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How late is too late?

Ali

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I know it is best to tame young, but can you tame older parrotlets.

As many of you know, I have a pair. Due to the virus I have been able to spend a bit more time with them and I twas thinking how nice it would be to get them finger tame with stepping up etc.

They are about 2/2.5 years old. In bird world I know this isn't lots compared to small mammals etc.

They have always been a bit skittish so I try just sitting in the room and they calm down a lot. As I am typing this, they are both sat out on the cage mounted playstand as I just redid their cage and gave them a good clean.

So, how late is too late to tame them, and how should I go about finger taming them?

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I am sorry if my question is a stupid one!

Ali
 

Tazlima

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It's never too late to make new friends. Start with target training, let the birds set the pace, and make sure every interaction with you is a positive one. Depending on their current comfort level with you, it could take a long time, but so what? You have their entire lifetime to win them over.

Source: Someone who is slowly but steadily earning the trust of an eight-year-old cockatiel who came to me a year ago with an abject terror of humans.
 

Ali

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Especially with summer holidays coming up. 6 weeks of bordem....

Do I need to go about it in a different way with a pair, or just let them out at the same time and they can encourage eachother!

Sorry, I am new to this training stuff! I am going to watch a few videos too.
 

Ali

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Thank you @mak ! I will take a look later. It looks like a great resource!
 

fashionfobie

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Never too old!

One thing good about an older bird is they know what they like far better. Young birds tolerate our mistakes only to reject us heavily later on. An adult bird, especially a parrotlet, won't let you get away with anything!
 

Destiny

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Keep in mind that, historically, many parrots were wild-caught and entered the pet trade as adults with hardly any human contact. Even these wild parrots were able to be tamed, with enough time, patience, and care. So it is safe to say that it is never too late to form a friendship.

Just keep in mind that developing a bond that will last a lifetime is a long process. Learn as much as you can about your birds' individual personalities and desires. Keep the training short, fun, and frequent. Respect your parrotlets and be willing to accept compromise when necessary. Try to be consistent. A big part of building trust is showing that you are dependable and safe. You want your parrot to know what to expect from you so that they can learn to trust your intentions are good when you do something new. Build ways of communicating important information to each other without unnecessary stress or harm. If your bird has to bite to communicate that he needs personal space, you are not listening to your parrot's softer signals or he has not been shown a better way to ask for what he needs.

Lastly - if you find that something isn't working for you or for your bird .... be willing to get creative with your approach. Parrots come in all shapes or sizes. So do parrot owners. Find what works for you and your birds.
 
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