Toys/Diet/Activities/Tricks

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GayleDollarhide
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2013 1:43 pm

Toys/Diet/Activities/Tricks

Post by GayleDollarhide »

Hello Fellow Ringneck Staff:
Actually I'm the staff person serving "Chicken Hawk" who has owned me for over 8 years. He thinks he is the king of the hill in our family and is very demanding of my time and attention. He has a small vocabulary but is slowly learning other phrases - I think it is because my voice is soft and low. He is a beautiful blue and bright eyed. Since we have dogs and cats, he whistles for them, whines, and growls when he wants attention or it's time to go to bed. I'm very much interested in hearing other staffers of INR ideas for toys, diet, activities. I've seen the pics of homemade toys and am going to attempt to construct some of my own. My guy likes to fool around with his toys/stuff and is very possessive of them. Our weather is very mild since I'm close to El Paso, Texas and the Rio Grande. Look forward to "talking" with others.
Dixie-1
Posts: 103
Joined: Fri Aug 23, 2013 12:59 pm
Location: St. David Az.

Re: Toys/Diet/Activities/Tricks

Post by Dixie-1 »

Welcome Gayle and Chicken Hawk ! 8)
Just takin a break !

Image
Donovan
Posts: 833
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 4:18 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Toys/Diet/Activities/Tricks

Post by Donovan »

what have you done with him already? and is there something in particular you'd like him to do?
Doodlebug
Posts: 319
Joined: Tue Jul 16, 2013 7:14 am
Location: Suffolk, UK

Re: Toys/Diet/Activities/Tricks

Post by Doodlebug »

Hi Gayle and Chicken Hawk, welcome to the forum :)

Our IRNs certainly know what they want and don't want, and I am honoured to be the one serving my Dudes!
Loo :)
AlphaWolf
Posts: 289
Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2013 7:06 am

Re: Toys/Diet/Activities/Tricks

Post by AlphaWolf »

WELCOME GAYLE AND CHICKEN HAWK!!!
"Live with parrots and you learn to panic"

AlphaWolf
GayleDollarhide
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2013 1:43 pm

Re: Toys/Diet/Activities/Tricks

Post by GayleDollarhide »

Let me give you a little bit of history on my Chicken. My daughter purchased him from a "bird sales" lady who didn't have a clue as to how to take care of birds but unfortunately she is still in business and probably gets her birds smuggled in from Mexico. I digress. Anywho, she bought Chicken when he was very young and had him for four years. He bonded to her boyfriend and therefore speaks in this squeaky voice (like the ex-boyfriend). Since my daughter left the bird with the boyfriend and the boyfriend locked Chicken up everyday and did not let him out of his cage and the bird was not getting any socialization, I "rescued" him. Fast forward four years and we are currently enjoyed Chicken everyday. Our daily routine is he gets fed in the am before I got to work and is usally on top of his cage all day until I come home at night. His cage is in front of the sliding glass door which faces the front patio and street therefore he is our "guard bird" and announces every time any one walks by or comes to the gate. His cage is huge so he has plenty of room and toys and fresh food and water everyday. I have dogs and cats therefore he is also entertained and sometimes pestered by them. I give him seeds which includes sunflower seeds, and sometimes pecans. He gets fresh fruit (apples, pineapple, strawberries (he hates), grapes, melons, along with an occasional piece of cheese, corn on cob, green beans, carrots, potatoes, rice, pasta. He loves spagetti, toast with strawberry jam (huh?) and whole wheat bread. When it's time for bed I give him fresh fruit and a peanut. When I get home I usually let him out and we play. He loves his mirrors, taking showers with me, talking into his steel feed dish and loves to take his red solo cup and put it over his head and just sit there. Weird guy. He steps on my hand when its shower time or when he accidently flys/falls off his cage. He does not let me touch him with my hand but lets me kiss his beak and his neck. Mostly we just play around while he's on his cage.

I have taught him to take a plastic ball out of a covered bowl and put it in a cup. Then he gets 1/2 a peanut. I'm looking to see what other tricks he can learn since he really seems to like performing.

I'm also looking for any tricks to get him to eat healthier but he's very picky.

As for his vocabulary, he mimics the ex-boyfriend but my voice is low and soft so it makes it hard for him to learn from me.

I really adore the spoiled rascal and want him to be around, happy and healthy for a very long time. Whew. I did get a little wordy huh?
Thanks.
G
Donovan
Posts: 833
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 4:18 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Toys/Diet/Activities/Tricks

Post by Donovan »

One of the best tricks to teach a bird is Flight Recall, coming to you when you call him. I like it because it might help if he ever gets out.

very easy to teach. Hold out a treat but have your other hand between him and the treat so he has to step up to get the treat, next time hold your hand furthur out so he has to really stretch out in order to step up. Continue increasing the distance until he has to fly to you to get the treat.

Also, decide a on a command and Stick With It. Each time you offer the treat say the command loudly. (it should be loud because in theory you want to call him from across the house or across a field if he were to escape)

Mix it up a little. Hold the treat up but dont call him. If he flies to you without being called then no treat. This way he associates the command with the reward and not just your body language.

