I manage a pet shop and a 'found' IRN was brought in New Years day while I was feeding in the shut shop. It was spied by a little girl in a shrub and Grandad was lacerated badly trying to rescue it and eventually dropped a cat cage over it to bring it in.
After waiting 7 days trying to find an owner (mandatory) I took it to the vet, it was obviously very hungry and was eating ravinously as soon as I got it in a cage with food. The vet said it was likely a female, about 18 months old. It had once been well fed but likely had been on the loose a for a fair time having lost all body fat and condition, it was severely anaemic and had mite, parasites and worms. Its oil gland wasnt working and feathers were dry and splitting. :(
Well, Ive only ever handled hand raised - hand raised some myself at work, and this bird (now named Shanti) was something else!
To start with - everytime I opened the caged she drew her wings out and attacked me with open beak. :twisted: Sometimes she 'got'me OUCH. I know not to show any reaction so recently my pain threshold has risen about ten points! :D
Then she got smarter - and waited until I tried to handle her before biting. My right hand is a bruised and pecked MESS! :shock:
Now Ive read heaps - and several sites have noted that IRNs are the only parrot smart enough to the trained from wild - so I set myself the challenge. I talk to her at least for half an hour a day and attempt to encourage her to step up. She will settle when she is in a towel and let me scratch her head unti shes had enough and then she has a good go at biting :roll:
My problem is - I cant find anywhere that helps with the intermediatory staps from running away to becoming still enough to encourge a step up. She is slightly less vicious, I have the same number of bites but it takes longer for her to get that worked up to bite me hard. She 'accidentally stands on my hand for a few seconds each cage visit now. I never use gloves and rarely use the towel.
Am I wasting my time? Ive told her we have 25 years to get it right :D and Im sick of reading on the internet "I can teach you to have any bird stepping up after 2 days" - like HOW!!! :roll:
Any advice would be appreciated - Im very fond of her but I dont know how many bites my poor old hand and wrist can take!. Shes in a very large cage inside where I have 2 budgies caged, 2 java finch caged and a hand reared cockateil caged (Birdie comes out and we play every day which Shanti watches like a hawk) Shanti seems to have no idea what treats are by the way - I havent found anything she recognises and tucks in to other than aviary parrot seeds.
Help someone!
Jenny from New Zealand[color=blue][/color]
HELP wild bird - would appreciate advice/support
Moderator: Mods
Hi Jenny You sound like a real sweetheart. You are doing fine it just takes time and patients. All I can give you is just a few tips to maybe make bonding alot easier. First thing I would do is clip the wings, she feels her independents fully flighted. Second let her come out of the cage on her own and explore her new surrounding. If you can set her cage by your computer or where ever you spend the most time relaxing have the cage door open and let her be the first to make the move. IRN's are very curious and she will eventually come to see what you are doing. Don't make any sudden moves for her just let her do her thing. Once she trust you are not going to hurt her then the training can start but you have to get the trust issue first. Good luck and keep us posted.
Donna
Donna
In Loving Memory
of one special husband and one special bird.
I miss you both
of one special husband and one special bird.
I miss you both
Hi Jenny
I am (again) going to give the example of Duke (Green Cheek). He had been locked in a cupboard for 6 months at least. Reason: he was biting and screaming... Then he came to me.. I kept him unclipped to boost his confidence, which he had very little of, and therefore bit - hard!
After a day or two, I started clicker training him within his cage - targeting. I used sunflower seeds as treats, and removed those from his normal feed. (All my birds are on pellets these days - I wish they would all eat the same pellets, so I didn't have to buy 4 different kinds
)
Duke is still unclipped , although he has not got much confidence in himself as far as flying is concerned - he'll fly to me from about 1 metre. His confidence in himself is great... He knows about 20 different tricks and loves doing them.
I am (again) going to give the example of Duke (Green Cheek). He had been locked in a cupboard for 6 months at least. Reason: he was biting and screaming... Then he came to me.. I kept him unclipped to boost his confidence, which he had very little of, and therefore bit - hard!
After a day or two, I started clicker training him within his cage - targeting. I used sunflower seeds as treats, and removed those from his normal feed. (All my birds are on pellets these days - I wish they would all eat the same pellets, so I didn't have to buy 4 different kinds
)
Duke is still unclipped , although he has not got much confidence in himself as far as flying is concerned - he'll fly to me from about 1 metre. His confidence in himself is great... He knows about 20 different tricks and loves doing them.
Cheers
Lene
Lene
Thanks guys, this is all so encouraging - what do you mean by clicker training Lene? I am familiar with that in dogs - how does it work for birds?
This arvo I sat and read on the birdroom sofa with Birdie climbing all over me and Shanti's cage in front of us open. She was on her normal high perch and after about 15 mins dropped down to the next then 1/2 hr later dropped down to the third and moved towards the door - in a short time she obviously thought better of her bravery and climbed quicktime back up, she did this three times before I got sick of sitting inside on a beautiful NZ summer day! *grin*
She is also calling - she didnt ever make a noise when I had her at work for the first week other than to scream at me before lunging - this is a normal IRN call when Im in the room. Is this good?
And no bruses or beak holes today *chortle* - I didnt attempt to encourage her to accept my hand at all - relief!
Cheers every one! Jenny
This arvo I sat and read on the birdroom sofa with Birdie climbing all over me and Shanti's cage in front of us open. She was on her normal high perch and after about 15 mins dropped down to the next then 1/2 hr later dropped down to the third and moved towards the door - in a short time she obviously thought better of her bravery and climbed quicktime back up, she did this three times before I got sick of sitting inside on a beautiful NZ summer day! *grin*
She is also calling - she didnt ever make a noise when I had her at work for the first week other than to scream at me before lunging - this is a normal IRN call when Im in the room. Is this good?
And no bruses or beak holes today *chortle* - I didnt attempt to encourage her to accept my hand at all - relief!
Cheers every one! Jenny
PS - Im keen to get her on pellet food as I believe it is the best - is that right? We dont sell it at work although it is stocked - ppl seem to prefer seed. Anyway - one trauma at a time - I believe it can be a bit of a mission changing over.
Re the treat comment I made earlier - she ate a good half of a segment of orange and rind today - the little monkey made a point of ignoring it whenever I was watching tho!! G'night everyone, its bedtime here in NZ Cheers zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Re the treat comment I made earlier - she ate a good half of a segment of orange and rind today - the little monkey made a point of ignoring it whenever I was watching tho!! G'night everyone, its bedtime here in NZ Cheers zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
WINGS GOT CLIPPED BY AN AVIAN VET - SHANTI IS MUCH MORE SETTLED. HE GAVE ME SOME SPECIAL CLIPPERS SO THAT I CAN DO THE OTHER BIRDS AT THE SHOP PROPERLY.
SKIBUM - WAS MAX LIKE SHANTI WHEN YOU GOT HIM? IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE ELSE HAS TAMED A WILD BIRD.
SO FAR SO GOOD - THAT SAYING BEING WATCHED LIKE A HAWK - WELL IT SHOULD BE BEING WATCHED LIKE AN IRN HAHAHA
CHEERS JEN
SKIBUM - WAS MAX LIKE SHANTI WHEN YOU GOT HIM? IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE ELSE HAS TAMED A WILD BIRD.
