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Fischer's lovebird day 1

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

Fischer's lovebird day 1

Postby od94 » Tue Apr 21, 2015 1:35 pm

Hello guys! :)

Today I got my FIRST bird and I couldn't resist the fischer's lovebird colors and the story+pictures that a person showed me at the pet store of his fischer's that he got last week from the same pet store.

So I got one,he can't fly,the pet store told me that it won't bit(he held him he didn't bit) he is trained but need a bit more socialization.(the bird didn't jump on the owner's hand he grabbed him to show it to me.)
(there was in another big cage around 10 others that seems more "wild" with the capability to fly.)

I got him a cage,and he quickly ate.An hour ago I opened his cage and let him do what he wants to see his reaction.He is hanging on the top of the cage,leaving the cage doing a small turn discovering the corner,he is not going too far from his cage and he goes back to the cage to hang on the top of it,and back again he leave the cage to make a tour. He doesn't react if I get near him,but let's say if the distance between us is less than 1m he will begin to make some noise and try to avoid me without doing some major reaction or running off.I didn't try to go closer than that,it's his first hours in my place...

Should I leave him like this during the night? or it is better to close the cage before going to sleep?
Is his behavior a good sign or a bad sign? I hope that in the coming days I will be able to get closer to him.I will never grab him and will wait for him to jump on my hand .
I am reading a lot of articles to get information.
I hope I will be able to tame him and he will jump on my hand and stuff like that lol :lol:

Thank you guys for your advice and help in advance!!

A picture of him taken few minutes ago :)

Image
hebergement image
od94
Cockatiel
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 61
Location: Lebanon
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Fischler's lovebirds
Flight: No

Re: Fischer's lovebird day 1

Postby Wolf » Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:52 pm

I do not want to offend you, but at the same time I want what is best for your bird. I understand that you are new to the world of birds and because of this are susceptible to being easily misled by sales people who know little to nothing and are just trying to make a sale. I have nothing to sell and I am easily gotten rid of, just tell me to not answer you and I won't.
To start with, you really need to replace that cage as it is too small for your bird. The minimum size cage for this bird is 24" X 24" X24" if the bird is going to be out of its cage for four hours daily or longer. If the bird is going to be in the cage most of the time you need to get a flight cage for it.
I am going to suggest that you put the top back on the cage with the bird safely inside of it for the night. I suggest this as you have other animals ( dogs) which are predators and neither dogs or bird know each other. Not that letting them interact would ever be a good idea. You also have fish tanks, I hope that they all have completely covered tops so that you bird can't get into the water and drown.
You will also need to feed your bird fresh vegetables and fruits on a daily basis. Pellets are not a good diet for these birds.
As I said earlier, I don't want to offend you and only want what is best for the bird. These are the first things that I see that should be addressed and if you want to know more I will be very happy to share all I know with you in more detail. There is a lot to learn about these wonderful creatures and there are no experts. We are all learning more about them every day.
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: Fischer's lovebird day 1

Postby Pajarita » Wed Apr 22, 2015 10:48 am

I agree with Wolf, the cage is waaaaaaaaay too small (the pet industry is not only completely unregulated, they don't really care at all about animals, their bottom line is profit). You also need to get good perches (dowels are a no-no, you should use tree branches) and you can't put in on the floor, it stresses them out something terrible (the ground is a very dangerous place for birds because that's where most predators live, that's why they fly and perch all the way up in the trees), it needs to be at an adult's eye level. Also, I can't really tell for sure by the picture but it looks as if you have millet in one bowl and sunflowers in the other and that's not good, there are not anywhere enough vitamins, minerals or phytonutrients in them They need cooked whole grains, veggies, fruits and leafy greens for breakfast and a small amount of a good quality seed mix (and that means very little sunflowers in it) for dinner. Lovebirds are little but they are still parrots and have the same needs as the big ones -well, actually, that is not entirely accurate, they have a higher need for other birds of their own species than the large species.
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: Fischer's lovebird day 1

Postby od94 » Wed Apr 22, 2015 5:55 pm

Hello!! Thank you for your advice and help I really appreciate it!
Deal for the cage! I will replace it this week.For the fear of being in danger when out of the cage,the bird is in my room,and no other animal are allowed in my room,the dogs are in the garden the aquariums are covered so safe :)
As for the food I tried apple strawberry carrot but it is not intersted,i cut them in small pieces and placed them in the feeder hopefully the bird will taste them!

Thanks for the advice of placing him higher! you are right he seems less stressed now when I approach him!

