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how to tame my lovebird. help!

Discuss the methods and techniques of clicker training, target training and bonding. These are usually the first steps in training a young parrot.

Re: how to tame my lovebird. help!

Postby pscindy_13 » Wed Apr 15, 2015 3:00 pm

Liz, remember in 1 of your post you said that your bird was jumping off the cage to fly?
This morning he jumping off his cage constantly! Like not a 2 times and done. He jumps off and right away goes back up to jump again. He even walked to the corner of my bed to jump from there too but I stopped him time before that happened. Is he ok??? :shock:
pscindy_13
Lovebird
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 37
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Black Masked Lovebird
Flight: No

Re: how to tame my lovebird. help!

Postby Pajarita » Wed Apr 15, 2015 4:30 pm

OK, let's slow down a bit here.
1) Lovebirds need to be sexed before they can be put together because you can't have two females, you need a male/female pair or two males.
2) The ONLY way that a lovebird will become a real companion is when they are handfed. I guess it might be possible to actually tame a parent-raised one to the point of loving companion but it would take a lot of experience, patience and time.
3) Lovebirds, contrary to what most people in birdsites will say, do not really do well as single birds (there is a reason why they are called lovebirds and it's because they are ALWAYS together and loving each other)
4) Two lovebirds will not make more noise than one, possibly even less, but even if they did, their vocalizations are actually quite pleasant (at least to me).
5) I had a hand-fed female that had two different husbands and she still loved me to the point that she would even come out of her nest when sitting on eggs when I called her (she rode my shoulder and kissed me).
6) My dear, don't take this the wrong way but if you don't know enough about keeping a single bird what makes you think you can breed a pair and handfeed babies?!
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: how to tame my lovebird. help!

Postby Wolf » Wed Apr 15, 2015 5:19 pm

The idea of you getting a second hand raised bird was and is not to start you on the idea of raising them as you don't have anywhere nearly enough experience to even consider doing that. Heck, I don't have enough to consider doing that. The purpose was to help the bird that you have to calm down and to ease its fears, as well as for you to get a hand raised bird that you could handle without it taking months and having you get discouraged.
It does not take being rich to care for two birds, although vet expenses are very high, I have 5 species of parrots and live on just over $700 a month. It does take some planning.
As for the bird that you have all you can do is to provide a larger cage and I believe that I have given you the measurements for the smallest cage size for this bird and keep on with the things that we have already told you how to do.
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal
African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: how to tame my lovebird. help!

Postby pscindy_13 » Tue Apr 21, 2015 12:21 pm

Relax. I said I thought, I never said that I will. Btw I have already hand fed a dog, bunny, and squirrel so I'm nof knew to hand feeding.

Today I found a person selling a baby hand tamed bird local to me and what I can afford (been rasing money since I last posted) and what's best is that they offer a big cage for $10 cause I'm getting the bird.

Anyways what I wanted to ask if it's really a good move? I understand that my lovebird will be less scared and more tamed with a tamed lovebird around to learn from but will that mean they will make lots of noise?
will they ever bond with me since now they have each other?
pscindy_13
Lovebird
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 37
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Black Masked Lovebird
Flight: No

Re: how to tame my lovebird. help!

Postby Wolf » Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:22 pm

There is a period of time that they must be separated of about 30 days during which time they will probably be much louder than normal as they will be calling to each other. Again you need to be certain of their sexes or the will not be able to reside in the same cage. It needs to be either a male and female or two males.
Hand feeding the animals that you describe have nothing to do with birds. The animals that you fed are all mammals with internal organs similar to our own and the placement is also similar. They are nothing like a bird.
The hand tamed bird will help to calm the wilder bird, but the opposite is also true. If you are persistent, consistent and patient with hem you will be able to have birds that you can interact with, they will bond with each other and to you to a lesser degree. But this should be good enough for you to enjoy them. Once the quarantine period is passed and they can be placed in the same room the noise level will drop and be perhaps quitter than just the single bird. Then you carefully introduce them to each other as you don't want them to fight. And if they get along then you can try letting the live in the same cage.
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal
African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: how to tame my lovebird. help!

Postby Pajarita » Wed Apr 22, 2015 10:55 am

You can't get a second lovebird without knowing the gender of the one you have and the gender of the one you are getting.

And, like Wolf said, feeding a baby mammal is NOTHING like feeding a baby bird.

