okay guys here goes:

 

 

 

My Plan: eeeeeeeekkkkkk! :hap:

 

Week one...

Day 1.

• Catch and put in cage
  
• Let settle in in the morning
  
• Arvo: Get used to my hand
  
• Try on finger
  

Day 2.

• Keep going on finger and step up training
  

Day....

• Same as Day 2.
  

So does this look okay?

 

Will do next weeks plan later! :hap:

 

 

 

Probably seems a little quick to me.... you can give it a go and try and read her body language I guess, back off a little if it seems like too much for her. They can really take some time to get used to your hand, so if you go faster than they're happy with it's possible that she might get a negative association with your hand, especially if you chase her around the cage if she tries to move away, or if you grab her and she's frightened or flapping or squawking. Some birds tame faster than others, it also depends whether she was handled as a baby.

I would have Day 1 and Day 2 to simply settle down and watch how she is adjusting then I would work with talking to her for the first week with no hand. If you find that she is very receptive and comes up the cage and wants to talk to you and be by you then you could introduce the hand in the cage with millet but sticking your hand the first couple days may be too quick as JB mentioned.

Agree with Elly... to quick. You need to work slowly and at her pace... you'll know when she's ready to move to the next step. If you push her to fast and far... she won't work with you, and you'll get no where. This may have been your problem in the past. You must realise... some birds can take weeks and some can take many months... each one is very different and you need to be patient with her.

Well she has already been tamed a bit.. so I think it should be okay

 

That was an approx plan mind you.

Edited January 22, 200916 yr by Elly

okay - it's fine to try that as long as you're prepared to watch her signals and tone down a bit if she's stressed. Good luck!

thanks I think I will change that

Keep going on finger and step up training

and on the day before to using a pen or somthing as she seems afraid of the hand.

 

XF (crossed figers)!

Are her wings clipped?

 

If you are going to get her out of the cage to tame her that would really help. But I would not attempt any taming on the day you actually do the wing clip!

I agree with what others have said - I feel you are going too fast. I think your major problem is trying to put a specific date for completing goals. I believe you may find yourself very disappointed using this method. Instead of saying “do this by day X” I advise setting a series of goals (without dates), where you can’t move onto the next one until you’ve accomplished the first.

 

I think you will find that, if she has not been in a cage before, (I assume you're catching a young one from your aviary?), she will spend a good two or three days exploring the cage, doing weird acrobatics and trying to escape. It is not a good time to put your hand in. Instead, take that time to let her adjust to the cage. I covered mine on three sides so that she could explore the cage first without being overly startled by people walking around.

 

Taking her away from all she knows, sticking her in a completely new, smaller cage, and having to deal with the big scary humans with no where to escape or hide is a bit much for one small bird to cope with in just twelve hours. If you scare her by putting your hand straight in, it will take longer to teach her that the hand is not going to hurt her -she will remember that it can come near her and frighten her (even if you didn't do anything, the memory of her being startled may be enough to form a bad association). Also remember that a frightened bird will freeze and tolerate things because they’re too scared to move. When they get braver, they will refuse to do it again.

 

Take your time and let her choose to come to you. Taming can take a very long time and it definitely requires a lot of patience. Going too fast may make it even harder for you in the long run.

 

Here is how I worked with Squee. But remember, each bird (and each bird owner!) is different. This is just how I did it. It was a series of steps. Anytime she became afraid, I went back one or two steps. You can't really put a date on when these things will happen - it is up to the individual bird. The gap between each step may be hours, days or even weeks.

1. Partially covered cage - let her adjust to being in it

2. Slowly uncover cage - let her adjust to the broader surroundings

3. Come to the cage and talk to her gently. No hands.

4. Put hands near the cage, not doing anything

5. Offer food from hand, outside the cage.

6. Put hand inside cage – not doing anything.

7. Put food in hand inside cage – let her eat. Hopefully by this point she will realise that you are a source of treats

8. Put finger near bird – not doing anything. From here, reward with food for completing the step

9. Touch bird’s belly gently with finger

10. Press finger against belly, moving her off balance so she puts one foot on finger

11. Both feet on finger

12. Staying on finger for longer and longer periods

 

I hope this helps you. As you can see, taming is not a matter of a few days. Each bird is different. You will find you have more success if you never force anything and just let them choose when they are ready.

