Really Stick Trained?

[yellowbird]

I was wondering if Yellow is really stick trained? She will step up on the stick when she wants to, but if she doesn't she will bite the heck out of it (actually attack it). How do you know if your bird is really stick trained? And how often should you have her go on the stick to make sure she keeps it up?

Joann

[BarbieH]

Sounds about par for the course. Gracie has also done the limbo underneath her stick to avoid stepping up when she doesn't want to, and has stepped right over it too.

However, when I really need to scoop her up -- if she is looking to get into trouble -- I can usually find a way to do it so that she has no choice but to step up onto the stick by pushing it quickly right up to her legs. Once she's on it, I move it away so she can't step off.

Stick training/step up is best practiced daily, and if you can make it a game with rewards, you will find your bird Yellow more willing to step up most all the time. She'll do it when she wants to, so you gotta make her want to. :)

Best wishes,

[sdgilley]

Joann,


I was wondering if Yellow is really stick trained? She will step up on the stick when she wants to, but if she doesn't she will bite the heck out of it (actually attack it).

Sounds like a lovebird to me! :rofl: Peter is stick trained. I don't work with him often, but he steps up for me if he gets into any odd situation. If he's in danger, I grab him with my hands (not caring if I get bitten = danger is danger). The funny thing is, he's completely opposed to hands, but in a scary situation - he does NOT bite if I rescue him with my hands.. Part if it is probably that I don't normally grab him, so it throws him off. Usually any good hand bite occurs when I'm not looking where Peter is while I'm cleaning his cage. :eek:

I trained Peter by tieing millet to a spare perch, just far enough down the stick that he had to walk out on it. I then practiced holding it very still inside his comfort space without moving. Once he was comfortable, I could move him around. If he's uncomfortable with the route, I put the perch to my body and he'll hop on me. He's a BITER, so when he rides around on me, it's usually on top of my head.

[yellowbird]

Sounds like a lot of our birds are biters! Today, I tried to work with Yellow again on the stick. I tried it will millet, since it's her favorite treat. I put the stick out and immediately she hopped on and off of it like I asked. Once that millet was put away, she bit the heck out of it and actually when I tried to put her away with it and she was on her perch in her cage, she lunged and attacked it. I think every one is right in regards to the hormones with her first molt, etc., she is quite snippy. Unfortunately, lately she doesn't even give me a lunge warning when she bites, she just attacks...almost viciously. Half the time it scares me because one minute she's all nice and lovie and the next minute she's attacking. I think she actually hates the stick, but she knows what that millet is even when I just get the bag. Hopefully if I work at it with her she won't hate it so much. Now if I can get her to quit hating my slippers and attacking them as well :p

[shylevon]

Sounds like she has you 'stick trained'. ;) ;)

[yellowbird]

I think I have to agree with Shy...that I'm the one stick trained.

Since she is so bitey lately and her pin feathers seem to be hurting her, should I adjust how I hold her? I tried this morning again and she got up on the stick when she wanted the millet, but then proceeded to attack the heck out of it when she didn't want to do it anymore. She will let me pet her for a second, but then will proceed to attack my hand just like she does that stick. Unfortunately, I've been leary of it and have drawn my hand back a couple of times. I guess because it's not just a lunge and bite, it's an out right attack. What works with holding her and taking her out of her cage for this stage? I'm afraid that if I do the stick more than she won't want to go to my finger after her hormonal stage. Thanks for your help...because there are times I'm at a loss...right now being one of them.

[yellowbird]

Well after our first morning experience, I got her out again and she wanted to be held. She did real well. I could actually talk to her this morning and make her stop biting. She wanted to be petted so badly, but I think that there are times that it just hurts. She would go to bite and I'd stop petting her and tell her she had to be a good girl and talk to her and then I'd start petting her again and she was fine. I think the poor girl is just going through an awful stage. It sounds awful to me. One day at a time ;) .

[shylevon]

If you have an empty Visine bottle (or eye dropper), fill it with warm water and drip some on a small area, then use your finger to gently rub the water in and she may not be in so much discomfort during the petting.

A damp, warm face cloth also works well for petting a pin feathery birdie, too. Just wrap the cloth around one finger and gently rub her. She may be frightened of the cloth though.

[yellowbird]

Okay, Yellow is only stick trained when she wants to be and that is usually associated with a treat. If there is no millet in my hand, forget it. It's considered all out war with the stick. I have a couple times been able to quickly sweep it under her and get her to step up (it takes several tries though). Actually once she's on there, she's calm and will easily go to my finger without biting. On a side note, I noticed today that when she is on my finger or on the stick she is much more apt to not bite like when she is running around all over me. And when she is running all over me is when I usually resort to using the stick because she usually bites. So the birds definately not dumb. No millet, no stick. Millet, step up on command. How do you train her to step up easily without a piece of millet always waiting there for her? Or is that how it works?

[shylevon]

If that dang momma wants me to stand on that stick, she better be bringing me millet.

I don't know how long it is going to take me to stick train her. I don't know how to make myself any more clear. Bring the stick, bring the millet... simple enough, right?

Have any of you other birdies been having this much trouble training your human? My momma just ain't gettin' it. I need help. It ain't that I am thinking she is thick as a ....... well, we are talking about sticks, right???

Argh, I'm at my wits end.... I need HELLLLLP......

Yellowbird

[yellowbird]

Yeah, who's the smarter of us two! I definately agree, I am the one being trained!