First Pet , First Parrot

[FerryPotter]

Hi
its about a month that i got a lovebird as it is my first pet and parrot, i've been reading about birds and parrots in this forum and other websites/forums and now im gonna ask u guys a few questions which i didnt found an answer:

first of all i just want to share u my feelings that how amazing parrots are , i want to buy one more lol

here are my questions :

1- idk exact age of my lovebird , the vet says about 1Year or more... when i got the bird i didnt know the age is important too , i just thought he is going to have a long life so one or 2 years isnt much to worry about. but now as i read the internet and watch the videos i feel like birds should be tamed and trained since their 2 month old? so cant i tame and train my bird ?

2- i've made some progress since i got the pet , first he would run to farthest place in the cage when i walked around the cage but now he doesnt, even sometimes he flies to my shoulder or my laptop , he land on my forearm but never step up or stay on my fingers even if u put him on my finger he moves to somewhere else lol ( i've followed the training videos and articles too ) but here is the second question: my bird sometimes seems to RESTART :| i mean like tonight he is good and lets me touch him a little bit more than often , we sleep tomorrow he flies as fast as he can and runs of me . but why ?

3- he doesnt like my hand plam , he does eat from my hand but still hates it and tries to avoid touches and while he wants to eat from my hand he tries eating from the farthest place he can and does his best not to walk on my hand, what should i do ? i tried feeding him with my hand , allways slow hand movements and...

3- my birds main food ( that is always available in his cage ) is millet seeds and linseeds which the seller gave me, i've seen that ppl use millet sprays as treats . as i know the normal food cant be the tread so what should i do? what do u feed ur pet daily ? i cant use sunflowers as treats because it takes so long for my pet to eat 1 lol

4- when i try to target train him, he makes a little progress but stops where it gets a little bit harde like he doesnt climp for the stick to bite while he is in the cage, just moves on the perch he are at but if i show him my phone he runs everywhere for it. also when he isnt in the cage he doesnt move more tha 10 cm to bite the stick and doesnt matter how long i try :|
any ideas? shal i just keep doing it for longer and longer?

5- he doesnt care about my voice and what i say , like after a month he still doesnt even move head when i call him... or even if i shout or make a noise
( making a noise attracts him for like a second sometimes but not always, often he keeps biting things without looking anywhere )


6- am i the boss or he is ? i've read somewhere that u should make the bird know whos the boss so that he will takes the commands or else he doesnt care what u want and what u do
somewhere else i read that u shouldnt force the bird at all?

7- is dancing something owners teach or parrots dance on their own? how can i make him dance? lol

8- could u tell me about bath / bath times and etc about it?

thanks for ur time and the answers

 

[noodles123]

There are many things that you probably should know, but I will start by saying, do not feel discouraged that your bird isn't super friendly after 1 month.
Birds move so slowly compared to humans...1 week to them is like 1-2 months to us (can't quantify this, but from experience, it seems to be true). I will try to post more tomorrow, but focus on bonding (not pushing)...

 

[Jen5200]

Welcome! Parrots are great and there’s lots to learn, this is a great place to do that . I’ve included some thoughts below, and I’m sure others will chime in!

Hi
its about a month that i got a lovebird as it is my first pet and parrot, i've been reading about birds and parrots in this forum and other websites/forums and now im gonna ask u guys a few questions which i didnt found an answer:

first of all i just want to share u my feelings that how amazing parrots are , i want to buy one more lol

here are my questions :

1- idk exact age of my lovebird , the vet says about 1Year or more... when i got the bird i didnt know the age is important too , i just thought he is going to have a long life so one or 2 years isnt much to worry about. but now as i read the internet and watch the videos i feel like birds should be tamed and trained since their 2 month old? so cant i tame and train my bird ? You can absolutely bond and train your bird, I got all of mine as adults over 2 years. It may take a little longer, but if you’re patient...you’ll get there. This is a good thread to provide some ideas http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html

2- i've made some progress since i got the pet , first he would run to farthest place in the cage when i walked around the cage but now he doesnt, even sometimes he flies to my shoulder or my laptop , he land on my forearm but never step up or stay on my fingers even if u put him on my finger he moves to somewhere else lol ( i've followed the training videos and articles too ) but here is the second question: my bird sometimes seems to RESTART :| i mean like tonight he is good and lets me touch him a little bit more than often , we sleep tomorrow he flies as fast as he can and runs of me . but why ?

3- he doesnt like my hand plam , he does eat from my hand but still hates it and tries to avoid touches and while he wants to eat from my hand he tries eating from the farthest place he can and does his best not to walk on my hand, what should i do ? i tried feeding him with my hand , allways slow hand movements and...

3- my birds main food ( that is always available in his cage ) is millet seeds and linseeds which the seller gave me, i've seen that ppl use millet sprays as treats . as i know the normal food cant be the tread so what should i do? what do u feed ur pet daily ? i cant use sunflowers as treats because it takes so long for my pet to eat 1 lol I feed my birds a pellet diet (more balanced than seeds only), chops (fresh veggies/fruit), and use seed as a treat and for training. Lots of great threads on here about diet and ideas for feeding. I’d limit the sunflower seeds, they are awfully high in fat which isn’t good in large quantities.