SO FAR SO GOOD - THAT SAYING BEING WATCHED LIKE A HAWK - WELL IT SHOULD BE BEING WATCHED LIKE AN IRN HAHAHA
CHEERS JEN
Yeah, Max was pretty wild. Luckily I had a neighbour close by who gave him loads of attention during the day while I was at work. She used to hold him - sometimes with a glove to make sure she didn't get bitten to pieces - and she would take him outside, show him plants and stuff while he was being held and that would distract him a bit.
When I first got him it took a couple of weeks to stop him flying away around the house so got wings clipped at really good vet. Once that happened he calmed down quite a bit. He stopped biting pretty quick too and loads of vets used to comment on how he never bit and what a placid temperament he had.
I moved house after about a year and now no neighbours to look after birds while I am at work, but until xmas day when he got a fright and flew off, Max was perfect. I left him out all day on his cage and he never got down and started chewing on stuff (well, there was no evidence of it). He was excited as anything from around 4.30 onwards when it was nearing time for me to come home and once home he would want to go everywhere with me - which included outside.
He was never a cuddly bird in that he hated a hand over his back and only sometimes would he put up with a bit of a gentle scratch around the beak. He was gradually getting more used to cuddles as I used to put my arm over him when he was on the other hand and then I would bury my face in his back. He really liked that and used to make a cute little noise. He still had a thing about hands tho and would only let a hand cover him if my face was right there as well - I think he knew nothing bad was going to happen to him.
He used to have his moments - and so did I!! He certainly knew when he was in trouble and used to scamper off to his cage. Or if I found him up the curtains he used to strain to get down to me so that he wouldn't be in trouble. But I never hit him, tapped his beak or anything. Closest I got to would have been hanging onto his beak from behind to stop him biting - but they are strong little buggers!!
Anyway - bloody long story, but long and short of it is, yes he was pretty wild, in some ways it was good because he was always reluctant to try new things - hence no chewing at everything, but he developed into a fantastic bird who loved his dad, but as result of not liking stuff touching his back got a fright in the rain and flew away.
Still gone...sniff
New little Ziggy completely different so s/he will have to stay in the cage when I am not here!
Hope that helps
When I first got him it took a couple of weeks to stop him flying away around the house so got wings clipped at really good vet. Once that happened he calmed down quite a bit. He stopped biting pretty quick too and loads of vets used to comment on how he never bit and what a placid temperament he had.
I moved house after about a year and now no neighbours to look after birds while I am at work, but until xmas day when he got a fright and flew off, Max was perfect. I left him out all day on his cage and he never got down and started chewing on stuff (well, there was no evidence of it). He was excited as anything from around 4.30 onwards when it was nearing time for me to come home and once home he would want to go everywhere with me - which included outside.
He was never a cuddly bird in that he hated a hand over his back and only sometimes would he put up with a bit of a gentle scratch around the beak. He was gradually getting more used to cuddles as I used to put my arm over him when he was on the other hand and then I would bury my face in his back. He really liked that and used to make a cute little noise. He still had a thing about hands tho and would only let a hand cover him if my face was right there as well - I think he knew nothing bad was going to happen to him.
He used to have his moments - and so did I!! He certainly knew when he was in trouble and used to scamper off to his cage. Or if I found him up the curtains he used to strain to get down to me so that he wouldn't be in trouble. But I never hit him, tapped his beak or anything. Closest I got to would have been hanging onto his beak from behind to stop him biting - but they are strong little buggers!!
Anyway - bloody long story, but long and short of it is, yes he was pretty wild, in some ways it was good because he was always reluctant to try new things - hence no chewing at everything, but he developed into a fantastic bird who loved his dad, but as result of not liking stuff touching his back got a fright in the rain and flew away.
Still gone...sniff
New little Ziggy completely different so s/he will have to stay in the cage when I am not here!
Hope that helps
Im so sorry about Max - I trust someone like me found him, IRNs are pretty unusual and cant be missed! Shanti had been fending for herself for quite a while the vet said - he could tell by what was healthy and what wasnt - even then she had PLENTY of fight in her when she was re-captured.
I believe Max is somewhere enjoying a new life. They are such swift flyers too - the vet said she could have come from a distance which is why we couldnt trace an owner through the lost and founds at vets and pet shops locally.
Having had my fair share of loved pets that have been lost or died through bizare circumstances my heart goes out to you - HUGS
Jenny
I believe Max is somewhere enjoying a new life. They are such swift flyers too - the vet said she could have come from a distance which is why we couldnt trace an owner through the lost and founds at vets and pet shops locally.
Having had my fair share of loved pets that have been lost or died through bizare circumstances my heart goes out to you - HUGS
Jenny
Thanks for that - it really did ruin my xmas - and even my parents didn't sleep at all that night. They used to babysit him when I went away, although I used to have to sneak off otherwise he would run after me!!
As for Shanti, how long now since you've had her?
Birds know when you are looking at them so yes, she is gaining a bit of confidence and getting food, but just doesn't want you to know yet!!
A good way to know then that a certain food is a treat...
Max absolutely went mental over peas and Ziggy is pretty keen too. You can either defrost them or microwave them (if frozen of course!) just making sure not hot. I leave a few on a saucer, and if Shanti really likes them you start forcing her to take them from your hand.
It will take a while and a lot of time and patience, but even in India they capture them and train them from the wild, so it is possible. Just hard work.
Trust me it will be worth it in the end once she's calmed down.
By the way, the calling is a very good sign - means she is happy usually and trying to talk to other birds - unless of course she seems really distressed but they usually go all quiet and sulky. Any bird making a noise is usually pretty good so I reckon. Max was very quiet for the first couple of weeks when I got him. He never made a noise anyway when I was around, however, left to his own devices I could hear him rabbit away for hours, so maybe try leaving the room but just remaining within earshot. If wild, her calling is probably the only noise she really knows.
The one I found nearby was a similar age to Shanti and it was hand-reared and very tame. It was calling all the time and was a very happy bird.
As for Shanti, how long now since you've had her?
Birds know when you are looking at them so yes, she is gaining a bit of confidence and getting food, but just doesn't want you to know yet!!
A good way to know then that a certain food is a treat...
Max absolutely went mental over peas and Ziggy is pretty keen too. You can either defrost them or microwave them (if frozen of course!) just making sure not hot. I leave a few on a saucer, and if Shanti really likes them you start forcing her to take them from your hand.
It will take a while and a lot of time and patience, but even in India they capture them and train them from the wild, so it is possible. Just hard work.
Trust me it will be worth it in the end once she's calmed down.
By the way, the calling is a very good sign - means she is happy usually and trying to talk to other birds - unless of course she seems really distressed but they usually go all quiet and sulky. Any bird making a noise is usually pretty good so I reckon. Max was very quiet for the first couple of weeks when I got him. He never made a noise anyway when I was around, however, left to his own devices I could hear him rabbit away for hours, so maybe try leaving the room but just remaining within earshot. If wild, her calling is probably the only noise she really knows.
The one I found nearby was a similar age to Shanti and it was hand-reared and very tame. It was calling all the time and was a very happy bird.
Your comments are really encouraging - Shanti was about two weeks at work and now one week home. Two days since clipping.
