Apr 5, 2019 23:14:31 GMT
reenie
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Millet
Apr 15, 2019 18:35:24 GMT
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Post by reenie on Apr 15, 2019 18:35:24 GMT
I've had great success taming my new budgie, Stuart. In just over a week he's stepping up on command (sometimes he just steps right back off if he doesn't really want to do it which I find hilarious) and confidently going in and out of his cage by himself or on my finger. He even hung onto the cage door today and yelled at me to open it for him, the cheeky wee blighter.
Millet has been a godsend getting to here, and my question is this: is it okay to restrict millet to times when I'm interacting with him, or should he always have it available? There's nothing else I can use as a treat as I have only got him to eat a tiny piece of carrot by chopping it very fine and putting it in his seed.
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Post by Hezz on Apr 15, 2019 19:13:33 GMT
Definitely treat/training only! Millet will be in his seed mix as well, but too much on hand all the time and they become millet-junkies, preferring to eat only it and nothing else. Not a healthy way to live. It is a good thing to leave on hand for an unwell bud who might not be interested in food so much. Most enjoy millet and it is easier for them to hull and digest than some other seeds.
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Apr 5, 2019 23:14:31 GMT
reenie
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Posts: 300
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Millet
Apr 15, 2019 20:15:07 GMT
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Hezz likes this
Post by reenie on Apr 15, 2019 20:15:07 GMT
Definitely treat/training only! Millet will be in his seed mix as well, but too much on hand all the time and they become millet-junkies, preferring to eat only it and nothing else. Not a healthy way to live. It is a good thing to leave on hand for an unwell bud who might not be interested in food so much. Most enjoy millet and it is easier for them to hull and digest than some other seeds. Great! Makes my life easier. Thanks Hezz
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Apr 5, 2019 23:14:31 GMT
reenie
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Posts: 300
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Millet
May 20, 2019 21:27:35 GMT
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Post by reenie on May 20, 2019 21:27:35 GMT
How much millet is okay? I can get Stuart to do most things, but it takes millet, even for stepping up in his cage. I use the little bobbles and a sprig lasts more than a week, so I'm hoping that's OK. Also, I saw someone say that they freeze millet. Is that OK to do and if so, is it just in a bag or is there a special way to do it?
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Millet
May 21, 2019 18:24:37 GMT
Post by Hezz on May 21, 2019 18:24:37 GMT
As long as the bag is moisture-proof, something like a zip-lock bag is fine, otherwise some other type of air-tight container might be a better option.
Things like stepping up will become second nature to Stuart, perhaps he just needs a little time to get there, but often if you go and ask for the step up confidently, then that is what you will get. Just try a session or two without any millet on hand, but with the expectation that he will step up and give lots of praise when it does happen.
Maybe you need a smaller treat, as well, now that he knows what to do. Try using just a couple of millet seeds rather than a whole bobble, as long as he knows they are there. You might have to be a bit inventive to find ways around him always getting a full bobble to munch on. With the larger parrots, you train with a small treat, usually a piece of nut, small enough that they eat it quickly, so that it is immediate reward. By the time he gets through a little bobble, he may have forgotten what his reward was for. That is just a theory.
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Apr 5, 2019 23:14:31 GMT
reenie
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Posts: 300
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Post by reenie on May 21, 2019 22:09:32 GMT
Thanks Hezz. I don't give him the whole bobble every time, I just let him have a quick nibble, then remove it, as I was afraid he sways getting too much. Useful information. Ill try using a toy as well and see if that is bribery enough for him. I was worried about the millet going off, so really helpful to know it can be preserved.
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