starting from scratch.......HELP!!!!!!!!

[MADDOG1240]

Hi,
I received a pair of wild lovebirds from a friend about a year ago and want to
tame them really bad this summer! They grew up with 30 or 40 other lovebirds in a "community" cage. When I brought them home, they tried to lay a couple eggs but they didn't hatch. My friend told me the male was unfertile, but I didn't care, they are the two most beautiful lovebirds alive!
--The male (Pablo) is green with a red face and blue tail feathers.
--The female (Peaches) is yellow with a peach face and yellow/peach tail
feathers

At first they were really wild, but after looking at some helpful Internet
sites, I've made progress. I tried separating them and practicing the reward
system. It worked for a little while but I didn't think it was good having to
chase them around the cage and grab them with a shirt whenever they are
together. They eat treats off the cage bars, but I still can't get near them without the bars being between us. << THAT'S WHAT I NEED HELP ON!!

[ABOUT THEM]:
--The male is very feisty and jumps/flys all around the cage making as much
noise possible when i touch the door. I caught him with the shirt once but after being bit MULTIPLE times, I put him back. (I know I'm not supposed to do that, sorry)
--The female trusts me a little more and when separated, she may go on my finger (if she feels like it).

I was planning when I am able to handle them enough, I would cut their wings
and let them 'explore' around my room for 15min. or so twice a day, not focusing on them so they would get curious about me and what I'm doing. (I totally stole that idea off another post in the forums)



Ultimate Question:

--HOW DO I GET THEM TO SETTLE DOWN IN THE CAGE SO I CAN HANDLE THEM??

:confused: :confused:

[Janie]

Hi and welcome!

My suggestion is that you read through the Behavior and Taming section of the forum and the Lovebird Resource Library. If these two birds have not been DNA'd it's possible you have two hens. Hens, even w/o a mate, will lay eggs and since you've seen eggs you know that at least one is a hen. You might be able to tame them to some degree but with birds that have been totally wild for over a year, it will take a whole lot of time and patience and even then, might not happen. A wing clip should help but you really do have your work cut out for you. Maybe some of the advice in the B & T section will help in getting started. :)

[Tango's_Mom]

I would recommend getting their wings clipped NOW, not waiting until they can be handled, you'll have much better luck taming them if their wings are clipped. Not to mention untamed, frightened lovebirds who are fully flighted pose a huge risk to their own safety. I would get the wings clipped, then take them to a small, safe room and let them come out on their own, if one is more comfortable with you, it may encourage the more shy one to come to you. You can offer some millet or something they like when they're out of the cage to try and coax them to come to you, but you will gain alot more by letting them go at they're own pace then by grabbing them with a towel and forcing them to be with you. My guy came to me completely untamed at about 6 months old, and it took a lot of time and patience, but it's been a year, and he's turned out to be (IMO) the sweetest little guy I could ever have hoped to find. I never once forced him to do anything he wasn't comfortable with, and in the end, he became a little velcro bird all on his own. Your birds will probably pose a bit of a challenge because they spent time in the community cage, and then have only recently had any real human interaction, but I think with alot of time and patience you'll be able to turn them around, at least to some degree. Remember, you can't put them on a deadline, or expect that they will progress exactly the way you think they should, you mentioned you wanted to tame them over the summer, I'm guessing this is because you feel you will have more time for them now, whichis great, just be aware that, "the summer" might not be the timeline THEY have in mind. Also, if your spending alot of time with them over the summer but then come fall, you have less time with them and they stop being handled as much, you run the risk of losing at least some of the progress you've made.

[Kirby]

What I would do is first off: GET THEIR WINGS CLIPPED!!!

After that, I would stop trying to catch them with the shirt, they're not used to you and it's similar to someone you don't know trying to wrap you in a towel in your own house. Very space invasive.

What I did with my Kirby (SAME SITUATION) he wouldnt show any interest and would make a racket whenever I went to change his food. So I stopped trying to make him come out of his cage. I left the door open and he ventured out himself.

I've had him for almost 3 months now and have NOT invaded his cage (with him in it at least) in almost 2. He is a totally changed bird. He wants to interact with me because I am respecting his space and he is learning mine. He is cuddly, he will groom my face, snuggle in my shirt, eat crackers and other fruits out of my hand.

Hopefully my :2cents: might've helped a bit!!

DONT GIVE UP HOPE!!!! You've made progress even if you aren't aware of it!!!

[Ducky]

I would wonder if they will ever be tame. From what I've read here, most of the people who have tamed their birds have done so while they were still pretty young. These are much older and have bonded already. That doesn't mean they can't be great birds still, I just wouldn't count on cuddly pets, more like aviary birdies.

That being said, if you still want to try definitely clip their wings. Get lots of books on parrots too, that's helped me alot anyway. The internet is my favorite thing ever, but sometimes it's the really basic stuff people don't explain completely (not intentionally) just because it seems so obvious. It's going to be a long process, but then again it used to be most of our pet parrots were wild caught.

[michael]

Maddog. Getting them to settle down in the cage may not be as important or useful as getting them to settle down outside the cage. Fifteen minutes twice a day will not be sufficient time for them to ever attain that goal. Certainly letting them come out on their own with more opportunity may give you better results at gaining the trust of either one of them. I think you need to give them at least an hour, twice a day just for starters. Also, your tamer female may in fact be a tamer male unless your absolutely sure of their gender. This does add a bit of uncertainty to the female being unfertile and can slow down the taming process because certain traits partial to either gender are confused. You may be, without knowing it, providing the female with more reasons for being protective. I'm wondering what type of routine did they have for the year so far that you've had them, and how old they really are. Although this can make a difference, I don't think it limits the possibilty they'll ever be tamed as much as how long it may take to do so. Also, the wing clipping may help in returning them to their cage in the event they get a little too comfortable outside of it, or simply refuse to go back, so I'd give that some serious thought. It sounds like you really enjoy and care for Pablo and Peaches and thats the best start you could possibly have regardless of their age. Wish you the best of luck.....Goofy and Michael