# New behavioral issues with Lily



## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

For those who don't know, Lily is my five year old tiel who is severely plucked. She has been in my home for two weeks and adjusting very well and has lots of new feather growth but still plucks some.

The vet had recommended introducing her to my flock (after testing) but I didn't want to put my whole flock at risk. I've been letting her hang out in her cage and watch the activity from afar and she seemed to really want to interact with the other birds.

So, I introduced her to my three newest tiels who are in quarantine too. Lily seemed very happy and was begging them for scritches and even got some.

However, when she wasn't getting what she wanted she became very aggressive and plucked the OTHER bird. This happened twice! She pulled out a feather from the other bird and chewed it.

I put her back in her cage. What do I do now? Why is she doing this? And will she just have to be a lone tiel?

All suggestions and opinions welcome!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Hmm, she sounds like a very needy tiel. And it may have been conditioned into her in her old home that this was OK (as in it was never stopped.) I would try to train her that its wrong before giving up on letting her hang out with them completely. It means she can't be unsupervised but its worth a shot. Anytime she plucks, put her in timeout for five minutes or so. Hopefully, eventually, she'll learn that plucking other birds is not acceptable behavior. It worked for me in training Fuzzy that chasing other birds was wrong.


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

Ok, I will try birdie time outs when she does it. She is needy so I want her to be able to interact with others but I obviously don't want my other birds to get hurt.


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

Well. That was an unexpected move from Lily!


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

It really was! I was pretty upset to be honest, I just didn't expect it


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

JaimeS said:


> It really was! I was pretty upset to be honest, I just didn't expect it


I hope birdie time outs work for Lily! They worked for Grey with Ama. When I first brought her home, he would practically run her over for her attention. I separated him everytime it happened and by the 3rd or 4th time- He realized he could just be near her and I would leave him be. So it definitely works for some birds.


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## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

I'm so sorry to laugh, but the visual I had of Grey running over Ama,got to me..I pictured his feet like the,roadrunners.


Jaime-I'm sure Birdie timeouts will help. My Spike could get quite mean if he wasn't getting what he wanted with his head bent. I simply scolded him with my finger shaking...since he hadm't been around other birds much, that and time outs,turned him nicer. He's still a terror, but a good one


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

Yeah, I guess I'm going to have to but I am just sooo careful around Lily not to upset her or stress her in any way. However, obviously I can't let her hurt the babies! And she is fast too! They were sitting right on me and it happened before I knew it!


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Even just separating her from the other birds for a few minutes might work. I never have Sunny out when I'm cooking, but I never want him to go near the stove whether it's on or not, just in case. But he loves to walk around on the kitchen floor. When we first go him, if he'd go near the stove, I'd say "no stove" and pick him up and move him to another part of the kitchen. He's very independent and really didn't like being moved. Now, when he walks in the kitchen, he stays a certain distance away from the stove, and if I think he's getting a little too close, I'll say "no stove" and he walks away. So, I think Lily can learn "no plucking".


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

Thanks sunnysmom, I will add the verbal reminder when I see her do it and put her in time out


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

If she's used to her needs being ignored from her previous home, she probably never learned any healthy coping skills. She needs to be taught that she can get what she wants by being nice, and that being nasty won't get her anything. So be sure to reward her for positive behaviors as well as putting her in time out when she misbehaves.


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

Good point! She did really well today because I was giving her lots of scritches but she did try to pluck another bird once. I felt horrible but I told her no and put her in a brief time out 
But I will be sure to reward her for positive behavior too. Overall she did a lot better today.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Try not to feel bad about putting her in time out. Think of what you're doing as birdie therapy.  It IS behavior modification, after all.


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

I know! It's just hard to do when I feel so bad for her but I know it's better for everyone if she behaves properly.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

But I'm sure I don't have to tell you that reinforcing maladaptive behaviors doesn't make anyone happy in the long run.


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

True. She didn't try to pluck anyone today so maybe she is learning. Or maybe she just had a good day. She really just wants love and attention so I think time outs will work great for her.


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

JaimeS said:


> True. She didn't try to pluck anyone today so maybe she is learning. Or maybe she just had a good day. She really just wants love and attention so I think time outs will work great for her.


Well. As long as she behaves, she will get tons of both!


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

My little Lily bean likes to keep her Mommy guessing. She has started a new habit. She has three different perches but has decided in the last few days that she prefers to be in the corner of her cage. This isn't the sick bird bottom of the cage thing, she just seems to like it there. The only thing that changed is I put another cage next to her. Could this be making her nervous? I can move it and see if she goes back to her perch.

And yesterday she was getting preened by me and another bird, seemed SO happy, and plucked the other bird! I told her "no pluck" put her in time out, then she plucked three of her own feathers! She is such a sensitive girl. I don't know what to do other than what I am doing or just completely isolate her. Suggestions?


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Plucking might just be a habit of hers..and one that's tough to break. I'd rather her pluck herself than the other birds though..so if I were you i'd keep doing the timeouts. Also there is this product, but I'm not sure how/if it works. 

http://www.allbirdproducts.com/newproductpages/AviCalm.html

But before you do that (if you do), I would give her Brewer's yeast everyday on top of anything she'll eat..so if that works for stress and eliminates the plucking.


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

Yes, I agree I would rather her pluck herself too. I have been giving her brewers yeast for a while too


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## baboo (Jun 5, 2012)

You know what really helps is camomile tea very good for stressed birds especially in the spring and summer months..


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

The corner might just be her spot. Sunny likes the top corner of his cage the best, and I don't think it has anything to do with him being anxious. Another thought, though -- Is it possible she's starting to get hormonal? Roo will sometimes squish herself into a corner of her cage and start clucking when Sunny is being his lecherous old self.


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

I thought of that but she isn't doing anything to indicate being hormonal. No clucking or raising her birdie butt or anything. Maybe she just likes it. When I got them out today she was on her perch so I'm not going to worry about it.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Maybe if putting her back in her cage is too stressful for her, can you just move her away from the other birds for a few minutes but not actually put her back in the cage? That's what I do with Sunny- well away from what he's doing- I don't have other birds. I think you're making good progress with Lily. And it sounds like she likes and needs the company of the other birds. She just has to learn not to pluck them- I think she'll get it eventually.


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

Oh no, I don't put her in her cage, I just move her away for a minute (well not even a minute). I think she may have to be caged alone forever or maybe a long time but she gets to play with them during supervised play time!


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

JaimeS said:


> Oh no, I don't put her in her cage, I just move her away for a minute (well not even a minute). I think she may have to be caged alone forever or maybe a long time but she gets to play with them during supervised play time!


Oops sorry, I misunderstood. You're a good birdie mom and I'm sure in time she'll come around.


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

It's okay! I hope she will eventually learn but even if she doesn't I still love her little bald self. And I think you are right, she needs to interact with them so she can learn how to do it properly! But I am always right there to remove her if she plucks


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## Indigobug1987 (Feb 18, 2012)

I don't have this problem with my tiel but in the past I had a parakeet that was a plucker. It was a new addition to the family and we kept him quarrantined for a long time. Until he stopped the plucking behavior. I was afraid that the other birds would start displaying that behavior. I don't know if thats possible/true or not but monkey see monkey do, you know?


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