Help Taming Birds

[MeMeMeMe]

Ive had two fischer's lovebird since 2017 October when they were roughly 1 year old. The pair was picked out from the overcrowded little cage and i brought them home. Reading up online, i assumed thay although it may take time - ill bond with them eventually. Their reaction to everything in that period was the same as a wild bird being put in a cage although its spacious. Months passed and it turned into an year with no progress and they've showed a nervous and frightened behaviour all along. This led to me assuming that they were probably mishandled at the breeder's but there was still hope. Due to fans in the house , ive been unable to let them out of the cage but i finally took a bold step and shifted the cage to the covered balcony -where one of them enjoys retreating in a corner and chirping and the other being fearful and not leaving its cage. Despite of my efforts , they've been constantly afraid of my hands and presence in general-Its to the point that im beginning to assume they'd rather starve than eat from my hands. After giving up a few months back , my hopes relightened and Ive been spending almost 2 hours for 2 weeks trying to bond with them in that hot and humid balcony which leaves me all sweaty but im beginnng to give up again. Sadly theres no treats to lure them or toys to play because they show disinterest it almost everything i do and i feel like theres no way to tame these birds. Theres no video on youtube that provided helpful and i generally feel lost regarding taming and im unsure of what i might me doing wrong. It feels like everytime theres a small spark of trust , it goes the otherway and they begin to hate me more. I need help

 

[Allee]

Welcome to the forums! It sounds like you really want to bond with your lovies, maybe this is a good opportunity to back up and look at the situation from a new viewpoint. I understand your reasoning behind putting the birds on the balcony to keep them away from the ceiling fans, first keep them safe, however being on the balcony and having only a couple of hours a day with human companionship is likely to make matters worse. It would be better to have them inside with you in a busier location so they can feel like they are a part of things. Separate cages may also give you a better chance to bond with each of them individually rather than them focusing on each other.

There are some great ideas in this recent thread.

http://www.parrotforums.com/lovebirds/79839-how-tame-lovebird-already-know-how-fly.html

There also great tips in this sticky on bonding.

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html

I hope you will be able to find positive solutions for you and your little friends. Please let us know how it goes.

 

[MeMeMeMe]

After reading your reply, im thinking about giving it a final try and investing in a seperate cage however i fear that they might be strangers to one another if i put them back in which once happened to my ringnecks a while ago and the female murdered the poor male. Also i have a a question to whether i should keep them in the same room or in different portions of the house where they cant hear each other .would this affect the taming process. Also they have began to show signs of nesting so im unsure whether seperating them is a wise decision.

 

[ChristaNL]

If you have no real desperate need to breed them this is *the* perfect time to seperate them!
(Esp. if you are not sure they are not siblings/ inbreeding is the pits!)

 

[MeMeMeMe]

Ok basically , i got the cage which is sufficiently large for two birds. However theres a feeling in me that says seperating one’s mate is a cruel decision. What effects would that have on the birds since they have a close bond however keeping in mind that this is temporary helps me remain firm on seperating them. I just have a question to whetger i should kep them in the same room or different rooms since i dont want them to get depressed even if its temporary.

 

[noodles123]

If you want to bond with them, they will probably have to be separated. It is an ethical question, but, right now, you are the third wheel. Do with that information what you may.

 

[MeMeMeMe]

Its such a tough decision considering that they have been bonded for more than an year, but its still the key if i wanna tame them so im stuck

 

[noodles123]

Its such a tough decision considering that they have been bonded for more than an year, but its still the key if i wanna tame them so im stuck

Do you have the time and patience to do so, is the other question. It will probably take a week to a month or so before the separation issue cools down, but then, you must also find a way to fill that void and/or teach independence simultaneously (slow going). They will still be able to hear each other, so it make take a chunk of time and there are no guarantees.

 

[MeMeMeMe]

But its still easier to tame them individually than as a pair right? Or so i have been told

 

[noodles123]

Yes, if they are bonded (and they are) you have very little chance of taming them as is. That having been said, it could still take like 6 months to tame them, given the fact that they were bonded. It could be less.....just saying.

 

[ChristaNL]

Just work with one bird at the time
Of course a fulltime fellow bird will be much more interesting than a mere part-time human, but treats can change that!