Flight suit training

[Parakeet88]

I've really wanted to get Ben (GCC) in a harness so I can take him on walks. I was working with the aviator harness but Ben really hates anything going over his head so I decided to try out the flight suit. It's been almost a week and I finally got him in it but I think he might be terrified of it now. The entire time he was in it he was stumbling around chewing at it. I offered every one of his favorite treats but he wouldn't take any. I left it on about 5 minutes and after I took it off I let him eat tons of snacks. I don't know if he'll ever let me put it on again

Any tips on what to do from here? Should I just stop? I know some birds will just never get used to/ like a harness

 

[OK Mike]

I had to get Blu used to me taking both hands and sliding his head through them - kind of like a two handed full head scritch. Then it was just a matter of putting the harness on one hand and using the other to ease it over his head. It took a while but now when the harness comes out he knows he's going somewhere. Also don't ever just put the harness on without doing something different with them. Putting a harness or flight suit on and staying put gives wrong signals, like a punishment. Good Luck!

 

[Parakeet88]

I was going to take him on a very short walk to drop my rent off but he was so wobbly I wasn't comfortable taking him out, he couldn't perch and was even rolling out of my palm. I did always read to take them out right away but I didn't feel like it was safe this time.

 

[BirdManDan]

I'm always afraid if I dropped the leash (accidents can always happen) it would become a death trap if he flew off and into a tree up high. I have worked with flight training so they can be free flighted with excellent recall. The hardest things for birds to learn are descending and ascending. One the hardest things for us as parronts to learn is to not rescue our birds when learning free flight inside. Apart from looking to see that our bird is not obviously hurt after a crash we must resist the temptation to go pick up the bird. We must let it come to us otherwise once it is outside and it gets tired or lands where we can't reach it, it will become accustomed to us going to get him. Some times that is not possible, we must be able to recall our birds.

 

[BirdManDan]

Do you have several different sized perches for him? Thin, thick, extra thick and medium ones so that his feet can get the proper changes in exercise for his feet so they are strong grippers so he is not wobbly!!!

 

[BirdManDan]

@OK Mike Is Blu a Harlequin?

 

[Parakeet88]

If I ever do get him outside I would attach the leash to myself so that even if I dropped it he couldn't get away. He's gotten pretty good at flying around the living room, he doesn't really crash much anymore. His feet are in great shape lol his favorite thing is climbing around and hanging off his toys. He was wobbly because of the flight suit being on and he was getting off balance from the way he was trying to chew it.