# I've given up...



## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

....with Dooby. Today, he flew from the kitchen, right out of the door, around the hallway, into the front room and on top of the curtain rail. Now in theory with a full clip like he's had, he shouldn't have made it out of the kitchen door even. So, what is the point in getting him clipped again. He launched himself at me today, trying to get my neck and face...he really is a little devil and a little darling all wrapped in one. I guess I'm just going to have to ride it out and see what each day brings. Oh yeah, I think he thinks Darryl is called Dooby, because every time Darryl walks in the room Dooby says "Hello Dooby!"


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Oh boy...that doesn't sound like a clip at all..are you able to take a pic so we can see? I'm not sure what else to tell you except that's just Dooby...Sorry you're having a hard time with him...It's cute that he thinks Darryl is Dooby..I suppose he thinks he's Darryl?


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

I'll do my best to get a photo of him, but I can tell you he only has three long feathers left on each wing. The vet said he would leave them so that he has something to preen.


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## **TielHeart** (Jan 3, 2008)

Hmm I don't know what to about his wings but the thing with Dooby and Derryl sounds cute.


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Ahh...well that's why he can fly!!! When I use to do Baby's I clipped all primaries.


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

Oh for goodness sake, do you think so, with just those few feathers? Sheeesh, I think another trip to the vets is going to be on the cards soon.


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

You need to get those three feathers clipped thats why he can fly all I did was clip Ollie's first three and that was enough to keep him down I didn't even have to do the other ones just those first few


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## Rosie (Aug 27, 2007)

Oh dear, tut tut Dooby. Looks like you need to clip the remaining three feathers.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Sounds like Dooby is in for another trip to the vets. It is not a full clip unless all flight feathers are cliped on both wings. I would not worry about him not having enough to preen, he has plenty of feathers  I can't wait until Spike has a nice full tail like Dooby does


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Some are very strong fliers -all they need is one primary. Spike is right, it's not a full clip unless all primaries are clipped. You can do it yourself Plukie..really. This will make the third time you take him in...don't worry about leaving him something to preen. Baby and Ziggy still preened plenty wing feathers even when clipped.


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

Ok, I'm going to give it a go tomorrow. Darryl say's he will try and hold him while I clip him.........lol, perhaps we should set up the video camera, it will be one for You've Been Framed!!!


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

Believe me you will be fine Plukie I was really nervous and it was nothing I just gave a little snip snip and it was done in seconds, just get Darryl to hold him in a towel, Dooby will be fine


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

lol..don't worry. Once you do it you'll see how easy it is. Just have Darryl hold him with a towel (so noane gets bit). I'm assuming it's the outer three primaries on each wing which should be fairy easy to trim. Just cut along the same line as the vet did. Make sure they're not new feathers or anything and he'll be fine. Just be ready for more sulking.


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

I can tell you for sure that 3 primaries is MORE than enough for a strong flier. I gave Gracie a full clip, and she grew ONE long primary back on each side and could fly like she had them all.


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## Boomberry (Jul 30, 2007)

Clip those 3 feathers. All Noos primary feathers are clipped and he can still fly but maybe it will slow Dooby.


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

Well, it's been done!!! I caught him in the towel, dragging the corner of the towel into his water bowl in the process. Darryl couldn't hold him, he was like a little bar of soap, anyway, I grabbed him again.....gritted teeth and determination pushing me on...and I held him with one hand and clipped his wing with the other, then I turned him around and Darryl clipped his other wing. I put him back in his cage and Darryl gave him a peanut in a shell. Now.......he is as mad as a wet hen, I can tell you. There is no way i'm putting my hand in there for a couple of hours at least. Then we'll see how it goes. Thanks everybody for your support. I did it, I did it!!!!!!!


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

Way to go Plukie!!! I knew you could do it  see it wasn't so bad, I can only imagine how mad he is right now but I am sure he will get over it soon enough


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Yeah you did it  Good job. Now give him lots of peanuts to get his anger out on


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

I have a silly question but I think it has alot to do with why Dooby things he rules all. I know like your fingers in one piece but I noticed you mentioned something alot and meant to ask you. I hope you don't take it the wrong way, I just want to help.


> I caught him in the towel


 Why not tell him up and then put the towel over him? Is he stepping up to come out of his cage?


> There is no way i'm putting my hand in there for a couple of hours at least.


 This is the thing I noticed you mention often. I understand you being afraind but he can easily sense that acting this way makes you stay out of his castle. Believe me, I know that you don't want to get bit but going away will only make it worse. I never put mine back after a wing clip or toe nail clip- I always hold them, try and give them head scritches, etc. They might not want scritches because they're too busy preening the feathers I've "ruffled" but still-they don't go back in their cage right away...


