# Few small problems



## Katta (Mar 21, 2008)

1.) The flock calling. My tiel is very bonded to me, he'll start screaming and flock calling the second I'm out of sight and will not stop until I turn my attention back to him. According to my roommates, he does this for over an hour when I have to leave for class for at 8 in the morning. Needless to say, they were not happy. I've tried leaving on the TV, rotating his toys around every morning, something to keep him distracted but nothing works. Leaving a cover on does absolutely nothing either.

I cannot even go brush my teeth in the morning without him going mental or cook dinner without him flying around frantically and chirping trying to find me while everyone is covering their ears. Bathroom and kitchen is off limits because of the inherent dangers (hairspray fumes, teflon, glassware, hot surfaces and water etc) so I can't have him being a velcro bird all the time. Others suggested calling back to let him know I'm still around, but it only encourages him to keep going. 

Sam only goes into his cage to sleep. Rest of the day, he's got full reign of the apartment when I'm home and spends most of his time perched on my shoulder or sitting on my desk, eats all his meals with me as well. Super calm and quiet, only baby whining for scratches every once in awhile. Definitely attention spoiled!

Any suggestions? I live with 3 other people and the noise is pushing a lot of buttons.

2.) He's got this fetish for chewing buttons. I've had to replace my remote, my mouse, and I spent several HOURS trying to repair my $1600 laptop keyboard after he'd pried off half the keys and underlying mechanisms in the 10 minutes I was watering plants on the balcony. Left plastic keys in the couch, on the floor, in other rooms. Right now, I just sternly say no, make him step up, and remove him from the laptop. But he doesn't seem to be responding to that and immediately makes a beeline back, beak open, ready for more naughtiness. Tried to shake the laptop to make him get off balance every time he jumps on, he doesn't seem to care. Offer him other button-y things he can't destroy and tons of chew toys but no luck.

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Any suggestions would be appreciated  He's incredibly tame, gives kisses, steps up, responds to recall (only if he's not up to something naughty ) and semi-potty trained. 10 weeks old, so hopefully it's just a baby phase that'll pass.
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VAPIR NO2 VAPORIZER REVIEW


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Welcome  Sounds like you have a tiel that could turn in to a screamer. I would let him know when your home, when I come home I say Hi Spike and he will say hi babe. But I would try and ignore him when he is screaming and pay attention when he is quite or making a noise you like  Here is a link, I hope it helps http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-beh...ehavior-issues-screaming/stop-the-squawk.aspx. Also he sounds like a new addtion and I would try to only spend the same amount of time with him that you will be able to spend with him regulary. And for things with buttons try and keep them away from him  Hope this helps


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

I know how annoying the contact calling can be, but the only real way to end it is to ignore it and then immediately turn your attention to him when he's quiet. I know how hard it is to do that, and how painful it is to listen to the noise but believe me when i say you DO NOT want calling to become screaming. It's a million times worse!  Just remember, ignore the bad, reward the good. Maybe tell the people who live with you to help on that front so that when he's quiet they can just say to him "good boy" or something simple. 

The buttons, well, that's a tiel thing. They love to chew. I've lost a few laptop keys, remote buttons, mouse cords and necklaces to the wrath of my tiels' beaks.  The only thing to do is tell him no (like you're doing) and keep him away from them, especially when he's unsupervised. I like to place my remotes face down so there's no possibility of them chewing the buttons, and if i leave the room with my laptop on i'll put the screen almost all the way down to keep them off the buttons. Little preventative things like that help. And offer substitutes for chewing. Bailee is a chewer but as long as i have some paper for him i can generally keep him distracted and happy.


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

I know with Quaker Parrots the rule of thumb is ONLY spend as much time with them during the day as you'll be able to for the next 30 years 

I use this rule for all my birds! you can't spend 24/7 with a new bird and then out of no where spend a few hours a day - they get used to the attention and then it stops all of a sudden out of the blue, and they freak out scream for you, and they'll continue to do it until you start spending that 24/7 with them again

I'm not saying this is what you're doing by no means just explaing

None of my Tiels do this, but I do have a Quaker we adopted this past July (this july makes a year we've had him) he was 12 when we got him and the woman i got him from was his only owner she got him for xmas when she was 12 (he was a baby) and OMG did he come to me with REALLY BAD HABBITS, eating off our plates ( I hate that!) begging for food JUST LIKE A DOG! and I tell him every time I won't even feed a dog who's been begging me for food I sure won't give my food to no beggin' bird 
he ended up bieng my boyfriends best friend (started out as my bird my b/f ignored him only talked to him like 3xs within 2 weeks he hated me and only wanted my boyfriend) so our new rule is - If my b/f is going to leave for more then a few hours (over night or over the weekend) Billy (the quaker) has to go with him NO IF's AN'S or BUT's! I refuse to put up with the non stop screaming and the constanst attacking - i can't even put my hand on his cage w/out bieng attacked! so how am i supposed to feed him?

you need to nip this problem NOW before it becomes his/her way of life 

my b/f will either whistle to billy when he starts screaming for him, or call his name, or tell him to hold on - sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt 

but DO NOT RUN back to them - its what they want plus that is just rewarding them , they scream - they get what they want - you to return on command

If you have to leave the room tell him you'll be right back, it'll take patience but with him bieng so young You should be able to reverse this behavior before it gets any worse 

Ignore the bad behavior and Reward the good behavior (which is the no screaming for you)


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## Katta (Mar 21, 2008)

He's been with me for a month, got him very young because breeder was moving. I'm a full time college student with a pretty rigid schedule (Leave at 8am, back around noon typically), and this has been going on for 3 weeks now. Tough love doesn't seem to be working at all which is why I'm posting here because I've heard screaming tiels and it isn't pleasant. Was hoping someone had some miracle trick I haven't tried because the roommates are seriously getting miffed and I hate having tension in the house 

Guess I have a stubborn bird and it'll be awhile before he clues in that mommy will be back later? It just confuses me because he's been such a fast learner with more complicated things.
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## Kai (Jan 28, 2008)

I'm glad I've read this post. I'm had my baby for a over a month now and just in the past few days has he discovered his voice. I was home all week last week for Spring Break but, of course, that came to an end and I went back to work this past Monday. When I got home he started calling to me from the second I came in the door. I had to disappear into the kitchen and the calling only got worse. I went back to him as fast as I could to say hi and give him cuddles....

After reading this....  I won't be doing that anymore. I'll wait till he settles and then go visit. Thanks for all the advice... lol even though it was directed to Katta and not to myself.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

I read that if you tell them before you go it helps. Like See you later when you are going to go to school or be right back when you are going to the store. I do it with Spike and now he says I got to go to work see you later  When Spike sees me getting on my coat he will squak and run back and forth with his wings up. I will say see you later and leave. My Mom says he will calm down in about 2 mins after Iam gone. I would try it mabey it will help


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## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

Earl doesn't seem to call me that often, he only calls me when I walk out of the room, and there is no-body else in there!  I say good bye when I am going out anywhere, and he doesn't seem to mind!  Saying good bye, and see you later like Jaime (xxxSpikexxx) mentioned it, might make a difference! :thumbu:


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

I talk to Dooby like he is a child. If I'm going to leave the room, I'll say, "Won't be a minute" or "see you later!" he doesn't call after me. When I come in from being out though, as soon as he hears the key in the front door he calls out to us. Whatever I do around Dooby, I tell him what I'm doing, like ..."Just going to change your water" "I'll get you some nice new food" Whatever it is, even down to "Just going to move this toy, a minute" It has certainly paid off. He knows that whatever I do, he isn't going to be left, hurt or generally put out for long. Plus.....read my thread http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?p=28939#post28939 Just by talking to him like I have been doing, this seems to be the result!! I'm not saying you can hold a full conversation about global warming or suchlike, but he seems to understand what we are doing and why we are doing it.


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## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

I talk to Earl & Little & Little Bill like children aswell. Like "Nice clean cage,all clean now!" just for example!  They look like they are listening aswell. :lol:


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