# flighting tsuka



## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

tsuka attacks us when he is flighted. he dives at our faces and goes for blood. sadly i am not exaggerating here












well he also has a bad history of breaking blood feathers with night frights and with clips. he also becomes overweight with clips...

so i have decided to allow him to be fully flighted, since semi-clips dont adjust the attitude either way.

he recently broke a blood feather really bad. it was the blood feather at the very end of his wing, randomly there, so it had no support as the feathers next to it were clipped. he flapped and it snapped. so to prevent that from happening again, the feather next to it was imped to offer support for the growing feather.

hes got cayenne pepper paste on the blood feather site to help with pain and prevent infection

because i am tired of seeing him deal with blood feathers every molt with the clips, i have decided it is best to allow him flight, though this brings in new concerns. 

he gets really bad mood swings, he has been suspected of being a bipolar bird.... on his bad days he gets really nasty. when flighted these are the days he launches himself at your face. no warning he just goes. there is no trigger, no cause he just does it. then some days he chases dally around when hes really nasty too. 


for these bad days i am willing to not let him out as long and i am willing to work ways around it, if i can. he gets VERY unmanageable flighted and it worries me, but for what is best for him, i have to let him become flighted. i dont want to lose him to organ failure from obesity and i dont want to lose him from blood loss from countless broken blood feathers. 

any suggestions on what i can do when he is flighted?

here's some photos of him recently


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

Hmm...if he really is bipolar, is it possible that medication could help him? I don't know if there's the equivalent of birdie Prozac or not, but if there is it might be worth a shot.


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## RedQueen (Feb 21, 2012)

Tough call. Buy a hockey mask?  Sorry I just had to say it lol. But in all seriousness, long time outs for him when he's cranky or having one of these attack moods. Starts chasing Dally - time out, attacks you - time out, maybe doing this consistently will help rein in his attitude on the bad days. Good luck!


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

i was told to try some herbal options, which we are doing, so we shall see 


he is terrified of pink polka dots and the gingerbread stuffed animal i have. ive considered wearing those.... or a hockey mask. ive considered it and it is an option for me still. :/


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## Clair (Jul 31, 2012)

Is it possible that he's jealous of your other birds who can fly? Maybe when he becomes flighted too, the jealousy will go away and he'll calm down.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

no he was flighted before, and its been mostly dally who can fly. the lovebirds used to be flighted but theyre nasty too to others... got clipped. but now theyre in separate rooms and dont interact. mango is flighted now, munch is clipped. dally hasnt been clipped since she was a baby. we let tsuka finally grow in his flights after 9 months of him not even being able to grow in any without being deformed and falling out before they fully grew in... we allowed him to fly and he got aggressive and attacked us all the time. clipped him it calmed him down, let him be flighted again as a trial and he attacked us once more. now we are back here again, but this time i dont got much choice. its his health or my sanity. i gotta pick his health first. we already know how he gets flighted. 

that first photo was from when he was flighted.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

While I don't doubt that he has some kind of emotional/behavioral issues, bipolar disorder does not cause rapid mood swings. Instead it causes longterm periods of extremes in mood -ie manic for weeks or depressed for weeks. So I don't think his issues are actually in line with that. It is true that some larger parrots with severe behavioral issues (usually mutilation) are being treated experimentally with anxiolytics or antipsychotics, and I even know of one cockatoo on Wellbutrin. But these are very potent meds that wreak metabolic havoc on humans....I have no idea if they'd be tolerated by a tiel. I think that herbal and behavioral options are your best bet here. Have you ever tried him on a calming supplement with chamomile? Also, you might keep a log of what's happening on his good and bad days, to try and help you identify potential triggers.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

lol at the first pic


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

enigma731 said:


> While I don't doubt that he has some kind of emotional/behavioral issues, bipolar disorder does not cause rapid mood swings. Instead it causes longterm periods of extremes in mood -ie manic for weeks or depressed for weeks. So I don't think his issues are actually in line with that. It is true that some larger parrots with severe behavioral issues (usually mutilation) are being treated experimentally with anxiolytics or antipsychotics, and I even know of one cockatoo on Wellbutrin. But these are very potent meds that wreak metabolic havoc on humans....I have no idea if they'd be tolerated by a tiel. I think that herbal and behavioral options are your best bet here. Have you ever tried him on a calming supplement with chamomile? Also, you might keep a log of what's happening on his good and bad days, to try and help you identify potential triggers.



he has chamomile and red clover flowers. he gets herb salad which he eats every day with a mix of other herbs but the chamomile is mixed in and recently he had red clover flowers added.

his moods arent daily. they can be one day he will be very sweet all day and be very very loving. the next day maybe the same thing. then the next day i will uncover the cage and he will start lunging at the bars, flaring his tail, hissing and biting and he will chomp you. for nothing. ask him to step up, he steps up and starts going at your hand for no reason, he bites for blood, i feel my skin crunch every time and he has gone to bone a few times. he just KEEPS biting while he is sitting on your hand. this might continue for a few days. there is no pattern to it, its not random changes throughout the day, its more weekly. he's even chased me when i was feeding them, he started going after me


