New Challenge with Lovebird.

[Beilana]

Yayy I have progress!!!!!!!!
Loki came out of the cage again with me leaving the door open. He stood on top for a while and then flew over to the couch. Again he flew away from me when I tried to grab him but then while he was on the floor I scooped him up without him flying away!!!
I brought him back to his cage and now he is sitting and eating contently. I believe he realized that my hands aren't so bad. I know this isn't much but it encourages me that I am doing the right things to gain his trust/friendship

 

[Dj tweet]

Awesome !
It's going to take time
lovebirds are one of the most flighty birds around when parent raised
perhaps due to their small size as easy prey or what I'm not to sure
your doing everything right though
I would try to put the cage on the couch or such when he flies there and try ANC encourage him back in their as opposed to chasing him then he learns that's his safe place and that your not going to hurt him you just Want to return him to his cage

If he likes millet that's also a great way to get him stepping into your hand by just holding it there and letting him hope on ANd off etc eventually he will stay there and learn that your hands bring good things
see you tube if you need more explination

 

[Beilana]

Thanks DjTweet. I am going to get some millet, its a really good suggestion.

 

[Beilana]

Now Loki is beak grinding and making happy sleepy noises in his little tent I made for him....soooo cute. I missed hearing those noises after Hiroshi passed away. Even though he is still not hand-tame he is bringing me so much Joy.

 

[Ecclipse]

lol - dont worry, I had the same thing with Rosie, they are so fast that you end up lapping the house twice. Please dont be sad or worry, it will come. That will happen often until your lovie gets used to you. Dont rush things and keep doing what you have been doing with being near him and taking the cage around with you. Its still early days and for the first couple of days your main aim is to get them settled. The fact that he is coming out of the cage is great - huge step. Next time close the curtain. I bought a perch and used that in the beginning to teach her to step up - I was then able to move onto the cloth over my hand and hope to use my hand soon

 

[Ecclipse]

I didnt see your latest post but this is great - see, in no time you will find he cant get enough of you - great work Loki and Bel!!!! I love it when Rosie is in her tent - too cute!!!!! They are very clever birds and catch on quickly - so excited for you

 

[Aussie Ben]

I am so Happy for you Beilana! Hello Loki !!!! (love the name btw). It looks like you are already riding the roller coaster with your new fid, but you are coping so well. You have been given some great advice. Keep up the great work, you will be rewarded with every little piece of progress .

 

[Beilana]

I am so Happy for you Beilana! Hello Loki !!!! (love the name btw). It looks like you are already riding the roller coaster with your new fid, but you are coping so well. You have been given some great advice. Keep up the great work, you will be rewarded with every little piece of progress .

Thanks Ben It is definitely a rollar coaster ride so far.... I have never had an untamed bird before. I was looking up videos on youtube and a couple had tamed their "breeder" lovebird, it took two years!!!

I am hoping since Loki is young still it won't take as long but I'm ready for the challenge.

Today he is very calm. He had a great long sleep last night. I am off to rockclimbing for the morning and am looking foward to working with him more when I get back

 

[Beilana]

Ok So I have been reading some information on taming a lovebird and a few sites have said to just take him out whether he likes it or not and eventually he will come to realize your hands arent bad......to me this seems like it could break trust rather than gain it?? What do you guys think???

 

[Aussie Ben]

Ok So I have been reading some information on taming a lovebird and a few sites have said to just take him out whether he likes it or not and eventually he will come to realize your hands arent bad......to me this seems like it could break trust rather than gain it?? What do you guys think???

When I first got Buddy, i was such a newbie (probably still am 7 years on lol). The breeder I picked her up from was pretty um....'rough around the edges' so to speak. His advice was to just grab her out, hold her to my chest and stroke her for long periods. Now, being a rookie, I took his advice as gospel and went home and did this. Buddy did get used to being handled, but you can tell she is VERY VERY aware of hands and what they are doing. I am the only person that can touch her without her freaking out. With Eddie, I took an approach that I thought was more appropriate - letting handling/taming happen on his terms, not mine. Sure, I worked with him and handled him a lot, but tried to avoid forcing my hands on him. The first 2 1/2 years I was able to do everything but touch his back and under his wings. It took nearly 3 years before he was fully accepting of my hands, but now he is very good about it, I can even turn him over on his back.

So I would take the longer road IMO, let your lovebird warm to you. It could take weeks, months or years, who knows? I would definitely avoid, putting loki too far out of its comfort zone. Then again, I have no experience with lovebirds so.....yea lol.

 

[Beilana]

Thanks Ben I was thinking the same thing. When I first bought him I had no idea just HOW afraid of hands he actually is..... I am just keeping him with me everyday and talking and singing to him. I have also let him out of the cage to fly around. Maybe its not the best idea because I eventually have to pick him up to put him in his cage?? What do you think??? Because He is constantly trying to figure out ways to get out of his cage....I feel bad for him, when he is in there he just sits on his swing.....

 

[Beilana]

I miss the good ol days when my bird wanted my company. It's really hard for me to see Loki like this because its like he isn't happy anywhere he goes. He HATES the cage but he hates being with me. He basically wants to fly out the window far far away from me. I'm probably just having a discouraging day and missing Hiroshi and missing having a bird to snuggle

 

[Dj tweet]

It's definatly disapointing when things aren't what they were meant to be
you thought you were buying a hand raised baby not parent raised
I have learnt this through Merlin not to just take someones word for it
and I will definatly be checking out this new breeder before I settle on getting a baby from him
I wish you all the best and hope things get better for you and loki

I did hear an idea today which may sound totally crazy but I may also work
a mosquito net you know the type that go around your bed
the person said to hang it from the roof put the birds cage in there for an hour or so and then go in yourself and just sit in there with him
the close quaters means he has to be close to you but he also has enough room to not feel threatened by you
I know it sounds crazy and it may well be but I'm just putting the idea out there

 

[Ecclipse]

Hi Beilana, patience, patience, patience - lol, says me!!!! My advice to you is to get a perch and start teaching him to step up with the perch and then placing him on your shoulder. Sit on the floor so that if he launches off he wont hurt himself. Make sure that the top your wearing alows him to hold or use a towel over your shoulders. I thought that his wings were clipped? I tried to hold rosie and get her used to my hands but got the bonding process going quicker by getting her used to my shoulder and then using the perch to get her off again. It will make you feel better too because he will be spending time on your shoulder and will start to explore climbing around you - just a thought - you might find that Loki will bond quicker if you hold him.

 

[Beilana]

Hey Ecclipse thank you Its funny because last night right when I was feeling slightly hopeless the most amazing thing happened. Usually when I reach my hand into his cage to change his water or do anything he would freak out. Last night when I reached in he actually let me touch him!!!! He was still wary but he let me

The stick idea is a good one, although I know if I try to put him on my shoulder he will fly away at this point but its still worth a shot.

Yes his wings are clipped but he can still fly from place to place in my condo. Like from his cage to the fishtank to the statue thing. He can even fly up to the curtain rod when he tries hard enough...little bugger lol

 

[Dj tweet]

Yay !!!! So excited for you
IMO if he is now not jumping about when you put your hand in the cage I wouldn't start using a stick now as it will only freak him out more and could make progress go backwards
just keep doing what your doing it's obviously working

 

[Ecclipse]

Great stuff Beilana, so glad that he is not so nervous around you and is letting you come near him with your hands..DJ is right, if he is accepting your hands then keep working on that - I only mentioned the perch if you couldnt get near him at all and wanted to start the bonding process without using your hands