4- when i try to target train him, he makes a little progress but stops where it gets a little bit harde like he doesnt climp for the stick to bite while he is in the cage, just moves on the perch he are at but if i show him my phone he runs everywhere for it. also when he isnt in the cage he doesnt move more tha 10 cm to bite the stick and doesnt matter how long i try :|
any ideas? shal i just keep doing it for longer and longer?

5- he doesnt care about my voice and what i say , like after a month he still doesnt even move head when i call him... or even if i shout or make a noise
( making a noise attracts him for like a second sometimes but not always, often he keeps biting things without looking anywhere )


6- am i the boss or he is ? i've read somewhere that u should make the bird know whos the boss so that he will takes the commands or else he doesnt care what u want and what u do
somewhere else i read that u shouldnt force the bird at all? Birds tend to respond better to positive reinforcement, and finding things that they really want can motivate them to do what you want. Hopefully you can establish a trusting relationship with your bird, and avoid forcing him to do what you want (which can easily destroy the trust).

7- is dancing something owners teach or parrots dance on their own? how can i make him dance? lol Most of my conures dance and it isn’t something that I taught them. My cockatiel could care less about music lol. I guess they like music or they dont’t

8- could u tell me about bath / bath times and etc about it? Baths are important for birds - you’ll need to figure out what works best for yours. Some like to be spritzed, some like showers, some like to bathe in bowls....I would encourage you to provide different opportunities and try different things to see what they like and what they are afraid of, but don’t force it. Once you build a bit of trust, it will be easier to introduce them to new things.

thanks for ur time and the answers

 

[Nite]

some answers

1- idk exact age of my lovebird , the vet says about 1Year or more... when i got the bird i didnt know the age is important too , i just thought he is going to have a long life so one or 2 years isnt much to worry about. but now as i read the internet and watch the videos i feel like birds should be tamed and trained since their 2 month old? so cant i tame and train my bird ?

you can it might take time but still possible

2- i've made some progress since i got the pet , first he would run to farthest place in the cage when i walked around the cage but now he doesnt, even sometimes he flies to my shoulder or my laptop , he land on my forearm but never step up or stay on my fingers even if u put him on my finger he moves to somewhere else lol ( i've followed the training videos and articles too ) but here is the second question: my bird sometimes seems to RESTART :| i mean like tonight he is good and lets me touch him a little bit more than often , we sleep tomorrow he flies as fast as he can and runs of me . but why ?

they are moody, sometimes they are just not in the mood, or you havnt setup strong enough incentives or rewards for the bird to be motivated in doing that

3- he doesnt like my hand plam , he does eat from my hand but still hates it and tries to avoid touches and while he wants to eat from my hand he tries eating from the farthest place he can and does his best not to walk on my hand, what should i do ? i tried feeding him with my hand , allways slow hand movements and...

it takes time, some months, you can also place the food farther into your palm near the wrist to encourage it to step onto your fingers

3- my birds main food ( that is always available in his cage ) is millet seeds and linseeds which the seller gave me, i've seen that ppl use millet sprays as treats . as i know the normal food cant be the tread so what should i do? what do u feed ur pet daily ? i cant use sunflowers as treats because it takes so long for my pet to eat 1 lol

you have to figure out what they like, different types of fruits, veggies treats etc. One of my lovebirds likes leaves, the other one likes the treats with seed and honey mixture

5- he doesnt care about my voice and what i say , like after a month he still doesnt even move head when i call him... or even if i shout or make a noise
( making a noise attracts him for like a second sometimes but not always, often he keeps biting things without looking anywhere )

takes time, once he is bonded to you, he will pace around the cage when he sees you, but not always respond to calls in the way you like


6- am i the boss or he is ? i've read somewhere that u should make the bird know whos the boss so that he will takes the commands or else he doesnt care what u want and what u do
somewhere else i read that u shouldnt force the bird at all?

you are the boss when training him, if you have set the right positive rewards the bird will respond. If there is something wrong with the environment or the rewards then the bird may not respond and it will feel like forcing it. So basically there is no such thing as forcing, its just that there is something wrong with the setup.

7- is dancing something owners teach or parrots dance on their own? how can i make him dance? lol

lol no idea, but get the basics through first

8- could u tell me about bath / bath times and etc about it?

Bathing is good for birds, they like it too. You can place a Bath bowl in the cage or outside when they are roaming outside the cage. 2 or 3 times a week

 

[GaleriaGila]

I love your energy and open-mindedness!
You definitely found a great Forum.

May I just share some stuff I routinely offer to new bird folks?
Here ya go.
Here's some reading on bonding for you.
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html
General Parrot Information - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community
http://goodbirdinc.blogspot.com/2012...n-parrots.html


Most of us swear by our avian vets in the event of health concerns. I don't know where you are, but here are some links. I only have USA info...
Certified Avian Vets
https://abvp.com/animal-owners/find-an-abvp-specialist/
If none are near you...
Avian Veterinarians
http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803
In my opinion, any of the vets listed here should be better than a regular vet.

