Need Intervention Help
Hi guys. I recently (about 4 months ago) fully took up caring for a relatives Quaker parakeet as they are tired of him. I am fully uneducated on this (trying as much as I can!) but I DO NOT believe in giving him up, I think that is so cruel, especially because he is struggling with feather plucking already and I've heard its a sign of loneliness/boredom. Currently, he is not friendly with anyone. He tolerates me but tries to attack others who live in the house and WILL bite my hands and fingers if they get too close. He does not tolerate touch nearly at all (I can sometimes afford to kiss him on the head when he is perched away from his cage). He clearly wants my attention and I am happy to give it, we talk constantly etc.
However, my main problem with this is that he has never been to a vet in his life (he is about 6 years old) and I've heard his diet has been mostly seeds (I switched him to 36% pellets according to the lafebers mixed bag). I want to take him to the vet ASAP to make sure everything is alright, especially because I do not know how much he should be eating, WHAT he should be eating, and if he is severely underweight/overweight because I do not think he gets enough to eat. I do not know what conditions my relative was keeping him in but I do not think they were good. He is relatively active and chattering and does not present with extreme health problems, but I want him to be comfortable being touched in order to be able to actually take him to the vet in case there is something he needs intervention for, especially because I have recently learned they need fruits/vegetables and he has not had that his entire life. Are there any intervention / training websites with clear instructions, videos, etc on how to work with extremely aggressive birds like this? (For reference, I have tried feeding him millet as a treat but he won't eat it or take ANY treats from my hand as he immediately takes any object near him as an attack)
He is extremely territorial so I am going to attempt to get him one of those big tree perches to stand on to hopefully cure some of his cage aggression and make this training easier. I just want him to be happy and I am so sad nothing I am trying seems to work :( Thinking of trying to temporarily incorporate sunflower seeds into his diet so he gets used to the treat and use THAT for training, please tell me if that's a good idea / if there are any step by step intervention guides or professionals I can consult to help! I am also about to switch him to a new cage entirely that is slightly bigger, and I am looking for good places to get great quality toys so that I can solve some of his boredom! I am completely ready to change his life for the better, I just need to know where to start.