Settling in handling etc etc ????

[Dj tweet]

Hi all
so I have a few questions that I would like help with
my new moustache parrot is 6yrs old and I am his 4th owner
previous people had him for 2yrs before that I'm not sure I belive he belonged to petshop owner who basically used him for a status symbol
Merlin sat on his shoulder all day or was put in a cage with no toys etc etc

I brought him home on Friday ( my time in nz ) with his 21yr old cage mate
who he is totally bonded to mikki really couldn't care less snd would prob enjoy sone piece and quite to be honest

1st question
he won't take treats from my hand at all so how can I encourage that as I'd love to do clicker training with him

2nd
he is very bonded to mikki and just dies to be with him
if I get mikki out ofcage Merlin instantly wants up and to be with him which works well for me to get him out if cage
mikki is a laid back old soul and my son loves hanging out with him so I usually give him mikki and take Merlin for a bit if 1 in 1 time to help bond
I can certainly do more with him when he's alone but he seems uneasy and I don't want to be creating a negative experiance
any suggestions ?

3rd
when I have him out with me how much time is enough time to begin with
at current I'm doing prob 3 sessions of half hour play times with him one of which includes both of them so mikki bonds with me also
I talk to them alot during the day to but how much contact should I be having with then in these early days and how do I know when to build on it

4th
he shakes alot I was told he has always done it from the previous owners but whenever he is out of his cage he shakes with nerves
is there anything I can do to try settle him

5th
how do I encourage him to play with toys
he's not noisey or destructive etc but I'd love to get him interested in toys for his mental stimulation and future training also
I'm still figuring what foods he likes but I thought perhaps rubbing a little on some toys to spark his interest what do you think ?

I think that's it for now I'm sorry so many questions I apologise
this is my 1st preloved bird and I'm a little unsure about things

Cheers Jesse

 

[antoinette]

Hi there Jesse, congrat's with your new mustache parrot.

Your new bird needs time to adjust and get used to his new "Flock" and environment.

1st question - You have to earn a birds trust, that takes a while.
Sit near the cage, just talk or sing to him. Let him first become familiar with you and your voice. Offer his treat through the bar at first. When he is comfortable with this, leave a treat near the open door of the cage. When he is confident enough he will take a treat from your hand. As for the clicker training, keep that on a back burner, until the time is right.

2nd question - Perhaps a little bit of one one one time with each bird, in a separate room.

3rd question - It sounds like you are spending enough time with him. There is NO time limit, obviously the more time spent with the bird, the better the bonding process. Keep talking to your birds, 24/7 they have the ability to learn all the time.

4th question - You mentioned that he shakes a lot, is it his body that shakes, or is he shaking his feathers?

5th question - Playing with toys. Make some great ones yourself, making sure that they are bird safe. Place him on your lap, or the floor with the toy nearby. You start off by playing with it, kissing it, singing to it, whatever it takes, let his see you are having fun with it. When he is okay with the toy, hang it in his cage, start off by playing with it again, hopefully he will start playing with it.

Not familiar with their diets, have attached a link,which I am sure will interest you.

Canary Food, Conure Food, Cockatiel Food, Parrot Seed & Food, Macaw Food, Parakeet Food, Pet Bird Food | Other Birds | LafeberCares.com

Good luck

 

[Von1983]

Excellent advice from Antoinette as always.

I've just been through all this with Cal and my opinion of myself was I just did not go with the flow through fear of doing something wrong.

In the end I just listened to Cal and since I've done that, she's rewarded me in more ways than I can ever express.

 

[antoinette]

Excellent advice from Antoinette as always.

I've just been through all this with Cal and my opinion of myself was I just did not go with the flow through fear of doing something wrong.

In the end I just listened to Cal and since I've done that, she's rewarded me in more ways than I can ever express.

You have hit the nail on the head !!!!!

Listen to your bird, it is so important.
It's a give and take situation, equally shared

Thanks for reminding me

 

[Von1983]

I was so neurotic about the whole thing and scared of getting it wrong which no doubt was SO obvious in my first few threads hehe.

But it was only when I relaxed and realised that worrying she wasn't ok when she quite plainly was, was sort of making her nervous lol! Unsurprising really!

Since I relaxed and went at her pace she's decided I'm the best thing since sliced bread.

Our bond is strengthening daily and I am so so proud of her.

Like all my other pets, she gives me so much more than I could ever give her.

 

[antoinette]

I was so neurotic about the whole thing and scared of getting it wrong which no doubt was SO obvious in my first few threads hehe.

But it was only when I relaxed and realised that worrying she wasn't ok when she quite plainly was, was sort of making her nervous lol! Unsurprising really!

Since I relaxed and went at her pace she's decided I'm the best thing since sliced bread.

Our bond is strengthening daily and I am so so proud of her.

Like all my other pets, she gives me so much more than I could ever give her.

Like I always say.....

They ask for so little, yet they give back so much without even realizing it

 

[Von1983]

Maybe not such "bird brains" the pair of us? lol

 

[Dj tweet]

Thanks all
as I say he is comfortable with me handling him when mikki is not around unfort it just makes my job so much harder with him already having that bond to him
I think in hinds sight I should have left mikki with his previous owners and just taken Merlin but I wanted them to both be happy and ended up having both

As far as the shaking it's his whole body trembling would be the best way to describe it
it's not feather ruffling it's a proper shaking
his previous owners said that he has always done it when out of cage
so I think it's a learnt behaviour but if there's anything I could do to help it I'd love to try

 

[Von1983]

If he only does it out of the cage it's probably just nerves? Cal shook everytime we went near on her first day. Come the morning she was fine but it's a big adjustment and she was only 3 months old. If he has always done it, maybe it's either just his lil thing or something not very nice happened in out of cage time. If the previous owners combatted this by putting him back with Mikki instead of addressing the problem then Mikki is his "safe place".

Of course the other reason might be similar to what one of my dogs does when she knows walk time is approaching. She'll lie down quietly and her whole body trembles in excitement and anticipation while she waits for someone to say: Right, come on then, where's the car???? hehe

But it's probably something incorporated in the former imo in which case....fun, reassurance, quiet atmosphere with no sudden movements. Back to gaining confidence. It will take a long long time but he's with you for a long long time!

 

[antoinette]

Maybe not such "bird brains" the pair of us? lol

Hahahaha whooooowhooooo Bird Brain is actually quite a compliment
Go watch the video with the budgies

 

[Von1983]

Maybe not such "bird brains" the pair of us? lol

Hahahaha whooooowhooooo Bird Brain is actually quite a compliment

Go watch the video with the budgies

Hehehe! What one of the 20billion out there is that? hahahaha!

xx