How to force hold love birds?

[Ryan08]

Hey all i was just wondering someone suggested that i force hold our two new love birds i was just wondering how you should do it exactly.

we were just sitting down and putting a towel over them pretty much...

both birds go nutz when our hand goes near or in the cage.. and thye run away and seem scared of us when we try and pick them up...
then struggle heaps for us to let them go

we have had them for about month now and we regulary let them come out of their cage and they run around on the ground and enjoy it.. they just seem to not like us

Any idea of our progress would be gr8 and any ideas on what to do now

[michael]

Hey all i was just wondering someone suggested that i force hold our two new love birds i was just wondering how you should do it exactly........

Hi Ryan. .. How old are your new lovebirds? ..... Although in a few cases force holding a parrot may appear to work, in reality, it could either backfire, or limit the level of trust you might otherwise have built through proper socializing and routine voluntary handling. .. Afterall, our goal is to keep a companion bird, not a captive bird. .. Really, any true taming/training process requires plenty of patience. .. For starters, socializing is very important. .. Give your birds time to get familiar with your voice. At the same time, offer treats (such as millet or nutriberries, etc). .. Once you gain a fair amount of interest, then perhaps you could work on "step ups". .. For those who are skittish with hands, stick training is usually the better alternative. .. Keep in mind, birds relatively new to their surroundings can at first be quite frightened, and may not have much interest in their new owners either. .. Only through consistency, socialization, repetition, patience and love, will your birds eventually establish a trusting relationship with you. .. If you continue to towel or grab your new birds, your relationship with them will have only been built on fear, and may therefore suffer dearly in the long run.

Please review our "behavior and taming forum". .. Unlike pets such as dogs and cats, it takes much more understanding of how a parrot perceives an otherwise "unnatural" environment. .. Foremost, is instituting a taming/training program that coincides moreso with their natural behavior than our own expectations. ... Please keep us posted. ..........:)

[RicosPoppy]

Good advice from Michael.

In my 30+ years of having birds, I've never heard the term "force hold."

With Parrots you must realize most everything must be done on their terms, you really can't force them to do anything they aren't ready for.

As mentioned, this could have the opposite effect. There is a tremendous amount of trust required for a bird which can sometimes takes months or years to establish, but just minutes or seconds to ruin.

[Chickobee]

Just to put this in perspective, I have one little male lovebird who is over a year old. He has always been a bit shy even though he will step up on command. Only just the last few weeks has he been flying to me and trying to make the other birds go away when he wants his spot on my shoulder. I am feeling really honored that he finally thinks I'm so special instead of just wanting to play with the other birds when they have flock out playtime.

In your case, with only two birds, this will most likely happen a lot sooner. Just remember that they are very curious so if you sit quietly by their cage reading or eating they won't be able to resist checking you out.

Birds are social eaters so sitting with them quietly while you eat and even sharing bird safe bits of your food is a good thing. Also, talking to them every time you go by their cage is good too so they get used to you.

What is the location of your bird cage? They will feel safer if they are against a wall or even in a corner so they aren't constantly checking for predators in all directions. Do they have a place to hide when they are scared? Hanging a few toys that they can perch behind will allow them to see, but think they can't be seen.

Your birds are still very, very new and still getting used to their new environment. If you remember that birds are prey animals you will have some idea of what they are feeling. They are in a new home with new people, a new cage, and all sorts of new sights, sounds, and smells. They don't know what is safe and everything is scarey. Staring at them is scarey for them too so try blinking frequently so they don't worry that you plan to eat them. (Cats and birds of prey stare!)

Just be patient, give them lots of love, and let them come to you. It will take longer with two birds than with one but if you go at their pace it will happen.