(google flight recall)


My bird likes playing Fetch. I throw a little wooden ball across the room and he gets it and brings it back to me.
It started by getting him interested in the ball by batting it around on my desk. My interest in the ball made -him- interested. He would play around with it and knock it off the desk and make me pick it up for him. I started catching the ball instead of letting it fall. Any time I caught it I would praise him and give him a treat. If i didn't catch it I wouldn't praise him at all, and would give no treat. Eventually he started intentionally placing the ball directly in my hand over the edge of the desk to guarantee a treat.

After a while I started playing this game on the floor. I'd roll the little wooden ball across the floor and say, "Bring me the ball!", and he'd walk across the floor and pick it up and bring it to me. I would have my hand down there waiting on him. After getting him used to this game I stepped it up a little and one day instead of holding my hand down for him I had it way out of reach. When I said, "bring me the ball!" he flew up to me and dropped it in my hand.

Now I can roll the ball across the floor and he's happy to go get it for me.
He has to learn to fly to you first though.

In only a single session I was able to get him to differentiate between two objects. The ball and a wine cork. "Bring the ball!" ... "Bring me the cork"
Giving treats only to the appropriate response.

Now if you want to teach your bird that one. You need to show them what you want. If you have two object side by side and you want the cork, but the bird has never seen or played with the cork then you have to reach down to it and tap on it.. draw attention to it.. and keep saying "bring me the cork" from time to time while doing so.

In the span of only a few minutes the bird can learn exactly which object you want and respond in a way that gets him what he wants, which is to hear you tell him he's a good bird or to get a treat.
GayleDollarhide
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2013 1:43 pm

Re: Toys/Diet/Activities/Tricks

Post by GayleDollarhide »

Donovan - thank you so much for all the helpful hints on how to have a trick bird! I will get started on him tonight and let you know my progress. I realize I'm the one with the learning curve because he is such a smart little guy. Thanks again.
GayleDollarhide
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2013 1:43 pm

Re: Toys/Diet/Activities/Tricks

Post by GayleDollarhide »

Fellow IRN staffers: Can someone recommend a good book for IRNs that is comprehensive regarding health, socialization, tricks etc. Has anyone ever used the Michael Sazhim book "The Parrot Wizard's Guide to Well Behaved Parrots"? Would anyone recommend this book as a good successful tool? Thanks.
InTheAir
Posts: 2040
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:24 pm

Re: Toys/Diet/Activities/Tricks

Post by InTheAir »

I'm not really a fan of that guy, I haven't read his book so I couldn't say.
I recommend goodbirdinc.com, I've attended a seminar by her and it was great. She also does dvds etc.
GayleDollarhide
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2013 1:43 pm

Re: Toys/Diet/Activities/Tricks

Post by GayleDollarhide »

Thanks Inthe Air. I appreciate your prompt response. I'll check out your recommendation.
Kimma
Posts: 87
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2013 9:46 pm
Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Re: Toys/Diet/Activities/Tricks

Post by Kimma »

GayleDollarhide wrote: He loves to take his red solo cup and put it over his head and just sit there. Weird guy.
I would love to see a video of this, or a photo. I love the weird things animals decide they enjoy.
GayleDollarhide
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2013 1:43 pm

Re: Toys/Diet/Activities/Tricks

Post by GayleDollarhide »

His solo cup routine does not happen with regularity but when I am able to rush with my phone to video him - he hears me and immediately takes the cup off. I will endeavor to get that rascal videoed at some point.

On another note, do IRN have a keen sense of smell or is it just visual? Sometimes I think he can smell the food even before he sees it.
Donovan
Posts: 833
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 4:18 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Toys/Diet/Activities/Tricks

Post by Donovan »

I have always been under the impression that a bird's sense of smell is about like a human's, possibly less than us...

For the most part they are visual creatures like we are.

That being said, my bird knows when something is cooking and gets excited. I don't know if he's responding to smell or other context clues.
GayleDollarhide
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2013 1:43 pm

Re: Toys/Diet/Activities/Tricks

Post by GayleDollarhide »

Okay, so I finally received my shower perch and was excited to set it up for Chicken to enjoy showering with me. He usually just perches on the shower rod and we sing/whistle while we shower. Soooo here he is sitting on this strange perch and I'm congradulating myself on how my bird trust me so much to get on a strange perch for me and then wham! The darn thing loses it's suction and crashes to the bottom of the shower. Of course chicken takes flight right into the paths of my two cats who are verrry interested in seeing him flying and all the racket. Of course I'm slightly underdressed with my head full of shampoo. Needless to stay I'm yelling for my husband to grab the bird before the cats get it. He yells back that Chicken is fine and sitting on his cage - no harm done. I'm relieved that Chicken did not get hurt/eaten but angry at the perch-people for not making a better suction cup. Anyhoo....now I have a bird that not only freaks when he sees the perch but flys off. How do I get him to trust the perch again? Thanks for any advice. Gayle
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