Molly's Training

[Cara 0]

I need to clean Molly's cage today and was wondering how I could get her out of her cage so I can put her in the other cage without distrupting her training. Shes still not that great with my hand being in her cage, so how would I go about getting her out If I try and grab her she may get frightened all over again. What should I do???

[**Liv** 0]

How do you normally get her out of her cage?

[Cara 0]

Normally I would put Blue in the cage and then its easier to grab Molly and put her in too, but with starting the new training I would rather not grab her unless it was absolutely necessary.

[**KAZ** 0]

If you put a section of perch in would she step onto it and be removed on the perch section ?

[Cara 0]

I have never tried that I will try that and see how she does, If that fails is there anything else I could try.

[**KAZ** 0]

If that fails Lift the cage from its base...most cages have a plastic section the top clips onto. If yours is like that lift it off and let her out....into a safe area of course. Other solution ...open the door to both cages ...put entry doors right next to each other with no gaps... and let her figure out how to hop from one cage into the other.

[Cara 0]

okay will try all those tactics thanks for your help

[Cara 0]

Well I tried the stick solution but she only just freaked out (So I let her settle down), then I tried the cage door solution but that didn't work, so in the end I had to grab her, she was fine once she was in the other cage, I open the cage door to both of the cages when she goes back into the big cage and she does that without any trouble just not the other way around.

[**Liv** 0]

Great to hear you worked it out

[maesie 0]

Well I tried the stick solution but she only just freaked out (So I let her settle down), then I tried the cage door solution but that didn't work, so in the end I had to grab her, she was fine once she was in the other cage, I open the cage door to both of the cages when she goes back into the big cage and she does that without any trouble just not the other way around.

 

 

Well, you tried mate! If nothing else works, you have no choice. So... based on that, I'd start working on getting her to sit on your finger, and when she'll do that, get her to stay on when you take your hand out of the cage etc... good luck and keep us updated.

[Neat 0]

When I had the indoors birds ( they are now outdoor ones LOL ) ... I just did what Kaz said .....

I Squeezed the metal cage part down the bottom so that they un hook from the plastic tray .. I'd place the cage on the floor next too me so that way I could clean and wash it all then just replaced it ..... Not fussing about trying to handle birds ... As you have grabbed her she will ( maybe ) be a little put off by that and may take longer to hand tame again ....

 

Good luck next time

[Cara 0]

Well Molly is 2 years old now and I have had really no success in taming her. I even tried the chop stick/ stick approach were she steps up to it instead of the hand but no she only freaks out even more. I have recently removed any shiny objects that I could think of that would make her see herself in it to see if that helps but i don't think it will as she doesn't play with any toys anyway even though im always buying bits and pieces for her she likes shreading news paper better. Does anyone have anymore suggestions i could try?

[Houman 0]

have you tried rewarding her with millet?

[Ratzy 0]

Well, Marigold is not the tamest either...... but she is getting to trust me a bit. I had to suringe water her while she had a sore foot ( almost all healed now, when I have her on my hand you can only just feel the weight difference ) and now she comes over to chew on the end of the suringe. It is very useful to have budgies that love the suringe when it comes to worming. Marigold is an adult budgie yet I am still taming her. Maybe you could get her to eat from you? The trick is not to stare at them else they get agitated. Skye isn't a tame bird either but he doesn't mind me being there. I have bath time inside so I'm training them to get in the travel cage by themselves. Maybe try just being near the cage and gradually put your hand in?

[macka 0]

If you hav't trained her by now,I would give it away as a bad joke,after 2years,she would of trained her self,

to hop on your hand,when you put the feed tin in the cage. :dbb1

[Cara 0]

UPDATE: The slow hand approach still isn't working BUT these past couple of days I have be watching Molly from the other side of the room trying to bit/attack the bars of her cage. Today she was doing it again so I though I would see what she would be like if I slowly approached her, she was on the bars closest to me. I talked to her calmly and approached quietly, one step she was watching me (but had stopped chirping and bitting the bars) just watching, I stepped closer again, still watching me, again, again until I was only about 10cm away from where she was perched on the bars. I thought maybe she wants to come out, as soon as i moved my hand to the door she went to the back of the cage. I opened the door and moved back over to the other side of the room, she eventually came over to the open side of her cage and perched in the door way for a while and started chirping, then i came and sat next to her cage and she went up to her swing and preened herself and chatted to me while I was talking calmy to her. Is this a good indication of slowly, ever so slowly building trust in my rescue bird again?? Shes never done this before.

 

I had tried many other techniques such as offering millet but she just freaks and gets worked up. The only time she doesn't freak is when im changing her food, water and foraging tray etc in the morning. She oviously had a bad experience with hands. Any advice on what to do next?

[rachelm 0]

UPDATE: The slow hand approach still isn't working BUT these past couple of days I have be watching Molly from the other side of the room trying to bit/attack the bars of her cage. Today she was doing it again so I though I would see what she would be like if I slowly approached her, she was on the bars closest to me. I talked to her calmly and approached quietly, one step she was watching me (but had stopped chirping and bitting the bars) just watching, I stepped closer again, still watching me, again, again until I was only about 10cm away from where she was perched on the bars. I thought maybe she wants to come out, as soon as i moved my hand to the door she went to the back of the cage. I opened the door and moved back over to the other side of the room, she eventually came over to the open side of her cage and perched in the door way for a while and started chirping, then i came and sat next to her cage and she went up to her swing and preened herself and chatted to me while I was talking calmy to her. Is this a good indication of slowly, ever so slowly building trust in my rescue bird again?? Shes never done this before.

