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New bird owner

Gizmo The GCC

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2/16/18
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63
Hi! I feel like I’m not getting anywhere with my bird. I’m a newbie, so it’s a bit frustrating. She tends to go for my hands every time I try to ask her to step up. She’s been out of the cage a couple of times so far, (she’s been with me for nearly 2 weeks now). She does take treats from me through the cage bar though. She would take treats from me with the door open too. It’s just not the step up part.

I recently started to introduce the target stick and the clicker hoping that it’ll make things easier for us in the long run, but I’m still working on that.

Anyway, I want her to step up, so we can have a better bonding relationship, but I don’t know. Should I start with my hands closer? Or abit further away so that she’ll fly to my hands?

Also, there’s this one time she literally flew to me, and she won’t come off! She just hid herself behind back. She would sometimes nip my ears. The worst part is her biting my hands. I don’t like it. I tried using a treat to lure her off of me and into the cage. I’m not sure if I’m doing the right thing though. Like, from shoulder straight back into her cage. It took like 5-8mn, but it kinda works. Any tips please?
 

JLcribber

@cockatoojohn
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Your HANDS are the problem. Quit using them. They look and act like predators. Offer your arm/forearm/shoulder/knee/head. Anything but your hand.

You are not showing much if any patience. I don't know a bird on this planet that trusts anyone after only 2 weeks. It will take months (possibly years) for you to slowly achieve what you want. This is a journey. Not a race. Quit racing.
 

alshgs

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Give it time. We adopted a green cheek almost 2 years ago now that went for my hands every single time, even when I wasn’t trying to ask her to step up. It took us a few months, and now she’s a snuggle bug. Patience and time, my dear. Rome wasn’t built in a day :)
 

msplantladi

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Please, Please for your sake and the birds-educate yourself.....read books, watch utude..TRUST, TRUST & more TRUST...you must build a bond of trust-How you ask? I wouldn't even be trying to pick up the bird yet-you do not want to be a threat to your bird and right now you are. Because everything around this bird is very unfamiliar & it is scared to death and with you forcing yourself on it you are putting him in attack mode. Just quietly chat, sing to show him you are not the enemy. When the bird is the most hungry which is usually in the morning try giving some sort of treat ( please read up on bird diet-no seed) you are trying to build that bond-the bird has to need/want something from you. Let him come to you for the treat and quietly praise him if he should take it. You have a long way to go and if you don't have patience's its going to be a nightmare . Look at the world from his view and please come back , let us know how you are doing and ask away there is always someone here to help.
 

Tamzine

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Try using a perch instead of your finger to step up. the real good reason for step up is to be able to move him/her to different places and back into the cage, and get used to your hands. so use the perch, use treats when he does step up on the perch (yay). If he is afraid of the perch don't worry, my conure was too, use a different perch, maybe one he already has in the cage.

If he goes for your hands while he is on your perch, move it away until he is comfortable with the distance and distract him with treats. I really do believe you should listen to your bird, if he is not happy remove your hands before he goes to bite so he does not even have to :)

and like JLcribber said, have patience!! Its only been 2 weeks!!! I wont even trust strangers after 2 weeks!
 

Gizmo The GCC

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Give it time. We adopted a green cheek almost 2 years ago now that went for my hands every single time, even when I wasn’t trying to ask her to step up. It took us a few months, and now she’s a snuggle bug. Patience and time, my dear. Rome wasn’t built in a day :)
Hahaha... ! I like that. I will. But should I get her out every day using a perch? She's been spending most of the time in the cage, which is not healthy at all. I want to introduce her new toys and all, but she seems to be afraid of everything. I'm also having a hard time introducing whole food.
 

Gizmo The GCC

Meeting neighbors
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2/16/18
Messages
63
Your HANDS are the problem. Quit using them. They look and act like predators. Offer your arm/forearm/shoulder/knee/head. Anything but your hand.

You are not showing much if any patience. I don't know a bird on this planet that trusts anyone after only 2 weeks. It will take months (possibly years) for you to slowly achieve what you want. This is a journey. Not a race. Quit racing.
Right. Patience. I'll try that. So, do you recommend taking her out of the cage? If so, how? Should I use a dowel perch?
 

Gizmo The GCC

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Please, Please for your sake and the birds-educate yourself.....read books, watch utude..TRUST, TRUST & more TRUST...you must build a bond of trust-How you ask? I wouldn't even be trying to pick up the bird yet-you do not want to be a threat to your bird and right now you are. Because everything around this bird is very unfamiliar & it is scared to death and with you forcing yourself on it you are putting him in attack mode. Just quietly chat, sing to show him you are not the enemy. When the bird is the most hungry which is usually in the morning try giving some sort of treat ( please read up on bird diet-no seed) you are trying to build that bond-the bird has to need/want something from you. Let him come to you for the treat and quietly praise him if he should take it. You have a long way to go and if you don't have patience's its going to be a nightmare . Look at the world from his view and please come back , let us know how you are doing and ask away there is always someone here to help.
First of all, thanks for the advice. So, how long should I just chat with her? I guess I need to start from the beginning. I do watch videos and read articles about birds like almost every day. You see, different people have different opinions about when and how should one interact with their birds. I just happened to watch and follow a bird owner that recommend trying to interact with the bird almost right away. (She has like 5-6 big birds in her house, so I thought she knows birds really well.)
 

