8 week old hand fed fischer lovebird male 1 week of having him. Taming questions

[Corpsey]

Hi everyone new bird mom here this is long so I apologize, if you do not wish to hear this back story my question is at the bottom.

Last week I purchased a hand fed male Fischers Lovebird and it's been interesting process He's gotten better with trusting me, but I guess this is where l'm confused and wanted to come here to confirm. I've been able to get him to eat millet from afar, he won't take it from my hands still. I sit by his cage and talk to him for about an hr, I gently put my hand up against his cage while I talk which he doesn't seem to mind, but any touching or trying to get him out of the cage it sets him off obviously. lm very aware he's still a baby, he's scared and he's a pray animal so it's going to be pretty obvious that he's scared so l'm not surprised there, the owner of the bird store told me that I should handle him regardless for about 10 minutes a day, cuddle him on my chest and he'll get used to it, but the thing is ever since I started doing that (3) days ago, it seems like we've digressed a bit. Now he won't eat the millet I offer him, he's more shy when I come near him. Now I'm unsure what to do?

Do keep force cuddling him pretty much or back off? 1 feel like I'm stressing him out and I'm scared I'm losing the little trust I had with him. Thanks for the advice!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Don't force cuddle! It takes a lot of trust to allow any physical touch.

The owner of your bird store sounds suspect. An eight week old lovebird is barely weaned. A baby hand fed lovebird that age should already be tame and trusting. What is the baby's hatch date? Who hand raised him? How long had he been at the store for sale? How often did store owner handle him at the store?

 

[Corpsey]

Don't force cuddle! It takes a lot of trust to allow any physical touch.

The owner of your bird store sounds suspect. An eight week old lovebird is barely weaned. A baby hand fed lovebird that age should already be tame and trusting. What is the baby's hatch date? Who hand raised him? How long had he been at the store for sale? How often did store owner handle him at the store?

Thank you! I figured as much that's why I was bit confused?

Baby was hatched around 12/7/24, I know the lady was named Teresa who owned the store that rescued and sold only birds. When I inquired about Skye (my lovie) he was 5 weeks old still getting formula with about 6 more hatchlings, I got to meet him, pick him up, and saw him twice before he was 6 weeks old. She called me when he was 6 weeks old saying he was eating pellets and millet but she was going to old him 1 more week to be sure he was totally weaned. A week later he was 7 weeks and I picked him up 1/18/25. I'm unsure if he was handled at all times or socialized when he was a hatchling if I'm being totally honest. The 1st 4 days I didn't handle him at all, I allowed him to discover his cage and get used to his surroundings, I talked next to him, offered him millet, he was skittish and didn't allow me to come near him. The 5th day of owning him, he has to come back to the shop to get weighed to see if he was eating properly since some babies go into regression and need to be formula again, luckily he gained an ounce since eating pellets and millet at home so he didn't need to go back. I asked her if it was normal for Skye to hate my guts, and basically she informed me if it were up to him he'd prefer to never be touched and just to take him out of the cage every day and lay him on my chest in a snuggle motion for 10 minutes a day. I did that for 3 days and he absolutely hated it. The routine I had with him previously of sitting in front of his cage, talking to him, offering him millet stopped. He started to back away from me, wouldn't take the millet and would get startled more easily. I was getting nervous because obviously I have lost some trust with him, but was unsure if I continued to hold him regardless of him basically telling me to back off. I haven't done it since posting this to ask for advice. I know everyone has a different opinion on the "correct" way of raising lovies but I'm terrified I'm just causing more harm then good with the forced cuddling thing.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

It's usually best to let your baby come to you. Few people agree with your shop owner's method of force taming anymore. It CAN work but usually stresses the baby too much and teaches him to hate hands.
I'd back way off and finger tame him inside his cage with treats. Let him come out on his own. He's still very young. He'll come round.