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

Aly, I haven't taken it the wrong way and believe me, if there was a way he would step up and then I could have put the towel around him I would have, but Dooby is in one foul mood today. So, I put my hand inside the towel, put that in the cage and caught him that way, not the most friendly way to do it, I see what you are getting at. Also, to be honest, I never even thought of giving him a cuddle after, isn't that mean? I really, really, thought because he was struggling and stressing, that I would put him straight back into his cage and let him settle down. Now that you have said that though I can see that I really should have given him plenty of love after and calmed him down that way. As for me saying not putting my hand in there for a couple of hours, I was joking really, he's been fine and chattering to me at this moment. I'm going to get him out now and see how he is. I can see what you are saying about keeping me out of his castle, yep, I guess I just don't see things from a cockatiels point of view yet. Thanks very much for making those suggestions. I've got a lot to learn yet. Oh and no....I don't take offence, I'm always willing to listen and learn.


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Ok good.  I thought you might take it the wrong way and I didn't want to seem like I was doubting your parenting skills or something. Just wanted to help. I always find that giving them a cuddle helps alot. Glad he's ok now..
Here's another thing to try..place your hand in his cage often- keep doing it no matter what his reaction is. He has to get over the idea that it's HIS and only his..(even though it is, it's what's making him act so territorial...the hormones don't help).
Also, take him in a room as far as you can from the normal room he's in. Sit down with Darryl and pass his back and forth. Keep doing this for a few minutes. This will help get the idea that he rules all out of his head.
Also, small thing. As painful as it may be, don't react to a bite. It'll only teach him that bite equals bye bye hand.


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

I took him downstairs with me tonight and he sat with me for a while. I played ball with him, fed him peas, played with a little stick with him and talked to him loads. He can't fly now, he has tried, but he can't get any lift. So, he's stepping up no problem and he's being a little darling........but.....when he's on my shoulder the devil takes over. He bites so much if I put my hand to him to get him to step up, if I leave him there he bites my ears. I've got him off with a wooden perch, getting him to step up onto that, but it's such a shame that he can be so good one minute and then such a little b the next. Anyway, thanks for the tips, I'll certainly do that, he's actually not that bad when I put my hand into his cage. He doesn't like me touching his toys though, that's always a bit tricky, so I'll work on that. Tomorrow, I'm going to completely change his cage around anyway, going to swap toys and move perches, plus give him some new ones, so we'll see how he is with that. I'm determined to get my old Dooby back, we'll stick with it through thick and thin. I know I've joked about giving up on him, but I'd never do that, he'd have to be really, really bad for me to do that and he's not, he's just growing up. I'm pretty sure that once he's over this little stage, he'll be fine again.


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

Some cockatiels just have to be denied shoulder privileges, sounds like Mr Dooby is one of them.  Good on you for clipping his wings yourself! Don't worry about having to catch him the way you did, Bailee is a right little **** about having his wings clipped (which is why it hasn't been done lately) and i have to do the same. He knows EXACTLY what that towel means and will just sprint off my finger and away if he sees me with it.


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

That's good- no flying for Mr. Doob that means he has to be relatively nice to mommy since he needs her more now..lol. The shoulder thing could make him feel like "he's on top of the world" and that's why it's triggering those behaviors again. Carry him on your finger about chest level and that'll fix it. I know with bigger breeds shoulders are a big no no.. Changing his stuff around is a good idea-he has to get over the idea that you're not allowed to touch his toys. Keep testing him and touching stuff in his cage at all times- he can hiss, bite, flap, and throw a fit all he wants, don't let it affect you. Say get mad all you want Dooby- you're the child and that's that-I'm not afraid of you! It does sound like the clip did some good though!


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

It must be hard to not yelp or pull away when he bites but I have read it a thousand times thats what you have to do. Glad he can't launch himself at your throats now


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## Boomberry (Jul 30, 2007)

Im pretty sure now he will calm down knowing he has to reply on you to go places - Good On You!


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

Well, we've only just woken up here, we've had a "Good Morning!" and a quick blast of Jingle Bells, so at least we know he's talking to us. When Darryl walked in the room he said "Hello Dooby!" so, I think we are safe in saying he's not sulking. I'm just going to have my coffee and then I'll sort out his cage. Thanks everybody for your help and advice, this has been a marathon venture and I feel that you've all been there with me......except, I'm the one who gets the bites. lol. Today, is a new day, I'm going to grit my teeth if he goes to bite me, I'm not going to let him get the upper hand, I will praise where praise is due and ignore the bad bits. Wow, I talk a good training session, I just hope it works as well as it sounds.


