Senegal Parrot Question

[Whispering Winds]

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I know this is invaluable advise, but your list of why he will bite your face just made me laugh.

 

[BAMABIRDS]

I have had senegals and much larger. Here are some things i noticed that people have said that you DO NOT need to do.

# 1- Do not try to use a stick to get him out!!!!!!!!!! If you want to tame him down you have to earn his trust and that is SURELY NOT going to be achieved by poking at him with a stick hoping he will get on it. In HIS OWN FREE TIME let him come out of the cage and go to the play thing on top. you can then treat him with food or treats until he earns your trust. And by the way you are in for a treat because senegals are fun but very stubborn.

# 2- I wouldnt suggest putting him on your shoulders, but all of the nonsense about biting your face IS NOT TRUE

#3- With the pictures i saw of the bird laying on the bottom of the cage, it looks as if you need to put a wire grate to keep him form getting in any molded food or droppings. This WILL make him sick

Hope this helps

 

[thebirdguy]

Senegals can be awesome pets... They are playful, can learn tricks, and are great birds.. They are in my top 10 of birds I have had (and I've had lots!!!

) Take your time, earn his trust and you'll love him!!

 

[1MrsMagoo]

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I don't really know...I'll have to measure it: It is the one that came with him. I've been after my husband to let me get him something larger for a while: I hate that dinky thing. What size cage should he have?

 

[1MrsMagoo]

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Thank you....their was a thing that went over the tray....but my husband removed it for some reason

The bottom of the cage usually isn't that bad....I cleaned it soon after the photo was taken. I hate just dumping the stuff in the trash can....I like putting it in my compost bin and it had been raining for about two straight days. I'll just get a large trashcan with a lid for cleaning his cage and put it in there so I can add his contribution to my garden.

Again....Thank you for the help!

 

[1MrsMagoo]

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Thanks bird guy: We already love him and he has made progress. Shoot when he got here...he lunged at the bars if anyone even walked toward his cage; and it wasn't the ohh I'm getting a treat through the bars kind of lunge....it was the come over here and I'll rip you arm off kind of lunge. Let's just say that I respected his space and was not stupid thinking I could just stick my hand in there. I have a job where lots of people get cut and lose fingers (trim carpenter...tile/stone installer) but after 15 years I have all my fingers and fingertips and kind of like them right where they are at...lol.

Thanks for all the input: It really is appreciated. I know he could live a long time and I don't want this to be unpleasant for him....or us.

 

[Stacykins]

The minimum size recommended is a shocking 20"x20"x28", I personally wouldn't keep a bird in a cage that size! My sun conure's original cage was 24"x24"x30, and that I found was just so small, and sunnies are smaller than senegals. A smaller cage leaves less space for exercise and toys for enrichment.

I would recommend a cage that has a length somewhere around 36", since parrots benefit from horizontal space more than vertical. Meaning a taller cage with the same volume interior is less desirable than a wider cage.

Here is a visual of my conure's old cage next to her new one. You can see her in the old one, definitely not very spacious! It was technically sold as an African Grey sized cage. The one thing with larger cages is the bar spacing may be an issue. Sennies shouldn't have more than 3/4 inch bar spacing. Any wider, and they could hurt themselves by putting their head though the bars.

Since new cages are expensive, it is not something that needs to be upgraded this minute. But it would definitely lead to a happier, healthier bird. There are less expensive cages out there, but quality can suffer with the lower cost.

 

[redhen]

I agree with the others that said do NOT let him on your shoulder... besides it being dangerous, it also makes them believe they are higher up in the flock than you...and if you have a biter/dominant bird.. its a BAD idea to let him on your shoulder. TRUST me... they CAN bite your face.. (Ask my mother that has a nice scar on her face from her African Grey..)
As for using a stick to get him out of the cage... MANY people do this. You dont POKE the bird with the stick/perch... you just put it at belly/feet level..and tell him "UP"... place the stick length wise against his tummy gently so he can step up on it.... NOT the end poking at him.. (i'm sure you know that though..

