Well, Sammy went back and Sprite died... so after a sanitization and wait, i got a new bird after my fruitless attempt to get Sammy back. Chirpy is my newest, got him last Sunday. The lady at the pet store said he came from a home breeder, so he shouldnt be too scared of humans. I got him home and put him in his cage. No freaking out, nothing. He hopped from the box, onto the entrance, then up to a perch. Within 5 minutes he was warbling and chirping and singing. He then started exploring the cage, playing with toys, and checking me out. He then got up on his favorite perch (a natural branch) where he stretched, perched up on one foot and sat and chattered to himself.

 

He as been a very good bird since. He never really freaked out when I put my hand in the cage to change food and water, just got his distance. Every day, all day, he sits and sings and chirps and just has a great time. About Wednesday, he hops around the cage bobbing his head and moving side to side very quickly all over the cage, looking around, like hes trying to find a way out. This lasts rouyghly 15 minutes a day, usually in the evening. He then figures out he cant get out and goes back to his perch where he sits kinda sad looking for the rest of the evening, maybe letting out a soft warble here and there.

 

He talks to me alot, sitting on the branch closest to me and chattering at me. If I talk back he gets really excited, warbling and chirping etc. I started feeding him millet from behind the bars and slowly moved to inside the cage, but still doing it from the outside. He's still kinda skittish to my hand, but will come right up to it when he sees food. Sometimes not even food he'll come up and taste my finger.

 

I've kinda tried getting him on my finger, he runs when i get near him with my finger out.

 

I've noticed every once in awhile, he'll sit on his perch and flap his wings really fast and lean down like hes flying, but never jumps or anything, just sits on his perch. He does this a few times then sits and cleans himself. He's clipped for the record... is this normal behavior? Am I doing everything right? Heres a picture, can anyone gimme an idea on age?:

 

 

Seems all good, right? Well, heres the bad part...

 

No matter what I say, my parents ruin any progress. They walk up fast, yank the cage open and start pushing at it and touching it, trying to hold it and get it on there finger. No matter what I say they wont stop. I said "Don't touch it, they don't like being touched" and they just get mad and tell me to shut up, there older, they know more about it then I do and continue chasing it around the cage grabbing at it. Finally they get fed up, slam the cage shut and walk out. They feed it millet from behind the bars but leave it there. I try explaining to take it out when they leave but all I get is a "Shut up, I can do what I want, its my house"

 

I'm 16. I bought the bird, I bought the cage, I bought everything. I pay for its food, everything. I think I should be able to say dont mess with it, its my bird, your screwing it up.

 

Every attempt to explain hand training is brushed off with a "shut up" or "whatever dr. dolittle" or them hitting the cage or slamming it shut etc...

 

How can i explain not to touch it and leave it alone or make them just stop messing with it completely?

Edited September 2, 200618 yr by Jaywire

dont know if this will work but you could ask them if they would give you a chance doing it your way for one month and if it does not work then they can try it there way they will see that your way is better soon enogh. hope it works

wow, where do you have the little guy? is he out in the living room, maybe you can move him to your bedroom?

 

as for the hoping around trying to get out actions, can he maybe hear another bird? mine dont do this, so im not to sure, but i know when they do hear a bird, they get very active and hop around trying to find it!

 

as for the flying when still perched, thats totally normal, he's just flying when there isnt enough room to fly! (Laughing out loud) a good wing excersise!

 

im sorry to hear your parents act the way they do, and i hope you can get this resolved.

:ausb: Maybe you could make up a binder of "training tips" and have your parents read the literature and explain that it is from experienced people. You need to have your own thing going with him as their approach doesn't sound like it is helping. Chirpy is very pretty, good luck to you. :glare: