Senegal Parrot - Bad Moult? Please Help.....

Hi Lee,


Yes, it looks good now doesn't it; might just need to be careful with him flying for a while yet.


Cheers,
 
Thanks Greg,


he is not a 'big flyer' which makes me wonder whether he was previously clipped in the past?


thanks for your input, appreciate it


Lee


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Hi Lee and AM,


Yes, I think the one-sided effect was possibly due to him having been clipped in the past. Clipping can disrupt the normal regrowth of flight feathers if they break and bleed during the moult.
 
You can really tell the difference in the strength of a feather if its been clipped or not xx
 
Thank you,


Greg , I have a theory and would like to know what you think. Kenny is incredibly friendly with me, will allow me to hold him, flip him upside down etc etc... however he is VERY aggressive to anyone else. I have had him about 6 months now, he instantly attached to me.


Now, my theory on his aggression I wonder if that could be linked to him being clipped too? When he perceives he is in danger... he does not have the 'flight' response only the 'fight' response due to the clip.. I wonder if this attributes to him being aggressive?


Before he went through his moult, he did fly by having him on my arm and dropping it so he flaps... but flying does not seem to be an instinct for him..


poor little fella!!


Once his flights are back I will work on 'flapping' him (if that makes sense)...


Thanks


Lee
 
Id be interested what you find out lee as I've thought similar about budge. He is bonded to John and did so straight away but will attack me at the drop of a hat.


I do see this in some of the other birds but not to the same degree. Its a killer attack from budge xx
 
Hi Lee and A-M,


Birds which are 'hand-reared' from before their eyes open will imprint socially (and later sexually) onto the 'type' of person that feeds them. As adults, they will want to mate with, and defend the same type of person who fed them as a baby. Obviously, in a the normal 'wild' or parent-reared situation, these behaviours are directed to their own species and, normally (though not always!) to one of the opposite sex. All you are seeing with your bird is the result of this human mal-imprinting. The chances of it occurring can be avoided or at least reduced, by breeders ceasing to use parental deprivation for raising of baby birds.


Re. flight; baby birds have a strong *instinctive* urge to fly, but not the skills of flight. The skills have to be *learnt* by trial and error, and this is best done during the birds' first few months of life as a fledgling. If a baby bird is ever deprived of flight by wing-clipping or over-use of the cage, then it may never fully fly as a normal adult should. Birds have a reflex predator escape response which initiates flight from any fearful stimulus. If this cannot carried out, then yes, the bird may show what is called displaced aggression, caused by the behaviour being frustrated.


The effects of imprinting cannot normally be 'undone', once a bird is no longer a baby; but the worse effects of them can usually be modified with some basic behavioral work.


In addition to these aspects, some birds are more 'fiesty' or 'hot-blooded' than others. Generally, species who are nomadic (most Poicephalus species, Galahs, budgies etc.) are more easliy hyped up and it is best, when interacting with them to adopt a slow, careful approach, using a calm voice at all times. This increases your chances of maintaining stimulus 'control' (where the bird agrees to be compliant with you). My Meyers, Mr Big, behaves in much the same way as your Senegal; given that he was parent-deprived, his behaviour is therefore 'normal'.


Not sure if this helps, but hope it at least explains things a bit.


Google general scientific articles on imprinting for more info on this aspect of birds' and mammals' behaviours.


You wont have a dull moment with most Poicephalus species!
 
thank you Greg that is very interesting, i will Definately google what you have suggested...


With Kenny I am not sure if he was hand reared, i know he was originally purchased from Pets at Home so not sure if that would be the case with him or not, i guess there is no telling.


thank you again for your input


Lee


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