I have found out she loves corn on the cob and orange. I will try peas. I havent tried to get my hands near her for two days now - the scabs are healing and the bruises going green!! hahaha Birdie was grooming me this morning while I was reading to Shanti - and I noticed she was sorting out all the peck wounds for me! (Is that yuck or cool?)
Shanti has really settled in herself in a short time since her wings were clipped. I rolled the cockatiel cage closer to Shanti this arvo and Birdie is showing off like mad and Shanti is being very grown up and pretending not to notice.
Im now not pestering her by putting my hand in the cage as much but rather trying to help her get used to this new flock that wishes her no harm for a few days (weeks?)
Ziggy sounds like the babies we handrear at work - you can do ANYTHING with them by the time we finish with them - we have three just finishing hand feeding now - all the staff fight for turns at cuddles - this time of the year we all do our work with an IRN or a tiel on the shoulder. Actually the IRNs for some reason prefer to snuggle down the front of your shirt, maybe thats cos its females that feed them and there's a shelf to sit on there! *chortle*
I had no idea that IRNs could be so vicious until I googled to get help with this one. It has all been a steep learning curve - no wonder there are queues to purchase our ones! They all get presold to doting homes! :)
Ziggy is very lucky!
Jen
I have found out she loves corn on the cob and orange. I will try peas. I havent tried to get my hands near her for two days now - the scabs are healing and the bruises going green!! hahaha Birdie was grooming me this morning while I was reading to Shanti - and I noticed she was sorting out all the peck wounds for me! (Is that yuck or cool?)
Shanti has really settled in herself in a short time since her wings were clipped. I rolled the cockatiel cage closer to Shanti this arvo and Birdie is showing off like mad and Shanti is being very grown up and pretending not to notice.
Im now not pestering her by putting my hand in the cage as much but rather trying to help her get used to this new flock that wishes her no harm for a few days (weeks?)
Ziggy sounds like the babies we handrear at work - you can do ANYTHING with them by the time we finish with them - we have three just finishing hand feeding now - all the staff fight for turns at cuddles - this time of the year we all do our work with an IRN or a tiel on the shoulder. Actually the IRNs for some reason prefer to snuggle down the front of your shirt, maybe thats cos its females that feed them and there's a shelf to sit on there! *chortle*
I had no idea that IRNs could be so vicious until I googled to get help with this one. It has all been a steep learning curve - no wonder there are queues to purchase our ones! They all get presold to doting homes! :)
Ziggy is very lucky!
Jen
Hey, that's excellent news.
I think vicious might be a bit of a harsh way of describing them, but certainly with a beak that size it pays to be wary. If they don't want to do something.....
Funny you should say about front of shirt - Ziggy definitely prefers that although quite happy to sit on my shoulder, however as soon as I start doing something interesting he is down my arm like a shot and chewing on whatever it is I am playing with.
I will post a pic shortly of my attempt to cook scrambled eggs this morning.....
Max got that way as well too, so something to look forward to.
All the best, sounds like she is relaxing now. Changes will happen quicker than you realise too I hope.
I think vicious might be a bit of a harsh way of describing them, but certainly with a beak that size it pays to be wary. If they don't want to do something.....
Funny you should say about front of shirt - Ziggy definitely prefers that although quite happy to sit on my shoulder, however as soon as I start doing something interesting he is down my arm like a shot and chewing on whatever it is I am playing with.
I will post a pic shortly of my attempt to cook scrambled eggs this morning.....
Max got that way as well too, so something to look forward to.
All the best, sounds like she is relaxing now. Changes will happen quicker than you realise too I hope.
I caught the pic on the other thread - that is a whopper of a cage! Today while I was at work Shanti ripped up half a newpaper into little bits and threw most of out the cage anto the floor as well as emptying her seed bowl the same way! So I got her a heap more toys with as many as I could that 'do' things. It felt like she was deliberately trying to annoy me! hahahaha
She climbed out the cage this arvo but I wasnt there at the time - she had somehow gotten on top of the budgie cage which is quite a feat with no wings!
Now she runs away from me on the floor - doesnt lunge. I cornered her with a towel and she let me noogie her nut (gently) while lightly wrapped in the towel for a while before twisting for a bite - when she did that I shoved a sliver of orange in her mouth, it seemed she had no idea of what to make of that.
Peas tomorrow! I bought this soft rubber holey elongated ball on a chain sort of thingie and stuffed it full of the food she throws around (banana chips, dried fruit, peanuts etc) It will be interesting to see what she does with it while Im not looking tomorrow. She still feels like a wild thing that despises having to tolerate me - but she has another think coming - Im here for the long haul!
Hugs to all IRN owners and their buddies!! Jen
She climbed out the cage this arvo but I wasnt there at the time - she had somehow gotten on top of the budgie cage which is quite a feat with no wings!
Now she runs away from me on the floor - doesnt lunge. I cornered her with a towel and she let me noogie her nut (gently) while lightly wrapped in the towel for a while before twisting for a bite - when she did that I shoved a sliver of orange in her mouth, it seemed she had no idea of what to make of that.
Peas tomorrow! I bought this soft rubber holey elongated ball on a chain sort of thingie and stuffed it full of the food she throws around (banana chips, dried fruit, peanuts etc) It will be interesting to see what she does with it while Im not looking tomorrow. She still feels like a wild thing that despises having to tolerate me - but she has another think coming - Im here for the long haul!
Hugs to all IRN owners and their buddies!! Jen
Hey that's cool
Almost every day there will be progress and eventually you won't know Shanti compared to what she was when you first got her.
Sometimes too there are just little improvements and then all of a sudden there's a dramatic change like a personality transplant. They are independent little buggers but will eventually learn that life with you is a hell of a lot better than life without!
Go the tricks too - although Max was a clever sod and knew when I was trying to give him a treat for doing something and he was so bloody-minded he wouldn't touch it even if it was an absolute favourite!
He might have got that off me
Almost every day there will be progress and eventually you won't know Shanti compared to what she was when you first got her.
Sometimes too there are just little improvements and then all of a sudden there's a dramatic change like a personality transplant. They are independent little buggers but will eventually learn that life with you is a hell of a lot better than life without!
Go the tricks too - although Max was a clever sod and knew when I was trying to give him a treat for doing something and he was so bloody-minded he wouldn't touch it even if it was an absolute favourite!
He might have got that off me
jenznz wrote: I bought this soft rubber holey elongated ball on a chain sort of thingie and stuffed it full of the food she throws around (banana chips, dried fruit, peanuts etc) It will be interesting to see what she does with it while Im not looking tomorrow. She still feels like a wild thing that despises having to tolerate me - but she has another think coming - Im here for the long haul!
Hugs to all IRN owners and their buddies!! Jen
I have one of those! I use it for their greens, so they can't just grab it a drop it, lol. It works great. They even play with it when it's empty.
I don't really have anything to add, it all seems covered very well.
And congrats for sticking it out.
I've been called 'birdbrained' before, but somehow I don't think this is what they meant. say:hah-nay
that actually sounds quite cool - I need to be born again as an IRN!!!
Hey Jenznznznznznz, once Shanti starts being a little more sociable you need to break her dependence on her cage.
