I was growing desperate to make some headway, any headway with Homer, the ringneck intake. After his Q we moved him near Maz, hoping being around another older ringneck would help some, and he did talk to her a bit but still was very closed off to us.
Nothing I tried, none of my other tricks made any dent in this birds armor, he hates hands and women and that was the end of the discussion.
Tonight, I tried the last thing I knew to try... a shower.
Ok, sounds odd, but it worked with Maz and Mike. She learned to love him because she loved showers, and he would take her.
So, I took a struggling upset Ringneck to the shower with me. I knew I was taking chances of him biting me in some areas I don't want bit, but there was no other options left.
It worked, just like with Maz. He went into the ringneck shower trance. Thats what we call it. Get them wet and they melt into big ol piles of butter, willing to let you do anything, just let them stay wet. I held him on my hands, pet his head, even kissed the little guy! He came out of the shower and stayed on my hand for a few minutes, until he realized he was on a hand.. and a woman LOL.
So, little Homer will be getting nightly showers with me. I hope, that like Maz, he'll learn to love that time so much he'll stop minding me or hands.
I hoped so much that this would work, because nothing else seemed to be helping in the slightest. If anything he was getting worse. Now there is hope.
Athena
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How on earth do you get them into the shower with you? Atticus just freaks out when the water comes on - so much so that I'm not game to take her in just in case she does some damage to herself. She'll sit outside the door but no way is she coming in! Is there hope for her??? I would love her to come in because she screams the place down when she can't see me.
Athena u such a clever gal
Ur such a natural at this parront thing arnt u hun, its gr8 news anyway, well done.Im dieing to try it with marley. Need some chain link gloves tho! 
Nataliexxxxxx
NataliexxxxxxTo handle yourself use your head, to handle others use your heart.xx
indie started off sitting on the door when i was in the shower then after a while he started flapping his wings so i had him sit on my hand and gradually took him near the water. it must be so hard for both birds and new foster parents to work each other out but it really sounds like you have the experience and patience to do it.
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kyria
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You are amazing darlin .. well done 
I wear a shirt, so they feel comfortable on my shoulder and just step on in, giving them no choice. But I prefer to and they much prefer to just be sprayed most of the time.
I wear a shirt, so they feel comfortable on my shoulder and just step on in, giving them no choice. But I prefer to and they much prefer to just be sprayed most of the time.
Angie
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Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. {Pro 10:12}
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God Bless
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Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. {Pro 10:12}
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God Bless
Athena,
How funny, I did just that 2 weeks ago with Ms. Byndi and she LOVED it! She too went into a trance. And didn't want to get off of my shoulder when I called John in to get her. So this past Sunday we went in again. This time during the shower she lost her footing on my shoulder and fluttered to the floor of the shower. So I bent down and she stepped onto my HAND!!!!!!!!!! And STAYED there! She just went into that trance. All squated down and eyes bugging out her head and just enjoyed the moment. I stay in there so long with her my fingers start to prune! Tee hee. I was so totally freaking out that she was on my hand. It was so great. Hasn't stayed on my hand since. But when John took her out he said she even let him pet her for a few. I too was able to pet her on her head and give her some kisses while she was in the water trance. It was so awesome. I don't have time to do it every day, but she's going to get them every weekend now. So this may help hand train her. Love it!
How funny, I did just that 2 weeks ago with Ms. Byndi and she LOVED it! She too went into a trance. And didn't want to get off of my shoulder when I called John in to get her. So this past Sunday we went in again. This time during the shower she lost her footing on my shoulder and fluttered to the floor of the shower. So I bent down and she stepped onto my HAND!!!!!!!!!! And STAYED there! She just went into that trance. All squated down and eyes bugging out her head and just enjoyed the moment. I stay in there so long with her my fingers start to prune! Tee hee. I was so totally freaking out that she was on my hand. It was so great. Hasn't stayed on my hand since. But when John took her out he said she even let him pet her for a few. I too was able to pet her on her head and give her some kisses while she was in the water trance. It was so awesome. I don't have time to do it every day, but she's going to get them every weekend now. So this may help hand train her. Love it!
Oh this little guy loves showers. He went fully into the trance, like Mazzie does. Buddy gets squatty and relaxed, but Homer was nearly asleep LOL.
Mazzie, well, she's the shower diva. I must sit/lie on the bottom of the tub so she can flop out on my body with her wings wide open and tail fanned. Then she lies her head down (usually on my thumb) and just zonks. She is such a gumby bird in the shower LOL.
Because I did it in the evening we set him up with his own heater and watched to be sure he dried before he went to sleep. He jumped from my hands already this morning, but I didnt expect major changes yet.
Oh, and how I get them to the shower... I grab. Mazzie taught me long ago that there are ways to hold onto ringnecks that they cannot bite you. Maz loves it so she just rides in on my hand, but other birds need a bit of help. I held Homer (as he screamed huge screams) and lowered his tail into the water. He got startled and stopped screaming, I uncupped my hands and slowly let more water get on him, and he got more and more relaxed. In the end he was sitting with one foot on my thumb, one on my finger and his body mostly lying down in my hand
Athena
Mazzie, well, she's the shower diva. I must sit/lie on the bottom of the tub so she can flop out on my body with her wings wide open and tail fanned. Then she lies her head down (usually on my thumb) and just zonks. She is such a gumby bird in the shower LOL.
Because I did it in the evening we set him up with his own heater and watched to be sure he dried before he went to sleep. He jumped from my hands already this morning, but I didnt expect major changes yet.
Oh, and how I get them to the shower... I grab. Mazzie taught me long ago that there are ways to hold onto ringnecks that they cannot bite you. Maz loves it so she just rides in on my hand, but other birds need a bit of help. I held Homer (as he screamed huge screams) and lowered his tail into the water. He got startled and stopped screaming, I uncupped my hands and slowly let more water get on him, and he got more and more relaxed. In the end he was sitting with one foot on my thumb, one on my finger and his body mostly lying down in my hand
Athena
Athena,
That is so cool. See I was afraid Byndi wasn't enjoying it cuz she wasn't moving. But then I decided that she was enjoying it cuz she wasn't moving. Figured if she hated it she'd have been all over the place trying to get away. She gets all squatty and zombie like, but not like Ms. Mazzie. I love it. Wonder why some of them like baths so much. Any ideas?
That is so cool. See I was afraid Byndi wasn't enjoying it cuz she wasn't moving. But then I decided that she was enjoying it cuz she wasn't moving. Figured if she hated it she'd have been all over the place trying to get away. She gets all squatty and zombie like, but not like Ms. Mazzie. I love it. Wonder why some of them like baths so much. Any ideas?
Buddys the only ringneck I've had who wasnt really into showers. Alice turns into gumby too, and Sage is a total dork for water LOL.
I'm not sure why they love them so much, but it has really shown true for me.
Heres the only pic that hubby got of a wet Homer that I would allow to be kept LOL, he tried shooting into the shower but the steam didnt help, and well hey... I was in the shower too!
At that point he was starting to realize that he was on a hand LOL, but still not freaking, just grabbing and readjusting himself.
Athena
I'm not sure why they love them so much, but it has really shown true for me.
Heres the only pic that hubby got of a wet Homer that I would allow to be kept LOL, he tried shooting into the shower but the steam didnt help, and well hey... I was in the shower too!
At that point he was starting to realize that he was on a hand LOL, but still not freaking, just grabbing and readjusting himself.
Athena
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