I am sick of thinking whole time what to do

[Piasa]

If you can put a cage divider to make your big cage into 2, that might be okay. Or put in 2 dividers next to each other so that there is some space in between (maybe 5 cm or so), so that they cannot bite the other bird's feet through the bars.

I do not know the climate you have to know about keeping them outside overnight, but it is very good for them that you have them outside for the day or part of the day.

 

[Anansi]

And as for whether or not you should clip, it's a personal decision. Personally, I never clip my birds. I recall train them so that they'll fly right to me when I call. (Well, Jolly flies to me. Maya walks since she's still nervous about flying.)

I also find that leaving them flighted allows more options for when they start to fuss. Whenever they're out together and Maya is feeling a little grumpy, Jolly can always fly away from her. No need for pitched battle if one can always take flight as needed.

 

[tania]

but anansi my Michael never flies to me even when I close the doors hold my fingers near _ he fly of toward the bed _ do u actually know ho to train Michael this trick or should I ask it in different thread and also can chun chun be tamed _ I don't know she bites and everything _ it so it seems impossible to train her but I love her

 

[Anansi]

Well, there are two things that you would do as the basis of flight recall. Establishing a bond with your birds, and target training them.

You can establish this bond by convincing your birds that being with you is the fun place to be. Spend time talking with them and bribing them with their favorite treats. (Nut fragments or seeds that they don't get with their regular meals.) The more they want to be with you, the easier it will be to train them to come to you on command.

And then there is the target training, which will provide the framework for following your directions. You can start target training in the cage using a target stick. (Chop sticks make great, inexpensive target sticks.) The way this works is to get your bird to associate said stick with his favorite treats. For more curious (or aggressive) birds, this will prove rather easy. Just slowly put the tip of the stick between the bars of the cage, being careful, of course, not to frighten him by kind of chasing him with it. The point is for him to come to the point of the stick and touch it with his beak. (Or for a less adventurous bird, you can start by rewarding his taking even a few steps in the right direction.) Using a clicker to indicate approval, followed by the reward of a treat, works quite well for this. But simply giving an enthusiastic "good job!" works too. It's really about what works best for you.

Here is an example of target training by our own Katie_fleming, who has posted several videos of her training sessions with her eclectus parrot, Jasper: [ame="https://youtu.be/TXzwJr8zRww"]Jasper's Tunnel Walk (Eclectus Parrot) - YouTube[/ame]

In this video, she uses the clicker method to reinforce the moment when he has accomplished what she has asked of him. The clicker becomes the "bridge" to the treat.

Once your bird makes the association between touching that stick and getting a reward, you'll be able to point anywhere in the cage and he will go. (Make sure to do training in between his meal times, when he'll be hungry enough to be food-motivated.) Eventually, when his in-cage targeting becomes reliable, you can begin to target him outside of the cage. The natural progression will eventually take him to flying over to your arm on command.

Now, if your bird tends more toward the shy or timid side, you might have to work on the trust between you more before beginning target training. Your bird has to feel safe with you. This can be accomplished by simply sitting by your bird's cage and reading to him. Don't push the interaction too quickly. Try to build the bond, first. And try not to make your movements too swift or jerky. Keep them smooth and relaxed. And keep your tone soothing.

I hope this helps. If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

 

[tania]

ahhh yes / will my Michael become jealous to see me loving chun chun and will be requiring to give him attention mean time? I know chun chun is old + judjing by her body) can she still be tamed? also how much time should i spend with my birds _ they are often alone bcx i used to be bz all the time but i give them attention and check thrm time to time is it okay?

 

[Anansi]

From what you said, neither of them is recall trained. So you should be working with both of them on this. One at a time, of course. It's possible one or the other may become jealous, but just make sure each gets equal time with you.

Yes, I think Chun Chun can still be tamed. Some birds are harder to tame than others, though, depending on their life circumstances.

A few hours a day should be spent with your bird. They are social animals, and should be made to feel like a part of your family.

 

[kq_fan]

Yes, I agree with Piasa. My cousin has two Indian ringneck and if they were together, they would fight all the time. So she put a divider in the middle in a big cage. They are fine.

 

[tania]

okay _ u helped me a lot thank u very much but still another question _ if I'm talking to chun chun ( but she bites ) I know I shouldn't be too eager to touch of course I'm a sort of danger to her but how will u notice that chun chun is starting to trust me _ of course i wont be expecting to touch her but still how would i notice that? and what should i do to keep chun chun away from boredom she seems bored all the time i can carry michael arround and play with him but things are diffrernt with chun chun

 

[Anansi]

Here is a good thread that touches on bite avoidance: http://www.parrotforums.com/training/57935-brainstorming-biting-parrots.html

Check it out. I think you'll find it helpful.

 

[Piasa]

You can weave edible leaves and grasses through the cage bars for Chun Chun to eat/play with. Dark lettuce, watercress, kale, carrot greens, turnip greens anything like that.

I am not sure what local trees you have, but if you can find wood from a fruit tree like apple or pear, Chun Chun might enjoy peeling off the bark. You can also cut thin blocks from the wood and make toys for her with them. If you can find sisal rope, you can also use this for toys.

If there are any bird or pet stores near you, you should be able to find some toys there. Soft wood is good for smaller birds, and any sort of grass rope, coconut husk, raffia, dried loofah, sometimes even paper - all things that most parrots like to play with and destroy.