braving the outting ?

[elijahfan]

i was told my loveebird was hand reared and was definatly towards the breeder, she was the only person he has seen his whole life

i think he is itching to go for a fly, i am to scared to put ym hand in the cage to get him out and if i just open the door and let him out what do i do if i cant gte him back in ? do you surgest gettin him to step up in side the cage befor i let him out, i dont like keeping him in the cage but i dont want to lose him round the house, if this was a budgie or a cockatile i would be fine, its just that beak looks like it could draw a lot of blood more then a cockatiel,

abi x

[momo]

I am amusing you've just gotten your lovebird?...

If you have.. let him/her stay in the cage for a few days just so your baby settles..
I was so excited to have my bird when I first got him I took him out of the cage and i had to chase him to get him back in the cage and towel him, this left a very bad impression on him with me..

do you know if it's hand tame?.. did you see the bird jump on the breeders finger or did the bird jump on your finger when you went to pick it up?
if your lovie is a baby.. say 2/3 months their beak wont hurt.. until they get older! hahahahahaha..

I used to leave the cage door open and put a bit of millet to entice my lovie out and then would remove the cage so we could start with hand taming him.

[elijahfan]

she beak stepped up, used her beck first i think she was testing, the breeder held him so i was able to stroke his head, she then put him in the cage i had set up, he stayed on her hand perfectly clamly, so i think he as hand tame to her,

she was the only one he has ever seen since birth, he did come to the cage and explore my finger ouchy i was told he was 11 weeks but his beak is very strong,

so do you think i should just talk to him out side the cage then try and put my hand in and let him come to me ?

i do feel daft as i am fine with my cockatiel who are like twice the size, he doesn't scare me at all,

[LauraO]

I suggest you clip the little guys wings until he gets used to you and his new surroundings. Next, you want to work on the step up command so that you can move him/her around. I use a stick to teach my birds to step up on cause birds don't always want to deal with your hands, and having a bird both stick trained and used to the hand is best.

I know some suggest keeping your lovie in a cage for a few days, but I don't do this. Spending time with your lovie and building a relationship is SO important that you need to spend time with them ASAP. However, I would not reach your hand into the cage. Open the cage door and let the lovie come out on it's own.

If you don't clip the wings. Try letting your lovie come out towards the evening so if you have trouble with him/her you can manage them better at dusk. A lot of members here take their lovies to a small dim room to work with the lovebird as they won't have a lot of space to fly around in. If you use the bathroom, make sure the mirrors are covered.

Once again, however, a wing clip will be best and safe for you and your lovie at this point.

Good Luck and let us know how it goes
:):)

[momo]

I found the actual bath was a fantastic place... cause there's no escape just you.. and purple walls.. (my bath is purple)

[elijahfan]

i know veyr well the probelm of a bathroom my tile got spooked flew inot the bathroom at speed hit the mirror and landed in the toilet :( not veyr nice to have to fish a tile out of the toilet (im lucky he loves me so much is i had to go over the top to get him out normally you get a bite for that) i sat with him for a while claming him down gave him some millet, then put him bakc in the cage, my bathroom could work ? where do i get the wings cliped ?

[momo]

you can get the wings clipped at the vet.. i know some pet stores here do them... places that specialise in birds.. but dont take him to a bird store that has birds to get them done because there are air born diseases that could be brought back to your stock of birds..

otherwise you might want to ask the breeder..

[michael]

where do i get the wings cliped ?

Momo brought up a very good point along with a couple great suggestions. Bringing airborn disease or some other illness is always a possibilty when frequenting pet stores. While some establishments do keep a tight lid on cleanliness, I still feel it pays to take precautions like washing your hands even if you were only looking at other birds. Handling any strange or suspect bird would definitely call for a complete change of attire along with a good shower or bath before having any contact with your own bird.

Like Momo mentioned, I would check with your breeder as he/she should have the experience needed to perform a proper clipping. As a rule, both wings should always be clipped evenly at the same time. It is also best to perform whats refered to as a "mild clip" where flight is limited yet NOT totally eliminated. I would also ask around first to make sure whoever does it understands exactly how to perform such a clip that fits the best interest of both you and your bird........The average cost of a clip in my area is between $5-$15..until at which point you might learn to manage this on your own. As a note; even though some members are capable they still prefer someone else do their birds wing clips.

Like Laura mentioned, I too believe having your birds wings clipped would help out quite a bit. Not only could this make taming a bit easier, but may also offer the time needed until such measures can be made towards providing a safer environment.................:)

[elijahfan]

thank you :D so do you surgest if i handle mrs lovett then when i go up stairs and let my tiel i should change my clothes? i allways wash my hands regardless

[michael]

thank you :D so do you surgest if i handle mrs lovett then when i go up stairs and let my tiel i should change my clothes? i allways wash my hands regardless

Hi Abi. As a general rule, most avian communities recommend a quarantine period for new birds who are going to be introduced into the same environment as any pre-existing birds. This involves keeping them in separate quarters/rooms for a period of 30-40 days mainly so as not to expose "your own" pre-existing bird/s to any kind of unforseen illness. Certainly, there are questions as to whether this is really necessary if in fact all birds originate from an otherwise long standing healthy background/environment. None the less, because of recent higher incidences of birds found to be exposed to, or carriers of some rather serious illnesses, I would recommend that yes, do the best you can to avoid any exposure to your existing birds by washing hands and changing outer clothing after handling your new friend....... Really, I do understand that sometimes it can be troublesome to change clothing each time after handling a new bird, but then it may well be worth it as many an illness can be spread by just a birds fecal dander or feather dust alone.

[elijahfan]

thank you :D if i ever get mrs lovvett back in her cage i will do this,. they are very clever, my tiel can be leared back in this one seess it coming lol