JLcribber

@cockatoojohn
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I want to introduce her new toys and all, but she seems to be afraid of everything.
Because it's only been two weeks. Open the door of her cage. Place some food outside the cage on a plate as incentive and wait. When she's ready she'll venture out.

She's not going to "play" with anything until she feels comfortable and at home. That will take months.

It doesn't matter what you want (when) because it's all on the bird's timetable.

You have to earn that trust and there is no shortcut. You need to establish a parrot trust account.

----> https://www.parrots.org/pdfs/all_ab...enrichment/PS 19 1 Feb 07 Parrot Trust SM.pdf
 

Gizmo The GCC

Meeting neighbors
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2/16/18
Messages
63
Try using a perch instead of your finger to step up. the real good reason for step up is to be able to move him/her to different places and back into the cage, and get used to your hands. so use the perch, use treats when he does step up on the perch (yay). If he is afraid of the perch don't worry, my conure was too, use a different perch, maybe one he already has in the cage.

If he goes for your hands while he is on your perch, move it away until he is comfortable with the distance and distract him with treats. I really do believe you should listen to your bird, if he is not happy remove your hands before he goes to bite so he does not even have to :)

and like JLcribber said, have patience!! Its only been 2 weeks!!! I wont even trust strangers after 2 weeks!
True. I won't either. It usually takes me like years to properly trust someone. It's kinda funny when you put it like that because I can totally relate to it. Anyway, are you recommending me to start asking her to step up? Cuz it's honestly a bit confusing. Let's put it this way. Should I just chat with her with the door closed for like maybe 2-3 more weeks, or start opening the door, let her out, and interact with her using a perch (I need to look out for her body language of course).
 

Gizmo The GCC

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@JLcribber She does come out if I open the door. She flew to my head once, but that was because she was startled and needed me to bring her back to her cage. The second time I opened her cage, she flew to the back of the chair I was sitting on, and she just hung out there. However, when I had to bring her back to her cage using a dowel perch, she just backed away, and once she finally step up onto the perch, she just continued and flew to the back of my shoulder and won't come off.
It took me 5-8 mn to use a treat to lure her back into the cage.
 

Tiel Feathers

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I think it’s grest that she flew to you, and flew to hang out on the back of your chair. That means she is starting to trust you. When you do let her out, allow plenty of time to get her back. Target training in the cage might be a good start, and when you do get her on the perch, give her a treat. Don’t put her back in the cage every time, because then she might just think the perch means fun time is over.
 

nu2birds

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Well..........what everybody else said. I brought my two Lovebirds home in July.........it is now February. I open their door and let them wander out by themselves. I don't try and grab them. Now seven months after bringing them home they will come to my shoulder on their own and just sit. If I try and touch them or even look at them on my shoulder they fly off. Baby steps.
 

Tamzine

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@JLcribber She does come out if I open the door. She flew to my head once, but that was because she was startled and needed me to bring her back to her cage. The second time I opened her cage, she flew to the back of the chair I was sitting on, and she just hung out there. However, when I had to bring her back to her cage using a dowel perch, she just backed away, and once she finally step up onto the perch, she just continued and flew to the back of my shoulder and won't come off.
It took me 5-8 mn to use a treat to lure her back into the cage.
sounds like a normal first time out the cage ^_^ . like tiel feathers said, treats woo (positive reinforcement and all)

True. I won't either. It usually takes me like years to properly trust someone. It's kinda funny when you put it like that because I can totally relate to it. Anyway, are you recommending me to start asking her to step up? Cuz it's honestly a bit confusing. Let's put it this way. Should I just chat with her with the door closed for like maybe 2-3 more weeks, or start opening the door, let her out, and interact with her using a perch (I need to look out for her body language of course).
i do get your confusion hehe. i do believe you would just know when your bird is ready for "the next step". how he behaves will be shaped by how you interact with him. since you already let him out before i think you should continue to let him out and just do what you do as if he is in the cage, sing, give treats, go about the house doing chores or whatever (even if he just sits on a chair). Again when you think you want to try and use the perch do so, listen to what he says and progress or take a step back accordingly. treats are a nice way to reassure your bird. maybe if he steps up and after a treat set right back down. llike nu2birds says baby steps.
 

orphansparrow

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I'd just wait and see what your bird wants to do. You can tell if she wants to come out, come to you, or stay inside and observe. Go very slow with everything and watch, and wait. Don't force anything. Offer treats, talk a lot, and wait. Also, birds bite. Mine still bites after 8 years. You have to learn to watch their body language and just AVOID their beak if possible. If you slow things down, your bird will begin to trust when SHE is ready to trust. Good luck - and don't be discouraged. It takes a long time for almost everyone, as birds are wild animals, not domesticated like dogs or cats. Keep talking to us on here, your questions are good ones!
 

Monica

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Target training will help with *a lot* of the issues that you are having!

There's not many great Youtube videos to watch - unless you know where to look. Some of the Jenny Drummey links are dead so you just need to look under "Project Parrot", but the links in this thread will help.

Free Training Resources | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum
 
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