Two Weeks In...

[jeffisme]

Today marks two weeks since Berdie joined us, and the news is almost all good. She is a whiz at stepping up; she doesn't even bite, loves to take treats from our hands, eats her veggies and fruits and is generally a nice bird.

Here is the stuff that is coming along a bit more slowly. I'm in no way frustrated just curious about people's experience in helping things along.

1) I can't keep her in my hands for any real length of time unless I walk around outside my office with her, looking at windows, etc. If I sit with her in my hand, she will almost immediately climb onto my shoulder. and if I get her to step up on my hand when she is on my shoulder she then tries to climb right back. Then it becomes a test of wills, and since I don't want her to hate me or my hands, I will just put her back in or on her cage. What is the best way to get her to not just stay on my hand but also like being there? She has stopped taking treats for the most part if I put them in my other hand (she generally only takes them when she is perching) and if I bring my hand up toward her face or head, she will yell. She clearly will trust one hand but not the other.

She has taken to clicker training with touching the stick. Is there a way to transition to using the clicker to staying on my hand?

2) when she's on my hand, if I bring up my other hand toward her face, slowly or quickly, she yells. even if I have a treat in that hand and want to give it to her. forget it.

3) Any recommendations for high value treat that she can eat quickly? Very good for clicker training. right now it's a mango, piece (cut real small) but haven't found anything that is as automatic.

4) She refuses to touch my chop. I'm not too insulted that she is rejecting my cooking but I'm curious if anyone has any failproof chop recipe. I put some quinoa in mine. I'm wondering if she doesn't like that. Next I'll try leaving it out; otherwise I have in there orange pepper, broccoli, carrots and carrot tops, dandelion greens, zucchini, lettuce and a couple of other things I am forgetting. When I put her favorite fruits in her dish, I bury them in the chop.


Thanks for any info or advice,

jeff

 

[Laurasea]

you can try offering veggies in chunks and spread out. I myself don't bother with chop. Quinoa cooked is well liked by mine.

Love the happy updates!

 

[zERo]

A good treat you could try is safflower seeds, that's what I use mostly, or tiny pieces of chopped up almonds. As for getting your bird to eat chop, the method I found that works is mixing seed into the chop that you give them (not the whole batch) this will usually entice them to eat it, also, sprinkle seed on top so they know its there. Another method is you could try making birdie bread. It could take longer than two weeks to get her to take treats from you while perching on your hand.

 

[T00tsyd]

Hi I just wonder if you might be expecting too much too soon. 2 weeks is very little time to have gained her trust and she sounds as if she is doing brilliantly. Often it can take weeks or longer for this much progress. My rule with Syd even after 4 years is to let him set the pace. I never not let him have an option to what I am asking him to do and I never press him if he looks remotely uncomfortable. If showing your hand even with a treat makes her back off then she isn't ready to trust you that far. Equally if she prefers your shoulder, as long as she appreciates that that is a privilege not a right, then don't press for hands. From the shoulder escape is easier. In your hands not so much. Trust is the name of the game. She should approach you without hesitation then you know she trusts you.

Syd's current favourite place seems to be on the top of my head. I guess he has a good view around 360 degrees.

 

[jeffisme]

you can try offering veggies in chunks and spread out. I myself don't bother with chop. Quinoa cooked is well liked by mine.

Love the happy updates!

yeah, this morning I didn't give her any chop, just veggies and a few apple slices. she was all over it.

 

[jeffisme]

A good treat you could try is safflower seeds, that's what I use mostly, or tiny pieces of chopped up almonds. As for getting your bird to eat chop, the method I found that works is mixing seed into the chop that you give them (not the whole batch) this will usually entice them to eat it, also, sprinkle seed on top so they know its there. Another method is you could try making birdie bread. It could take longer than two weeks to get her to take treats from you while perching on your hand.

thanks, I'll try the safflower in the chop.

 

[jeffisme]

Hi I just wonder if you might be expecting too much too soon. 2 weeks is very little time to have gained her trust and she sounds as if she is doing brilliantly. Often it can take weeks or longer for this much progress. My rule with Syd even after 4 years is to let him set the pace. I never not let him have an option to what I am asking him to do and I never press him if he looks remotely uncomfortable. If showing your hand even with a treat makes her back off then she isn't ready to trust you that far. Equally if she prefers your shoulder, as long as she appreciates that that is a privilege not a right, then don't press for hands. From the shoulder escape is easier. In your hands not so much. Trust is the name of the game. She should approach you without hesitation then you know she trusts you.

Syd's current favourite place seems to be on the top of my head. I guess he has a good view around 360 degrees.

aw, no, that's why I said I was patient, I am, just reporting on what's going on and the curious as to the best way to move forward. I have plenty of time. I like the idea of her treating my shoulder as a privilege and not a right but am curious how to get there. Right now, she believes it is her right, no question.

 

[zERo]

thanks, I'll try the safflower in the chop.

Oh sorry I meant I use safflower as a training treat, putting their regular seed mix in the chop is what I would do

 

[T00tsyd]

aw, no, that's why I said I was patient, I am, just reporting on what's going on and the curious as to the best way to move forward. I have plenty of time. I like the idea of her treating my shoulder as a privilege and not a right but am curious how to get there. Right now, she believes it is her right, no question.

LOL I guess they all do and while she is so good why not? Syd arrived at puberty at about 1 yr old and I had a rough time for a while until he appreciated just what got him shoulder privileges. He was biting chunks out of me at the time so it was a case of avoiding him until a)he calmed down a bit b) he had a chance to learn bite control. Bless him I think he was as unhappy as me but we got through it.

 

[wrench13]

A great thing to entice parrots is hot peppers. The hottest you can get. They love them and they are good for them too. Parrots have 1 tastebuds to 100 of ours so flame hot is merely tangy to them. I put a few jalapenos on a skewer for Salty as a lunch snack and his chop is heavily based on hot peppers. THem other veggies are good for them but not very flavorful.

If he is getting clicker training down well, I suggest you start some trick training with him. Not only is it fun but it also builds trust well and enhances the parrots intellect. Salty lives for his nightly trick training session, even after 5+ years of every night sessions.

 

[jeffisme]

A great thing to entice parrots is hot peppers. The hottest you can get. They love them and they are good for them too. Parrots have 1 tastebuds to 100 of ours so flame hot is merely tangy to them. I put a few jalapenos on a skewer for Salty as a lunch snack and his chop is heavily based on hot peppers. THem other veggies are good for them but not very flavorful.

If he is getting clicker training down well, I suggest you start some trick training with him. Not only is it fun but it also builds trust well and enhances the parrots intellect. Salty lives for his nightly trick training session, even after 5+ years of every night sessions.

thanks, jalapenos it is. my wife loves them and is willing to share.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Welcome, and congratulations.
I'm so glad you're here.
Stick with us.

 

[jeffisme]

Well, the pet thief just struck again in our house. It happened with three dogs and now our Berdie. My lovely and wonderful wife said before we got Berdie that she would be mine, she'd be too afraid of being bitten. As it turns out, Berdie is a sweetheart who wouldn't bite a soul. Sensing this, Sue started coming in to give her treats or what she calls "yum yums" with her higher pitched voice, and now whenever Berdie can hear her voice around the house or Sue enters the office, Berdie gets all excited and is just riveted by her (as am I but for different reasons).

This was from this morning. Look at that grin on Berdie's face. I'd get fish, except they'd probably jump out of the tank and follow my wife around the house if they had feet. Here's the proof:

 

[jeffisme]

Turns out that Berdie is a genius. Here is her first trick. She learned it in five minutes. It took me ten minutes to master it when it was taught to me.

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