Thanks for the advice. But you see Storm has been tamed before. She has had her wings clipped for ages and is quite aquanted with her cage and also kindof my finger although she is more frightend of it now and every time I put it near her she gives it a good peck.

 

I did step up with her and she responded quite well to that.

 

Also I want to introduce her to the joys of coming our of her cage and foraging. How can I do this? She just sits on the perch or swing and sits. Also she doesn't really know what greens or veggies are so advice here would be helpful!

Thanks

Kate and Storm!

although she is more frightend of it now and every time I put it near her she gives it a good peck. Why do you think this is? Just because they were tame before doesn't mean that they keep their tameness especially after being put into an aviary situation for a couple months, birds if given a chance will revert back to their wild state, they are not domesticated like cats and dogs.

I did step up with her and she responded quite well to that. Did she step up on her own or did you have to put your finger under her?

Also I want to introduce her to the joys of coming our of her cage and foraging. How can I do this? She just sits on the perch or swing and sits. Also she doesn't really know what greens or veggies are so advice here would be helpful! You don't feed your aviary birds greens or veggies? I would think she would know this if you did? If you don't I would start feeding them veggies and greens too . I would start putting her favorite treats in different things, like does she like millet? As she gets more comfortable she will start to move around more. In the Food Section we have a post PINNED on how to get them to start foraging, read through that and you will get some really good tips too.

 

Keep us updated for sure .

 

Edited January 22, 200916 yr by Elly

See if you can grow some of her seeds in a pot or just tip them over your garden bed. You don't even need to bury the seeds -- if it rains or if you water it, the seeds will sprout in only a few days and you'll get this thing that looks like young thin grass. It grows so easily and budgies LOVE it.

 

I usually pick it so that I don't pull up the seed it is attached to with the dirt all over it- I don't want to feed Cosmo dirt from my garden bed... So I break off the roots and rinse it before I give it to him. And he comes running He also likes spinach.

 

Other birds I've had have loved celery leaves and silverbeet - Cosmo doesn't really care for them. He does like millet but if it's there he won't go out of his way for it like he does with the seed sprouts and spinach.

 

Just some more ideas for treats

 

I do strongly recommend the sprouted seeds for all your budgies -it's cheap and easy since you have their seed already there and you can just tip off a little bit of what they haven't eaten each day.

Thanks for the food advice. will try that!

 

Step ups she did really well today! She was pretty good. not volentary yet but I am useing a pencil and she let me move her around and also even come out of the cage a bit!

pretty proud of my little angel!

 

Will read the food thing

Love Kate and Strom

Hi again as you all prdicted nothing at all went to plan!

Oh well

 

She is a very indipendant little girl! As I have two other females in 'quarentine' out on the verander she squawks to them all day and paces up and down in front of the doors. Well I nothiced this and opened the door for her. At first she was a bit hesitant but she soon came out. Now she wont let my hand anywhere near her unless she wants to come out. If she does or is out i can do what I want with her and she is as perfect as pie! She still flies whenever she wants so I should clip her wings again!

 

Well thats news!

Love

Kate and Storm

 

Click her to learn about the two females mentioned above

At first she was a bit hesitant but she soon came out. Now she wont let my hand anywhere near her unless she wants to come out.

How are you trying to do the step up command when you want her on your hand, to let her out?

 

As for clipping her wings every one has their own reason why they clip or not it is really up to you. If you do not see any danger in her living space when she is out of her cage then no, you do not have to clip. If you feel that she might be in danger of getting hurt or she might be able to escape then yes clip her wings.

It's just if someone opens the screen door or if I give her a little excursion well........................ yeah you get the point!

things are sounds well...one misconception is that clipped birds can't get enough flight or movement to escape that is false yes it may be easier to catch with a net but they can move pretty quick out of your reach so even with clipped wings precautions of the door and excursion must be used with caution.

Yes I know I have had plenty of experience with that

 

I had a bird in a cage and someone tripped over the cage (it was dark) and kind of broke it. Anyway the bird got out and I thought we had lost him but he was stunned so I was able to catch him again! Whew!!

Yes I know I have had plenty of experience with that

 

I had a bird in a cage and someone tripped over the cage (it was dark) and kind of broke it. Anyway the bird got out and I thought we had lost him but he was stunned so I was able to catch him again! Whew!!

Wow, that was a close one. I'm glad you where able to catch him.