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

A trick you can try is to offer him the back of a clenched fist if he seems grouchy, and make him step up on that. He won't be able to get a grip on the back of your hand, so he can try to bite all he likes.


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## Boomberry (Jul 30, 2007)

Very true even Noo cant nail me that way hehe.


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

Yes, that's what I've been doing and it does work to a certain extent, although he has a nack of finding the bits that he can bite. lol. Anyway, this morning, I took him and his cage downstairs, cleaned everything out of his cage, completely changed things around apart from a perch that he needs to get to his food dishes and a perch on the door. I've taken out toys, changed toys, threaded a rope through and put a new branch perch in for him. So, there's a lot of differences. Then I had to get him back up from the kitchen floor where he was toddling around........oh dear, finger....ouch, clenched fist, ouch!! Wooden perch....freaked out. The only way I could catch the Doobster, was to put a towel over him, but this time I picked him up and gave him loads of scritches and cuddles as well, so that he doesn't associate a towel with a too bad of thing, then I put him back in his cage. I put my hand in and........yep, he bites, but I gritted my teeth and just let him carry on, then he eventually stepped up and I put him on another perch. I didn't take him out of the cage, just moved him around within the cage. I kept doing that for a while, he kept biting then eventually he would step up and I'd move him again. Now, I don't know about you, but I think that he's gone backwards. When I first got him, he was a darling, he'd step up, he would never bite, we played and he loved it, now, he's like he's never been tamed and I've got to start from scratch. Is that all part of the hormones do you think? I'm going to put my hand in his cage several times today and see what he does. Of course he'll be out playing as well, so hopefully that will help build up the trust again. Sheesh, it's hard being a tiel mum.


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

Some males do get more hormonal than others, sounds like Dooby is one of them.  I hope he grows out of it and returns to a sweet boy.


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

So do I!!!!!! He's still a little darling though. It's like having a naughty child, you don't stop loving them just because they have bad days, you sometimes don't like them very much, but you always LOVE them and this is just the same. I still love my little boy to bits, I just wish I could pad out his beak a bit.


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## Boomberry (Jul 30, 2007)

Its frustrating I know. I dont know whether getting Noo Jessica has done him good or bad. Good for him to have a buddy but hasnt at all helped with his hormonal issues. He makes a tent nest out of the newspaper on the bottom of his cage everyday without fail regardless of what I put on top of it to stop him he still finds a way.

But when I have Jessica sat on me he will fly to me and sit nice and not attack me. Jessica is the dumbest tiel in the world I can do anything to her and she has never once attempted to bite me - thats the difference between males and female tiels. Its the opposite in budgies.

I think you just need to keep working with him at his pace let him have his off days cos I dont think growing into a man is much fun for them also.


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

No, I think you are right, I've just got to accept him for what he is and slowly, slowly, hope that he will get back to how he used to be.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

I just read in my book to watch out for your tiels with no other behaviour problems becoming aggressive around their toys. And that a bird in the developemental stages should be given two new toys at a time. a good tear/chew toy with a bell is good. Also making sure they get lots of excise is good too, Flappies ect.


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

Thanks for that, I changed his toys yesterday, I'll do it again in a few days and bear in mind to give him a chew toy as well. It might save him using my fingers. lol.


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Try something like coconut bits. Just drill a hole and hang it up. The coconut bits toy I made is Ziggy's favorite now.


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

Funny you should say that, I got him some coconut yesterday, so far he's only had a little nibble at it. I've used it as a food bowl for him today lol, he's got his scrambled egg and toast breakfast in there. 











As you can see, he was really thrilled with it........sheesh. LOL!!


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

Looking Dooby sitting in the corner was he a bad boy...lol  his face is getting so yellow


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

LOL!! Yeah, he was sat there eating his seed, totally ignoring the wonderful scrambled egg and toast that I made for him.


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## Rosie (Aug 27, 2007)

Plukie said:


> LOL!! Yeah, he was sat there eating his seed, totally ignoring the wonderful scrambled egg and toast that I made for him.


Hehe, Dooby is a laugh.


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

LOL..don't worry. He probably ate when you weren't looking so you didn't think he was giving in..When you throw that out you can wash it out, take out the coconut fruit and grate it-then freeze it and add it on his seed or whatever. Then just break the shell in pieces for chewing. Mine have a piece on their cage floor that they like to sit there and chew.


