I need some help here (long)

[Colorguarder08]

So today is three weeks since bringing home the birds and they STILL will not come near the cage door when it is open. I am not sure what to do they still don't trust me I can put my hands in the cage to clean the cage and scrub the grate but when it comes to trying to offer them treats they won't come near me. The only treat other than the millet that I know they like is toasted bread. However they will only eat it when it is on the bottom of their cage or their food dish. I have tried to offer them other foods but they wont touch it. I can not get them to step up or even let me pet them. I know Halloween would be much eaiser if I can get him/her by it self but the only way I can think of to do that is to towel it and force it to come out of the cage. I would MUCH rather them want to come out of the cage on their own but am not sure how to get them to want to. I do know I am going to be making some birdie bread soon with a pellet base so that I can at least be sure they are getting some pellets as they are almost out of seeds so pretty soon pellets and birdie bread will be all that is offered al day they will be offered some fresh fruits and veggies daily. I am hoping to get some sweet potatoes soon because I think this will be easier to start out with as a fresh veggie obviously it will be cooked and mashed up but you guys get the point. I'm just not sure how to get them out of the cage I am worried they will become cage bound which is no way for a bird to live. I also want to transfer them to a bigger cage which I will be getting hopefully within the next month should be no later than the start of the new year depends on when I get the grant money. This cage is huge and will allow more room for them and more room for toys and perches and I can get those crock feeders I like better than regular food dishes. I try to keep them on a regular schedule but with my work schedule changing week to week that is rather difficult. There are days I have to wake up at 3 am and other days I am able to sleep in til around 7 am. So I try to keep the morning routine the same and the evening routine the same. I do talk to them I try to talk for 15 minutes at time I also talk to them while doing homework. Can anyone give me advice to help me bond with them? I know it would have been easier if I would have only gotten one bird or gotten seperated cages however that is something I didn't do. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[triordan]

keep talking to them and offering treats, what kind of cage door do you have? can you leave it open while you are home? Im sorry i have little to offer, Im new at this~ but we kept remington in his cage the first 8-10 days just so he could get used to his new surroundings, but he came out the 1st day we let him and then it took about a month for him to step up ~ he did it 3 days in a row and hasnt since!, so i will be patient, it may take a some time....

 

[Colorguarder08]

keep talking to them and offering treats, what kind of cage door do you have? can you leave it open while you are home? Im sorry i have little to offer, Im new at this~ but we kept remington in his cage the first 8-10 days just so he could get used to his new surroundings, but he came out the 1st day we let him and then it took about a month for him to step up ~ he did it 3 days in a row and hasnt since!, so i will be patient, it may take a some time....

The cage is "big enough" but not as big as I woud like. The cage door is kinda like a hinged door so I can swing it open and leave it there which I do for like an hour. However they will not come near the door when it is open I can sometimes get Halloween to step on a perch and can almost get her (I'm just going to call halloween a girl til I get told otherwise) to come just up to the door then she will get off the perch. I know this is going to sound rediculous but I would like to have them hand tame before they molt as I don't want to have to clip their wings. Halloweens wings are currently clipped too short so she can not get any height and when she flaps her wings she drops like a brick which breaks my heart to see and Hallows Eve whom I will say is a boy has his wings clipped just fine so that he is able to glide some. I am probably being unrealistic in my expectations. I feel terrible though because I like Halloween a lot better than Hallows eve but I am trying to get to where I like Hallows Eve as much as Halloweeen. Halloween had my heart since seeing her in the pet store yes it was technically an impulse buy but it was love at first sight. Hallows Eve was kinda pushed on me but I accepted him willingly and am trying to love him the way I love Halloween. I am desperate to get the birds to come out of the cage though.

 

[Colorguarder08]

So today I had enough of no physical contact so I opened the cage door and while the birds were climbing up the cage bars I had Halloween step on my finger I felt so great about it she stood there with no complaints and I almost got her out of the cage but again at the cage door she jumped off.

 

[wildheart]

I saw in the photos that you cover the cage top and sides. I know from experience that covering a small cage makes them want to hide more and more. Placing the cage in the corner will give them enough security. Where is the cage, is it in a place where they see people? Do you leave the radio on while you are not at home?

Persistence and patience, I know it is hard.

They need to learn to trust your hands, especially after being in a pet shop for a long time. What you are doing is 100% correct but how often and for how long are you doing it? If you have been doing it for say 10min then step it up to 20min. Try and follow a routine, they will start to know what to expect next and this will make them feel more comfortable. They will start to trust the routine. Treats are a wonderful object to use to get them to come closer to you. My IRN chooses raisins and dried cranberries as a treat.

First start to give them the treats through the cage bars and then move to the next level.

Sit by the cage with the cage door open and hold the treat in your hand, with your other hand eat some and show them how nice it is. Move your hand closer to them until they back off, if that happens then you need to stop and move away. Take note of the distance that you could approach them without them getting scared. Eat the one that they ran away from and show them just how NICE it was. Then after a couple of minutes hold it out to them again but only up to the distance that they were comfortable with. Hold it for some time and eat it again, you really need to make a fuss about how NICE the treat is. Do this over and over again and see if you can go closer and closer, trying to NOT scare them. The chances are that they will come forward and take it from your hand or that they will allow you to come close enough to give it to them. Dont push it, you need to do this on their terms - but you have to do it cause only talking to them everyday is not going to make them trust you.

Remember to talk softly and in a very kind and loving manner.

It will be hard in a small cage because they tend to be very scared and feel trapped because they do not have any space to flee.

My girl only eats mashed cooked veggies - she refuses to eat it raw. I usually start her morning with warm mashed sweet potato or gem squash etc. because that is when she is really hungry.

 

[wildheart]

So today I had enough of no physical contact so I opened the cage door and while the birds were climbing up the cage bars I had Halloween step on my finger I felt so great about it she stood there with no complaints and I almost got her out of the cage but again at the cage door she jumped off.

That is wonderful! So taking treats should not be so hard. Keep offering it and when they start taking it then you move your hand further and further away until they take it from you outside the cage.