First Harness Adventure!

[OutlawedSpirit]

Well, technically the second. The first was a quick trip to the pet store for guinea pig food. We went to the pretty chicken's grandma's house (my mom). She wore her harness for quite a few hours while we sat outside and visited. She has also seemed to have gotten over picking at the harness for the most part. She did a few times, but when she was corrected, she'd stop. I got some cute pictures when she got to hang out in grandma's tree for a couple minutes.

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[camo]

Oh I am verrry jealous, well done, she looks so proud of herself in that tree!!

It doesn't look like an aviator harness? Is it the same process to get her into the harness as the aviator (says me who is struggling)?

 

[RavensGryf]

Great job . She looks so happy out there. I used to take a female Ekkie to grandma's house too.. brings back memories. I like the yellow! I'm sure she'll be used to wearing it in no time .

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

Oh I am verrry jealous, well done, she looks so proud of herself in that tree!!

It doesn't look like an aviator harness? Is it the same process to get her into the harness as the aviator (says me who is struggling)?

No, it's not an aviator. It's a Fred. I found it on Amazon. I have never had an actual aviator, so I don't know if the process is the same. It has a head loop that goes over her head, then another strap that goes around her body and under her wings. She still isn't terribly thrilled with the over her head loop, but once she gets it on, she has no problem with me doing the strap under her wings and such. I wish I could find a bird harness designed like a dog step-in harness so that it didn't have to go over get head.

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[Anansi]

Beautiful pics! And nice to hear that she's gotten to the point where she's not picking at it that much anymore. Taking them out for road trips is such a great bonding experience, and the more often you do it is the more they get used to it. There's even one member who said that her parrot will actually bring the harness over to her when he's in the mood to go outside!

Does she seem excited about getting to hang out in the tree?

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

She was a little confused at first, like she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do in it. Then she started exploring a little. Honestly, I think she'd still rather sit with me, but she didn't mind it.

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[Tropical]

How do you deal with poop since that harness doesn't have a diaper? My tiel is potty trained and goes potty when I say "go potty" but I guess it's much easier since you have a much larger bird than a tiel and they go potty less often?

I'm always a little envious when I see people with larger birds that have longer lifespan.... and apparently poop less often

Do you ever use the diapered flightsuit or just the Fred harness? Just curious

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

Just the Fred harness. She is potty trained so that if I set her down, she knows to potty. If I wait too long to set her down and she has to go, she'll start nipping my ear and getting vocal.

I can't offer much advice as far as the potty training process, as she trained herself.

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[Tropical]

Just the Fred harness. She is potty trained so that if I set her down, she knows to potty. If I wait too long to set her down and she has to go, she'll start nipping my ear and getting vocal.

I can't offer much advice as far as the potty training process, as she trained herself.

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Coconut (my tiel) was super easy to potty train (by potty train I mean he poops when I say go potty but if I forget to say it in time I get pooped on) but he goes potty so often I have to use diapered flightsuit when I take him places. Must be nice to have a larger bird who poops less frequently

He look great in the harness

 

[katie_fleming]

Wow!! Great job!!!

I am so jealous. Ever since my post here last month about getting Jasper in his harness he hasn't let me do it again. I'm so frustrated. I don't understand why we keep backtracking as soon as he was in it perfectly. He pinches me now when I go to put his first wing through the loop and wants it off immediately.

Why can't they just be like dogs?!?!??!

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

My biggest hurdle with the chicken has always been the head loop. Most complaints I've seen are about the wings though. That I've never had a problem with, she doesn't care about me messing with her wings

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[katie_fleming]

What do you have her standing on when you're putting the harness on? I have a portable perch I put on my dresser (where we do all of his training) but the problem is he can crawl down from it. I'm thinking if I had one of these it might be easier:

Parrot Training Perch Stands

But there's no way I'm paying upwards of $300 for one (exchange rate, shipping, duty charges to Canada)

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

You could make a basic T-stand out of some PVC that could set on the floor so he couldn't just climb down for like $30 or so, including buying a PVC cutter. I usually just have her sitting either on the couch next to me, or in my lap. Like I said, though, once the head loop is on, she doesn't mind the rest. She'll sit on my lap just fine while I run the body strap under her wings and fasten it.

 

[katie_fleming]

Ah ok! Yes PVC pipe is a good idea.

Jasper has let me put his harness on completely quite a few times, he just suddenly decided it wasn't happening anymore. I don't get it. Will keep trying but patience is wearing thin!!