Small Treats for Training

[skygoneblue]

So, silly question... Schala has been pretty eager to step up on my hand to come out of her cage. She's been less eager to step onto my hand again (instead of racing for my shoulder). But, I want to reward her for stepping on my hands, and for not running up my arm.

The trouble is, I can't find a treat that is small enough, or that she even likes. She won't even touch dried cranberries, and she'll take a sunflower seed from me, then spit it out. On top of that, if I give her a piece of her pellet food, she takes 10-15 seconds to eat it. It seems like they're too big, even though they're barely the size of a BB.

What are some good treats for a baby that they can eat quickly and then refocus on interacting?

 

[witchbaby]

Have you tried millet?

 

[Terry57]

My crimson bellied conure loves the pine nuts we use for training

 

[SilverSage]

I cut up almonds into tiny slices and use those.

 

[greencheekachick]

-Have you tried giving her something new? Like pieces of fruit or veggies?
-I found that Shyra and Morpheus would rather take bits of grape from me than anything else after trying different seeds or their pellets. (And with Morpheus, grapes are the only thing he'll take from me without biting me or spitting out). So now I cut up grapes into tiny pieces for training.

 

[Kalidasa]

I second (shelled) pine nuts from the grocers. It's the number 1 preferred treat for mine thawed wild blueberries (because they're tiny) would come in second.

 

[pacoparrot]

I also just got a new baby. She will take a bite of grape or apple as a reward but will also accept safflower seeds and the little white seeds. The fruit takes longer to eat but is much better for her. Get every treat you have in mind, put it in a bowl, and observe what she takes first. My gcc Jack will only take cheerios for example. I might try some fruit/veggie baby cereal for my girl too.

 

[antoinette]

Have you tried plain popcorn
Most birds love popcorn and will do almost anything to get some

 

[MonicaMc]

A treat is anything the bird finds rewarding. You can try a variety of dried fruits, nuts, seeds or other items, but it will only work if it is something that your bird enjoys and is willing to work for.

Sunflower seeds should be chopped into 4 pieces, if not smaller, anyway.

 

[Lynn57]

Try cherios

 

[RavensGryf]

Make sure it's super tiny or cut up tiny like some have said For example, a whole grape or whole almond for a GCC is like us eating a small meal :11: and also how it adds up if you give several during a training session.

Sometimes we find our birds absolutely LOVE some unexpected things...

My birds LOVE Scenic pellets, and I use that brand as treats only. They love them like a kid loves candy.
Raven also LOVES yams, but that's a staple part of his regular food dish, so I don't use for a treat. Though if I did, it would probably work as a training treat as crazy as he is for yams! It's got to be his all time favorite food and never ever gets tired of it, and looks for it first every day as his priority lol.

 

[witchbaby]

If she's a former seed junkie, you can use that as a reward.

 

[DannyA93]

I would use a blueberry and when kyro did something good if give him a bite of it worked quite nicely! He was a very well behaved bird.

 

[Bobioden]

Try Hemp seed. She will LOVE it. It is available in bulk at some pet stores or you can order it online.

I buy locally. Here is a place to get online.

http://www.bird-supplies.net/NUTS-SEEDS-MISC-HEMP-SEED-1.htm

 

[Frumpydumple]

I use sunflower seeds cut up. Cookie loves them.

 

[HappyFeet]

I had this same problem, I've had Happy Feet for around a month and I am very fortune that we bonded so quickly. But I want him to learn tricks and every time I try he races up to my shoulder or jumps off his training perch and onto my chest.

At first I used sunflower seeds but he takes forever to eat them and then started to take them and just spit them out. So I did some experimenting, I found that Papaya bits work the best. They are meant for large birds but they are soft and chewy. I just cut them up into tiny little bite size pieces, which means I only need one cube for a training session. I cut them up really small.

 

[LoriP]

I use tiny pieces of walnut. The advantage is I can carry a piece of walnut in my pocket and shave off a small piece with a (clean) thumbnail any time I need to.. (Be sure to remove the walnut before laundering -- I have ruined several pairs of shorts that way)

 

[MonicaMc]

I had this same problem, I've had Happy Feet for around a month and I am very fortune that we bonded so quickly. But I want him to learn tricks and every time I try he races up to my shoulder or jumps off his training perch and onto my chest.

At first I used sunflower seeds but he takes forever to eat them and then started to take them and just spit them out. So I did some experimenting, I found that Papaya bits work the best. They are meant for large birds but they are soft and chewy. I just cut them up into tiny little bite size pieces, which means I only need one cube for a training session. I cut them up really small.

If he's already on your shoulder, you might try rewarding him for walking down your arm to your hand, bit by bit. Once on your hand, continually reward him for staying there.

As far as taking too long to eat his treats? Your treats are too big! Sunflower seeds, for example, should be cut up into 4-6 pieces! Although, you've already figured that out with the papaya!