 

I had tried many other techniques such as offering millet but she just freaks and gets worked up. The only time she doesn't freak is when im changing her food, water and foraging tray etc in the morning. She oviously had a bad experience with hands. Any advice on what to do next?

Sounds like you are making progress. What time of day are you doing training with Molly? I ask because you might have some luck in the early evening when birds are naturally quieter. Just a thought. I suppose all you can do is persevere and be patient (hard to do sometimes). Best of luck to you and Molly.

[Brucies Mum 0]

Molly sounds very similar to how my Bruce was, but he was only a baby when I got him. I also tried to finger tame him so I could let him out of his cage, but he didnt want to know, he too freaked out if I put anything into his cage, after a long while with no sucess, I decided it was cruel keeping him cooped up in the cage all the time, so after making the room secure and safe I opened his cage door just like you did, and very cautiously he ventured out. He did a circuit of the room and tried to land on the curtain pole, but slipped behind it and got stuck(more fear of moving than actually stuck), so I put my finger by him to step on which he did , once he was out from behind the pole he flew off and landed on top of a cupboard and sat there for ages chattering away. He then flew back to his cage on his own. I have never put him back in physically, and now he comes on my finger.. head ..glasses any where he wants with no fear.

I think he didnt like me entering his domain and felt threatened, but in the open he knew he could fly from any danger, and it was this that helped me to gain his trust, I wasnt a threat, the hand didnt harm in fact the first contact was helpful, and he was never made to do anything he didnt want ie. being put back in the cage, and so our relationship grew, he now has no fear of me either with my hand in his cage or outside of it.

It is all down to patience every stage done slowly even if it takes weeks or even longer. I think if only one person does the trust building it is better as well. Too many hands from different people can be un-nerving for them. It took a while for Bruce to trust other people but now he will go on all the family members hands, but he still looks on warily if a complete stranger comes into the house... clever these budgies they know who doesnt belong :rofl:

 

Bruce doesnt even mind me cleaning his cage with him in it now, he watches with great interest like he is supervising me, he even says "clean cage" as I say it to him when I start to clean him out, he almost seems to enjoy it. I also do as Kaz says and remove the bottom of the cage to give that a good clean, Bruce happily sits in the top half while I sort the bottom half out, if I have the windows open and it isnt safe to let him out.

So it seems like gently gently and lots of patience worked for me, and it is such a thrill to have won them over, so rewarding when it has been hard going.

[Cara 0]

Yes it sounds similar apart from the fact the Molly can't fly (we think it was a calcium deficentcy) as well as she seems to have a slight case of spayed legs, he feet turn slightly inwards. So she wouldn't be able to get away from danger. When we had Blue, she used to come out to the top of the cage with him and try to fly with him but always landed on the ground, thats the only time she would trust my hand enough to get on it, a helping hand to her cage. After he died she never showed any interest in coming out even when opening the cage in the morning was the morning ritual she had with Blue for free flight time... until now she is finally showing some interest coming out around mid morning.

[Ratzy 0]

Maybe she was clipped as a baby before she developed her wing muscles? I think Marigold was as she coldn't fly when we got her and now, a year and a bit later, she is flying almost as well as the others! She is still slower and when she panics she loses some controll but I'm working on that. Marigold isn't a tame bird either... I wouldn't say any of mine are tame, we have just reached an agreement and therefore they aren't scared of me and step up ( appart from Skye) and come over to nibble on my skin ect. You're making progress, well done! Proceed slowly. Try millet maybe? Sitting outside the cage with the cage open?

[Cara 0]

Maybe she was clipped as a baby before she developed her wing muscles? I think Marigold was as she coldn't fly when we got her and now, a year and a bit later, she is flying almost as well as the others! She is still slower and when she panics she loses some controll but I'm working on that.

 

When we found Molly her wings were cut extremely low, so that maybe the issue causing her not to fly, but at 2 and a half she still is "flying" the same way she did when we first got her. I have tried Millet as i mentioned in my previous posts. Well its taken 2 and half years of trying different techniques to get her this far.

[Cara 0]

Well these past couple of days Molly has been coming out and playing on the top of her cage for about an hour and a half every morning. We can now walk up to her and clean around her cage (my grandads favourite job, cleaning seed and bird feathers of the floor all the time) without her freaking out and going back into her cage. She has also been coming close to the front of the cage next to the door to chat, and goes down to her foraging tray and plays with the pony beads all while im standing right there infront of her talking to her. This is really amazing, seen as its come this far in about a week, before that she freaked when ever someone even thought about coming near her cage and when Blue died she never came out either.

 

The only thing she still freaks out about is hands so I have to hide my hands behind my back before she will even think about coming up to the door. Maybe I will try offering her millet again when she comes up close and chats?? Any other suggestions, advice? You have all helped me to get her this far, thanks guys :]

[Ratzy 0]

Congrats! Try the millet.

[Brucies Mum 0]

Ohh well done Molly is improving for you, I bet you feel better for that, see she does still love you

I found when Bruce was a bit nervous of hands I would take a step awaay from the cage and bring my hand up to my face and touch my cheek, at first he backed away but slowly he got used to my hand not touching him but still being in his sight, eventually I could put my finger on his cage and although he wouldnt come to it at first he did eventually. It was all a confidence building exercise, to let him see my hand would not hurt him. Yet when he was out of his cage he had no fear of my hand, he just didnt like it in his space. Now I can put my hand in even holding my little dust buster hoover and it doesnt bother him. He makes as much noise as the hoover :rofl: