Hard to come up with a title for this post.
I just wanted to write about some of the things we have learnt so far.
By Thursday Chewie had stopped giving that warning beak when we touched him and seemed happy to be touched even without snuggles being said. This showed how much he is trusting us already.
Friday he had slightly less hand time than other days (about a hour less) and he was a cranky boy Saturday morning, but within a few minutes he was back to his happy self, playing on a folding table that had been set up in the Lounge, chirping and being his snuggly self.
Sunday my husband placed him down on the table to play again and he started craning his head like he was seeking someone, my husband said "It's ok Chewie I am right here." With that Chewie attempted to fly to my husband, eventually landing on his bare chest (claws scratch lol). Makes your heart melt.
Monday was very busy for us, 3 kids off to school, and my daughter that suffers ME had home school lessons to attend, this meant she had to occupy the office with the door closed for 2 hours. Chewie did not take this well, though he could hear her on the odd occasion she spoke to her teacher, we noted during out of cage time that afternoon he was cranky again. So from now on Chewie will come out of the office during her lessons and will have snuggles with Mum. Normally he has hand time before school, then at around 930 and again after school, Yesterday it was just after school. On the 5 days of the week she doesn't have class she spends heaps of time resting on the couch with each bird (one at a time), so this was a lesson learnt, designate someone else while she has class.
So the lesson we have learnt from this is, he is incredibly affectionate and loving and even if he can hear us in the room with him, even if we talk to him, he needs human touch at least twice a day (morning and afternoon), though he seemed to like playing on the table Saturday he prefers to be on your hand or shoulder so he can feel you. So this morning I will be putting my foot down with the kids, they must be ready by 715am so one of them can have hand time with Chewie for a hour before school. (This is something they have done most mornings for over a year now as our dog was abused before we got her and she frets all day while they are at school, so they have to be ready a hour before we leave to play with the dog, unfortunately Yesterday they were not ready in time).
If you are considering adopting a blind bird, please note this is different to caring for other birds, you can not rely of toys entertaining them if you are unavailable. You are their only source of comfort, entertainment, touch etc. So learn from the lesson we have just learnt. You must ensure no matter what that the bird gets that hand time even if you are sick. Whether you designate to another family member or friend.
Note: Though I think he can see really bright light, I believe he knows day from night due to the birds outside chirping as 2 nights now we have left the light on in the office until 10pm and not put a cover over him and he has been asleep within 10mins of dusk despite the bright light.
Oh and fantastic news 3 of his Crest Feathers (that his former cage mates plucked) are growing back already.
I have read some stories of people that have a blind bird and a flightless bird (due to wing damage or just born a runner) and they have apparently got on really well and helped each other. I am not taking on another disabled bird just to see if this is fact tough. Of course we never turn away a animal that needs us.
Monday 30 April 2012
Photos of cage set up for blind cockatiel
This is close to the final set up, since this photo was taken we have removed the swing, moved his water next to his food (as he climbs all around the outside of his cage and gets poo in his water, removed the foot toy, moved the toy on the left (ball bell strung with beads) over the otherside and added in a pinecone.
Photo of final cage set up will be uploaded asap, so stay tuned.
Wednesday 25 April 2012
Caring for a blind Cockatiel
As mentioned in Welcome To Chewie, I observed how his previous owners handled him and how he reacted to this and to my neighbour.
Monday: my husband was the one to get him out of the transport cage, he bonded with Chewie instantly.
He took the top off the cage to avoid grabbing him to get him out the small door and spoke to him softly for several minutes before placing his hand in the cage. He put his finger infront of Chewie's chest and said up softly. Chewie hopped up and chirped away happily.
So we had our approach, we would constantly speak softly and never grab him in the usual hand hold used to hold birds for examinations etc.
My husband took him to his new cage and as he placed him in the door he said in.
Usually we would let a new bird have 24hours in their new cage to get used to it but after a sort period of time he was trembling with fear. So my husband got him out again, but talking softly for several minutes, then placing his hand infront of his chest and said up softly. He took him out and Chewie had some pats from my husband, my 7yr and my 14yr. As we touched him we spoke softly the entire time.
At this point he hadn't bitten any of us or attempted to.
I had noticed on the drive home he liked music so we played him The Beetles.
Tuesday:I noticed he didn't want me to take him out of his cage only my husband and daughters. He also went to bite myself and my 7 year old. My husband calls it my animal voice, I go a little high pitched and Mr 7 does this also, we made our voices deeper but still soft and this stopped.
We noticed he did not like his back or wings being patted
We played him some Jazz (loves that).
We started the command down when he is on the finger and we want him to go on a surface or someones shoulder.
Wednesday Today I played Youtube videos of other Cockatiels whistling and he really loved it. Also a video of a Cockatiel dancing to someone playing violin he really likes the violin.
We started a new word, snuggles, we use it when we are going to pat him, we say it softly and then pat him on his back very softly, after a few minutes he stopped trying to nip.
The thing we have learnt is everything needs to be soft.
My husband can do a few funny voices and one is a bird talking, he said hello to Chewie in a bird voice and Chewie was very interested.
I placed him on the desk and got his food bowel out of the cage and said here's your food while placing the bowel infront of him. He stepped in it lol. I am going to persevere with this command as I thought it may be useful down the track.
When placing fresh food and water in the cage, I talk to him softly and tell him I am getting him food and water.
When its bedtime, I say "Chewie its bedtime now I am going to tuck you in". Though he is completely blind he knows day from night, we noticed when a bright flash of a camera went off he hissed, this is the only time there has been any reaction to visual stimuli
I know he doesn't understand my long sentences but hearing a voice as his cage is being touched calms him.
So what we have learnt so far
Use a soft voice with a deeper pitch.
Always use a greeting word when entering the room or approaching the cage, we just say Hello Chewie.
When patting do so softly.
Speak softly constantly as you are touching the bird or the birds cage.
Don't grab the bird, let him step up.
You are his only source of entertainment as toys are of now use to him, so having each member of the family spend time every day talking, patting etc is important. We have placed his cage in our office as it is the room used most during the day.
Playing music or other birds chirping, singing, talking etc is very stimulating for him.
I hope this helps anyone needing info on caring and handling a blind cockatiel.
Monday: my husband was the one to get him out of the transport cage, he bonded with Chewie instantly.
He took the top off the cage to avoid grabbing him to get him out the small door and spoke to him softly for several minutes before placing his hand in the cage. He put his finger infront of Chewie's chest and said up softly. Chewie hopped up and chirped away happily.
So we had our approach, we would constantly speak softly and never grab him in the usual hand hold used to hold birds for examinations etc.
My husband took him to his new cage and as he placed him in the door he said in.
Usually we would let a new bird have 24hours in their new cage to get used to it but after a sort period of time he was trembling with fear. So my husband got him out again, but talking softly for several minutes, then placing his hand infront of his chest and said up softly. He took him out and Chewie had some pats from my husband, my 7yr and my 14yr. As we touched him we spoke softly the entire time.
At this point he hadn't bitten any of us or attempted to.
I had noticed on the drive home he liked music so we played him The Beetles.
Tuesday:I noticed he didn't want me to take him out of his cage only my husband and daughters. He also went to bite myself and my 7 year old. My husband calls it my animal voice, I go a little high pitched and Mr 7 does this also, we made our voices deeper but still soft and this stopped.
We noticed he did not like his back or wings being patted
We played him some Jazz (loves that).
We started the command down when he is on the finger and we want him to go on a surface or someones shoulder.
Wednesday Today I played Youtube videos of other Cockatiels whistling and he really loved it. Also a video of a Cockatiel dancing to someone playing violin he really likes the violin.
We started a new word, snuggles, we use it when we are going to pat him, we say it softly and then pat him on his back very softly, after a few minutes he stopped trying to nip.
The thing we have learnt is everything needs to be soft.
My husband can do a few funny voices and one is a bird talking, he said hello to Chewie in a bird voice and Chewie was very interested.
I placed him on the desk and got his food bowel out of the cage and said here's your food while placing the bowel infront of him. He stepped in it lol. I am going to persevere with this command as I thought it may be useful down the track.
When placing fresh food and water in the cage, I talk to him softly and tell him I am getting him food and water.
When its bedtime, I say "Chewie its bedtime now I am going to tuck you in". Though he is completely blind he knows day from night, we noticed when a bright flash of a camera went off he hissed, this is the only time there has been any reaction to visual stimuli
I know he doesn't understand my long sentences but hearing a voice as his cage is being touched calms him.
So what we have learnt so far
Use a soft voice with a deeper pitch.
Always use a greeting word when entering the room or approaching the cage, we just say Hello Chewie.
When patting do so softly.
Speak softly constantly as you are touching the bird or the birds cage.
Don't grab the bird, let him step up.
You are his only source of entertainment as toys are of now use to him, so having each member of the family spend time every day talking, patting etc is important. We have placed his cage in our office as it is the room used most during the day.
Playing music or other birds chirping, singing, talking etc is very stimulating for him.
I hope this helps anyone needing info on caring and handling a blind cockatiel.
