Cage training

[PogoTheConure]

Hello I have a green cheek conure that doesnt have his wings clipped so making him go into the cage is currently a nightmare.

I leave his cage open to be able to fly in and out for food and water and he has no problem when he needs something. He also doesnt bite or anything when i close the cage on him and say "nighty night time".
I also been fighting the habit of him trying to fly out onto my shoulder and been forcing him to step up on my fingers and slowly carring him out. Due to the previous owner would let the budgies and the conure fly around where ever and never handled the bird. An open cage policy is the best i can explain.

Been recently getting flustered that i have had to do the towel technique to cover him the slowly grab him from the towel, give some pets to calm him down, then place him on a perch.
What am I doing wrong to make him not want to go to bed/sleep?

 

[Yoshi&Raphi]

Have you tried using a high value treat to bribe him to go back in?

 

[Kate&Pigeon]

I had this fear with my senegal, but he's been really good at going back in with a treat. He gets a piece of pecan when he does and last night he made a big fuss for my attention on his way to his perch, to make sure he got his treat! He feels like he's in control of it, rather than me forcing him in and I love that.

 

[Lady Jane]

making him go into the cage is currently a nightmare.

This plus the use of a towel will not do much to develop trust. I suggest you use a T stick and train your bird to step on the small t stick and then back to the cage. Put something to entice him on top of or inside the cage. Establishing a routine for bedtime is very important. This way your bird will know what to expect. Start the routine about 6 pm every evening, turn down lights, turn off any noise like music or TV. Once you bird understands the bed time routine he will return to the cage and quiet down on his own. There are several post here about using a T stick, even for a little bird. How does your bird go to bed? | Page 2 | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

 

[TikkiTembo]

We've been in a learning struggle with our flighted cockatiel for weeks now, but having a consistent routine has made a huge difference. I turn the lights down and the sound machine on, and he puts himself to bed on a rope outside of his friend's cage (the one bird in our house that goes to bed on his own lol) so I am able to get him to step up from the rope. Some nights he is grumpier about it than others, but it is leaps and bounds from us using the towel. It's easy to feel stressed or disappointed about the situation, just keep trying new things to see what helps, and stick to a routine once you find what helps. Good luck, you're not alone!

 

[Lady Jane]

@PogoTheConure do you think yo an get the bedtime routine established?

 

[PogoTheConure]

@PogoTheConure do you think yo an get the bedtime routine established?

I do have a bed time routine set i go to bed at 12am every afternoon and close the blinds to block the lights in my room.
But he just doesnt wanna and I think he knows it is bed time and puts up more of a fuss about it.
At 1130am i close the blinds to prevent him to use his window toys and then close my door and sit on my bed and relax doing a few word searches till 12 hits then turn off the big light and leave the side night light on so i can find where my bed is after putting him in the cage. Around this time he knows it is cage time and he flys around. For 30 minutes i try to get him to land on my finger and step up (which he knows how to do it) but he refuse and around 1240 i start using the towel technic.
I have tried to put my head down and fall asleep while he is out and he knows im tired and i need sleep and cuddles up to me while my head is on the pillow and snuggles under my neck. Where at this point i pet him and i have him step up onto my finger with no problems and put him in the cage but i feel like this is tricking him.

 

[camelotshadow]

Don't fall asleep when he is out...If he cuddles by you you could crush him while sleeping. Sadly it happens alot when someone doses off or thinks its OK only to wake up to a crushed bird. It only take s a few minutes & when we are tired & lay down sometimes we just fall into sleep...

So you sleep at 12 noon? I imagine hes not tired then..this is a nap? He does need to be in the cage while you are napping for his safety.

They like to nap. As said find a treat he likes & put it in his cage.

Toweling him everyday is not good.

Have him learn to get used to stepping up to a perch or T stick...Make it a game. carry him around on it...

Try to make them understand its a nap or bedtime & not punishment or a trick even if it is a trick if they get a treat & you both take a nap they will come to understand that 's normal///

 

[Kate&Pigeon]

I've found it's easier to leave his uv light on by his cage, until he goes in. If I switch it off while he's still out, he either wants to be where the light is, so he can carry on playing, or he'll settle where he is, in the dark, outside of his cage. Perhaps the dark has a similar effect on yours? I close curtains, switch off tv etc while chatting about bedtime. Mine won't step up yet, so he is encouraged inside with a nut and I sit with him for a while once he's in, so he can settle on his perch with company. Making it a game really works. Now he's really good at it. Good luck!