The only way to do this is to keep it out of sight when you are trying to get her to settle with you - took probably a few months in the end with Max (to make him be happy to stay with me when his cage was right next door), however by the time he was 3 (yrs) he wasn't interested in the bloody thing!!
Until night-time - then, once I put him in the cage, I wasn't allowed to put my hands anywhere near it. At least not without extreme risk.
That was HIS place then!!
And fair enough - it was bed time and I got some peace
Hey Jenznznznznznz, once Shanti starts being a little more sociable you need to break her dependence on her cage.
The only way to do this is to keep it out of sight when you are trying to get her to settle with you - took probably a few months in the end with Max (to make him be happy to stay with me when his cage was right next door), however by the time he was 3 (yrs) he wasn't interested in the bloody thing!!
Until night-time - then, once I put him in the cage, I wasn't allowed to put my hands anywhere near it. At least not without extreme risk.
That was HIS place then!!
And fair enough - it was bed time and I got some peace
That is interesting - hadnt heard this cage thing before, Shanti seems to spend all her timing dreamig about being out of hers - I think. This arvo when I got home I got a corn cob I was going to tempt Shanti with - well I opened the cage and like a shot she was under my arm and out in the room - played hide and seek - all Shanti Hide and me Seek waving the corncob around!
I cornered her a couple of times and waited to see if shed go for the corn - both times she very caculatingly walked up and bit me hard - on the upper arm (lying on the floor) and then on the chest OUCH - another two bruíses to add to the collection! :)
Then I caught her in the towel which always seems to calm her - I tried the corn which she bit (thinking it was my finger) but wasnt interested in eating it. THEN I did a naughty thing - I remembered the honey in the fridge - so I put a drop on the end of a wooden chopstick and she tried to bite it when I offered it to her (slowly)!.
Well - the reaction was dramatic even tho she must have gotten the tiniest bit, she sat there and her eyes went little and big and little and big and she kept licking her tongue against the roof of her top beak.
She did that for ages and let me rub her head on the top and around the top of her beak and near her eyes for a while - then the spell must have worn off cos she bit my knuckle BIG TIME - talking bleeding laceration with missing skin here! PIFFFFF!! and jumped out of the towel.
Needless to say she was back in the towel (just a little handtowel) quicktime and back in the cage tout de suite! Doubtless she is in there now ripping up paper and spitting corn kernals all over the place!
So - that was an endearing experience - for about two minutes. I wonder - could she possibly be smarter than me???
Jen:)
I cornered her a couple of times and waited to see if shed go for the corn - both times she very caculatingly walked up and bit me hard - on the upper arm (lying on the floor) and then on the chest OUCH - another two bruíses to add to the collection! :)
Then I caught her in the towel which always seems to calm her - I tried the corn which she bit (thinking it was my finger) but wasnt interested in eating it. THEN I did a naughty thing - I remembered the honey in the fridge - so I put a drop on the end of a wooden chopstick and she tried to bite it when I offered it to her (slowly)!.
Well - the reaction was dramatic even tho she must have gotten the tiniest bit, she sat there and her eyes went little and big and little and big and she kept licking her tongue against the roof of her top beak.
She did that for ages and let me rub her head on the top and around the top of her beak and near her eyes for a while - then the spell must have worn off cos she bit my knuckle BIG TIME - talking bleeding laceration with missing skin here! PIFFFFF!! and jumped out of the towel.
Needless to say she was back in the towel (just a little handtowel) quicktime and back in the cage tout de suite! Doubtless she is in there now ripping up paper and spitting corn kernals all over the place!
So - that was an endearing experience - for about two minutes. I wonder - could she possibly be smarter than me???
Jen:)
smarter than you...er...well, I wouldn't want to say... 
No matter what anyone says I reckon they know when they are being persuaded through tricks to do stuff - and if they don't want to do it they won't. The honey was a new thing and she got sucked in big time, realised and went chomp!
Nah, you're doing well - am really surprised you have got her sidetracked enough to do what you have done.
Honestly Max got out of the cage at every opportunity at the start but after - well - a while - it was his safe place. Funny really, went from hating it to wanting it more than me and then, eventually, to happy medium.
I tried so hard to make him happy with his cage, then he never wanted to leave it!!! Catch 22!
Even Ziggy - may be hand-reared, but now that he (or she - but it gets really awkward doing the s/he thing) realises this is home and is really comfortable here, is trying stuff on - hence my questions to others. I was used to the difficulties of a wild one, but am very careful not to screw up my very tame one!
I could be entirely wrong, but others have had the same experience where the bird starts to really feel that the cage is a safe haven, not a trap. And at some point (for some reason especially in the evenings) you will end up having a battle to keep her away from it.
Once again - just a phase.
Oh how I don't miss not having kids
.....except I've got a toddler for 25 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No matter what anyone says I reckon they know when they are being persuaded through tricks to do stuff - and if they don't want to do it they won't. The honey was a new thing and she got sucked in big time, realised and went chomp!
Nah, you're doing well - am really surprised you have got her sidetracked enough to do what you have done.
Honestly Max got out of the cage at every opportunity at the start but after - well - a while - it was his safe place. Funny really, went from hating it to wanting it more than me and then, eventually, to happy medium.
I tried so hard to make him happy with his cage, then he never wanted to leave it!!! Catch 22!
Even Ziggy - may be hand-reared, but now that he (or she - but it gets really awkward doing the s/he thing) realises this is home and is really comfortable here, is trying stuff on - hence my questions to others. I was used to the difficulties of a wild one, but am very careful not to screw up my very tame one!
I could be entirely wrong, but others have had the same experience where the bird starts to really feel that the cage is a safe haven, not a trap. And at some point (for some reason especially in the evenings) you will end up having a battle to keep her away from it.
Once again - just a phase.
Oh how I don't miss not having kids
.....except I've got a toddler for 25 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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kyria
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You are doing just fine. The clip was the best move. But I would back off for a while, with the wild ones it takes a long time for trust to build. Right now she is probably still in protection/survival mode. She has had a rough journey to you.
Letting her be in her cage but with you close by talking and offering treats through the cage to begin with. Its a slow steady approach.
Each day/week get a little closer , talking softly, making kissing noises and relaxing voice sounds. IRN dont understand language so much as they understand tone, eg. their chirps and chatter will be different depending on their moods, but still the same kinds of sound.
Kai responded very well to watching me eat. He would get so interested in what I was doing, feeding is a universal activity, she will understand what you are doing. When she watches, open the cage and place some in her tray. An offering.
You see the pattern. Take it slowly trust takes time. She needs plenty of time to .. one get over her life so far, two, get use to her new surroundngs before . . three she starts to get to know and understand you are not out to hurt her.
Fresh foods are highly important. Seeds or pellets are totally secondary. Favs are apples, corn, capsicum (bell peppers), chilli peppers, beans, mashed potatoe (not too much of this), sprouts, brocolli, snow peas, melon, and dried mellon seeds. Just to name a few. Mine also love milk arrowroot biscuits soaked in water.
She may never be a cuddler or allow you to scratch her, but you should be able to interact and have her step up, and come to you to play without attacking. And when tamer and she gains flight back if you wish this, she will even fly to you, even if its to see what you are up to.
Don't be too impatient, don' t rush this, trust me it will take months, 6 + but it will happen if you are persistent and patient.
