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Post by stace on Dec 3, 2013 9:28:48 GMT
I too sometimes get arm cramps stace so know what you mean there! The things we do for love.
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Post by samwiseg on Dec 3, 2013 9:32:27 GMT
I too sometimes get arm cramps stace so know what you mean there! The things we do for love. .....like walking in the rain and the snow, and there's nowhere to go.....
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Post by skysmum on Dec 3, 2013 10:09:20 GMT
Like taking Tilly for a walk to the park in the pouring rain only for her to run to the nearest park bench and take shelter underneath , then look at me in disgust
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Post by ffiscool on Dec 3, 2013 11:11:51 GMT
i was singing the same song in my head.............. lol
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Post by skysmum on Dec 3, 2013 16:15:10 GMT
Well apart from one great escape on day two he has been cooped up in his little cell for 6 days , sooo i think its time, im going to let him out tonight, wish me luck .
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Post by OP on Dec 3, 2013 16:23:02 GMT
Good Luck.
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Post by skysmum on Dec 3, 2013 20:49:57 GMT
Well he has had a good night out and stretched his wings and although he wouldn't come back onto my hand he was happy to hop onto the perch for home time. Pic's in the picture section shortly .
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Post by OP on Dec 3, 2013 21:03:51 GMT
Oh super. Joey is like that, he won't come onto the finger directly. He will climb on the perch and then onto the finger. The things we have to do. Glad it all worked for you.
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Post by skysmum on Dec 3, 2013 21:18:55 GMT
Oh super. Joey is like that, he won't come onto the finger directly. He will climb on the perch and then onto the finger. The things we have to do. Glad it all worked for you. You've done so well with your Joey OP im so glad he is co-operating now .
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Post by skysmum on Dec 6, 2013 22:03:02 GMT
Just an update on progress . Things are going really well with my little man. He is stepping up every time i ask, when he is in his cage. I use the words, come on then, it just seems to roll of the tongue better. He wont come onto my hand when he is free but will happily hop onto a perch to pop him back into his cage where he gets his reward, a piece of millet, this we are working on and i hope to get him coming back to my hand. I am spending 15 mins in the morning and 15 at lunch time, just with my hand in the cage doing step up's and he is now letting me groom him, he loves it. The big one is in the evening, half an hour training in the cage and then he gets his reward by coming out for an hour or so. He knows that when i put his cage on the dining table in the evening he is coming out and gets quite excited, its all about repetition and consistency. A couple of things that i would like to share with you, some people know this but for new bud owners it could be helpful. Ive often heard people say, when i was a child our budgies seemed easier to tame. I thought about this a few years ago and one thing came into my mind. The cage, so many people want the biggest and best cage for their buds and this is absolutely right, AFTER you have hand tamed them. For the first month or so i use a 16x16x9 inch cage. This firstly makes them feel safe and secure for the first few days when you bring them home and second makes hand taming so much easier, they don't have the room to flap and run around whipping themselves up into a panic, no good for them or you. I also cover the back and sides for the first couple of days, gradually moving it back a little each day until i take it right off. Think about it, years ago, and im going back 50 years when i was child, people only ever had small cages. My dear dad had our buds hand tame in a couple of weeks . As soon as my buds are hand tame they get moved into a large cage. Another small thing i would like to share and it sounds a bit strange but its always worked for me. I have a very small, very soft artist paint brush. Once ive got bud stepping up i introduce this, gently grooming him, they LOVE it, Chilli fell asleep tonight while i was using it. I can now groom him with my fingers and he asks for me to do so, this gets them used to you handling them which will come next week, the Hezz sweep up . I hope i haven't bored anyone too much but just want to share. Some pics from tonight
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Nov 6, 2013 23:47:08 GMT
tanja
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Posts: 400
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Post by tanja on Dec 6, 2013 22:27:52 GMT
This is so beautifully written skysmum! I really love what you wrote! I am very happy for you, that Chilli got so tame in a very short time! and the photos are soooo lovely of your little one what a cutie! But what I do not understand is, how do you teach a budgie who does not at least understand what it means to step up? I mean when my FinFin sits on a spot and I try to handle him, he does not understand what to do. I can hold my finger in front of his belly an hour and he would not understand. Same for millet or any other treat. He stretches his neck to reach it, but does not come on the hand to eat it. But as soon I hold it in front of him he eats it. Also I do not understand, but he loves it when I pet his cheeks and his back head, so he likes my hands, but does not want to step up? The funny thing is, he does step up, when he has his 5 minutes of excitement and jumping around, he steps up stays and fly's off. But in this 5 minutes of activity he does not take any treat, so I can't reward him after he did what I wanted him to do. and after that it's already too late, he will not know for what it was?
