My bird is impossible to deal with while working, what to do?

Pablosservent · January 21, 2021, 4:30pm

So I have a one year old pineapple conure. I love him however I am entering year 11(and doing some year 12 subjects) and most of my subjects require pen and paper working out and concentration.
So when I am studying, if I have my bird on me he acts like a hyper active toddler, which is normal and fine however I can’t do my math while he is there. He will go onto my chair where I have only just noticed he is quite literally ripping the leather apart and not only making a mess but damaging my chair and potentially eating some himself. (I don’t think so but can’t be sure). If he is not doing that then he is trying to get into my shirt and biting/clawing my skin, or worst of all attacking my precious work books, ripping out pages and working out or even the spine! However I don’t want him in his cage all day and enjoy spending time with him but I also value my school work.

So I have reached out in the hopes of some advice. Should I get one of those portable stands and keep it in my room( mother is very strict about carpet so it may be a problem with poops , food etc), Should I try make one myself? Is it even worth it as he may be a meter away from from me and will just try to fly back to me (He always does this). If you think a stand will work, does anyone have any recommendations?
Thanks

Bernie · January 20, 2021, 7:53pm

As a fellow student, having a bird around while trying to focus in class or work can be difficult. What has worked for me is spending time with my quaker parrot for at least 30 mins before starting a zoom class. I play songs he likes, teach him to fly towards me, and other stuff that entertains him and gets him moving. After around 30 mins I put him back in his cage and put some fresh food and water. I discovered the importance of teaching parrots how to forage. Now, I rap his food bowl with some paper, and he has fun breaking the paper and getting to his pellets. After having my bird out for a while, he doesn’t have a problem with going back to his home and hanging out for a bit. I try to spend quality time with him before class, and since I started this, he has been calm during my classes. Hope this helps!

michael · January 21, 2021, 4:30pm

Great response. Every bird owner should know importance of teaching a bird how to forage. People don’t think about that. I love seeing responses like this because you take the time to love on your bird instead of leaving them alone and ignoring their call for attention.

Pablosservent · January 22, 2021, 5:06am

Thanks for the reply! I do spend some time with him just cuddling, holding etc and he is out of the cage 3-5 hours a day. However the foraging isn’t something I heard of. With your paper idea, I am worried he will swallow the paper however, does this happen or does your bird just chew it? Again thank you for the reply!

michael · January 22, 2021, 2:07pm

That’s what I was thinking as well. With a bird that isn’t used to foraging, how do they know not to eat the paper?

Bernie · January 22, 2021, 8:47pm

My bird throws it out, I recommend putting a piece of paper over the food and supervise what he does, just to make sure your bird doesn’t swallow it. I highly recommend watching this video on what foraging is and how to teach your bird. It’s a bird owner must watch!
The channel Bird Tricks is incredible! it’s all about taking care of your birds, how to train them, and other stuff. All my bird knowledge comes from their videos.
Hope this helps

Also don’t think you need to buy expensive toys for your bird to have fun, my bird loves playing with the carton on the toilet paper roll. I just cut it in different shapes and get creative. I make sure its all safe so he doesn’t swallow anything.