Blind Cockatiel Cage Set Up
When I got him home, I scrubbed his new cage and went about setting it up. My approach was since flying is a hazard for him as he crashes and he climbs everywhere testing with his beak then instead of my normal approach to a cage set up (as wide as possible perches and toys at the sides leaving plenty of flight space), I would got for a smaller cage, than I would normally put a cockatiel in (60cm wide x 40cm deep x 45cm high) I placed a long ladder on one end at the back, a calcium perch in the middle at the front with a large rope swing next to it within reach, and on the other side at the back a spiral rope perch (boing).
We then monitored him in his cage taking notes of how he got around. First we noticed he needed the ladder and perches closer than recommended for a Cockatiel to the cage sides as he didn't like to reach too far for footing and didn't like climbing on the wire. So we adjusted this.
All I had read was not to make changes to cage set up, So my wish is to have it just right within 4 days of him coming home and then never change it.
I placed a homemade shredding toy with a ball bell on the end near his ladder, but he hates it so out it goes.
Next we noticed the boing was a issue as he could climb up but not down, but his ladder he went up and down no worries, so out it came to be replaced by a rope perch in the corner and another smaller ladder.
Today I noticed he hates the swing (thought he loved the rocking movement of the car on the drive home), so out it came and the calcium perch spacing is too far from the corner, so Tomorrow I am off to find a short Gum, Bottlebrush, Grevillia or Melaluca branch that is the right thickness and add it in and move the calcium perch a little.
I will be changing him into a slightly wider cage but its been delayed, it will be 76cm wide x 45cm deep and 45cm high as since he keeps his tail inwards and climbs all around the the cage his food and water has to go in the middle and the perch and ladder requirements mean he is at risk of pooing in his food and water.
We have found toys are not needed as he can't play with them and they just scare him, all he needs are perches and ladders.
Photos to come
Welcome Chewie
I am starting this blog so others looking for information on cage set up and care of blind Cockatiels and other birds can learn from our experience and we can learn from others experiences.
Sunday night, I saw someone offering a special needs bird (Choo a blind Cockatiel). My heart and my families heart went out to this little guy.
He was in a cage with 5 other Cockatiels and they had plucked all of his crest out. Her daughter had spent alot of one on one time with him, and they really loved this little guy. He slept alot and loved to snuggle.
So I sent a PM to his owner offering him a home and started researching care of a blind Cockatiels, Cage Set up and Training. Wow talk about a difficult mission to find information or photos of cage set up etc. There was plenty of stories about how loving blind birds are, but little real information.
I picked him up Monday morning at 10am and we renamed him Chewie (Star Wars fans).
He was very stressed and nervy, he would hiss when he heard any sound (ie someone touching his cage), and bite when handled. I observed his interactions with his previous owners for 30 minutes approximately, and when I arrived home got my neighbour (a avid aviculturalist) to give him a health check, when handling him he used the same technic as the previous owner as I told him what commands they were using. I watched how he reacted to the handling and when my husband arrived home we had a discussion about my observations and formed a tentative plan for our handling of him.
He is amazing, he feels his way around with his beak and smells his food.
Blog entries to come are Blind Cockatiel Cage Set Up and Caring For A Blind Cockatiel.
Disclaimer, the information contained in this blog is based on our experience, it is important to adjust your approach to meet the birds needs. We are not experts and are learning as we go and we read alot.
Sunday night, I saw someone offering a special needs bird (Choo a blind Cockatiel). My heart and my families heart went out to this little guy.
He was in a cage with 5 other Cockatiels and they had plucked all of his crest out. Her daughter had spent alot of one on one time with him, and they really loved this little guy. He slept alot and loved to snuggle.
So I sent a PM to his owner offering him a home and started researching care of a blind Cockatiels, Cage Set up and Training. Wow talk about a difficult mission to find information or photos of cage set up etc. There was plenty of stories about how loving blind birds are, but little real information.
I picked him up Monday morning at 10am and we renamed him Chewie (Star Wars fans).
He was very stressed and nervy, he would hiss when he heard any sound (ie someone touching his cage), and bite when handled. I observed his interactions with his previous owners for 30 minutes approximately, and when I arrived home got my neighbour (a avid aviculturalist) to give him a health check, when handling him he used the same technic as the previous owner as I told him what commands they were using. I watched how he reacted to the handling and when my husband arrived home we had a discussion about my observations and formed a tentative plan for our handling of him.
He is amazing, he feels his way around with his beak and smells his food.
Blog entries to come are Blind Cockatiel Cage Set Up and Caring For A Blind Cockatiel.
Disclaimer, the information contained in this blog is based on our experience, it is important to adjust your approach to meet the birds needs. We are not experts and are learning as we go and we read alot.
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