May 26, 2020 2:42:01 GMT
mapleesugar
Brand New Budgie
🌼❄️
Posts: 18
|
Post by mapleesugar on Jul 18, 2020 3:57:49 GMT
I just wanted to share where I am so far just so I can know if I've been doing things right or not! My birds previously would both gladly step up, but they just stopped after a while. They will both step into my hand or step up to get millet, but without millet one reluctantly steps up and one won't and instead climbs up onto the bars so I can't get her. I don't think they're scared of me, it seems more like they just don't see the point in stepping up. I've had them for over a month and a half and I feel bad because I don't take them out yet. I will take them out as soon as they both get confident stepping up. Does anyone have advice about how to get them to step up? Again, I had them almost fully trained to step up with no millet, I just wanted a little bit more practice with them before taking them out. Sadly, they just won't anymore.
|
|
|
Post by Marianne Marlow on Jul 18, 2020 14:44:13 GMT
Why do you think they stopped stepping up? did you change your routine?
I would try using a spare perch to get them to step up, they may be less scared of that than your hand. It takes a lot oftime and patience.
|
|
May 26, 2020 2:42:01 GMT
mapleesugar
Brand New Budgie
🌼❄️
Posts: 18
|
Post by mapleesugar on Jul 18, 2020 20:34:14 GMT
No, I didn't change anything. The main problem seems to be that Snowflake just climbs up onto the bars when my finger approaches. I tried what you said and Daisy started nibbling it but Snowflake viciously bit it out of fear so I guess that was a failed attempt (she has never tried to bite my finger). I think I will just need to be patient and get them both comfortable with my hands.
|
|
|
Post by Hezz on Jul 19, 2020 1:18:08 GMT
Do you spend the same amount of time working with them? Sometimes we do get slack with our training once an animal is doing what we want it to be doing, and not only with birds, but it does need to be on-going. Go back to giving them little bobbles of millet - with two birds to work with, you are going to have to keep the bribery going for some time yet.
As for letting them out, take them into a small room (with little furniture to fall over) and close the door. Make sure they have a designated perching place, particularly if there is something they are familiar with, even if it is their cage. work with them stepping up and down in the cage and then move to them doing this just in the cage doorway and then out in the room. They will fly off, but teaching them to sit on a perch to be retrieved is an important training tool as well. If they get themselves stuck behind some furniture or up high, somewhere you can't reach but can get a stick to, you can save them by presenting them with the stick to step up onto.
|
|
May 26, 2020 2:42:01 GMT
mapleesugar
Brand New Budgie
🌼❄️
Posts: 18
|
Post by mapleesugar on Jul 19, 2020 2:03:44 GMT
I spend probably a total of an hour a day working with them, which I have gradually increased in the last few weeks. I will start using a smaller and less intimidating stick. I've just been using a spare dowel perch that I happened to have lying around. My main problem is that when I approach her with my finger, she climbs up onto the bars of the cage and I don't want to push her too far by trying to get her to step up while she's on there. When I try gently pushing her with the perch while she is on the bars, she gets scared and bites the perch. In the picture, she has one foot down on the perch and one on the bars. She occasionally will use my finger to push herself onto the bars, but besides that she will not go on my finger without millet. If I use millet, she responds to the command "step up" and "step down" without any nervousness or hesitation.
I'm not sure why the millet seems to be vibrating so much in the photo!
|
|
|
Post by Hezz on Jul 19, 2020 10:13:50 GMT
Continue using the millet, but smaller amounts - take individual bobbles off the spray and offer only these small amounts.
|
|
Jul 17, 2020 17:01:25 GMT
deanoips
Brand New Budgie
from left to right - Minimoo and Drucilla
Posts: 11
|
Post by deanoips on Jul 19, 2020 16:08:51 GMT
hi mapleesugar
good luck with the training snowflake and Daisy are really pretty looking birds
|
|