Also, I had kai in a smaller (not too small) somewhat portable cage to begin with. I could take this cage out to areas where I was, then I would take him into a small quiet room of the house and open the door. Soon he venture out and I would just sit there talking to him. Eventually he wondered over to investigate me and I just let him. He soon learnt that I wasn't going to try grab at him all the time. Eventually after many visits to the room, he climbed up on me and then I introduced a few interesting toys that I would play with on the bed in that room, he would venture over to watch and eventually try to steal them from me. This gained enormous trust in me. He very quickly became my bird.
Before long I learnt his favorite food (dried mellon seeds). I removed this from his daily diet and kept them for enticements and treats.
Anyway .. you get the idea .. this is how my Kai became my beautiful boy !
Letting her be in her cage but with you close by talking and offering treats through the cage to begin with. Its a slow steady approach.
Each day/week get a little closer , talking softly, making kissing noises and relaxing voice sounds. IRN dont understand language so much as they understand tone, eg. their chirps and chatter will be different depending on their moods, but still the same kinds of sound.
Kai responded very well to watching me eat. He would get so interested in what I was doing, feeding is a universal activity, she will understand what you are doing. When she watches, open the cage and place some in her tray. An offering.
You see the pattern. Take it slowly trust takes time. She needs plenty of time to .. one get over her life so far, two, get use to her new surroundngs before . . three she starts to get to know and understand you are not out to hurt her.
Fresh foods are highly important. Seeds or pellets are totally secondary. Favs are apples, corn, capsicum (bell peppers), chilli peppers, beans, mashed potatoe (not too much of this), sprouts, brocolli, snow peas, melon, and dried mellon seeds. Just to name a few. Mine also love milk arrowroot biscuits soaked in water.
She may never be a cuddler or allow you to scratch her, but you should be able to interact and have her step up, and come to you to play without attacking. And when tamer and she gains flight back if you wish this, she will even fly to you, even if its to see what you are up to.
Don't be too impatient, don' t rush this, trust me it will take months, 6 + but it will happen if you are persistent and patient.
Also, I had kai in a smaller (not too small) somewhat portable cage to begin with. I could take this cage out to areas where I was, then I would take him into a small quiet room of the house and open the door. Soon he venture out and I would just sit there talking to him. Eventually he wondered over to investigate me and I just let him. He soon learnt that I wasn't going to try grab at him all the time. Eventually after many visits to the room, he climbed up on me and then I introduced a few interesting toys that I would play with on the bed in that room, he would venture over to watch and eventually try to steal them from me. This gained enormous trust in me. He very quickly became my bird.
Before long I learnt his favorite food (dried mellon seeds). I removed this from his daily diet and kept them for enticements and treats.
Anyway .. you get the idea .. this is how my Kai became my beautiful boy !
Angie
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Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. {Pro 10:12}
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God Bless
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Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. {Pro 10:12}
-----------
God Bless
Thank you Kyria, that is really encouraging - instinctively and with some encouragment from Skibum I have started doing some of this. Shanti's cage is on wheels so I have wheeled her around the house so she gets to see where the noises come from that she hears from the room she is in.
I think I got the (wrong) idea that I could fast track her from reading the blurbs on some of the advertising for parrot training books and CDs that you pay for - you know "Í can teach you to train any bird to step up in two days" Ive learnt a lot since then!! :) thanks to this site.
The only noise she makes at the mo is skwark skwark sqwark as opposed the shriek shriek shriek when I first got her. When she does that I always go in to visit her and talk, she does it when Im talking to her sometimes.I sing to her a lot - you know that old old song "daisy daisy, give me your answer dooooo - Im half crazy all over love for youuuuu ....... etc" Its the only song I can keep in tune :) my Nana used to sing it to me when I was a little girl. She has started to preen which is something I never actually saw her do until now - maybe she was, but never when I was there.
It is very hard to figure out her favourite treat - I dont think she was ever offered any in her past life. All she recognises as food is standard parrot mix, so far she only goes for corn on the cob and I have tried peach, apple, plum, every nut known to man :), melon, kiwi, broccoli, cooked rice, spinach and pineapple!! Im lining up peas, but I want to get some fresh ones.
Anyhow - Ill follow your directions, watching her body language and eye contact I think we are doing the right thing for her going very easy easy.
Just an aside - two feathers, one on her head and one on her body, have turned light green as if a drop of bleach was dropped on her - is that anything to be concerned about??
Thankyou again. Jenny
I think I got the (wrong) idea that I could fast track her from reading the blurbs on some of the advertising for parrot training books and CDs that you pay for - you know "Í can teach you to train any bird to step up in two days" Ive learnt a lot since then!! :) thanks to this site.
The only noise she makes at the mo is skwark skwark sqwark as opposed the shriek shriek shriek when I first got her. When she does that I always go in to visit her and talk, she does it when Im talking to her sometimes.I sing to her a lot - you know that old old song "daisy daisy, give me your answer dooooo - Im half crazy all over love for youuuuu ....... etc" Its the only song I can keep in tune :) my Nana used to sing it to me when I was a little girl. She has started to preen which is something I never actually saw her do until now - maybe she was, but never when I was there.
It is very hard to figure out her favourite treat - I dont think she was ever offered any in her past life. All she recognises as food is standard parrot mix, so far she only goes for corn on the cob and I have tried peach, apple, plum, every nut known to man :), melon, kiwi, broccoli, cooked rice, spinach and pineapple!! Im lining up peas, but I want to get some fresh ones.
Anyhow - Ill follow your directions, watching her body language and eye contact I think we are doing the right thing for her going very easy easy.
Just an aside - two feathers, one on her head and one on her body, have turned light green as if a drop of bleach was dropped on her - is that anything to be concerned about??
Thankyou again. Jenny
Good to know progress continues.
wheeled cage best idea since sliced peanuts - oh, they haven't been
invented yet, hmmm......
My ma used to take Max everywhere with her when she babysat him. Good way to familiarise them with house. Just don't introduce them to lots of cables...
Bleached feathers eh? First Justin has a heavy metal head-banging bird and now you have a punk-rocker!!
...no idea what would cause that by the way, someone is bound to.
Preening and no more shrieking is good although nothing wrong with shriek, it is a call. If you stop coming when she calls you, you will learn this very fast (once you have bonded properly), cos you are already setting the precedent.
Don't worry, so did I. I think they train us, not the other way round....
And yes patience is most definitely the key...
Singing to her - I hope that's not with visitors around
My ma used to making clicking noises to Max and noises like horse hooves, you know, that clip-clop noise. He used to start his male dance thing. Classic.
She tried it with Ziggy the other day and he went BERKO!!! Started shrieking and squawking and then ran right at her face!!
That will teach her!
Teach the bird some words
wheeled cage best idea since sliced peanuts - oh, they haven't been
invented yet, hmmm......
My ma used to take Max everywhere with her when she babysat him. Good way to familiarise them with house. Just don't introduce them to lots of cables...
Bleached feathers eh? First Justin has a heavy metal head-banging bird and now you have a punk-rocker!!
...no idea what would cause that by the way, someone is bound to.
Preening and no more shrieking is good although nothing wrong with shriek, it is a call. If you stop coming when she calls you, you will learn this very fast (once you have bonded properly), cos you are already setting the precedent.
