Socializing for all ages and stages

[Icca]

Hi all!
Thought I would start this in the hope that some might add their tips on ways they socialized their birds.
I have a Nanday conure who I got when she was approximately 14. She seems to be a fairly sheltered bird who, at the start of our journey was not familiar with seeing much outside of her cage.
I hope this can help others who are looking for ways to start or are looking for new things or experiences for birds who feel life is getting stale.


To start this off when I brought The Rebel Pepper home, one of the first things that really puzzled and scared her a bit was the plastic totes that I store my art supplies in. So one day we had a in boxing party! She was in her cage with door open so she could come out and look if she wanted but could hide if feeling insecure. I took a tote off the shelf and slowly removed and showed her every item I took out. I had to move slow (literally) so she wasn't to startled but eventually she was so curious she was stretching her neck to see it all.
We made a big mess but had alot of fun and it went a long way in helping her feel more comfortable in her new surroundings.

So tell us all about the Who what when where and why, ways that you socialize you bird friends to new experiences!
Hope this is a fun one I know it will help me and The Rebel

 

[Icca]

Here is a different take on socializing. This is my now passed BW Veggie. I purchased him from a breeder he was hand fed by the breeder and I was able to visit during his weaning. He was very well socialized from our start together. This is a photograph of him when he was very young probably under a year but this was a long time ago so I don't remember his age exactly.
Since he was so use to new things and was in the happy to explore baby stage. I was able to put him right onto this silky material and he had a great time rubbing his face on this strange foreign fabric.
I think this is a good visual of difference between the ability of a young bird to tolerate new and novel experience vs. A older under socialized bird. My current Nanday conure is still learning to be comfortable standing on flat surfaces like a table. This amount of new objects would overwhelm the nanday quickly. But the bronze wing is clearly comfortable with the new experience .

 

[SailBoat]

We are believers in introducing our DYHA to near everyone that comes to our home and that includes repairmen. The more individuals that they meet, the more comfortable the Parrot will be around other Humans.

 

[wrench13]

There is socializing to people, and there is de-sensitizing to new things and experiences. Two different things.

For socializing to people, we started early on to play 'Pass the Potato' when he was quite young, passing him around to family members grouped in a circle. Salty also accompanies me to some gigs, concerts and festivals and I make it a point of introducing him to interested people. He may not LIKE them all, but he doesn't freak out at any.

The second one is harder. Parrots like predictability and schedules and routines. The problem with that is in providing that to them, their exposure to new things is limited and we can fall into a rut. We can run out of or just not have an unlimited number of unique things to expose them to. In example, Salty knows what a screwdriver is, I use them all the time. But when I had to bring out a hammer for something, he got very upset at it. Another example, he plays a kiddy xylophone with a yellow plastic beater. I just got a mini-steel drum with wood and hard rubber beaters. I thought it would be sure and easy to get him to play it with those, but NO! he totally refused to come near the drum or the beaters. SO I am going to slowly introduce the beaters first, in our training sessions, just by placing on the table and putting a treat near it, decreasing the distance gradually and then getting him to just pick it up and give it to me. A slow, incremental approach, which is what I recommend for exposure to new things.

As an added note, some parrots are OK with new stuff and some freak out, and everything in between. Each bird has their own personalities and temperament.

 

[Icca]

Absolutely agree that they are all so different. And I suppose socialize is not quite the wording I was aiming for but this isn't my day job
But I do think the goal for both is to help build confidence and ability to tolerate new people or things. Like 2 sides to a coin.
I look forward to the day when I can get The Rebel comfortable with visitors but I think I'll have to call alot of repair men before we reach that point or I'll have to stuff her in the book bag and go talk to strangers!

Just kidding both of us would need alot more desensitizing for that!

 

[HeatherG]

I used to take my green cheek conure around to say hi to every plant in my apartment (about 60) as well as his Quaker parakeet neighbor. He really liked plants and would get upset if I moved the ones that were near his cage (like to give them even sunlight).

He was a funny bird.

Willow goes with me on errands in the building and if someone asks to pet him I may allow it. Depends on Willow’s mood and if I think he’ll be ok with the pets or he will be pinchy.

Jasper would find that very upsetting so we are more private with him. He is scared of new things and people and has a quick strong beak.