new what to do?

[hcweichbrodt]

Ok so my lovie came home with me yesterday from his breeder who told me then that he is a little shy. he is only about 7 weeks old. he is starting to worry me with it though i've left him alone to let him get used to his surroundings but at some points in the day he'll flap around and it pretty much seems like he is throwing a fit and or trying to get out he throws more food than he eats. i'm just worried that he'll hurt himself flaling all around. he just doesn't seem very thrilled about being here is this just because its all still very new? should i just continue to leave him alone for a while? when should i begin the bonding/taming process. he was not hand fed but he does not bite or even nip at you when you grab or try to rub him. he just squalks and tries to get away. i've always grown up with birds but they've always been hand fed and very used to human contact.

[shylevon]

Flapping is exercise and it gives the wings and chest strength. It's a good thing, even if it looks like the bird is going crazy.

I would start the training immediately for short periods of time (like 10-15 minutes). Begin with the standard Step-Up training. Do not stick your hands in the cage and chase the bird around though (even to catch him) or you make the bird more timid as he will begin to feel he has no refuge in the whole world. Let him venture out on his own, or lift the top portion of the cage off, if you can. (Hopefully his wings are clipped, or there will be very little training going on)

I also wouldn't really leave him alone. Birds are flock creatures and he just lost his flock. You need to fill that role for him and he will bond to you better, as a flockmate instead of an owner. Chirp to him and respond to his chirps. Even if he appears to be afraid of you, stay close to him and he will learn that you mean him no harm. Birds like to have their beaks rubbed, gently, and a liitle scratch around the ears is a good thing as well.

[hcweichbrodt]

ok so i did alot of reading (like always) and realized that part of and probably our biggest problem was the unclipped wings so we went ahead and took care of that so now he is hiding in my hair and wants almost nothing to do with his cage which right now i'm not gonna complain about one bit! we played and worked up on step up for a few before he decided my hair looked like a great place to hide...lol...he's really sweet but still really timid although i can't say that i blame him for that one. oh can anyone tell me when is the best time to mist them with the water bottle is it just whenever or catch them while they're already pruning and cleaning. he is still working on getting all his feathers. growing up we misted all of our birds at the same time i just didn't know if it was better one way versus the other

[michael]

............ oh can anyone tell me when is the best time to mist them with the water bottle is it just whenever or catch them while they're already pruning and cleaning. he is still working on getting all his feathers. growing up we misted all of our birds at the same time i just didn't know if it was better one way versus the other

Whats important, is that he does not become frightened by the spray bottle itself. Try first using an indirect approach. Perhaps offer up a wide shallow dish of cool water, mist a little bit over top while dangling your fingers in it, then see if he gets the message. Really, lovies can vary in preference to both when and where they choose to bathe. Sometimes simply rinsing your hands in the sink will help direct them to that area for bathing. This can be a good thing if your trying to avoid a water logged cage. On the other hand, regardless of your offers, some overzealous feather butts will insist their water bowl is the best spot on the planet. For these individuals and their "soup making" counterparts, frequent water changes and/or a covered water bowl should suffice. While evening bathing is acceptable, never put your parrot to bed wet or even damp as this can cause a rather uncomfortable chill.

By the way, you have a very cute little lovie.....:p! ..... And a very young one too. Because he's so young, making absolutely sure he's taking in enough nourishment is very important. Also too, introducing a variety of healthy foods early on may help increase his level of accepting them as time goes by................:)

[bookworm0550]

is that him in your hair? he's so cute!!!!!!

[hcweichbrodt]

Thank you so much he is fine with the water bottle and mist i just didn't know if it was important to do it at a certain time or not. he is a great eater the first few hours he had me a bit worried but once he settled in he is now fine. he eats and drinks periodically throughout the day. he is only about 7 weeks old so he swears my long hair is his personal nesting spot...lol...but i'm not complaining about it i love it. he is still working on his feathers he still has quite a few downey grey ones sticking out from between his new green reach red and blue ones. he's like a little rainbow:-)

[shylevon]

If he is fine with the water bottle, it shouldn't matter when you try to mist him (except never before bedtime as a damp birdie is prone to colds if he is put to bed in a condition other than warm and dry). If he is not in the mood to be misted, he will let you know and you can just stop for the day and try again later.