Pet Forum / Birds / Parrots / January 2005

Be persistent with the night, night routine.

If it becomes too big of a problem
- try turning the lights down low for a few minutes,
- catch it in a towel gently (avoid the human hand contact and not in
flight!)
- talk soothingly as you slide it into the cage, or
- get a badmington racket and bat him in the door when he flies past.
- try to ignore the biting and they give up on it mostly after a few emerg.
visits for severe blood loss.

Hi Buddy's mum.  I take a small hand towel and tell my guy to "step up" then
deliver him to the cage.  When I want him to go into the cage I tell him to get
a drink of water and when he goes down to the water, I close up the cage.  He
listens to everything I tell him.  Your Buddy sounds very intelligent and good
luck on teaching him to talk.  It is a constant repeating of phrases and words
in order to get them to talk.  Speak slowly and clearly.

Sugar's mom

Persistance and patience, a little rock of the hand to get it off balance
when its going to nip will curb that. Get a book on teaching to talk, I have
read that if you cover them to sleep. in the mornong before you uncover it,,
speak to it with what u  want it to say, like (pretty boy, pretty boy,
pretty boy) do that with a couple minute break between repeating the pharse,
as soon as the bird  does any kind of squaking uncover it right away and
give it praise and its fav treat, do that every morning, good luck.

TLC

glad to see you are thrilled at getting a new bird.

if they grow up right they can be real lovely creatures to have on hand.

by asking for advice you are going well. If in doubt always ask. even if you
may not like the replies. just remember however each case is unique so you
need to make your own judgement call.

I recently attempted to adopt an older bird because i was told it was lovely
and would settle in.

except for its habit of trying to dominate from the shoulder it was. however
it developed the nasty trick of attacking your face if you tried removing it
to put it in its cage.

I asked many people for advice and nothing worked until i gently dropped a
towel over it. this made it go quiet and easilly managable. i could pick it
up inside the towel and transfer it back to the cage.

well as many people called this approach cruel and nasty as called it the
best way.

my advice is ask and adapt what you get back to suit YOURSELF. the bird will
soon say what is stressful and what it likes.

Entice him with a treat that is in the cage.  My cockatiel loves millet.  Good
luck in getting him in the cage.

Sugar's mom