birdsitting 5 year old quaker

[flockleader]

Hi guys. on this I need lots of help. My friend Julio is leaving for California to help care for his mother who is ill with cancer. He currently lives with his mother in law. She has a 5 year old Quaker female Nasira, who I understand she recieved after her first molt. I dont believe they ever truly researched how to care for the bird. They are afraid of her. The bird hides in a corner of the cage when they clean it. they have never clipped the wings, so when they give her perch time, they put a clip on her leg with a bungie type cord so that she cannot fly around and attack everyone. I have finally convinced Elsa the original owner to bring the bird to my home while Julio is gone so I can try to tame her a bit. I gave no guarentees that I would be successful. I also said that she should come to the house to have hands on training with the bird. A breader friend of my husband says that most likely the bird is no longer trainable. Advice.....after letting her settle in should I start with clicker training or try a different approach? I know the pros and cons of wing clipping, but I feel that it is necessary in this case to calm the bird down so that she wont be so cage agressive. Until I explained that they needed to cover the bird at night and that they need 10 to 12 hours of darktime she was never covered. They expressed surprise when after doing so she now greets the moring and night as she should be doing.

 

[Ratzy]

My birds are all clipped once - when they first come home with me.
Gives me time to get a bit of taming in while they are being quarantined, and to let them settle down like that. It made a lot of difference with Buzza.
I say it wouldn't do too much harm to clip, as it's in the cage most of the time anyway.

Just quarantine this bird well away from yours and take it very slowly!

 

[suebee]

i think if the bird is goin to be returned to them??

i personnally would get the bird use to having ppl near it as a start, i do not however believe the bird is un-trainable, its just got no confidance with ppl. it might never jump through hoops for any1 but once you manage to build its confidance with ppl, every1 will be happier

clipping is a option, but the training process could be slow either way

i would have bird clipped, mainly so it cannot fly over to attack any1, sit with the bird often, but not so much as trying to handle it to start, and then gradually offer it treats, get it use to taking food out of your hands without it trying to remove fingers lol
and in time get it to come across for a treat, eating a plate of cut up fruit is best way as they will see what your doin an want some, this way its coming away from its cage for a possative reason

leave the cage door open so it can build confidance in leaving its domain, to tempt it back in just pop in a treat

when you have built the birds confidance up, then start clicker, i just use words with nut, and she whistle me if she wants me to go over to her to give her a head rub so training works both ways lol watch its body language, if it does not seem happy to do something, try later nut has various times in the day when she wants to be alone lol so we leave her to it and times when she wants to play! and if we don't all hell can break loose

but please don't tie anything around its leg, harness is better (if you can get one on) but i don't think its needed

oh even if birds clipped, they can run at a pretty fast pace, so no open toe shoes, as if the bird flys over to attack, it can also run over to attack,
nuts fav game is toe nibbling, she does not bite down on them, but is more then happy to run across the floor for one! especially if we are unaware!

you can put this work into the bird and they can undo all the training if they return to there old way of interacting with the bird, so like i said training works both ways, and my method may or may not work, i like the slow approach to things, but just go at the birds speed

 

[flockleader]

thanks for the advice. I figure if I clip the one time there might be less agressiveness during the getting to know us stage. yes the bird will be going back to the owners, but I hope to educate them about their bird a bit. Granted, I am not a novice, but still have lots to learn myself, but just could not sit aside knowing how the bird was being handled. I think I will either put her in the spare bedroom or possibly in ours for the first week. after that perhaps into the livingroom where I keep my sun conure who is currently being trained to be "friends" with hubby. My sunny has bonded to me and rushes at hubby whenever he walks by. Since I convienced him to use clicker and millit for treats he has been less bitty with me when hubby walks by. Thank goodness, lol, don't know how much more my shoulders could have stood. Now he just rushes up to see what is happening, still on alert, but a simple no bite reminds him to be good. He will now come to the front of the cage when my hubby asks, will sit on the food bowl, and when hubby opens the cage door gets his treat for sitting where asked, and waiting while he opens the door. Hubby is not yet allowed to touch pet/stroke. can lightly touch his upper leg, but little steps. Just putting him in the main room helps. as for Nasira I hope to get the owner involved in the training after the bird has been here a couple of weeks. My only real worry here is that they have "mistreated" her for so many years I am not sure about the bird trusting her ever. Any thoughts or helpful tips are welcome!