Don't worry, so did I. I think they train us, not the other way round....
And yes patience is most definitely the key...
Singing to her - I hope that's not with visitors around
My ma used to making clicking noises to Max and noises like horse hooves, you know, that clip-clop noise. He used to start his male dance thing. Classic.
She tried it with Ziggy the other day and he went BERKO!!! Started shrieking and squawking and then ran right at her face!!
That will teach her!
Teach the bird some words
I think I heard Shanti practicing OUCH the other day - just kidding! After that last post I spent some time with her (Im on hols right now so can) And we played "watch birdie having fun with Mummy"
I thought it was quite a breakthrough - first I opned her cage (it has a HUGE door) and cleaned the discarded rubbish off the bottom and for the first time she just sat up the top and watched instead of going crackerbottom.
THEN I got Birdie and stepped her unto the bottom perches of Shanti's cage- and off and out with me - cuddles and then onto the bottom perches - she played a bit with the toys Shanti hasnt touched and then stepped up and back out to play with me - we did this for about 30 mins and I cautiously took birdie up to the higher perches until once I lifted her to a toy opposite Shanti and then stepped her off and back to me from there. SHANTI NEVER WENT CRACKERBOTTOM ONCE!! But boy did she watch!! head side to side and she never moved a millimeter the whole time - cool eh?!
This arvo Im going to watch vids and have her cage open behind me and see if she can resist popcorn:)
This is a GREAT hobby isnt it - and so much more - havent looked at the fishtanks once since she arrived hahahaaa
Love a cuddles to everyone Jen
I thought it was quite a breakthrough - first I opned her cage (it has a HUGE door) and cleaned the discarded rubbish off the bottom and for the first time she just sat up the top and watched instead of going crackerbottom.
THEN I got Birdie and stepped her unto the bottom perches of Shanti's cage- and off and out with me - cuddles and then onto the bottom perches - she played a bit with the toys Shanti hasnt touched and then stepped up and back out to play with me - we did this for about 30 mins and I cautiously took birdie up to the higher perches until once I lifted her to a toy opposite Shanti and then stepped her off and back to me from there. SHANTI NEVER WENT CRACKERBOTTOM ONCE!! But boy did she watch!! head side to side and she never moved a millimeter the whole time - cool eh?!
This arvo Im going to watch vids and have her cage open behind me and see if she can resist popcorn:)
This is a GREAT hobby isnt it - and so much more - havent looked at the fishtanks once since she arrived hahahaaa
Love a cuddles to everyone Jen
Well the DVD was so scary I decided it was probably scaring Shanti too and rolled her back in the bird room LOL. Later we played watch Birdie have fun with Mummy and got a bit too close a couple of times and she leaned over and nipped me - NO blood- NO bruises yayyyy.
Birdie spoiled it by nibbling on Shanti's toe - it may have been a love kiss but I moved quite swiftly to get the naughty girl out which spoiled the mood for sure!
But get THIS .... later in the day Shanti climbed out and got down to the floor, I lay across one corner of the room and she couldnt get out other than to walk over me - she was pacing backwards and forwards - no lunge or bites, and so I got the kitten toys - plastic lattice balls with a bell in. Well, I rolled them at her and everytime she tripped over them I made a big good girl fuss - after a while she was watching them rather than tripping and HONEST TO GOD - FOUR times she choose the black and white one and with her beak bowled it directly back at me (about 50cms) - can you believe that!!
OK - she wont sit on my finger but she is a CRICKET GENIUS hahahaa.
Cant wait to try it again - whooohoooo eh!!?? Jen
Birdie spoiled it by nibbling on Shanti's toe - it may have been a love kiss but I moved quite swiftly to get the naughty girl out which spoiled the mood for sure!
But get THIS .... later in the day Shanti climbed out and got down to the floor, I lay across one corner of the room and she couldnt get out other than to walk over me - she was pacing backwards and forwards - no lunge or bites, and so I got the kitten toys - plastic lattice balls with a bell in. Well, I rolled them at her and everytime she tripped over them I made a big good girl fuss - after a while she was watching them rather than tripping and HONEST TO GOD - FOUR times she choose the black and white one and with her beak bowled it directly back at me (about 50cms) - can you believe that!!
OK - she wont sit on my finger but she is a CRICKET GENIUS hahahaa.
Cant wait to try it again - whooohoooo eh!!?? Jen
Sorry Jenz
Missed the post.
The best way to learn clicker training is to join a group who is only dedicated to that kind of training:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Bird-Click/
Clicker training is a positive only way of training animals, whether you use a clicker, a bell, a whistle etc. Large animals, like whales and dolphins, can only be trained, using this method.
And, yes... it's just like clicker training a dog...
I have a few posts on here about clicker training, so do a search , and you'll find them.
Missed the post.
The best way to learn clicker training is to join a group who is only dedicated to that kind of training:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Bird-Click/
Clicker training is a positive only way of training animals, whether you use a clicker, a bell, a whistle etc. Large animals, like whales and dolphins, can only be trained, using this method.
And, yes... it's just like clicker training a dog...
I have a few posts on here about clicker training, so do a search , and you'll find them.
Cheers
Lene
Lene
-
kyria
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3050
- Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2005 5:42 pm
- Location: Live in Australia - Have a home in Florida - Citizenship in Heaven
- Contact:
jenznz wrote:Hey Kyria - I see your citizenship is in heaven - we must be sisters!
Hey sister *hugs*
Fantastic !! she is interacting well with you that is great .. great progress .. things seem to be going well .. I love reading about progress and the bond beginning to form with owners and their new fids, especially the wild ones ! just fantastic !
Angie
---------
Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. {Pro 10:12}
-----------
God Bless
---------
Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. {Pro 10:12}
-----------
God Bless
Hiya jen.
I have recently rescued an IRN an am wondering how to get him used to my environment.
I heard a different kindof squawking at the back of my house yesterday morning and i went down stairs and looked out the back and there he as in the brambles. im from the uk by the way so bad weather at the moment.
Anyway me and my partner left some nuts and things on the shed roof for it incase it got hungry.
We then went out and it was still there when w got back in but by this time it was dark so we couldnt see it and the squawking had stopped so naturally i though it had been found by its owner or flew back home.
I dont know anyone in my area who owns any birds like this so its not like i can go round asking.
Anyway, i heard the squawking again this morning and it must have fallen on the ground as my parnter had to go through the brambles and thorns to rescue it and, after about 3 minutes of it climbing from branch to branch it willingly climbed on to my partners hand and stayed there until he put a towel over it to calm it.
I already have a rosella parrot and a smaller cage so as my rosella is the smaller bird i put her in the smaller cage and gave the IRN her cage.
Now my rosella isnt even bothered about the cage change so all is ok with her.
But now im just wondering how i can go about calming the IRN just incase it is here with us for the long run.
Im going to the local shops to ask if the women in there have heard anything about the missing bird as they know everyone in the area so finers crossed i manage to find the owner but if not i dont mind keeping it and elping it get comfy to its new environment.
Thanks.
Nicola.
I have recently rescued an IRN an am wondering how to get him used to my environment.
I heard a different kindof squawking at the back of my house yesterday morning and i went down stairs and looked out the back and there he as in the brambles. im from the uk by the way so bad weather at the moment.