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Post by skysmum on Dec 6, 2013 22:40:01 GMT
This is so beautifully written skysmum! I really love what you wrote! I am very happy for you, that Chilli got so tame in a very short time! and the photos are soooo lovely of your little one what a cutie! But what I do not understand is, how do you teach a budgie who does not at least understand what it means to step up? I mean when my FinFin sits on a spot and I try to handle him, he does not understand what to do. I can hold my finger in front of his belly an hour and he would not understand. Same for millet or any other treat. He stretches his neck to reach it, but does not come on the hand to eat it. But as soon I hold it in front of him he eats it. Also I do not understand, but he loves it when I pet his cheeks and his back head, so he likes my hands, but does not want to step up? The funny thing is, he does step up, when he has his 5 minutes of excitement and jumping around, he steps up stays and fly's off. But in this 5 minutes of activity he does not take any treat, so I can't reward him after he did what I wanted him to do. and after that it's already too late, he will not know for what it was? Thankyou tanja . When you put your finger in front of him, push it gently into his lower chest and move it up, this will encourage him to step up, when he steps up say the words you want to use, ie step up, this he will soon learn means that you want him to do that. I only offer a small amount of millet at the end of the day when he has been returned to his cage. I don't use food treats for training. Be as calm and sure handed as you can be.
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Post by ffiscool on Dec 6, 2013 22:44:20 GMT
Fab training. Wish I had known about the artist brush tip, earlier although I could start doing thst. Would love to be able to handle B more.
You are right about small cages way back. Although I had a larger cage with Dusty once I was an adult. He was just tame and wasn't a biter. I think an element of what's inbred in them too
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Nov 6, 2013 23:47:08 GMT
tanja
Normal Green
Posts: 400
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Post by tanja on Dec 6, 2013 22:47:25 GMT
*laugh* thanks skysmum, that's how I normally try to do it. :-) I put my finger gently underneath his chest and move it up, but for some reason he just looks at me and seems to enjoy the touch, he does not move one foot. Okay no food treats for training, maybe I will try it. BTW. how did you let him out of the cage? If I just leave the cage door open he may come out but maybe not. Does that work without him learning the step up command first? Or did you let Chilli just out without having learned that yet? Wonder if I could have a problem to get him back to the cage, since his wings are clipped. I don't know if he could reach the cage on his own.
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Post by skysmum on Dec 6, 2013 22:59:46 GMT
*laugh* thanks skysmum, that's how I normally try to do it. :-) I put my finger gently underneath his chest and move it up, but for some reason he just looks at me and seems to enjoy the touch, he does not move one foot. Okay no food treats for training, maybe I will try it. BTW. how did you let him out of the cage? If I just leave the cage door open he may come out but maybe not. Does that work without him learning the step up command first? Or did you let Chilli just out without having learned that yet? Wonder if I could have a problem to get him back to the cage, since his wings are clipped. I don't know if he could reach the cage on his own. I didn't let him out until he was stepping up, i then bring him out on my finger. However he did escape on day 2 . Thankfully it was evening. Another little tip, if you let him out make it in the evening, if you have trouble getting him back in, put the light out, make sure YOU have enough light though to see him, they are hopeless in the dark. Chilli was on the curtain pole so i just got on a chair and plucked him off and popped him back into the cage , put the light back on and he looked at me as much to say, how did that happen, job done . Most buds will return to the cage, just place the cage near to where he is if he cant fly, and be careful that he doesn't hurt himself falling, he will try to fly and crash land.
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