 

[Lady Jane]

It is a natural circadian rhythm of a bird to wake up at dawn and roost or sleep at dusk.

 

[Ripshod]

I've found it's easier to leave his uv light on by his cage.....

UV light? It's a full-spectrum avian lamp right? Should really be over the cage where the sun would normally be.
@PogoTheConure a small lamp over the cage is probably your best bet. Turn off every light bar this one and he'll go to the light and into his cage. It's up to you what you do after he's closed in. Please, never towel him, it's not doing your relationship with him any good - you're losing his trust.

 

[Kate&Pigeon]

@Ripshod yes, it's a full spectrum avian light, attached to his cage top

 

[M&M Ninja]

I asked a similar question recently. @annoellyn described a good system with her conure. Her bird will readily fly to her shoulder. Once her conure is there, she hovers her hand over her, walks back to the cage, and pops her in.

I second the high value treat idea because that is what worked with my TAG. I have a young conure now (who shows no treat preferences), and we are learning how to make the cage THE PLACE to be. One rule we have in my house is food is only found in the cage. So even though we haven't identified a high value treat for her yet, she knows that she has to go back in there for food and water. Even if I want to offer her something off my plate - it goes inside the cage. At night, I sweeten the deal by cuddling her as I put her away and speaking quietly about what a great girl she is.

 

[PogoTheConure]

Don't fall asleep when he is out...If he cuddles by you you could crush him while sleeping. Sadly it happens alot when someone doses off or thinks its OK only to wake up to a crushed bird. It only take s a few minutes & when we are tired & lay down sometimes we just fall into sleep...

So you sleep at 12 noon? I imagine hes not tired then..this is a nap? He does need to be in the cage while you are napping for his safety.

They like to nap. As said find a treat he likes & put it in his cage.

Toweling him everyday is not good.

Have him learn to get used to stepping up to a perch or T stick...Make it a game. carry him around on it...

Try to make them understand its a nap or bedtime & not punishment or a trick even if it is a trick if they get a treat & you both take a nap they will come to understand that 's normal///

Don't fall asleep when he is out...If he cuddles by you you could crush him while sleeping. Sadly it happens alot when someone doses off or thinks its OK only to wake up to a crushed bird. It only take s a few minutes & when we are tired & lay down sometimes we just fall into sleep...

So you sleep at 12 noon? I imagine hes not tired then..this is a nap? He does need to be in the cage while you are napping for his safety.

They like to nap. As said find a treat he likes & put it in his cage.

Toweling him everyday is not good.

Have him learn to get used to stepping up to a perch or T stick...Make it a game. carry him around on it...

Try to make them understand its a nap or bedtime & not punishment or a trick even if it is a trick if they get a treat & you both take a nap they will come to understand that 's normal///

I am not fully asleep I just lay my head down and he flys over and cuddles next to me getting ready to sleep with me but i pick him up before i actually fully close my eyes.

Also the noon bed time is actual bed time. Im a night shift worker and i leave my lights on in my bedroom when i go to work so when i come home he is wide awake.

 

[Monica]

Part of the issue may be that you are trying to get him to go to sleep hours before he's "naturally" supposed to... he may be able to adapt to your schedule, but it's a struggle.

Also, never a good idea to force a behavior when you can *TRAIN* it. Don't force him to step up as that only encourages him to evade you. Instead, teach him that stepping up means rewards and that will mean he'll look forward to stepping up, rather than dreading it.


I had adopted a red throated conure, Jayde, that was terrified of hands. She would only leave the cage if she had direct access to my shoulder. If she didn't, she would run away and avoid leaving her cage. It took time, but Jayde did learn to step up onto my hand/wrist - although this was quickly followed by rushing up to my shoulder... which I didn't actually mind. She was all loves, cuddles and chittering sweet nothings once up there.

 

[PogoTheConure]

UPDATE:
I no longer need the towel to get him into the bed. Step ups are getting better but still uneasy, been doing step up training to help the trust.
He sometimes flys to his cage on his own when he sees me grab my word searches but other days is me standing in the middle of the room walking to him, he flys off to a new corner, walk over, flys and rinse and repeat untill he is completely out of energy and I have him step up on my finger and gently place him into the cage. Estimated time of him flapping around like a dork while i stand in the center slightly taking a step is 17minutes maxium.
I take this as he is having a tantrum cause he does squak when I tell him "okay it is bedtime" before he flys around as I watch him burn himself out.