Post by Bird Junky on Apr 26, 2012 18:43:51 GMT
BIRD BONDING
The following suggestions are the result of a lifetime of experience with birds.
The main problems when compiling what really amounts to a list of instructions, is the diversity of birds personalities. Some are naturally curious & quick to learn, while others are slow & more reserved. For their own safety the birds should be confined to their cages until step-up has been mastered.
Chasing & catching a bird can undermine any bond already built up between you the owner & your bird. Allow 2 or 3 days of practise after the first successful outcome of each step, in the bonding process. If your bird is a little slow please keep practising until your bird is 100% before moving onto the next stage. You will be more than amply rewarded for your patience. It is just as easy to bond with several birds, as it is a single bird. The slow birds soon learn to follow the lead of their more forward flock companions.
(1) BIRDS with a FEAR of PEOPLE.
In the cage provide plain seed or pellets, water, cuttlebone & an iodine block.
Both containers are better if they can be refilled without opening the cage door.
The remaining foods such as, fruit/veg. hard boiled egg, millet spray etc. are to be fed in small portions as treat foods. The idea is that your arrival means nice things to eat & by giving small amounts your visits can be more frequent.
Each piece of treat food should be placed on the cage top, you should then retire to a distance the birds are comfortable with, to allow them to settle & eat.
At each treat feed stand or sit a little closer. Don't be in a hurry take your time. Show them by going slow & easy that people are nice & not at all frightening.
When the time arrives that you can sit quietly by their cage as they eat the treat food, they are ready for the next step in the bonding process.
(2) BIRDS with a FEAR of HANDS
Prepare the cage as for (1). These birds are best fed the treat foods in small portions through the bars of the cage, with a pair of tweezers or chopsticks.
As the birds get used to this, gradually over the next few days, move your fingers closer to the treat food as you slowly build up the bond of trust. As before the treats are fed little & often.
If your bird is a biter or even attempts to bite, remove the treat food for a count of 10 & re-offer it. Any longer & the bird may not link the two actions, do this as often as it takes. Don't be in a hurry, only when your birds are 100% happy to eat from your fingertips for several days, are they ready for the next
stage. This stage is not complete until the birds stop any biting behaviour.
(3) FEEDING by HAND
When working inside the cage use a hanky fixed to the bar above the door with clothes pegs to act as a safety curtain to prevent a bird from escaping via the open door. Feed the birds treat foods by holding a small piece on the fingers of your upturned palm. Open the curtained cage door, put your hand slowly inside & wait. You will notice the birds will be thinking about the situation.
If they appear in anyway disturbed remove your hand & allow them to calm down. If they are calm & curious hold your hand close to a perch so they can reach the food treat.
Remember offer it don't try to force it on them, If no bird approaches wait a few minutes, withdraw & try again 15min later, repeat until they eat.
Keep offering them different small treats as often as you can over the next few days.
Until all the birds are happy to eat from your hand. As before your aim is to build up a strong bond of friendship & trust.
(4) STEP UP
After a day or two of successful hand feeding, hold your treat filled hand just far enough away from the perch so the birds have step onto your hand to reach the food. Do not poke a reluctant bird. Would you like it?
If trust has been well established, the birds will step up without any hesitation at every treat feed.
Step up is the most important part of the whole bonding befriending process so be sure your bird will step up every time before moving on.
(5) OUT TIME
Prepare by first bird proofing the room. Put together a portable perch on wooden blocks, raised a few inches off the table top. Make or buy a bird gym.
For their own safety birds should be discouraged from perching anywhere except on a cloth covered table or your hands.
With a little treat in hand open the cage door. Put your hand in & allow the birds to step up & eat, slowly take your hand & bird out of the cage. Let them stay on your hand until they realise they're out. Let them explore & encourage them to use the gym or play with a favourite toy.
(6) THE RETURN
Fix the cage door open & put in one of their favourite treat foods. Offer your birds a small food treat. When they step up for a taste, return them to their cage
Congratulations you are now a fully fledged, 'BIRD BUDDY'.
A few tips.
Save a favourite treat to be fed as an educational treat. With my birds it was Peanut Butter or Cottage Cheese with salt free chopped up peanuts.
Most professional entertainers use a hand perching stick. It keeps their clothes clean & the birds enjoy the swaying motion. It's also handy for getting birds down from curtain rails.
You always offer a bird a treat for a wanted action. If when it's learnt, you stop giving the treat. Can you really blame the bird for non compliance?
You have to convince your birds that you are the most interesting thing in the world, not just a lump of wood to perch on while watching telly.
It is your job to entertain your bird, not his job to keep you amused.
