May 4, 2024 14:47:06 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2013 17:54:33 GMT
Things are still good with Munchy. He'll now come down off of the curtains just from me saying "Down" rather sternly, although I have to repeat it from 3 to 5 times... Luckily he seems to have worked out that down means get down or a crazy girl will come charging towards you to force you down. He's now very easy to catch up He hates it, but my confidence has increased. He's a lot quieter about it when I hold him in my hand instead of with a glove, as well I was catching him every morning, then went away for a week, having found the day before I left that I could put the palm of my hand upright near his front and slip my thumb around to his back without him going crazy, and when I came back I could still do it. It's come in handy because his claws had gotten a little long. On Saturday he actually got a claw stuck in the curtains. He wasn't too pleased with me catching hold of him but it was the only way he was going to get out of it. He'd broken the claw slightly so I caught him up when he was on his play gym (earning a nip which didn't hurt as much as his old bites but hurt more than what I usually get from him) and cut off the broken bit. Later when we covered him up for bed he seemed to get a claw caught again, so the next morning I caught him again and trimmed each of his claws. He made the odd noise but the only real noise he made was when I was a little too far up his claw (which is lucky because I gradually apply pressure with the clippers and if it's too high up he'll make a fuss and so I know to stop and go lower down ). He was a very well behaved budgie indeed. In between cutting each claw I held him close enough to eat from the millet spray on top of his cage too. Anyway, I wanted to try working with him on stepping up and such again. When I'm next to him I can usually get him to jump onto my arm, sometimes it takes some persuading though. But it's hard to get him to stay. So I wanted to try working on teaching him to get down when I ask him, which could be impossible. But also I wanted to work on coming from a distance, because you never know when that's going to come in handy. The trouble is that currently I have to show him millet, and even if he steps up without it once I've rewarded him he knows it's there and then he's only coming for the reward... Mainly, I don't know how to progress from rewarding him to being able to ease off on the rewards. He's currently coming from a short distance without me showing him millet, but he's looking for the millet. Any ideas?
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Post by samwiseg on Jul 22, 2013 18:37:34 GMT
Progress is still progress Ira! You and Munchy are doing great and I would still suggest the millet every time. Might I suggest perhaps do the training same time same way every day (if you are not doing that already) for a long while repeating the same thing (if you use a command). Then just one day don't use the millet but keep everything else the same and see if he accepts stepping up? Hope that helps? Would love to see some pics, I need a Munchy fix
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Post by Hezz on Jul 23, 2013 1:39:58 GMT
So pleased you worked with Munchy on getting used to being handled! That is a great effort, girl; I am proud of you! And doesn't it make all the difference??? To me it is a very important part of their training. Sparky still slips through my fingers sometimes, and I have to remember to do it regularly as he is the first to escape if I leave it too long between times, as I do sometimes forget for a few days. Munchy will probably be the same. I suggest stick with the millet for bribing to come to you. Once he is coming regularly then you can start slipping in the odd one with no millet but lots of praise ....... how about trying another treat on these days? If he loves apple, leave him without apple for a few days and try bribing him with apple, instead of millet ... just to mix it up for him. I'd use this idea for your last question too - or start there and then see if he will perform from further afield.
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May 4, 2024 14:47:06 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2013 17:14:23 GMT
Thanks both As it happens, Sam, I'd only just gotten back into training, so I think I'll take you up on your suggestion. I'll have to work with him in the evenings so that I know I'll be there at that time every day. I would reward him every time but sometimes I end up just going over to him randomly and haven't come prepared with millet. I'll see if I can trick him I seem to be able to at short distances, and he'll step up when I'm right next to him. We'll see how it goes. Yes. I haven't been catching him every day since I got back but he got caught up loads over the weekend. I started doing the once a day catch thing again this morning Over the weekend I found that as soon as my hand was around him he would let go of the perch, although this morning he decided to be more stubborn about it. To be fair to him I did use a different hand this morning so the angle was weird, and he was on his swing. But after I caught him Sunday morning for claw cutting I let him out to play and later he plonked himself onto my laptop, ran around the keyboard for a while and eventually just settled down near my hand (unfortunately right on top of the keys I needed to do my work and sadly I also thought he might be hungry so after 5 minutes I took him out to his cage, but I think he might have just been staying with me so then I felt bad that I'd moved him as he doesn't come over much). So anyway, apparently he wasn't too bothered by my hands. That sounds good, Hezz I think I'll try a combination of the suggestions you both made. Munchy hates fruit though. But he likes peas, corn, carrot, broccoli, egg and grass. Grass is quite handy this time of year and he goes nuts for it. Quite easy to let him chew a blade every time he comes to me. It was cute when I'd rewarded him a few times and was leaving to get my nan a drink, though, because he came and landed on my shoulder ^^ Just for you, Sam, here is a quick video of Munchy taken this morning as he refuses to cooperate with being caught, literally, on camera: I apologise for my long moment of "Right, how am I going to reward him now..." and then changing my grip and pretty much shoving his beak into the millet Oh, and the empty image whilst I was fetching his seed and water... But his refusal to eat whilst being filmed amused me.
