what do i do?

Moderator: Mods

Post Reply
joerawlings23
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2009 4:04 pm

what do i do?

Post by joerawlings23 »

i got an alex. about 3 weeks ago. he was hatched in march or may this year. i can get him out of his cage with a perch but once hes out i try to get close to him and i get about 6 inches away and he is ready to get away. he hasnt tried to bite me but he'll squalk and head for the hills. what do i need to do to train him to let me pick him up. anything that you think will help. he wont take food from my hand or anything.
hes in a cage 2x2x3.5. got him at a bird show breeder said they had him checked by a vet about 2 months ago and is healthy. loves to do flips in his cage. he doesnt really make much noise at all. what should i try to do?
ringneck
Site Admin
Posts: 1392
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2004 6:57 pm
Contact:

Re: what do i do?

Post by ringneck »

Aw, welcome! Sounds like you have a little rascal on your hands there :o).
I know it can be exciting handling your new bird but give him some time to adjust to his new surroundings. There are so many methods as far as training is concerned that I would suggest you pick one and stick to it. Many members here have resorted to working with their ringnecks in a quiet room, while others use positive reinforcement. Whatever method you pick, just be consistent and take into account that it does take time to gain your parrot’s trust.
Sounds like your bird is frightened so here are a few neat little tricks you can do to minimize his/her stress.
- Do not give the bird direct eye contact.
- Whistle before you enter the room.
- Make slow and steady movements when doing bird chores.
- Speak in a gentle voice.
- Place the cage around eye level.
If you choose to work with your Alex in a quiet room then do so on a regular basis. Perhaps start with step-ups and gradually work on other exercises. During your first few sessions, your parrot might fight the situation, bite, and run away—just be calm and take things slowly.
I prefer positive reinforcement. I have seen so many wonderful things come about this technique that sometimes it just amazes me. I know you had mentioned your Alex does not take food from you so I would begin the taming process by offering treats until he/she is conditioned to take them from you. It might take time, but that’s the joy of it. I highly recommend you read more on the topic here:
http://www.clickertraining.com/birdtraining
Remember whatever method you choose just be paitent. Your parrot can live 20 or more years—take things slow. I really hope this helps!

Please keep us updated,

IMRAN
bec
Posts: 1401
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:51 pm
Location: boronia

Re: what do i do?

Post by bec »

i afree with everything ringneck said
work on getting him to take food from you first then the other things you want will be so much easier ti teach him
eg once he is taking food from you you can offer him your fore arm with a piece of food held in you other hand so he has to step on to you arm to get it and say "step up" even if he only gets on grabs the food & jumps straight of thats fine one of the trust issues you have to earn with him is that coming to you is a choice your not going to force him
the other thing a lot of post suggest is cage placement put his cage in a room where he can observe you doing things other than working with &paying attention to him eg near your computor or near your chair where you watch telly
another thing with parrots is they seem to calm quicker if they see you eating & become very curious about what you are eating a good way to start the food training is to make a fruit platter of safe food for him that you also enjoy
sit down near where he is with your platter & start munching not making eye contact (as ringneck said) when he starts acting interested offer him a piece if he gets edgy place the piece just out of your hand reach but so he has to come closer to get it DONTWATCH (well watch from the corner of your eye) and continue munching this way works the quickest of all the tecnique i have tried because your using parrot flock behaiuor to work it when a bird sees other members of his flock eating he feels it must be safe here otherwise no one else would be eating
Post Reply