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teaching a old bird new tricks

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

teaching a old bird new tricks

Postby bean » Wed Apr 08, 2015 7:40 pm

I was on the nutrition side for the last month, and started talking about exercise with wolf today. I cant imagine Bean ever letting me putting a harnesses on him. :? Is there a harness thats better than another? And how long of a lead do you get them, and sorry, how long does it take of strengthening thier wing muscles, from wing flapping on the ground? I know I have a lot of questions, but its exciting to think of him flying. I just want him to get better. Hes acting better and I hope its not just that, the parrot act.
bean
Cockatiel
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 50
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Types of Birds Owned: Blue Front Amazon
Flight: No

Re: teaching a old bird new tricks

Postby Pajarita » Thu Apr 09, 2015 1:53 pm

How long it takes depends on the degree of atrophy. But, if a parrot was not allowed to fledge correctly and to master flight before he was clipped and has been kept clipped for years, it might never achieve flight and, if it does, it would never be 'good' enough to be flown outside (the neural paths are not there).

I have a cockatoo that never flew in his life and he doesn't even try to flap when I try to exercise him... all he does is hang on real tight to my hand but he doesn't separate his wings from his body.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Location: NW Pa
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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: teaching a old bird new tricks

Postby bean » Sun Apr 12, 2015 5:03 pm

Bean does at least flap his wings vigorously when he is loosing his balance, or when he rarely flies off his cage, he sometimes makes across the room (20 feet), so I think (or hope) there is something there, but I guess wont know until like you said get started and try. I started by speeding up the trip a little going to his cage outside, just enough to make him flap his wings, while I hold his feet. I need a harness. I think ive been lucky, but I dont think he is just going to sit there and let me put it on.
bean
Cockatiel
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 50
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Blue Front Amazon
Flight: No

Re: teaching a old bird new tricks

Postby liz » Sun Apr 12, 2015 5:24 pm

Rambo can jump off the top of his cage and flap through a few rooms before having a controlled crash. I put him on my hand and lift him up and down to make him flap and by the count of three he lets go and lands on the sofa I aimed him at.
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Location: Hernando FL
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Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: teaching a old bird new tricks

Postby Wolf » Sun Apr 12, 2015 6:14 pm

Please be very careful with making him flap with you holding his feet while going to his outside cage. It could unexpectantly turn into a fly away and it is not worth the risk of this happening. This exercise is done much safer in the house or other fully enclosed area. I would not take my birds outside even to another cage unless they were in a smaller cage so that there is no chance of an escape. All it takes is an unexpected gust of wind or something scaring them enough and your bird is gone, please be safe with your bird.
The flapping exercise should only be done in a fully enclosed area. Harness training can take several month before they will allow you to start putting it on them. You have to take your time and not force the bird.
Wolf
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: teaching a old bird new tricks

Postby liz » Mon Apr 13, 2015 7:02 am

I was in my car going to the grocery when I saw a parrot fly by. The first thing I thought of was that some ones parrot was out. When it landed in a yard I pulled my car in that driveway. That is when I saw my daughter running toward it and realized that yellow head that caught my attention was Rambo. She had him outside when the perfect wind came up. He flew four yards away from home. Even a bird that can't fly will flap if it gets the wind.
All I could think of was that yellow head that got my attention. The hawks we have here could have seen it from far above and he would be gone. His last thoughts would have been "why doesn't Momma help me."
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: teaching a old bird new tricks

Postby bean » Mon Apr 13, 2015 8:45 am

How did you get your parrot back? I will do all the excercising in the house, I didn't realize it would take that long. I have been walking Bean to his cage outside for the 10 years we have lived in this house, and honestly, I hold my breath. It makes me very nervous. I always have the door to the cage open, and everything ready. Its literally a 5 or 6 feet transit across the deck to his cage, but it still makes me nervous. We do have hawks, and they do scare the heck out of Bean. I have to bring him in, or atleast totally cover his cage when he sees them around. He shakes with fear. So your saying get a smaller cage to transfer him, into one cage then into his other main outdoor cage. I can do that. I was going to write today that I am still having trouble getting him to get up on my arm, w/o upsetting him to go outside at all. He is walking down the back of his cage, which is in a corner. I have been scratching his head and back first so he is not nervous, but when I put my arm up to say "up"to go outside, he walks away. I have been upsetting him to get him sun several days a week, because he needs it so bad, then try to baby him afterward to"make up for it". Coming back in after sunning, no problem, he gets right up gladly, thats when I have been trying to excercise for a minute or two.
I will make the changes so he cant get lost, but Im at a loss as for him getting up on my arm w/o upsetting him. I dont even know how it started or why.
bean
Cockatiel
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 50
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Blue Front Amazon
Flight: No

Re: teaching a old bird new tricks

Postby Pajarita » Mon Apr 13, 2015 3:31 pm

Most likely it started when he realized that stepping up meant going outside which, apparently, he doesn't like at all (with the exception of a couple of birds, all of mine get very upset when they go outside, they don't like it). Have you tried putting him in a smaller cage and sitting down next to the house with him?
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: teaching a old bird new tricks

Postby liz » Mon Apr 13, 2015 3:50 pm

Rambo crash landed in the last yard on our street. 100 yards more and he could have been hit by a car.

Myrtle does not like to go outside. She is afraid of it. If I forget she is on my shoulder and I go in the yard she digs her nails in my shoulder.
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: teaching a old bird new tricks

Postby Wolf » Mon Apr 13, 2015 7:03 pm

As far as I understand it only takes up to 20 minutes a day to give him all of the physical benefit from the sunlight that he is going to get and you could easily just take him outside of the deck in a travel cage and sit with him in the shade and have a drink while you are waiting on him and then bring him back in. It may ease his fear if you remain with him during this outside time.
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

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