..)
MANY birds will instinctively just step up onto the stick/perch when you place it under their tummy at feet level...
BUT if he seems REALLY scared by the stick... then no, dont use it...

And i LOVE Senegals...They usually are SO very sweet, friendly and silly birds...
I'm sorry the poor little guy was abused...

 

[1MrsMagoo]

Thanks Redhen; with his current attitude I think trusting him near anyones face would be ill advised. I am really glad my friend forced me to take him....I never even got to answer her after she "asked me".... they just loaded his cage and things right into my car as I was getting ready to leave.

Stacykins....I see what you mean. The one he is in looks just like the one on the right of your photo, except it is black. I had previously shown my husband a cage I liked at a local feed store (their prices are MUCh better than the pet stores). Anyway, the lady I asked about it said it was big enough for a Macaw and I didn't think that $375 was too bad a price.
My husband and I spoke about this at lenght last night and instead of buying him a new cage....we agreed to build him an indoor aviary type area.

We are adding on and enclosing our front porch over the summer this year (making part of it a greenhouse). Right now, we have two very large bay windows on the front of the house. I got hubby, who is a very skilled carpenter/remodel guy, to agree to letting me convert one into a new home for Shiggle. We will leave that section of wall...remove the windows and install hardware cloth in their place: I am thinking of putting stained bead board over the drywall that is already in there. All I have to do is take some of the cypress or mahogany I have been saving forever and make a face frame with a door....cover it with hardware cloth and bing....instant cage. We can put in a small potted tree or branch, make platforms on different levels and install ladders and toys. I want to use the 1/2"x1/2 hardware cloth to make a wire bottom with a shelf under it to accomodate a couple plastic under bed boxes for his debris. This will give him an area 6' tall x 4' wide x 3' deep. He will still be in a very centrally located area that is warm as well. I think that would make all parties involved happier.

Once we finish it....I will post pictures on here. Since building is picking up (hubby and I work together..I've been installing tile for the past two days and we have a house to trim in another week), it will probably end up being fall before we are finished....but I am very excited about this project. Having the main structure in place should also help speed construction along. Maybe I can convince him to let me use the other window area for a built in salt water fish tank....hmmmm.

 

[bagendhens]

you can find lots of very nice birdcages online and even used through craigslist for great prices, i got jacks first cage, origionally a $450 cal cage for $50 plus gas to get up to meet the guy about an hour away!, hed only used it for a few months before his bird passed away.
jacks new cage (jack is a sever macaw) is actually a cage designed for blue and gold/scarlet macaws so its palacial for him...but i got it from a friend who was downsizing her bird stuff, the cage origionally cost her almost $800, she gave it to me for $50 because it had some small rust spots and needed a REALY good cleaning and is missing the seed guards (which is fine because it wouldnt have fit in my room if it did have them lol)

just be sure if buying a used cage you scrub and disinfect it...

sounds like your little guy is comming along nicely, its a slow process to earn a parrots trust, even with many handfed babies...
but keep up the talking/singing and treats and hell be your best buddy in no time

one thing i do want to say...
everyones commented on birds neer faces and biting...

firstly, not all birds will simply attack your face, jacks favorite place to be is nuzzled under my chin giving me kisses while i fuss him...
but they will do alot of damage if they decide to bite the face...
yet noone has adressed the WHY.

birds are not "domesticated" like dogs and cats...and birds cant "communicate" like were used to in other pets.
in the wild a parrot would shoo its partner away from danger by nipping/biting, their way os saying "get back, danger" and when frustrated "your in my space" they dont just bite randomly...
most bites are for 2 reasons...1 FEAR, like horses birds tend not to like sudden changes/new things...it took jack 2 days after i got my hair cut short to realy get used ot it...you put a parrot in an uncomfortable situation and the bird will want to get itself and its flock (you) away from that situation...the best way in the birds mind to do that is to bite

and the "your in my space" reason is of course obvious.

i think when you have abetter idea as to WHY a bird usually bites (and that its not nesicarily a case of 'i hate you") its easier to handle the situation.