New Owner Need Tips

[yueyue]

Hey everyone I just got a caique yesterday and its been the sweetest thing. He steps up when I want him and loves going on my shoulder. But that's all he wants to do he wont really stay on my hand and when i put him down he just runs back to me and goes back on my shoulder and kinda stands.

I just wanna know do I need to teach him how to play cause every toy i give him he seems uninterested and only interested in nibbling my fingers and hand which i'm teaching him to not bit by saying no.

 

[Mr Peepers]

Congrats on your new fid and welcome to the forum.

Since you've only had the bird one day you have a little ways to go to find what your bird will like with regards to toys and training and a good diet but right now your new bird still needs some time to adjust to you and its new home.

There are a bunch of caique owners on here who will be able to give you lots of valuable advice shortly.

 

[sunnysmom]

 

[Aubrey]

Give your bird time to settle in. When I brought a rescue home a couple months ago. It took nearly a month for him to come out of his shell. Take it slow. Every single thing is new right now.

Good luck

 

[iamwhoiam]

Welcome to AA and congratulations on your caique. You just got him yesterday so be patient and calm. It will take him time to get used to his new environment and new people.

 

[Irishj9]

Hey everyone I just got a caique yesterday and ............. He steps up when I want him and loves going on my shoulder. But that's all he wants to do he wont really stay on my hand and when i put him down he just runs back to me and goes back on my shoulder and kinda stands.
View attachment 198679

Teach a caique to play? LOL. That bird will play you like a violin. You are already his slave and he's had you for one day only. Yes YOU belong to HIM. Also everything you own now also belongs to HIM. It doesnt matter, you will adore being his slave. ( I know, I have 11 caiques)

You cannot change a caique's mind. They must change it themselves which you achieve by DISTRACTION DISTRACTION DISTRACTION.

But first things first.
He is staying close to you for security, and lets face it, more interesting things happen with you than in a cage. The problem here is you need to get him into good habits very early, they are creatures of habit, so teach him GOOD ONES.

Lift him off your shoulder regularly and place him in his play area, with a food reward. ( he will eat the food, not chase YOU).

Then call him to you, hold out your arm so he flies to you, ( sign language) and off you go together again.

Lesson for YOU: Caiques are food motivated, nuts are great
Lesson for HIM: Being put down is no biggie, he'll be back with you in no time.

Oh yes, caiques nibble fingers a LOT. Their beak is a third hand. Encourage the nibbling, its more interaction for you both. Discourage it ONLY if the pressure of the beak is too much. he will learn very fast.

The caique sign for NO is a raised hand, palm facing the bird. It will stop him in his tracks, like magic. ( for at least 5 seconds, an eternity for a caique) lol

Shouting NO! has the opposite effect. The shout has emotion and drama, cocaine to a caique. He will repeat the error to get the dramatic shouting reward from you, screaming along happily in this GREAT new game.

Hide all valuable ornaments, caiques love pushing things off surfaces to hear the crash when they hit the floor.

Wear nothing bright or yellow or red or green or striped or polka dotted or, God help us , PURPLE ( any fruit colour). He will eat holes in them when he is on your shoulder. Nothing you do or say will stop him lol

Caiques point their whole bodies at what they want. Is that bird pointing at my best Armani sunglasses?. Stay alert!

Plus his morning poop will be HUGE, yes its normal. ( So be prepared for it).

Caiques have a VERY sweet tooth which must be controlled. We will talk correct diet later if you want.

And Welcome to AA. More pix please.

JP

 

[Aubrey]

That was very informative and funny @Irishj9

 

[MommyBird]

JP if anyone can answer caique Qs it is you. Perfect.

 

[Irishj9]

OOPS broke my own rules and didnt upload a pic!. This is Fingers. He still does this trick, and many more. Teaching tricks is a great way of bonding and burning off some of that famous caique energy

@rockybird
@saroj12

 

[yueyue]

View attachment 198742


OOPS broke my own rules and didnt upload a pic!. This is Fingers. He still does this trick, and many more. Teaching tricks is a great way of bonding and burning off some of that famous caique energy

@rockybird
@saroj12

Thanks for the tips any on how to clean poop off my clothes I find wiping it off with tissue just makes a mess. Anyway for it to clean it off quickly? He's already is a good boy he would avoid pooping it on my hair.

 

[Irishj9]

Yes tissue just makes a mess. I quickly rinse the stained fabric area in cold water, no rubbing or preparation. It will all run off quickly in the sink.

Occasionally I use old towels under the cage in my bedroom. When I have given it one shake in the garden to dispose of any loose gunk, I pop it in the washing machine, comes out looking fine every time. So cotton cleans well, even wool in a hand wash.

