two naughty babies

[HELEN5677]

Hello: My lovebirds had four babies which are a few weeks apart in age. The two older ones were ready to go to their new homes and so I gave them away. Right after that, the two smaller ones took on totally new personalities. First of all, they were never as tame as the two older ones but would come on my hand, let me cuddle them etc. Around the same time, I had to leave town for a week and my daughter babysat them. First of all, their cage got knocked over and they escaped. Took my daughter a long time to catch them and they both bit her (I am surprised she is still talking to me) and so she handfeed them in the cage etc.
When I got home, they came back to my house and definitely seemed to recognize me. However, when I took them out of the cage last nite, they wouldn't eat and proceeded to fly around the room, etc. I got one back in the cage very easily but the other one just flew around (was totally exhausted, almost panting) but we did get him back in the cage.
Is there any hope of re-taming them?
Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Helen

[linda040899]

Hi Helen,
Can you retame them? Yup, not a problem. First thing I would do would be clip their flight feathers a bit so that they are not quite so expert at flying! Babies love their new found ability at this age and can go a bit crazy with their new found ability! Making it just a bit harder for them tends to adjust the attitude a bit! After that, attention, attention and more attention should do it.

If you would prefer not to clip the flights, you can work with them in a small room (bathroom) where they can't go quite so far. It should not take very long to retame them with this method, either. :)

[HELEN5677]

Linda: Thank you. Is clipping their flight feathers something I can do? I agree with you that this might "settle" them down a bit and enable me to hold them, etc.
Helen

[linda040899]

Helen,
If they have learned to fly well (and it sounds like that's the case), yes, you can trim the flight feathers. My suggestion would be the outside 4 flight feathers on each wing and see what that does. You can adjust their flight ability by clipping one more feather but see how they do with just 4 trimmed. Check our Resource Library for information on how to trim feathers or check with your avian vet. If you have someone else do it, make very sure they do what you want them to do rather than what they think needs to be done! All 2 often, your ideas and theirs are not the same!!!

If you opt to do it yourself, you can have someone hold each baby while you clip the feathers.

[HELEN5677]

Linda: You are the best. Thank you for having "faith" in me that I could do this myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you asked me last year that I would be handfeeding, raising, nuturing baby lovebirds, I would have said no way. Like everyone else on this website, however, I am totally wrapped up these birds.
I will definitely do this and as always, thank you. Helen

[lemonypickett]

Hi Helen,

I think a wing clip is in order. Totally changed my little Eddie's attitude. I meant to email you last week. My girlfriend that had wanted one from the last clutch just got married, and no longer wants a bird.

Foolish girl! Husbands are soooo over-rated ;)

[LauraO]

I think a wing clip is a great start. I just wanted to add that lovies get stressed easily and over the years I've noticed we humans have this inclination to chase birds around to get them caged (done it many a time myself) and this just creates stress and breaks trust in birds. So if I have a lovie get stressed I sort of stop and let the bird calm down. Then I dim the lights and try and cage them again.

Good Luck and let us know how it goes:D

[HELEN5677]

Well, I haven't gotten too far re-taming the babies. They seem to trust me but I don't dare take them out of the cage since I haven't trimmed their wings and as you all said, I bet they are still "freaked out" from the last chase. I also don't have a small room to do activities in with them since I have really, really high ceilings (even in the bathrooms) and catching them again would be tough. They are both going to the same home with an elderly gentleman with lots of time to devote to getting them back to tame (he also doesn't mind if they are not tame).
Boy, it really is true that the personalities from clutch to clutch are so, so different. My first six were all darlings and loved me to death. The minute they were out of the cage (never trimmed their wings), all they wanted to do was to be on me. The two older ones from this clutch too were just so friendly and attached.
If the parents even "flirt" with the idea of laying eggs again real soon, I will be so ready to boil them.
Laura, thank you for the heads up on the baby for your friend, I still would really like to meet you.
H

[lemonypickett]

Let me know when you're ready :)