I don't mean to hurt your feelings, my dear, I realize that your intentions are the best and that you are trying REAL hard but I am afraid that you are more confident in your abilities than you are knowledgeable (nothing to worry about, young people are always like that) and that you are really rushing things way too much. I suggest you work on getting a proper cage for the one you already have, establish healthy daily routines and light schedule, work with him to tame him and make him trust you, get him to eat a good diet, get it DNA'd for gender and then and only then consider getting another one. You are trying to get to step 6 from step 1 and that never works out in the end... especially with parrots.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: how to tame my lovebird. help!

Postby Blu » Thu Apr 23, 2015 9:14 am

What I would recommend doing is siting near him and just whistling to him and talking to him. I did this with my budgie Blu and he is one of the sweetest birds now. He went from being terrified when I walked into the room to him now singing his little heart out to me and Conner :gcc: . Keep at it and if you can get a hand fed bird if your going to get another. Connor was hand fed and the difference between him and Blu is astounding.
Blu the Budgie :budgie2:

Connor the Green Cheek Conure :gcc:
Blu
Conure
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 176
Location: Rochester NY
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: Parakeet, Cinnamon Green cheek Conure
Flight: Yes

Re: how to tame my lovebird. help!

Postby pscindy_13 » Thu Apr 23, 2015 9:29 am

That's all I can do. I sit next to him and talk or sing but it's been so many weeks that I don't think it's working *sigh*
I couldn't get the bird anymore. Once I asked, the person rased up the price to $150 out of the blue so I had to pass.
pscindy_13
Lovebird
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 37
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Black Masked Lovebird
Flight: No

Re: how to tame my lovebird. help!

Postby Wolf » Thu Apr 23, 2015 9:55 am

It takes time and patience as well as persistence and consistency. You don't give up you just keep talking and singing and offering treats and if you do this every day your bird will eventually decide to trust you. I have a 15 yr. old Amazon that I can't handle and just barely comes out of her cage, although she is quite the talker. I have been working with her for well over a year to get her this far. So I understand how discouraging it can get.
All of the problems that you are having to go through are part of the reasons that many of us don't like breeders or pet stores. Both will sell a bird that is not ready to people who don't know about birds and then mislead them just to get the sale. they don't care about either the bird or the person. It is just not right.
Then the people eventually turn to forums for help and here you have fluff forums who will pat a person on the back or say oh you poor person for this happening, but offer no help. Then you have forums that care deeply about the welfare of the birds and do their best to educate the person about their bird and try to help them to make the best of this situation. They don't always say the things that the person wants to hear, but will always try to give the right information.
This situation is not your fault as you were clearly taken undue advantage of. And it is not the birds fault either, it is just responding to this as best it knows how to. The bird was not properly socialized to be a companion bird and this is why it is taking so long for it to accept you. Be consistent in your efforts and work with your bird every day for as long as you can. Be patient and understanding of the bird and he will eventually give you his trust. Never force yourself on the bird, but rather be patient and let the bird come to you. It is well worth the time and effort that you put into this relationship. I know that you don't see that right now, but it is true and if you will persist in gently guideing this bird to trusting you then you will see for yourself.
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal
African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: how to tame my lovebird. help!

Postby Pajarita » Thu Apr 23, 2015 10:56 am

My dear, it hasn't been 'so many weeks', it's only been three and that's nothing when it comes to taming a bird. NOTHING! It takes months and months and months. But I will share a trick with you that might speed up the process. For this to work, you need to convert the bird to gloop and produce for breakfast and identify the seed he likes best (but you can start with a small piece of a millet spray). You give the bird his breakfast and, around 4 or 5 pm, when is anxiously waiting for his seed dinner (when you feed gloop and produce for breakfast, you also feed a seed mix for dinner and they learn real fast that they are going to get their favorite thing in the world when the sun starts to go down), you open the door to the cage and simply rest your hand, palm up on the door or next to it, with a piece of a millet spray on it. Don't move your hand, don't put it in the cage and do nothing but talk very softly to it saying something: Come on, - his name here -, step up. Just stay it over and over and wait for him to climb on your hand to get to the seed. He is not going to do it the first or the second day but, if you are very patient and you have already showed him you can be trusted not to grab him, he will step on your hand on the third or fourth day. But, when he does, do not move your hand at all, just praise him A LOT (Good bird! What a pretty bird you are! etc) in a cooing voice.

But, mind you, you NEED to convert him to gloop first and he needs to trust you won't grab him, don't try it tomorrow because it's not going to work.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

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