A small success!

[Bernadette N]

We have been taking it slow with Beaker, and have been rewarded with a little bird who will now 'step up' on command, and is beginning to trust us! He used my shoes on the ground to launch himself onto the couch yesterday and curled up next to me for a cuddle. He then proceeded to climb me and run up and down my legs. The day before, he climbed my husband's sneakers (while he was wearing them!). It's so lovely to see this cuddly little personality forming. He is such a little sweetheart. Coming in leaps and bounds :-) (literally!).


:-)

[linda040899]

Patience will always pay off when it comes to the relationship forming department! Parrots need to experience first hand that we will not hurt them. We know it but they don't. I'm so glad that this is going well and you are becoming part of his flock! :)

[Bernadette N]

Alas, he was annoyed at me for leaving him at home yesterday, while I went to work. I was greeted with a fluffy rear end, sticking out of his bird hut, which he refused to come out of, unless he wanted to eat (which he did often). When I tried talking to him, he curled up in a ball and went to sleep! I think my 7 month old is being a grumpy teenager! Awww :(



Patience will always pay off when it comes to the relationship forming department! Parrots need to experience first hand that we will not hurt them. We know it but they don't. I'm so glad that this is going well and you are becoming part of his flock! :)

[linda040899]

It sure sounds like he's made his opinions known! Give him a bit of time to get used to the schedule. I've found that parrots are extremely adaptable.

My husband went into cardiac arrest back in September, 2011 and I've not been here, let alone at home, much until about 3 weeks ago when Jim was finally cleared for discharge. While the parrots weren't really happy with me, they adjusted and are now much more content since I'm back on a more regular schedule which includes more time for them!

[kimsbirds]

This update has me grinning from ear to ear!!

Congratulations and keep up the great work !!:happy:

[light487]

What I've found with my lovie is that if I leave his happy hut in the cage, I will pretty much always get a "fluffy rear end".. he won't come out of there even for a treat. If I leave the happy hut in there during the day, he will stay in the happy hut.

What I do when this happens is remove the happy hut, bird and all, from the cage and place the happy hut on our bed. He likes roaming across the bed like he owns it.. and then up on the pillows, running back and forth. I place the happy hut there and eventually he comes out because it's more interesting.. but if I leave him in the cage with the hut, he won't move an inch. :)

When I go to work in the morning, the happy hut now is taken out of the cage, it is not put back in until it is time to go to sleep. He is a lot more active in the cage, playing with his toys and more readily comes out of the cage to play. As soon as I put the happy hut in at night, he's in there within seconds.. and gets ready for sleep, occasionally singing to himself.

Maybe you could try removing the tent/hut during the day so he doesn't get so attached to it.. unless he already is too attach to it.. then removing it might be a bad idea.. I dunno..

[Bernadette N]

Me too, thank you! I will admit, I endured a numb leg and an increasingly full bladder (eek!), in order to not disturb my huggable little ball of fluff. I adore him so much :-)



This update has me grinning from ear to ear!!

Congratulations and keep up the great work !!:happy:

[linda040899]

If you have a known hen, leaving the hut in the cage all the time is an extremely bad idea. The sleeping spot turns into a nesting spot..... Need I say more???

Many lovebirds enjoy their huts for sleeping purposes and I think that was the original original intent. I'd keep it that way. :)

[light487]

Yup, that's my thought on the happy hut situation. I just want to clarify that I don't force him to come out of the happy hut (we call it a "tent").. I just unclip the whole tent, with him still inside it, and take the whole thing out with him still inside and place it on the bed. I'm not invading his precious spot.. just moving it.. and then he generally comes out by himself. :)

[Bernadette N]

I haven't yet found one that is easy to unclip. His fluffy hut attatches using rings like you find on a key chain. We hang it from the top of his cage, because otherwise it gets pooped on!! :-(




Yup, that's my thought on the happy hut situation. I just want to clarify that I don't force him to come out of the happy hut (we call it a "tent").. I just unclip the whole tent, with him still inside it, and take the whole thing out with him still inside and place it on the bed. I'm not invading his precious spot.. just moving it.. and then he generally comes out by himself. :)

[light487]

I haven't yet found one that is easy to unclip. His fluffy hut attatches using rings like you find on a key chain. We hang it from the top of his cage, because otherwise it gets pooped on!! :-(

Well.. mine came with it from www.myparrotshop.com - Victorian based shop.. but you can get the clips individually from Bunnings. Just make sure you get the Stainless Steel ones, not the zinc coated ones. Bunnings has these in 316 Stainless for about $4.00 each.. again.. make sure to get the Stainless ones!

[Bernadette N]

An update: Beaker likes to sit on our shoulders now and will join us often. He steps up 50% of the time, and has moved on from standing on our palms, to perching on a finger. He hasn't bitten me, although he bit my hubby once (When he was trying to pick him up). He isn't cage aggressive. His favourite colour is green. He likes to sit on a green ikea toy named Snakey and chew snakey's labels. LOL!

We are awaiting a set of parrot training DVDs to help us make better friends with our little feathered pal!

[linda040899]

We are awaiting a set of parrot training DVDs to help us make better friends with our little feathered pal!
I'm glad to hear that Beaker is becoming more social! As he gets to know you and just feel more comfortable, you will most likely find yourself with a velcro birdie!

I sincerely hope the DVD videos aren't from BirdTricks and produced by the Womack brothers. Their technique is desensitization rather than allowing a natural trust relationship to develop. You want Beaker to truly want to be with you rather than socialize with you because he's finally allowing you to do something with him that he really doesn't care for just because it was done repetitively.

[Bernadette N]

Hi Linda - we have gotten the Good Bird inc series by Barbara Heidenreich :-)

[linda040899]

Oh, OK! Good choice and money well spent! :)

[Bernadette N]

Thanks! I hope so! I figured they were good ones, because they were promoted in Australian Bird Keeper mag :-)