|
Post by tweetiepiesmom on Jan 31, 2020 3:54:02 GMT
Guess who inadvertently taught her bird to scream? Yep. Today at around 4pm Tweetie Pie started screaming at the top of his lungs. I was reading and looked up to see what was wrong. Oh no, that's the time that for the past few days I'd put my hand in his cage as near to him as he'd allow and then treat him by giving him a bauble of millet. Yes, he was screaming for his millet which I gave him. Do I treat him like a child and ignore it or make sure that I'm using that time every day for socialization/training? Now that he knows millet is coming, I'm not convinced that anything I do before the millet will have any effect. Any thoughts?
|
|
|
Post by OP on Jan 31, 2020 8:45:08 GMT
Earplugs would be myh thoughts. You need to break the habit otherwise it will be there fir kufe. He will scream for a while so unless there is anybody else that would suffer then let it run its course. He will give up eventually.
|
|
|
Post by sweetpea on Jan 31, 2020 10:51:53 GMT
Little Tweetiepie is a clever boy!
I'm a softie & a sucker for punishment so don't take any notice of me! My Lennie has a 'millet chirp'. He stands on his door platform & shouts & shouts for millet whilst looking straight at me! If I'm in the kitchen, he stands on top of his cage door, facing the kitchen & shouts to me that way! As he's not tame at all & generally pretty anxious, I *do* reward him with a millet bobble or two. He will jump a small way to my hand & when he's finished the seed in my hand will do a couple of steps down my arm to indicate he wants the bobble that he knows I am holding behind my back. Cheeky boy! I actually love those little moments, but it does mean that if he does it & I am maybe on the phone, I say to the caller - sorry, gotta go, Lennie wants millet! He started doing it around 4pm-5pm but now does it at random times, sometimes not for weeks & sometimes several times in the same day.
|
|
|
Post by Hezz on Jan 31, 2020 11:39:13 GMT
Don't get into such a set routine. By all means give him times to interact, times when you approach and give him millet etc, but don't be set by the clock! Birds are much more time-conscious than you or I and it would seem that you have caused a predictive response ... or in this case, a demand. Over the next few days vary the times when you might decide to reward him for his attention, but make sure you get in before he does! If not, and he has already started yelling, ignore him for at least until he is quiet. If he doesn't shut up, then he doesn't get a treat, even if you are approaching him with his millet at the time. If this happens - that he starts to scream while you are walking towards him, immediately turn around and walk away. Wait until he stops again, start towards him, if he again screams, turn your back and walk away. It takes a while, and it takes a bit to get the timing right, mostly it takes commitment on your part to try to break that habit. As the habit has only just been formed, it should be quite easy for you to reverse. Be committed to NOT being dictated to and you should see results in a very short time.
|
|
|
Post by Shirls on Jan 31, 2020 12:08:22 GMT
My chickens all have 'pocket watches'! When it's their treat time or supper time, they all convene outside the conservatory door waiting! It is amazing sometimes how intelligent birdies are. I do however mix up the times sometimes, as obviously it isn't always convenient!!!
|
|
|
Post by ladybird on Jan 31, 2020 14:04:02 GMT
I totally agree with Hezz and shirls, it seems cute and clever when they start doing these things,but it could soon become very annoying. They are really intelligent, my Charlie has different whistles for what he wants.If his millet drops down he has a really funny whistle.
|
|
|
Post by tweetiepiesmom on Jan 31, 2020 15:48:16 GMT
OK - thank you everybody. Today I'll do our "hand in the cage" training earlier in the day and ignore him when he screams in the afternoon. Since its just me and him, no one else will be tortured by my baby! (My baby is full into his first molt. Yesterday he lost his long tail feather.)
|
|
Mar 29, 2024 12:17:36 GMT
Deleted
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2020 16:03:30 GMT
Aww, love him! Prepare for the hormones. ;P
Definitely best to curb the screaming as soon as you can. I can't recall how it developed, but Munchy calls like mad to be let out. Possibly started as attention seeking. Too late to stop him now. You certainly don't want a shrieking millet demon if you can help it.
|
|
|
Post by Shirls on Feb 1, 2020 10:06:49 GMT
What a little sweetie. All those tiny pinnies too, he must be grumpy!!
|
|
|
Post by tweetiepiesmom on Feb 1, 2020 16:21:29 GMT
Well, @shirls, I'm not sure I'd call his mood grumpy. He has been going through spells were he's quiet and sedate and times where he's jumping around. And he's been scratching a lot! Yesterday we had our "hand in the cage" time earlier in the day using millet to coax him on my finger. He got a bit of millet at that time. He started screaming again at 4pm and I ignored him, didn't even talk to him. He stopped, looked over at me and cocked his head. After a few seconds he jumped down and tarted playing with his favorite toy. That's when I went over to his cage and talked to him for a bit.
|
|
|
Post by Hezz on Feb 2, 2020 0:15:21 GMT
Good work; that's the way to get the behaviour you want. Hopefully he won't take too long to learn his new lesson.
|
|
|
Post by tweetiepiesmom on Feb 2, 2020 3:46:22 GMT
Maybe today I experienced his hormones kicking in? It was an unusually warm day today. Tweetie Pie was extremely active. He was jumping around, bobbing his head, kissing his bells and screaming a lot - a lot! He has many more pin feathers including his cheek feathers and he lost another wing feather. He did settle down for a bit late this afternoon but he was having no part of my hand near him today. My baby is growing up.
|
|
|
Post by samwiseg on Feb 2, 2020 10:01:04 GMT
I totally agree with Hezz and shirls, it seems cute and clever when they start doing these things,but it could soon become very annoying. They are really intelligent, my Charlie has different whistles for what he wants.If his millet drops down he has a really funny whistle. It IS ANNOYING as I've managed to teach my lot the same too - every lunchtime at 12 they start shouting 'cause they know we'll be having lunch and start shouting for theirs?! The either hear the 12 o'clock radio jingle and start shouting or hear me stirring a cuppa and they're off! And what does make me laugh is once ive come in with the fresh food they start doing these little cheeps as if they are the sweetest birds (monkeys) So you're not alone tweetiepiesmom!
|
|