Anyway me and my partner left some nuts and things on the shed roof for it incase it got hungry.
We then went out and it was still there when w got back in but by this time it was dark so we couldnt see it and the squawking had stopped so naturally i though it had been found by its owner or flew back home.
I dont know anyone in my area who owns any birds like this so its not like i can go round asking.
Anyway, i heard the squawking again this morning and it must have fallen on the ground as my parnter had to go through the brambles and thorns to rescue it and, after about 3 minutes of it climbing from branch to branch it willingly climbed on to my partners hand and stayed there until he put a towel over it to calm it.
I already have a rosella parrot and a smaller cage so as my rosella is the smaller bird i put her in the smaller cage and gave the IRN her cage.
Now my rosella isnt even bothered about the cage change so all is ok with her.
But now im just wondering how i can go about calming the IRN just incase it is here with us for the long run.
Im going to the local shops to ask if the women in there have heard anything about the missing bird as they know everyone in the area so finers crossed i manage to find the owner but if not i dont mind keeping it and elping it get comfy to its new environment.
Thanks.
Nicola.
Gosh! deja vu!
If this bird willingly climbed onto your hand - it must be used to ppl having close interaction, mine was crazy and really really hurt anyone who went near it at the beginning.
What I have observed is that IRNs have a STRONG self preservation instinct, and because of this take a long time to make up their minds if its safe to trust you.
Its just slow easy steps and patience, lost of talking and allowing it to observe you.
Others with more experience than me might have more advice, but if you follow this thread, you'll find lots and lots of great stuff!
One thing - DO clip the wings, and I suggest a vet check if you have other birds - mine had attracted numerous diseases while out loose and was very under nourished, I kept her quarantined at work just in case until the cocktail of meds had done their stuff.
Dont put your rosella back into the cage for any reason until you are sure its well, and keep them apart before anything respitory is ruled out.
Congrats - you are embarking on a great adventure!!
Jen
If this bird willingly climbed onto your hand - it must be used to ppl having close interaction, mine was crazy and really really hurt anyone who went near it at the beginning.
What I have observed is that IRNs have a STRONG self preservation instinct, and because of this take a long time to make up their minds if its safe to trust you.
Its just slow easy steps and patience, lost of talking and allowing it to observe you.
Others with more experience than me might have more advice, but if you follow this thread, you'll find lots and lots of great stuff!
One thing - DO clip the wings, and I suggest a vet check if you have other birds - mine had attracted numerous diseases while out loose and was very under nourished, I kept her quarantined at work just in case until the cocktail of meds had done their stuff.
Dont put your rosella back into the cage for any reason until you are sure its well, and keep them apart before anything respitory is ruled out.
Congrats - you are embarking on a great adventure!!
Jen
hya jen,
thankyou very much for your reply,
i have found out it is infact an alexandrine ringneck, thanks to donna.
And apparently they are alot calmer.
Im going to do some flyers and see if i can attract his owner but i just dont know how to know if the people who claim him are genuine.
Im just worried incase i get some random person or people trying to come and claim this bird.
Im going to give it a lil while and if i dont hear anything then i will just probably keep him so then i will get his wings clipped if they havent been already.
And i will get him a full once over at my vet where i take my other animals.
He seems to have relaxed so much since this morning and has made some pretty noises too.
I will deffinately let people know how my progress is going and if i do end up finding his owner i am very eager to buy one of my own or maybe adopt one as i have the time and patience.
Thanks for the interest jen.
Nicola.
thankyou very much for your reply,
i have found out it is infact an alexandrine ringneck, thanks to donna.
And apparently they are alot calmer.
Im going to do some flyers and see if i can attract his owner but i just dont know how to know if the people who claim him are genuine.
Im just worried incase i get some random person or people trying to come and claim this bird.
Im going to give it a lil while and if i dont hear anything then i will just probably keep him so then i will get his wings clipped if they havent been already.
And i will get him a full once over at my vet where i take my other animals.
He seems to have relaxed so much since this morning and has made some pretty noises too.
I will deffinately let people know how my progress is going and if i do end up finding his owner i am very eager to buy one of my own or maybe adopt one as i have the time and patience.
Thanks for the interest jen.
Nicola.
Im just worried incase i get some random person or people trying to come and claim this bird.
If someone calls and wants to claim the bird ask them a lot of questions
What type of bird
What color is the bird
Does your bird have a band
Don't let them see the bird until you know for sure they are the rightful owners. After he's been with you for awhile you'll know more about his characteristics and know more to ask them.
And i will get him a full once over at my vet where i take my other animals.
You really should look into getting him seen by an avian vet. Your usual dog vet will not know what to look for as far as health and sickness in birds.
Donna
In Loving Memory
of one special husband and one special bird.
I miss you both
of one special husband and one special bird.
I miss you both
Thanks for your support and advice donna
I will folow your advice and ask them more questions of which i know the asnwers too.
I have already noticed that it does this stevie wonder kindof dance lol.
I left the door of the cage open just on the off chance that he would come out and low and behold he did for a good hour and then went back in of his own free will.
All the time he was out he was ontop of the cage doing this dance thing.
Its actually rally cute.
I never would have thought having a bird could be so rewarding which is making me more eager to get this lil boy back to his owners.
I am definately going to get one of my own though once i have got a bigger cage.
And ihave been thinking that maybe its just worth me taking the bird to a vet anyway just to make sure he is on top form.
I will also try and look for my local avian vet.
I really do appriciate all the help im getting with this bird. ive learnt so much in one day its amazing.
I will folow your advice and ask them more questions of which i know the asnwers too.
I have already noticed that it does this stevie wonder kindof dance lol.
I left the door of the cage open just on the off chance that he would come out and low and behold he did for a good hour and then went back in of his own free will.
All the time he was out he was ontop of the cage doing this dance thing.
Its actually rally cute.
I never would have thought having a bird could be so rewarding which is making me more eager to get this lil boy back to his owners.
I am definately going to get one of my own though once i have got a bigger cage.
And ihave been thinking that maybe its just worth me taking the bird to a vet anyway just to make sure he is on top form.
I will also try and look for my local avian vet.
I really do appriciate all the help im getting with this bird. ive learnt so much in one day its amazing.
HEY EVERYONE
SHANTI STEPPED UP ONTO A STICK TODAY AND LET ME LIFT HER BACK INTO HER CAGE!!!
She'd been really quiet walking around and climbing the curtains, I just watched her for about 2 hrs so I eventually tried to offer my finger - bites but almost nil pain. Then I thought of the stick - after about 6 short 'rides' she got the idea and hung on while I lifted her back to the cage and then she stepped off with no fuss.
YAHHHOOOOOOO:):):)
What is the best way to reward her when she wont accept anything by hand - I could leave something yummy in the cage but how would she relate the behaviour with the reward if she eats it ages later when Im gone - which is what she does. Any ideas??
Lene - Im waiting for the moderator of the clicker club to accept my membership request.
Jen
SHANTI STEPPED UP ONTO A STICK TODAY AND LET ME LIFT HER BACK INTO HER CAGE!!!
She'd been really quiet walking around and climbing the curtains, I just watched her for about 2 hrs so I eventually tried to offer my finger - bites but almost nil pain. Then I thought of the stick - after about 6 short 'rides' she got the idea and hung on while I lifted her back to the cage and then she stepped off with no fuss.
