challenges getting her back in the cage

[Mele]

Coco is very strong-willed and when she doesn't want to go back in her cage (~75% of the time) she makes it very challenging for me. I put my hand up to the bar and give her the "step up" command but she clings on for dear life! I press the bar to her chest and she complains/growls and clings even harder! Sometimes I resort to grabbing her off my hand and placing her on the bar. Now she's putting out her wings and presenting herself if I try to grab her and sometimes she spreads just for being put in the cage. Why is she doing this? I do my best to not promote nesty behavior. I never let her near my computer anymore cuz the clack of keys gets her all riled up. I don't pet her on the back or provide her with tear-able nesting materials. The only one I haven't stopped is her penchant for crawling down the neck of my tees, mainly because once she's down there she's super cute and content, doesn't bite or move around much. Anyways, I know I cant keep my girl a baby forever, she's gonna mature, I just don't want an obnoxious nesty hen who won't go back in her cage when she's supposed to! Please help...

[penelope's person]

I have an obnoxious nesty hen. :)

Here's what works for me....and of course it varies according to both of our states of mind :rotfl

I try to let her out long enough that she gets tired....and she'll usually go back with a just a little prompting.

Sometimes when she's been out awhile I can bribe her with food. I'll take her dish out...go to put my finger in the food and she'll usually take the bait and step onto the dish. Then with a very quick motion I'll shove her and the dish back in.

Other times I'll make like it's time to go to bed...I'll take her to her room...turn off the lights...pull down the blind and put her blanket over the cage.

Finally, there are times when she just. won't. go. in. At which point we will corral her in a birdie-safe room until we are finished with whatever and can let her out again.

Oh how I envy those who can sweetly and joyfully just put their birds 'away' :rotfl

[bookworm0550]

oh good lord! if you are my facebook friend, you'd know that last week and this week, my birds have changed into naughty fids who won't go back in. i spent 45 mins trying to catch them. they used to be so good about going in. but they've been really bad lately about it. i learned that the ones that go in will alarm chirp the others so then they take off when i go to get them. food used to work for me. you can try that. otherwise good luck to us both!!

[Mummieeva]

I would change the food and water bowls and mine would go running in. Sometimes I offered Millet or a treat too. But sometimes when they do not want to go in you just have to wait til they wanna go.:rofl:

[Joannadk]

Hi Mele.

I have 2 Fischers Lovebirds and none of them are tame yet. I have had them for about 1½ months. They are named Boelle and Luna.
They have been let out of the cage since I got them and in the beginning they just returned to their cage to eat for about every 2 hours, and I had no problem closing the cage.

But in the last couple of weeks they've changed their behavior. For example: Sometimes Boelle will sit outside on the cage, and will be alarming Luna when she's inside eating and they will both fly out in the room as soon as I gets up and moves towards them. And a couple of minutes after they'll do the same, but this time Boelle is inside and Luna is outside.....
Very very smart birds.....:whistle:

I have a large cage and I have ended up closing the main upper gate, and opening the lower gate. Most of their food is well up in the cage, so they have to go up there and if I'm sitting close enough to the cage, I can sometimes get to close it, when they're inside eating. And sometimes they're just too fast and flies out again>:

But then again I think it's funny that they're so smart.

Joannadk

[Mele]

penelope's person: Thanks so much for the tips on how you deal in these situations! I sometimes bribe her with food but I will try it more, and the fresh food dish thing is brilliant cuz she loves that, so thanks Mummieeva!

I think what throws me off the most, is how she spreads her wings and does the matey thing when I try to get her to go back in, or really do anything :P, when she doesn't want to. I've heard all these horror stories about lovebird hens turning mean when the hormones kick in. My girl is still young and she sure is a biter when she wants to be...:evil:... but she's also a really good girl who's (when calm) super sweet and loving :)

I'm trying to train her with the step up command. She used to do it when younger, since she was hand-raised, but has gotten very, very out of the habit of listening. She does the wing spreading, fluffing up thing during training too. Is that always just mating behavior or can it be like maybe a defiance thing too??? Any tips on step up training and how to react to her wing spreading would be much appreciated! Thanks everyone!