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## Arizonakid (Aug 29, 2012)

*DallyTsuka*



DallyTsuka said:


> i was told to try some herbal options, which we are doing, so we shall see
> 
> 
> he is terrified of pink polka dots and the gingerbread stuffed animal i have. ive considered wearing those.... or a hockey mask. ive considered it and it is an option for me still. :/


A better option might be one of those clear, splatter masks, covering the face that you see surgeons wearing around the operating table. Hardware stores have a similar mask and they are not expensive.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

i need something that covers the full face, im thinking of those mouth masks is what i am picturing with what you are saying


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## RedQueen (Feb 21, 2012)

Arizonakid said:


> A better option might be one of those clear, splatter masks, covering the face that you see surgeons wearing around the operating table. Hardware stores have a similar mask and they are not expensive.


lol it would be pretty extreme to have to actually wear a mask on your face in your own home to protect yourself from your own pet.

I agree with enigma that you should pay special attention to what's going on in your home and in tsuka's environment on the bad days to look for triggers. They could be smells, sounds, things going on outside that you don't notice (construction work, something he sees out the window, a smell of a neighbour's cooking, certain weather, a product you use that has a smell, etc.). Also, could hormone reduction therapy help in this case, maybe he gets hormonal?


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

I saw something similar on an animal behaviour show years ago (too long ago, can't remember name, sorry!) and it was a cockatoo that kept attacking people's heads, or rather one specific person's head.

Every time the cockatoo dive-bombed the person left the room and tried to avoid the bird and so the bird got what it wanted.

They made the guy wear a crash helmet and just "take it" from the bird for a few weeks, once the bird realised it wasn't getting anywhere by being aggressive it stopped the behaviour.

Don't know if it would work with Tsuka but it could be worth giving it a go. You'd probably feel pretty silly though.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

RedQueen said:


> lol it would be pretty extreme to have to actually wear a mask on your face in your own home to protect yourself from your own pet.
> 
> I agree with enigma that you should pay special attention to what's going on in your home and in tsuka's environment on the bad days to look for triggers. They could be smells, sounds, things going on outside that you don't notice (construction work, something he sees out the window, a smell of a neighbour's cooking, certain weather, a product you use that has a smell, etc.). Also, could hormone reduction therapy help in this case, maybe he gets hormonal?


hormone reduction does not work with him, it helps keep him from being nesty, he is on the long nights treatment. he is going on 3 years old. hes well past the teen hormonal nasty male stage, hes just moody.

there are no triggers as its literally random and unpredictable. it can happen any time, anywhere, any place, with anyone. 

with him, a mask is not extreme, i would wear it if needed, though people might think i am crazy. its something i would be willing to try.


he's flighted now with the imping so we shall see how things go


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## Clair (Jul 31, 2012)

Here ya go.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...ord=full+face+mask&storeId=10051#.UEj7pyLiERQ

Only $8.97


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

haha that would work


though the stores are coming out with halloween masks... the dollarstore has some. would be a cheaper alternative


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Have you been keeping records? If not then I'm not sure how you can say for sure that there isn't a pattern. I'm not trying to be mean, it's just something we see over and over again in research -- people are certain that there is or isn't a pattern to something, but when they actually record/measure it, they find out something that they were totally missing before. Why not give it a go for a few weeks? You might just figure out what actually sets him off.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

You've probably ruled out these obvious ones but I've noticed mood changes in Sunny when there are changes in the weather and also if he played a lot over the weekends he'll be grumpy on Mondays.


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## RedQueen (Feb 21, 2012)

sunnysmom said:


> You've probably ruled out these obvious ones but I've noticed mood changes in Sunny when there are changes in the weather and also if he played a lot over the weekends he'll be grumpy on Mondays.


Hahaha grumpy Mondays... Sunny isn't the only one


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

considering it often starts BEFORE i uncover the cage and lasts the whole day, what trigger would there be... some days i uncover and he talks. its like a nasty box of chocolates, never know which you will get when you open it. might get one thats been tossed on the ground and spit on for all you know. thats what its like uncovering his cage in the morning. its like he woke on the wrong side of the bed


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

I still think record-keeping couldn't hurt. Might be some kind of pattern..as to how often it happens..the seasons..etc. Wouldn't hurt anything to try it.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Could be something happening during the night/the early morning? Or even the night before.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

nope same routine, im up all night usually so i notice if there is anything off. sleeps fine, doesnt usually have nightfrights often anymore, these arent the triggers. 

goes to bed at 9pm i say night night and cover the cage, they do bat bird and settle down for the night. quiet all night. i go to bed around 3-6 in the morning. they get uncovered between 10-11 am and its all quiet, they start preening and stretching once i uncover them, or tsuka starts lunging. 

i listen to music with headphones if i listen to it at night. i dont disturb them often. usually its the same routine every night. 