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Post by samwiseg on Jul 23, 2013 18:21:28 GMT
WONDERFUL! He did give you a cute angry "MEEP" that made me laugh! Alfie did that once with me! LOL! You have done so well Ira, thanks for the vid
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May 4, 2024 14:47:06 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2013 20:31:12 GMT
My boyfriend finds it funny that he's making angry noises and as soon as he's near the millet he starts eating it and quiets down. Then when you move him away he starts the noises again Thanks Sam I'm glad you enjoy the video of silliness
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Post by Hezz on Jul 24, 2013 0:22:49 GMT
How good is he? ? I am impressed. Mine will still try to "pop" out through thumb and index finger, but I have never had millet to bribe them with. I must be a mean owner! Lots of praise but no treats ........ I don't usually think of it, oops. Mostly because it is an off-the-cuff sort of thing, rather than premeditated!! That is a really good example of how a little intensive training can work wonders. Well done, both of you!
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May 4, 2024 14:47:06 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2013 10:16:03 GMT
He does try to wriggle out sometimes, but he's fairly well behaved I think he's realised that he can't actually escape from my grasp so he just complains about it instead. I tend to do lots of praise and no treats when I'm saying up and stuff to Munchy because, like you, it's very off the cuff. I forgot to take millet out before catching him to cut a claw, so I just took him into the living room in my hand and popped him onto the play gym next to his plastic budgie toy so that he could play I wouldn't have thought once a day was so intensive, but apparently it works I'm definitely going to keep it up and also work on the up training, which should hopefully help with any possible fear of my hands
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Post by Hezz on Jul 25, 2013 1:24:53 GMT
I wouldn't have thought once a day intensive either, but from his progress in a seemingly short time, I thought it must have been more. Just shows, really, that he isn't so scared of your hands as he has always made out ...... the little bluffer!!! As for his angry little noises, (I haven't heard them as my guys are being right little squealers at the mo on either side of the house so I am getting it in stereo), Smudge still and always will do, her angry ducky quacks at me, but the other two just put up - except for Sparky who will occasionally make me chase him just to keep us both honest, I think!!!
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May 4, 2024 14:47:06 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2013 6:25:22 GMT
I've always been slightly limited by time, so I could only ever do it about once (especially when I had to chase him lots) in the morning before uni, and when I was home I didn't want to make him fearful of his cage by catching him every time he was in it, so I could only catch him before I let him out. Sometimes I do it twice, once first thing and once when I get home from the supermarket etc with my grandparents. Tuesday I did it twice, once in that recording and then again when my boyfriend came over. I guess he can't have been Watching the video back, it amuses me that all those times he opens his beak at me, he never once touched me with it. And these days when he does it never hurts, or not as much as it used to if it even leaves a mark. Aww, poor budgies being chased around by the wicked budgie-mum They sound like a right handful Quick question on noises, do they make a lot of noise when they fly?
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Post by Hezz on Jul 26, 2013 1:00:09 GMT
Do you mean vocalizing, or in their flapping??? With their flapping, I can tell who is flying by listening to them! I have always said Smudge flies like a pigeon - lots of flap, lots of noise. Sparky you barely hear him coming ...... and no time to duck, and Misty is a slightly bigger bird but flies similar to Sparky, just a tad more noisy. With their vocalizing, Smudge yells and screeches most of the time (I think she used to use it to complain about exercising. It is only in the last year and some that her flying has become more streamlined and looks like less effort ), the other two do always when flying together as a flock, but if on a fly just themselves, sometimes yes, sometimes no. Mostly it is all a bit random. PS I am only the wicked witch when Sparky, usually, doesn't obey the rules. He will always be my feral little green man. Mostly he is good but just occasionally the devil in him breaks out ....... and good on him, I say. He has plenty of spirit.
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May 4, 2024 14:47:06 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2013 10:16:52 GMT
The vocalising Munchy's wings sound a bit like a pigeon when he flies, except a lot faster as no sooner have you heard it start that he's zooming past a couple of centimetres above your heads Munchy doesn't always vocalise but mostly he does, particularly when he's just flying around the room instead of out to his cage. It's very loud and squawky! I love how budgies are all so different I don't think I could ever tire of them. Naughty Sparky! It's good to have a wild one in the flock Livens them all up a bit! I think Munchy is easier to catch when I haven't done it every day! He knows what to expect now!
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Post by Hezz on Jul 27, 2013 1:28:15 GMT
I think then the noise is a whimsical thing - just whatever feels good at the time! The exception being Smudgey as she is, I am sure, screeching "I'm exercising, I'm exercising, look at me!!!" Sparky certainly does keep the others alive. If anyone goes for a fly, he will usually join them. For some reason he has taken to flying to and sitting on my head recently. I think because sometimes I have left it later to put their seed back in the cage and this was his way of getting my attention ...... and they got their seed back. Clever little vegemite! So now even if it isn't seed-time, can't blame the little guy for giving it a try.
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May 4, 2024 14:47:06 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2013 6:46:37 GMT
Awww, bless her It's funny what they do to get your attention. Munchy has his really annoying whistle, which he will do constantly when he wants food. And if that fails he'll get onto the floor of the cage and start pecking around. Yesterday we were out the garden and he got onto the floor of his cage and picked up a stray blade of grass from the last time we'd been out, which had apparently escaped me when taking out the old grass. That is apparently how he demands grass now So I dutifully picked and washed some for him
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Post by samwiseg on Jul 27, 2013 8:46:23 GMT
Munchy Rules OK' Literally
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