YAHHHOOOOOOO:):):)
What is the best way to reward her when she wont accept anything by hand - I could leave something yummy in the cage but how would she relate the behaviour with the reward if she eats it ages later when Im gone - which is what she does. Any ideas??
Lene - Im waiting for the moderator of the clicker club to accept my membership request.
Jen
NICOLA
Sounds like its all good at your place. Deja vu is French which New Zealanders have picked up a bit like a national saying in certain circumstances but I think its used in some other countries too. Basically it means - 'Ive seen that before' or 'here we go again'. Your post sounded so much like my first one - in the sense of you having found something and needed help - I felt like I was having deja vu like Oh my Gosh - here we go again!! Lovely to meet another rescuer. Jenny :)
Sounds like its all good at your place. Deja vu is French which New Zealanders have picked up a bit like a national saying in certain circumstances but I think its used in some other countries too. Basically it means - 'Ive seen that before' or 'here we go again'. Your post sounded so much like my first one - in the sense of you having found something and needed help - I felt like I was having deja vu like Oh my Gosh - here we go again!! Lovely to meet another rescuer. Jenny :)
LOL. thanks jen but i knew what deja vu meant i just meant what did you recall as deja vu lol should have made myself a lil clearer sorry:P
Well today im going to go into the local shops and ask around about the bird and then im gonna put some flyers up and i might even go round a few strrest and ask some random people if they can help.
Thanks for the encouragement every one on here is so friendly.
Well today im going to go into the local shops and ask around about the bird and then im gonna put some flyers up and i might even go round a few strrest and ask some random people if they can help.
Thanks for the encouragement every one on here is so friendly.
LOL
I thought it wasnt just NZ that used that phrase! Being an international site you can never tell - I was talking about chooks to a south african employee just this morning when I relised he was looking rather blank and he asked 'what is a chook?' We call adult laying chickens 'chooks' here - but obviously not in SA - in context not knowing what a chook was meant the conversation must have sounded VERY funny! hahaha Isnt it great we are not all the same :)
I can understand why you now want your own large parrot - if I had found Shanti's owner I would have HAD to buy my own - even with the huge bites I got when she was fighting me all the time!! They are pretty special, I had a Lorikeet for 4 years when I lived in PNG and it was the light of my life and talk about SMART! Unfornunately I was unable to bring her home with me :( But this IRN is something else - you can almost see her thinking!
Cheers
Jen
I thought it wasnt just NZ that used that phrase! Being an international site you can never tell - I was talking about chooks to a south african employee just this morning when I relised he was looking rather blank and he asked 'what is a chook?' We call adult laying chickens 'chooks' here - but obviously not in SA - in context not knowing what a chook was meant the conversation must have sounded VERY funny! hahaha Isnt it great we are not all the same :)
I can understand why you now want your own large parrot - if I had found Shanti's owner I would have HAD to buy my own - even with the huge bites I got when she was fighting me all the time!! They are pretty special, I had a Lorikeet for 4 years when I lived in PNG and it was the light of my life and talk about SMART! Unfornunately I was unable to bring her home with me :( But this IRN is something else - you can almost see her thinking!
Cheers
Jen
LOL.
I think we as humans can sometimes underestimate the intelligence of other animals.
Literally just as i was reading your post jan, this ARN actually stepped up onto a new perch branch i got for him today. i couldnt belive it.
W havent even had it in the house for more than 24 hours and its come out of his shell so much.
Ive done all the apporopriate things i needed to do to find his owner so ive just got to wait it out now.
I think im gonna be sad to see him go if he does get claimed.
But if not then im going to put all my effort into making him comfortable for the long haul and get bigger cage.
I am going to have to post a video of the stevie wonder type dance it keeps doing though its quite funny. il let you all know when ive posted it.
I think we as humans can sometimes underestimate the intelligence of other animals.
Literally just as i was reading your post jan, this ARN actually stepped up onto a new perch branch i got for him today. i couldnt belive it.
W havent even had it in the house for more than 24 hours and its come out of his shell so much.
Ive done all the apporopriate things i needed to do to find his owner so ive just got to wait it out now.
I think im gonna be sad to see him go if he does get claimed.
But if not then im going to put all my effort into making him comfortable for the long haul and get bigger cage.
I am going to have to post a video of the stevie wonder type dance it keeps doing though its quite funny. il let you all know when ive posted it.
yeah, well, South Africans eh? (not knowing chooks)
fantastic about Shanti - if only I could stop Ziggy being the opposite and wanting to go everywhere with me and chew everything!!!
Well, at least stop chewing everything..
Is having nigh-nighs on my shoulder right now because he knows its bed time and there is no way he is going to his cage without a battle!!
fantastic about Shanti - if only I could stop Ziggy being the opposite and wanting to go everywhere with me and chew everything!!!
Well, at least stop chewing everything..
Is having nigh-nighs on my shoulder right now because he knows its bed time and there is no way he is going to his cage without a battle!!
That sounds so COOL skibum - I hope Shanti trusts us enuff to get that tame one day. Today after lots of coaxing she stepped onto the long perch I offered with a ''stepup'' request inside her cage and allowed me to bring her down and outside on it where she promptly jumped back in - talk about a battle of wills! And to pay me back she wont go near the fresh corn I put in the cage - and I KNOW she loves it! LOL Nighty night everyone. Jen
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kyria
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Gosh I wish I had more time to read all this and give more advice, now that I am working full time. I get home, feed the family, feed the fids, playtime with the fids, clean up the family mess, take a coffee, sit and read through some threads and then, bam! 10.30 PM and i have to head off to bed. But you are all in good hands with advice here so thats a comfort, thank god for this wondeful sharing community.
You are all so wonderful ..
Night all ! zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
You are all so wonderful ..
Night all ! zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Angie
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Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. {Pro 10:12}
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God Bless
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Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. {Pro 10:12}
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God Bless
This arvo I coaxed Shanti onto the wooden perch ""stepup""and lowered her onto the ground for a run around, and when I captured her in the towel we sat on the sofa while I cuddled her up and rubbed her beak and attempted to avoid the bites to give her head a little scratch - then I sat the towel loosely on my lap - WELL .........
She climbed out, sat on my lap for a few seconds and then CLIMBED UP MY FRONT AND SAT CALMLY ON MY SHOULDER FOR ABOUT 5 SECS before hopping off onto the sofa!!!!
I caught her agaiin and ran off into the kitchen to show hubby and she did it again and then went for a great explore all around the computer and ''stuff'' on and around the old arga that we use for storing interesting thingies on. YAHOOOOO
(Getting her back into the cage wasn't so simple! LOL)
Cool eh?! Jen
She climbed out, sat on my lap for a few seconds and then CLIMBED UP MY FRONT AND SAT CALMLY ON MY SHOULDER FOR ABOUT 5 SECS before hopping off onto the sofa!!!!
I caught her agaiin and ran off into the kitchen to show hubby and she did it again and then went for a great explore all around the computer and ''stuff'' on and around the old arga that we use for storing interesting thingies on. YAHOOOOO
(Getting her back into the cage wasn't so simple! LOL)
Cool eh?! Jen