The surest way to achieve anything is with bribery. It works on every living creature on earth including human beings. Yours B.J.
The following suggestions are the result of a lifetime of experience with birds.
The main problems when compiling what really amounts to a list of instructions, is the diversity of birds personalities. Some are naturally curious & quick to learn, while others are slow & more reserved. For their own safety the birds should be confined to their cages until step-up has been mastered.
Chasing & catching a bird can undermine any bond already built up between you the owner & your bird. Allow 2 or 3 days of practise after the first successful outcome of each step, in the bonding process. If your bird is a little slow please keep practising until your bird is 100% before moving onto the next stage. You will be more than amply rewarded for your patience. It is just as easy to bond with several birds, as it is a single bird. The slow birds soon learn to follow the lead of their more forward flock companions.
(1) BIRDS with a FEAR of PEOPLE.
In the cage provide plain seed or pellets, water, cuttlebone & an iodine block.
Both containers are better if they can be refilled without opening the cage door.
The remaining foods such as, fruit/veg. hard boiled egg, millet spray etc. are to be fed in small portions as treat foods. The idea is that your arrival means nice things to eat & by giving small amounts your visits can be more frequent.
Each piece of treat food should be placed on the cage top, you should then retire to a distance the birds are comfortable with, to allow them to settle & eat.
At each treat feed stand or sit a little closer. Don't be in a hurry take your time. Show them by going slow & easy that people are nice & not at all frightening.
When the time arrives that you can sit quietly by their cage as they eat the treat food, they are ready for the next step in the bonding process.
(2) BIRDS with a FEAR of HANDS
Prepare the cage as for (1). These birds are best fed the treat foods in small portions through the bars of the cage, with a pair of tweezers or chopsticks.
As the birds get used to this, gradually over the next few days, move your fingers closer to the treat food as you slowly build up the bond of trust. As before the treats are fed little & often.
If your bird is a biter or even attempts to bite, remove the treat food for a count of 10 & re-offer it. Any longer & the bird may not link the two actions, do this as often as it takes. Don't be in a hurry, only when your birds are 100% happy to eat from your fingertips for several days, are they ready for the next
stage. This stage is not complete until the birds stop any biting behaviour.
(3) FEEDING by HAND
When working inside the cage use a hanky fixed to the bar above the door with clothes pegs to act as a safety curtain to prevent a bird from escaping via the open door. Feed the birds treat foods by holding a small piece on the fingers of your upturned palm. Open the curtained cage door, put your hand slowly inside & wait. You will notice the birds will be thinking about the situation.
If they appear in anyway disturbed remove your hand & allow them to calm down. If they are calm & curious hold your hand close to a perch so they can reach the food treat.
Remember offer it don't try to force it on them, If no bird approaches wait a few minutes, withdraw & try again 15min later, repeat until they eat.
Keep offering them different small treats as often as you can over the next few days.
Until all the birds are happy to eat from your hand. As before your aim is to build up a strong bond of friendship & trust.
(4) STEP UP
After a day or two of successful hand feeding, hold your treat filled hand just far enough away from the perch so the birds have step onto your hand to reach the food. Do not poke a reluctant bird. Would you like it?
If trust has been well established, the birds will step up without any hesitation at every treat feed.
Step up is the most important part of the whole bonding befriending process so be sure your bird will step up every time before moving on.
(5) OUT TIME
Prepare by first bird proofing the room. Put together a portable perch on wooden blocks, raised a few inches off the table top. Make or buy a bird gym.
For their own safety birds should be discouraged from perching anywhere except on a cloth covered table or your hands.
With a little treat in hand open the cage door. Put your hand in & allow the birds to step up & eat, slowly take your hand & bird out of the cage. Let them stay on your hand until they realise they're out. Let them explore & encourage them to use the gym or play with a favourite toy.
(6) THE RETURN
Fix the cage door open & put in one of their favourite treat foods. Offer your birds a small food treat. When they step up for a taste, return them to their cage
Congratulations you are now a fully fledged, 'BIRD BUDDY'.
A few tips.
Save a favourite treat to be fed as an educational treat. With my birds it was Peanut Butter or Cottage Cheese with salt free chopped up peanuts.
Most professional entertainers use a hand perching stick. It keeps their clothes clean & the birds enjoy the swaying motion. It's also handy for getting birds down from curtain rails.
You always offer a bird a treat for a wanted action. If when it's learnt, you stop giving the treat. Can you really blame the bird for non compliance?
You have to convince your birds that you are the most interesting thing in the world, not just a lump of wood to perch on while watching telly.
It is your job to entertain your bird, not his job to keep you amused.
The surest way to achieve anything is with bribery. It works on every living creature on earth including human beings. Yours B.J.