But i am afraid of placing him that high.. in case he fall,his wings are clipped.

this is today's evolution! I hope tomorrow I will be able to touch him!! I am spending the whole day with him lol

Image
téléchargement de photos

I hope that I will be able to tame him, https://youtu.be/wzBxQbSIF68

i might be more afraid than him,in fact I am a bit afraid of the bite if he will lol :o
od94
Cockatiel
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 61
Location: Lebanon
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Fischler's lovebirds
Flight: No

Re: Fischer's lovebird day 1

Postby Wolf » Wed Apr 22, 2015 9:33 pm

I am not certain but I think that I read in your post in the introductions that you are in Lebanon, but in any case I think that there is a place for this in your profile page and if you would add that in so we can see it when responding to your posts it would be a big help. We read a lot of posts and it is difficult to remember locations much of the time.
What kinds of whole grains are available where you are at? He is small but has the same type of requirements nutritionally as a larger one would have, so he should have a variety of cooked whole grains and vegetables and fruit daily with only a measured amount of seeds for his evening meal.
I understand your fear of him falling and getting hurt and the best response that I have to that is for you to place padding down so that he has a soft landing place if this does happen. Mentally and emotionally he will be much better off if he is placed at the height that has been recommended.
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: Fischer's lovebird day 1

Postby od94 » Thu Apr 23, 2015 3:25 am

Hello Wolf! thank you for your help again! location added! :)
well i can find any whole grains,no problem with that! I will try some whole grain rice,since I have some. Today I suceeded into feeding him by hand apple!! It feels great!! :D :D

deal for the pad! I will
od94
Cockatiel
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 61
Location: Lebanon
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Fischler's lovebirds
Flight: No

Re: Fischer's lovebird day 1

Postby Wolf » Thu Apr 23, 2015 6:52 am

If whole grains are not a problem, try wild rice, hulled barley, Whole wheat( winter wheat), brown rice, steel cut oats, and quinoa. Cook them until they are soft on the outside, but still hard on the inside. Then when he starts eating this well, start adding vegetables one at a time until their are 5 or six vegetables mixed in. You want this to be a 50/50 mixture of whole grains and vegetables. Then find some small white beans and some lentils and cook them well done and add about 1/2 cup of these to every 5 cups of the grain/ vegetable mix.
When your bird gets up feed him a fresh vegetable, a fresh fruit and a leafy green, use a different one each day. Then about an hour later feed him the mix described above. and then for dinner feed him a budgie type seed mix.
For more ideas go to the nutrition section and search gloop in the search box and it will bring up lots of gloop posts. That is what we call the food that I just told you how to make for your bird.
Thanks for adding in you location, it helps to know when answering because some things are available in some places and not in others.
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: Fischer's lovebird day 1

Postby Pajarita » Thu Apr 23, 2015 11:00 am

The only thing I have to ad is that I absolutely love your attitude, Od. You listen to what people say and try your very best to be open and learn as much as possible, you are going to be a FABULOUS bird keeper and your bird is lucky to have you as his human! :thumbsup:
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: Fischer's lovebird day 1

Postby od94 » Thu Apr 23, 2015 2:17 pm

Thank you so much for your ideas! I will do it and start making him used to healthy food!
But the food I have now,should I offer them only for dinner? during the day should I remove them? and offer him what you told me? Or keep the one I have + feed the ones you told me about? anyway the container that contain sunflower grains,he is not touching them.

Today as evolution I succeeded into teaching my bird to go on a piece of wood stick.And he is not afraid of me anymore! I can get my face as close as 2-3cm to him without even being afraid of me. As for the stick I have shorten this stick in order to get him close to my hand,but oncee I removed the stick and tried with my finger and bit me,but the bite was so acceptable,not painful I don't think he meant to bite but wanted to tell me to go back?

I worked like 5-6h today with him so in the end he just got enough of me lol.He went away from where we were practicing and entered the cage to leave him alone.But how should I react when he bites? remove my hand?face my finger in front of his beak?
Tomorrow I will try to let him sit on my finger. and make Wolf's cooking :D
Thank you again!

Pajarita,thank you so much for your reply! I am very grateful that pros as you are helping me,and It would be unfortunate for anyone not to follow your advices
od94
Cockatiel
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 61
Location: Lebanon
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Fischler's lovebirds
Flight: No

Re: Fischer's lovebird day 1

Postby Wolf » Thu Apr 23, 2015 3:23 pm

I would get a good quality budgie seed mix, a variety of five or more of the whole grains, and at least three different raw vegetables such as carrots, sweet corn and peas, three different fresh fruits and three different leafy greens. I would not use iceburg lettuce or any avocados. Iceburg lettuce has very little nutrition and avocados are poisonous to him. I would also stay away from spinach.
Now once you have these items I would give him a little of each of the fresh foods first thing in the morning, one piece of fruit, one fresh vegetable and one leafy green then an hour later I would offer him some of the whole grains cooked so that they are soft on the outside and still hard inside and mix in a little of the budgie seed mix, maybe a teaspoon of them. and let him have that until dinner time and then give him just the budgie seed mix. I would save the sunflower seeds for treats and gradually use the millet up by sprinkle it on the whole grains or mixing a little in the budgie seed mix until it is gone. No sense in wasting it. Once he starts eating the whole grains then you start adding in the vegetables.
Instead of removing the stick lay a finger along one side of the stick and let him learn to climb on your finger that way. I usually say ouch when my birds bite and then place them down on the closest safe place for them for a minute or two. Try to pay attention to the birds body language to avoid getting bit as that is the best way to train them to not bite. Here is a link on body language that should help you a lot in understanding you bird. http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww15eii.htm
While it is great to hang out with your bird for five or six hours it should only be training 3 to 4 times a day for no longer than 15 minutes at a 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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