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Training Reinforcers?

UrbanSylvanus

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Hello all, just wondering if anyone here could give me some advice as I've never trained anything before.

I currently have a young male Linnie, Machi, and I'm hoping to start clicker training him but I haven't quite discovered what reinforcer works for him.

I've tried oats (eats them, but take a long time to eat), canary seed (someone else used that for their Linnie, but I think Machi just likes hulling them and drops everything, seed and all), and millet spray (scared of it, but he's nibbled at it in the past.)

So far the only thing he goes absolutely bonkers for is fresh apples, but those are seasonal ofc and I can't seem to find dried apples that are safe for birds to eat. Is there any chance other dried fruits might work for him?

In any case I'll try to keep finding other reinforcers as I don't want to make something that's not available all year long and is supposed to be a part of his normal diet to be something he only gets sometimes.
 

sunnysmom

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I little piece of almond? Or an unshelled sunflower seed? A couple of our vendors sell freeze dried fruits/veggies. You could try those too.
 

UrbanSylvanus

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I little piece of almond? Or an unshelled sunflower seed? A couple of our vendors sell freeze dried fruits/veggies. You could try those too.
Thanks for the suggestions. Maybe this is more for the folks in Linnie Landing, but I've heard that nuts aren't great for a Linnie's digestive system and they just end up pooping them out undigested.
I may try the freeze dried fruits if the shipping isn't ridiculous though! (As I live in Asia)
 

sunnysmom

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Thanks for the suggestions. Maybe this is more for the folks in Linnie Landing, but I've heard that nuts aren't great for a Linnie's digestive system and they just end up pooping them out undigested.
I may try the freeze dried fruits if the shipping isn't ridiculous though! (As I live in Asia)
I'm not sure about linnies and nuts. I'll tag some people.

@Lady Jane ? @Dona ?
 

Dona

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Gigi eats a Nutri-berry each day and it is a combo of fruit, seed and pellets. I don't see anything undigested in her poop. But as far as food rewards, I haven't had any luck with that. She just takes forever to eat anything and the rhythm is thrown off. The only way I use food as a motivator is when I give her a Nutri-berry at the end of out time and she returns to her cage.

Gigi does a lot of tricky stuff for me when I enthusiastically clap, squeal and praise. :) She apparently loves making a fool of me.
 

UrbanSylvanus

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I had considered nutri-berries before but the price of them here has made me reconsider each time.
Really wish the bird store near me had a sampler bag for treats so Machi and I could explore what he likes :V
 

Dona

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I had considered nutri-berries before but the price of them here has made me reconsider each time.
Really wish the bird store near me had a sampler bag for treats so Machi and I could explore what he likes :V
Yes, I understand. I would be unhappy to invest in something that Machi won't like. We've had lots of massive fails.
 

Monica

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Can you... buy a food dehydrator?

If your bird isn't food motivated, you can change the diet around so that they are more food motivated. Likewise, you can use verbal or physical rewards, too! Here's a video where a cockatoo is receiving verbal rewards and he's having fun!



I've also (accidentally) taught one of my cockatiels to station at her cage door for scritches! (she'll train for food, too! ;) )
 
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