What's the diet? That's critical for health. Too many are kept on seeds or other poor-nutrition things. They need veggies, legumes, grains... pellets are a good staple. Here's what I use.
Harrison's Bird Foods
I feed Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My first, and later, my current avian vet recommended it. My bird loves the pellets now, but to get him converted, my avian vet suggested putting pellets out all day, and putting seeds (his old diet) out for two 15-minute periods a day. That would sustain him but leave him hungry enough to try new stuff. I presume the same technique could be used to get him to eat other healthy stuff, like fruits and vegetables! My guy was eating pellets in a couple of days, and now I can feed a good variety of other stuff, knowing he has the pellets as a basic. Pellets are out all day... fresh treats a few times a day. I also like Harrison's via mail because I never have to worry about out-of-date products.

Since you're new parront, I'll just drop a note about avoiding teflon pans, which are lethal to birds if even slightly overheated.

I'm glad you're here. Lots to learn and share and enjoy!

 

[FerryPotter]

I love your energy and open-mindedness!
You definitely found a great Forum.

May I just share some stuff I routinely offer to new bird folks?
Here ya go.
Here's some reading on bonding for you.
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html
General Parrot Information - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community
http://goodbirdinc.blogspot.com/2012...n-parrots.html


Most of us swear by our avian vets in the event of health concerns. I don't know where you are, but here are some links. I only have USA info...
Certified Avian Vets
https://abvp.com/animal-owners/find-an-abvp-specialist/
If none are near you...
Avian Veterinarians
http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803
In my opinion, any of the vets listed here should be better than a regular vet.

What's the diet? That's critical for health. Too many are kept on seeds or other poor-nutrition things. They need veggies, legumes, grains... pellets are a good staple. Here's what I use.
Harrison's Bird Foods
I feed Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My first, and later, my current avian vet recommended it. My bird loves the pellets now, but to get him converted, my avian vet suggested putting pellets out all day, and putting seeds (his old diet) out for two 15-minute periods a day. That would sustain him but leave him hungry enough to try new stuff. I presume the same technique could be used to get him to eat other healthy stuff, like fruits and vegetables! My guy was eating pellets in a couple of days, and now I can feed a good variety of other stuff, knowing he has the pellets as a basic. Pellets are out all day... fresh treats a few times a day. I also like Harrison's via mail because I never have to worry about out-of-date products.

Since you're new parront, I'll just drop a note about avoiding teflon pans, which are lethal to birds if even slightly overheated.

I'm glad you're here. Lots to learn and share and enjoy!

Tyvm everybody for ur valuable answers and thx for the links i didnt thank u guys individualy to avoid spam , but liked the replies
I kept training Ferry( my bird ) and now he walks to my hand if he see the food lol and also steps up sometimes but still doesnt like my hand much


The new question is that if i feed my bird with pellets he doesnt need anything else and those foods are complete diet ?
I tried to feed him carrot (grated) and broccoli ( boiled for 3 min to make sure its ok ), bananas and apples . He eats them if i offer the food but not if i put it in the cage

I let the seeds mix inside the cage and when he is out ( when im home he is out of the cage till the bed time and gets hungry ) i feed him veggies carrots etc also training sessions are when he is hungry and stil with millets as treat


Im still reading about diets and im gonna make him some toys

 

[FerryPotter]

The new question is that if i feed my bird with pellets he doesnt need anything else and those foods are complete diet

Just found my answers as it is :

Studies are showing that small birds fed a diet too high in pellets often suffer from kidney problems

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

Welcome!!

Pellets should never be used as a complete diet for your lovebird. Parrots need a lot of variety in their diet to make sure they’re getting the proper amounts of essential nutrients. Components of a well-balanced diet include vegetables (lots! And many different kinds), fruits, whole grains, legumes, and a small amount of seeds. Many of us here serve our birds chop daily, which is a mixture of finely chopped veggies mixed with some whole grains and legumes. Pellets should serve as the main staple in addition to everything else and your parrot should have a bowl of pellets in his cage at all times.

Spray millet should only be used as a treat for training and not put in the food bowl because then it won’t be as effective as a reward. Same for sunflower seeds (which are fatty and known to cause heath problems so should only be given very sparingly if at all) and any other seed mixes, don’t keep them in the cage for him to eat freely.

The conversion process takes time, so you shouldn’t just remove all seeds from the cage right away until your lovebird is eating his pellets and veggies without hesitation. A good way to get him used to eating healthy is to mix the seeds in with the pellets or sprinkle them on the chop.

As to taming/training, you can definitely hand-tame an adult bird but it will take more time and patience to gain their trust. Like mentioned before, you should use positive reinforcement (which will only work if the bird is motivated to work for the treat) and you should never use any kind of force. If you’re forcing the bird to do something he doesn’t want to, for example pushing your hand into his chest to get him to step up or grabbing him to take him out of the cage, he will quickly lose trust in you and your progress will be lost. The key to taming parrots is to slowly gain their trust in order to build a lasting bond. Don’t rush it and always remember to work at his pace.