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ISO: Tips for new baby

Glamourfaust

Meeting neighbors
Avenue Veteran
Joined
12/3/18
Messages
37
Location
Ontario
I'm so excited! Thanks everyone for your encouragement and advice. I put a deposit on a cobalt female yesterday and pick her up on Saturday.

Now, any tips on helping her to settle in? When can I start training? What do I start with? I have so many questions and find that there are fewer resources for linnies. She is fully weaned so I don't have to worry about hand feeding, but should I introduce her to veggies right away?
 

Dona

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
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Joined
3/13/18
Messages
3,625
Location
Maryland
I am so excited for you! Yay!

When I brought my first girl home I gently put her in the cage and left her there for the rest of the day. I gave her the pellets she knew with water and I sat next to her and read/chatted. The next day I fed her veggies in the morning. In the afternoon I opened the cage door and brought her out. We went on a tour of the condo. She was friendly and sweet from the start. The breeder suggested I practice step ups a few times each day and I did. She had a great step up until she remembered how Linnies aren't supposed to like hands. :) Now she steps up only when she has to. At the vet, from the floor or bath. Other than that I don't really train, but Gigi knows many things. I can tap my sofa arm and say "Gimme that bird right here!" and she does, I can tap my shoulder after her bath and ask for a "shoulder girl" and she comes, I can ask her to poop before leaving the cage and she does. I have a fun thing where I say very quietly "Gigi, I have an idea" and she knows it's an apple and she goes crazy doing laser noises until she gets her snack. She knows 3 trick whistles and a few other sounds. So it all came naturally as we interacted. My new little girl Dori is learning our schedule and mini tricks. My birds both come to the side of cage when I come to visit so I have paired something with that for Dori. I pretend that she is bad and I say in a tiny serious voice "Dori, please come here. I want to talk to you." She quickly flies to me and leans forward while I talk to her saying silly things about how bad she is but that she can't help it because she's a bird. Both birds love to fly and we encourage it with lots of clapping and cheering. I say "Do it! C'mon fly girls!" They make lots of noisy loops around the living room. I also offer a Nutri-berry at the end of out time each day. It's the perfect way to get them to happily return to their cage. Sometimes they both go on my shoulders to get it out of the kitchen cabinet. Before we get to the cage, both fly in and wait. I think Linnies are full of personality, a great combo of sweet and sass.

Cobalt Linnies are stunning. Can't wait to see pix.
 

sriseahawk

Meeting neighbors
Joined
9/24/21
Messages
50
I’m taking notes on this one, I’ll be in the same position in a few weeks!
 
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