But if you wear fabrics like silk or other delicate man made fibers, you may have bigger issues. Dont wear anything delicate around your baby, who explores his world with his beak. lol

JP

 

[Mr Peepers]

A good way to clean bird poop is to use baby wipes, I've used these to remove mess from carpet and upholstery as well as my shirts. My birds are smaller and don't poop anything as large as a lego block but the cheap no name baby wipes worked well for me and the odd messes.
.

 

[yueyue]

I also want to know. I have a African grey named george. Well he hates potato i dunno why but if potato goes anywhere near him he's gonna bite him. Just the other day potato got bit. What should I do? My Grey just turns into the devil when he sees potato and just stares at him with feathers ruffled

 

[Irishj9]

I also want to know. I have a African grey named george. Well he hates potato i dunno why but if potato goes anywhere near him he's gonna bite him. Just the other day potato got bit. What should I do? My Grey just turns into the devil when he sees potato and just stares at him with feathers ruffled

I know almost nothing about African Grey's but I will offer these thoughts from a general/caique perspective

The Grey thinks you belong to him. That's why he will be aggressive to the caique
The caique thinks he is ten feet tall and will take on the Grey without hesitation
The caique will lose and probably be killed.

You must keep them apart at all times, maybe they will learn to tolerate each other.

JP

 

[yueyue]

Potato doesn't want to be alone. Always wants to be close. When he's in his cage he doesn't play with his toys and just flips around until u take him out. When he's outside he doesn't play alone and when u leave he just waits on the nearest surface for u to come back even if there's a ball or toy

 

[Irishj9]

Well, as long as he can see YOU, he is not going to want to be alone.

When its not his out of cage time he must learn to play alone. Make sure he has some toys, and dont hang about where he can see you

 

[Laurie]

When you and Potato are out together what do you do. You can play with toys together. My caiques want whatever I am holding. If I try to make toys for them with them in the room they want whichever parts I am holding then when they have it they want whatever I am holding next.

As JP mentioned they love to push things off of the table and onto the floor. So maybe set some toys out on a table and move them around, let Potato push them around too. See if you can get him interested.

Also as JP said, he probably won' t play by himself if he sees you he will be too preoccupied with getting to you.

I would start teaching him some "tricks" anything you find useful or amusing. Break up an almond into 10-20 pieces, very small, something he can eat in one bite. When he is on your shoulder hold your arm out straight and flat level with your shoulder. Then hold a piece of nut near him so that he has to take a step down your arm (toward your hand) to get it, give him the nut. Repeat but make him take two steps toward your hand. Repeat until he makes it all the way to your hand. Keep extending the distance until he will walk all the way to your hand for a single treat. Then you can phase out leading him with a treat and just hold out your arm and he will move from your shoulder to your hand. It is a handy trick for getting him off your shoulder and it will build trust with him.

Here is a video of me training one of my girls to get off my shoulder and step on a scale. It is similar to what I describe above. You will notice how quickly she starts to follow my hand around.

 

[rockybird]

He is still a baby. He is also very bonded to you and is looking to you for security. He feels safe when he is with you. Give him time...he will play with toys eventually, but right now he is still very young and adjusting to his new home.

Please be VERY careful around the african grey. The african grey could cause horrific injury or death. Also, caiques can be fearless. When you caique becomes older, he may in turn try to attach the af. grey. My caique shows no fear in going after bigger birds that could easily kill him.

 

[CrestieLover]

Give your new one time to adjust. I have had Larry since Jan & he is still learning to play. He much rather be held though.

As far as poop goes - wear old tshirts that do not matter if they get pooped OR if it is custom tailored by a caique beak!! I think Larry loves to hear his beak pop the fabric.

 

[Ronna]

Your little one is still a baby, I can tell by those big black eyes!! I only have one bird, so we spend a lot of time doing thing together. I have my chair set up by his play area, and he loves to be on his boing in the picture window. I call him the neighborhood watch. So he plays on his boing and a large net thingy I have in the window. He absolutely loves when I hang a plastic slinky in the netting, he fights with it relentlessly. After he has played awhile, he will hop back to me and come in for a quick surf all over my shirt, then back to play or eat. He loves to come with me to the kitchen, where he plays in a safe cupboard, pushing plastic glasses or measuring cups and spoons onto the counter, which makes a terrific racket, then he laughs. Loves to run all over the pile of clean clothes I am folding, or the bed I am making.
But with two birds, don't know how much time you can give each one. Already being a bird owner, you have a lot of knowledge already, but caiques are different from other birds I have had. How is it going so far, I noticed it has been almost two months from your original post?