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

That's a good idea Aly, thanks. I didn't know you could freeze coconut.


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Plukie said:


> That's a good idea Aly, thanks. I didn't know you could freeze coconut.


You sure can. I can never finish one! It last up to 6mths. I forgot to add if you're going to add it on his dry food like seed and pellets it's best to dry it out.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

I read another thing in my book today and thought of Dooby. It said if your bird screams or is agressive not to give them any eggs at all. Give them less protein and from another source other than eggs. It couldn't hurt


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

I wonder what the reason behind that is.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

I think the extra protein gets them broody/moody


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

xxxSpikexxx said:


> I read another thing in my book today and thought of Dooby. It said if your bird screams or is agressive not to give them any eggs at all. Give them less protein and from another source other than eggs. It couldn't hurt


I think it has something to do with hormones. Ussually the reason behind the screaming and being aggressive has alot to do with hormones and feeding high fat and high protein diet brings them more into condition.


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

Wow, thanks again. I tell you this site is brilliant. I learn something new every day here. Right, no eggs for a while, scrambled, boiled or any other way Mr Doobs!! I've had a bit of a breakthrough this morning. Dooby came out of his cage, stepping up on my hand and sitting there until I took him downstairs. He played around on the kitchen floor whilst I did the dishes and vacuumed etc. but then when it was time to pick him up to go back upstairs, oh dear, there was a lot of biting and screaming...dooby wasn't much better either! He just wouldn't get on my hand, so...........I herded him, lol. I walked slowly behind him, encouraging all the way, through the hallway and into the lounge, right to the other side of the lounge, then I think he'd thought "To **** with this!" He got on my hand no problem and I carried him back upstairs to his house. Now, he's having a nap.


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## Boomberry (Jul 30, 2007)

Ooooh brilliant.

Im feeding Noo nothing but veggies from now on - no fat no protein


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## DeBree420 (Nov 14, 2007)

Boomberry said:


> Ooooh brilliant.
> 
> Im feeding Noo nothing but veggies from now on - no fat no protein


they still do need some fat and protein in their diets!
the trick is to not overdo it!

herding them is a brilliant way to make them tired and happy to get a 'ride'


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## Boomberry (Jul 30, 2007)

Oh I was only joking I wont really cut his other food out. I was being sarcastic 

Noo is the most evil hormonal budgie in the world seriously he is - he started being evil at 6 months of age he is now 2 and a half and if anything he is more evil. I have tried everything in the book to try and stop this believe me. So that was just a little joke about his food - I love him to pieces evil or not


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Plukie said:


> Wow, thanks again. I tell you this site is brilliant. I learn something new every day here. Right, no eggs for a while, scrambled, boiled or any other way Mr Doobs!! I've had a bit of a breakthrough this morning. Dooby came out of his cage, stepping up on my hand and sitting there until I took him downstairs. He played around on the kitchen floor whilst I did the dishes and vacuumed etc. but then when it was time to pick him up to go back upstairs, oh dear, there was a lot of biting and screaming...dooby wasn't much better either! He just wouldn't get on my hand, so...........I herded him, lol. I walked slowly behind him, encouraging all the way, through the hallway and into the lounge, right to the other side of the lounge, then I think he'd thought "To **** with this!" He got on my hand no problem and I carried him back upstairs to his house. Now, he's having a nap.


He can't fly Plukie! You're too nice. You're the parent. If he doesn't want to get on pick him up and put him on. When Baby was clipped she'd climb down from the cage and walk to find me. The thing is once she found me she'd run like a little duckie from my hand. Just picked her up and put her there myself. After I did that she'd give me a look like..yeah..ok. I know..I was suppose to step up. Give me scritches now? Please?


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Herding sounds like some good excercise


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

Babyluv12 said:


> He can't fly Plukie! You're too nice. You're the parent. If he doesn't want to get on pick him up and put him on.


:rofl::rofl::rofl: Yeah right! I'd have to have industrial gloves to stop that beak!!!

Just kidding, he's fine, he walked part of the way and then wanted to be picked up, so that suits me. I don't want to stress him out by picking him up if he doesn't like it......I was always soft with my kids as well, they turned out ok, so fingers (bleeding or healing) crossed that Dooby will turn out ok as well.


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Plukie said:


> I was always soft with my kids as well, they turned out ok, so fingers (bleeding or healing) crossed that Dooby will turn out ok as well.


Atleast your kids never drew blood...hehe He'll be fine!


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