Our intake ringneck, Homer, has been hard for me, because he's so afraid of both women and hands. I know he needs one on one work, but his fear is like a wedge between us. Mike is working so much that he doesn't have much time or energy left, and he must devote it to his own birds so they don't pout.
I've been bathing Homer, taking advantage of the trance state to acclimate him to touching. He's making very slow, but steady headway. I can now scoop him up (but not step him up) and move him from place to place without total hysterics. He yells, but he goes still in my hands instead of thrashing.
Today, I gave him his first group shower. I have always bathed the ringnecks together, for some reason they really enjoy it. After his shower he actually stepped up to me. I had moved all the other birds first... letting him watch them step up one by one. He stepped up and let me put him on the swing to dry.
I am so proud of him, and happy that I have found a way to help him. He's really a very sweet guy, who just never learned about being handled properly. I see hope for him, which I wasn't sure existed a few weeks ago.
Four of the ringnecks bathing
. Mazzie is on the bath perch, she goes into the trance but I worry something will bother her and she'll attack the others for it.
She's safe way up there, and so are they LOL.
Soggy babies waking up. I always give them a few minutes to gather their wits before moving them... they really are tranced out when showering and I don't want to startle them.
Athena
