In need of some guidence

[biomedtom]

I got my bird roughly 2 weeks ago. I probably jumped the gun but I've been hold her out of her cage. She steps up to my finger with a light pressure on the chest and doesnt fly away. But she doesnt chirp or move around the cage when shes in it. Also she always is just staring at me. Sometimes she will eat millet when I'm holding it but not often. So any guidance might help

[Hezz]

I'm not sure what sort of guidance you might be looking for. Is it the fact that she doesn't chirp or move around much? She is probably still settling in to her new surroundings; hens don't generally make as much noise as the boys. Have her wings been clipped? Most likely if she doesn't fly away.

[Shirls]

If she is 'staring' at you, are you staring at her? Blink at her, talking softly, every time you approach her. Is her cage covered top and sides that may make her feel a bit more secure. She doesn't know that you are not going to hurt her, but by blinking at her she will probably blink back!!

[biomedtom]

Mar 27, 2019 6:53:40 GMT Hezz said:

I'm not sure what sort of guidance you might be looking for. Is it the fact that she doesn't chirp or move around much? She is probably still settling in to her new surroundings; hens don't generally make as much noise as the boys. Have her wings been clipped? Most likely if she doesn't fly away.

it is mostly due to the fact she doesnt chirp or move around much. She also tries to fly back to her cage after like 2 or 3 minutes sometimes. I'm just wondering if I'm doing something wrong. Or doi ng something that would scare her

[biomedtom]

Mar 27, 2019 13:00:15 GMT biomedtom said:

Mar 27, 2019 6:53:40 GMT Hezz said:

I'm not sure what sort of guidance you might be looking for. Is it the fact that she doesn't chirp or move around much? She is probably still settling in to her new surroundings; hens don't generally make as much noise as the boys. Have her wings been clipped? Most likely if she doesn't fly away.

it is mostly due to the fact she doesnt chirp or move around much. She also tries to fly back to her cage after like 2 or 3 minutes sometimes. I'm just wondering if I'm doing something wrong. Or doi ng something that would scare her

also she doesbt move around the cage when my hand is in it. I'm not sure if its cause she freezes up or cause shes not scared.

[Hezz]

You can only wait and see whether she is scared or not bothered. Shirls's advice about not staring at her is very important. Being a prey animal, being stared at by a predator - that's you with your front facing eyes - means her instincts tell her that she might end up being eaten.
So she does fly. Her flying back to her cage is not unusual either; she doesn't know you and as yet she hasn't learnt to trust you. That only comes with time, you can't force it. You know that you only mean her well, but she doesn't, yet. When you put your hand in the cage, offer her a bobble of millet, see if she will come to nibble on it. Always be calm and steady in what you do around her, and really, two weeks is very little time for a bird to learn to trust.

[biomedtom]

Mar 27, 2019 19:20:49 GMT Hezz said:

You can only wait and see whether she is scared of not bothered. Shirls's advice about not staring at her is very important. Being a prey animal, being stared at by a predator - that's you with your front facing eyes - means her instincts tell her that she might end up being eaten.
So she does fly. Her flying back to her cage is not unusual either; she doesn't know you and as yet she hasn't learnt to trust you. That only comes with time, you can't force it. You know that you only mean her well, but she doesn't, yet. When you put your hand in the cage, offer her a bobble of millet, see if she will come to nibble on it. Always be calm and steady in what you do around her, and really, two weeks is very little time for a bird to learn to trust.

should I be holding her on my finger then or is it to early

[Shirls]

should I be holding her on my finger then or is it to early



It really is far too early, unless of course she is happy to do so and does so on her own terms.

[Hezz]

If she is willing to sit there, by all means have her on your finger. If not yet, then allow her to have some millet when she approaches you, and as time goes on and she seems less nervous, then hold it so that she has to sit on you to get it, even to put one foot on your hand can be a milestone. If she is already doing this then definitely have her sitting on your finger before she gets her treat.

[biomedtom]

Mar 29, 2019 1:20:58 GMT Hezz said:

If she is willing to sit there, by all means have her on your finger. If not yet, then allow her to have some millet when she approaches you, and as time goes on and she seems less nervous, then hold it so that she has to sit on you to get it, even to put one foot on your hand can be a milestone. If she is already doing this then definitely have her sitting on your finger before she gets her treat.

when I put my hand in the cage she doesbt fly away she stares at my and when i put gentle pressure on her chest she steps on to it
But mostly shes just frozen in place ...

[Hezz]

When you push gently on her chest say "step up" so that she learns what it is that you want her to do. It sounds like she is still deciding whether to trust you or not. Give her time, but continue with the training.

[biomedtom]

Mar 30, 2019 0:17:36 GMT Hezz said:

When you push gently on her chest say "step up" so that she learns what it is that you want her to do. It sounds like she is still deciding whether to trust you or not. Give her time, but continue with the training.

today seems to be a bit different her stance isn't as reserved or scared and she steps up with either light pressure or none at all. She still wint eat from my hand but I think I might be moving in the right direction