spring, fall, summer, winter, it all makes no difference. he is unpredictable. he has been like this since about 8 months old. he is 2 years 6 months old

history:

rehomed off kijiji some lady bred her tiels and they had babies, tsuka apparently only one as far as we know. three birds kept in 20x20x24 cage, broken down perches and rusty cage. parents plucked tsuka really bad. old owners uneducated in regards of bird care. they were heavy chain smokers and smoked very badly around the tiels. tsuka smelled horrid when we brought him home, it took 8 showers to get the stench off of him. his feathers were dull and ratty. his parents had attacked him in the nest, suspected so anyways due to some scars on tsuka's eye and the chip off the side of his beak and his deformed toenails. both parents were pearl varieties.... he was parent raised and never handled before we got him, we tamed him in a day because he just loved people and wanted to interact with us, he is a people bird.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

If you have enough storage space, you get some lumber and wire screening and make panels for an aviary that you could put together or take apart in a couple of minutes, and stick Tsuka in that on his crazy days. He'd have some space to fly around in but wouldn't be able to attack anyone.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

in an apartment, no we dont have that space but i only wish i did, they'd live in an indoor walk in aviary lol if i didnt have the cats or lovebirds i would consider almost cage free.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

he's very happy though and has been in a great mood lately, hes been soaking up the extra cuddles. but hes got his new wings


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## JokerxDragon (May 22, 2012)

My boys are grumps on days they didn't get much sleep beforehand, could be something disturbing his sleep that you do not know about.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

nope nothing disrupting his sleep. im up most of the night and in plain view of the cage... all's usually quiet. i keep the lights low and noise level low and generally everything is the same every night


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## Homer2012 (Aug 19, 2012)

I really do not have any advice about tsuka....I just wanted to say I hope he calms down for you.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Very pretty picture!


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## Fweet (Apr 9, 2012)

Lovely picture of him flying, what a handsome chap!
Considering his start in life it's only to be expected he suffers from mood swings & despite the best care in the world he probably always will but just as with a child who has been through ****, consistency & unconditional love are the only way....even in a hockey mask. IMHO you're doing the exact right thing in keeping him to a stable & unstressful routine but it must suck to keep getting attacked
Personally, I'd see how he is at the start of each day & if he's going to play up I'd leave him be. Not make a point of punishing him on the naughty perch but just remove any opportunity for what is now habit for him - just as damaged people will often spontaneously lash out & hurt who they love most it sounds like the poor feller is doing just that. It may seem that he hates you but I suspect he's testing you & will continue to 'test' your love for him forever so the best you can hope for is that he eventually calms down slightly. At least he doesn't pluck or self-harm so there at least is a good point in his favour.
If he attacks pop him back in his cage with a covered corner so he can sulk, mutter, plan world domination & dream of being an avian Hannibal Lecter. If he's not hissy then enjoy his company but as soon as aggression shows a beak put him back in without any emotion or drama. Removing the opportunity to be aggressive will eventually break the cycle but letting him attack will only reinforce his feeling that aggression is normal. I think you will have to really structure & control the time spent out of his cage, enforce your routine upon him rather than let him call the shots which will take time & probably make you feel very frustrated as it may not work for ages but short of tranquillizing the feathered fiend time & understanding are all you have in your armoury. Again, if we were discussing a disturbed child we'd understand that they think any attention is good whether aggressive or loving as violence is what they had grown used to & it takes a **** of a lot of legwork on both sides to make them think otherwise.
If he was so badly attacked in the nest is there not a chance he may have a little brain damage rather than just being a disturbed bird? Whatever is wrong with him doesn't sound like it can be fixed with camomile & long sleeps but they will help. This may sound like sentimental claptrap but I've always found the most damaged souls, whether bird, dog or people, ultimately make the best & most interesting of friends even though they are pigging hard work sometimes.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

thanks fweet 

what you say does make sense, i think your option will help a lot 


on his good days he is the sweetest bird ever imagined, he just snuggles with you and wants you to cuddle him all day, he will lean his head against you and just love sitting with you and just is the best bird ever on his good days. then he is the bird from heck on his bad days. hes also the most forgiving creature ive ever met. if he breaks a blood feather, i pull it and most birds would act mad. after the blood feathers he always wants attention and snuggles and he just wants to sit with you.


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## RedQueen (Feb 21, 2012)

What Fweet said sounds like a reasonable scenario. I think it's possible that he's even having some type of flashbacks, the way a person that has gone through trauma might. It's also possible that in a stable and loving environment the mood swings or flashbacks may decrease in frequency, I hope so. Good luck!


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

well its been over a year and a half with this attitude. so far so good with the flighting  been a bit nippy and moody, but no divings


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## nassrah (Feb 27, 2012)

I sincerely hope that this time being flighted,Tsuka will carry on being a sweetie.He looks lovely flying in the picture.X x


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

well regardless if he gets nasty, he's flighted for good.


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