got to share this...

[Clueless]

Secret learned a trick!

MC learned to turn on the hand held perch a while back. He often guesses when I am going to tell him ....(how do you make them not do a trick?)

I started with Secret just about a week ago and only did it a few nights. Secret would only turn half way around, would hiss, flare tail and eye pin and frankly, generally put fear in me. Tonight I said turn and motioned with close fist and she went all the way around!!!! I rewarded with the half pumpkin seed and we did it again!

Had to stop. I was excited so Secret was in Amazon danger zone....didn't want to lose flesh when treating.

When I originally rescued them we took them by a Bird store. I was told I had a chance with MC because of his attitude but Secret was....well, uninterested.

Surprise!

Odd thing though, each Bird turns a different direction!

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

Secret learned a trick!

MC learned to turn on the hand held perch a while back. He often guesses when I am going to tell him ....(how do you make them not do a trick?)

I started with Secret just about a week ago and only did it a few nights. Secret would only turn half way around, would hiss, flare tail and eye pin and frankly, generally put fear in me. Tonight I said turn and motioned with close fist and she went all the way around!!!! I rewarded with the half pumpkin seed and we did it again!

Had to stop. I was excited so Secret was in Amazon danger zone....didn't want to lose flesh when treating.

When I originally rescued them we took them by a Bird store. I was told I had a chance with MC because of his attitude but Secret was....well, uninterested.

Surprise!

Odd thing though, each Bird turns a different direction!

Congratulations!!!! I'm with you… not too crazy about handing a treat to an amazon without bars for protection. I do it with great caution. Lola nailed me once for handing her sunflower seed…. no warning. I'm not one to stick my hand in fire twice so her treats are given after she goes back in her cage for the night.

 

[Anne & Gang]

 

[tozie12]

go lil ones!

 

[Clueless]

Congratulations!!!! I'm with you… not too crazy about handing a treat to an amazon without bars for protection. I do it with great caution. Lola nailed me once for handing her sunflower seed…. no warning. I'm not one to stick my hand in fire twice so her treats are given after she goes back in her cage for the night.

I had great advice from a man on the forums with a bunch of Amazon's

If you want to work with Lola, take her away from the cage(her comfort zone), then work on step ups by stepping her up, give a treat, step her down. When you do it for very brief period Bird has no time to bite. Barbara Heidenreich told me to make a fist (no loose flesh then) when I was getting MC to step up (to quit being scared of hands.) The treat is held in hand that is above the Bird (so Bird doesn't look down at flesh).

Use a small T Stand with Lola and if scared of bites use a hand held perch to get her to step up on.

I think it just builds trust. I give ten pumpkin seeds broken in half and a few sunflower seeds. So it doesn't take long at all in the evenings but man, they know what time it happens!

Yes they can be fierce, but I love Secret. Over two years but we are making strides and last night shows there is hope for training!

 

[DQTimnehs]

Congrats!

My 4 were learning quite quickly to target, turn, then turn left, turn right, touch the toes (allow me to), etc. But my sweet non-biting pi, Tiki, got so frantically excited over the almond pieces I used for treats, she bit fiercely at them and punctured my hands several times. And I accidentally flung her pulling my hand away. I had to quit. I should really try again with a lower value treat. I didn't have to teach Tiki either. By the time it was her turn she was already turning in circles from watching the others.

 

[Macawnutz]

 

[Clueless]

Sarah,

I'm about ready to go back to trying to teach MC to play basketball. We gave up once before when hubby laughed at us and we couldn't do anything. I need to go find a ball that they can play with and not get stuck on their beaks (not good since I can't really handle the little guys and have no clue on how to "towel" them).

Andrea -

I remembered the fellow's name that has the amazons. He is "henpecked" on this forum and another bird forum. He has a bunch of amazons (maybe he even raises them?) and really helped me out when I first started with these two.

 

[Birdiemarie]

Wow! Great progress!

 

[roxynoodle]

I'm curious about them turning different directions. Is one right footed and one left footed? Do they eat holding their food with different feet?

Merlin (and my dearly departed Bri) have been my only right footed parrots. Everyone else is left footed.

 

[Clueless]

Don't know, never paid attention. I think secret steps first with left foot to get on perch if I get her off food bowl....but right when she steps off the perch!

Will pay attention to this in future.

Thought it was a clockwise vs counterclockwise thing. Never considered dominant foot!

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

I had great advice from a man on the forums with a bunch of Amazon's

If you want to work with Lola, take her away from the cage(her comfort zone), then work on step ups by stepping her up, give a treat, step her down. When you do it for very brief period Bird has no time to bite. Barbara Heidenreich told me to make a fist (no loose flesh then) when I was getting MC to step up (to quit being scared of hands.) The treat is held in hand that is above the Bird (so Bird doesn't look down at flesh).

Use a small T Stand with Lola and if scared of bites use a hand held perch to get her to step up on.

I think it just builds trust. I give ten pumpkin seeds broken in half and a few sunflower seeds. So it doesn't take long at all in the evenings but man, they know what time it happens!

Yes they can be fierce, but I love Secret. Over two years but we are making strides and last night shows there is hope for training!

Thanks Clueless! I've had Lola since she was 4 months old… seven years ago. She knows me well as I know her and she simply is not trustworthy or predictable. She will step up for me on my arm ( protected by a shirt) or a perch so I'm glad I have the option. I only use the perch when she is pinning or flashing her tail feathers. She actually has finally allowed me to scratch her head just a couple of months ago. She has watched Henry getting nightly head scratches for quite some time and as I had my back to her I could hear mumblings of " I wish it was me" so I decided to give it a go with this meanie. I was shocked she would finally let me touch her. She kept her feathers tight, still letting me touch, so I know she wasn't 100% trusting but she really wanted it so I limited it to 30 seconds. I use the same phrase "Can I pet you" so she understands the action with the words. She has grown more trusting and letting me dig a bit deeper for that all comfy scratch down to the skin and puffing those head feathers out in "oooo that feels good" and I've increased the time. Then I quit leaving her wanting more. She has been a long study for me in her inability to trust me. Henry so loves his head scratches but in true amazon behavior the next time I approach his cage he may well give me a threat even if I'm only retrieving his water cup. I scratch his head thoroughly every night before he goes in his cage…. last night I was not welcome to come near him and though he wasn't in clear display, minor pinning, he was leaning forward and would have jumped at me. Not the norm for him but it is that season…. oh dear. He's been with me for seven years too. I broke my leg a couple years ago ( very badly) and couldn't take care of them for five months. That did a lot of damage to my relationship with both of them. Fickle birds…. I still love them though!

 

[Clueless]

Yeah, MC flung himself at the cage when I changed water this morning.

Helps having two, they get jealous of the other...

 

[Wasabisaurus]

You can hand feed Secret without bleeding? Wow!

 

[Clueless]

You can hand feed Secret without bleeding? Wow!

Started small. One step up, one quick treat and down, no time for blood draw!