times that he was TRYING to contain himself... he would lunge, chomp down a bit, squeeze, and test... or lunge and just touch his beak to my hand... or just get pissy and fluffy and rub his beak on my hand... I can tell that he is fighting his urges. He's trying to work through this.

So, no more covering up. Once he stops biting my hands I'll let him on my shoulder. I just want more trust there. I want to know he won't go for my face/neck/ears. He still has issues with my hair.

Things are (very noticeably now) going in the right direction for me and him. Interestingly though, he has been much more bitey with husband. I think the change of him juuust beginning to accept me is causing a big shift in his mind/world and he's having to "recalibrate" sort of... and it's throwing things off. Husband is certainly still #1.

[Pajarita]

AHA!!!!!! Remember that I told you not to expect a significant change before June? Things are going right on schedule, my dear, and, from now on, there will be progress progress progress. Sheesh, he might even switch allegiances and become 'your' little bird! But, even if he doesn't, GCCs are the only birds I've seen that are nice to several people at the same time.

As to how to stop him from chewing on clothes all the time... well, it can be done but you have to wait until he is flighted and doesn't bite all the time - and even then it might take a loooong time. Nando, my young male jenday, was given up because all he ever did was bite people and destroy clothing. And, although he has never, ever, ever even nipped me hard, he did chew holes in my clothes for a looooong time. I think it took two years for him to finally stop but it was a gradual thing so things will get better and, as soon as he is flighted, you can start making him fly off you when you see/feel him chewing hard on your clothes - always give the same command when you do, I tell them "Ropa no!" (Not clothes!), it needs to be short and to the point (meaning don't say something like "Stop it" which is too generic and might end up been used for something else that has nothing to do with chewing clothes) and, at the same time you say this, make an abrupt movement that will make him fly off - he will just make a U turn in flight and come back to you, most likely to start chewing your clothes again almost immediately so don't get annoyed or impatient because you will have to do this 150 times a day (the joys of parrot keeping )

I know it's been hard and there have been times when you despaired that he would ever get better but you have done an excellent job in adapting, learning and are becoming a great parrot keeper! It might not be my place to say this but I am very proud of you and what you have achieved!