Held Merlin for first time today!!

Ok so I listened to what you guys were saying and I figured Id let Merlin choose when he wants to be worked with. So I was eating and Merlin seemed to really want to come out so I figured I'd let him come out and have a bite (it was a salad no dressing no nothing bad for birds just veggies) so I went and opened his cage and noticed a chunk of wood from a toy in the bottom of his cage as I was reaching to pick it up he just stepped right up on my arm!! He was being so sweet saying "hello" and going "mmmmm" so I stood there for a second and slowly walked to the sofa and sat down and gave him a piece of broccoli and he eagerly took it and while he was munching I just wanted to see what he'd do if I touched him and he didn't care one bit so I started petting him and he just kept eating and when he finished he let me pet for a while more and then wanted to go to his cage so he is now happily playing on top his cage!!! IM SO HAPPY I thought he was gonna be mean and hard to tame from what the previous owner said but he's such a sweetheart!!!! Heres some pics my mom got sorry for bad quality!

It's been less than a week and he proactively stepped onto you! Congrats! He clearly feels you're a safe person and is probably starting to realize you're his new Mommy!

Poor plucked baby!

These are UBER-attention oriented birds... again, this is the very tip of the iceberg!

WOW !!!! Im so Impressed [sometimes it just takes the right new environment) Your brave I would have had to have on a sweatshirt [he he)

Really cool, he must love you! Congrats!

thanks everyone now if he would just let me get those pinnies on his tail lol I'm pretty sure thats not happening anytime soon though haha.

wow Marcia, you must be the chosen one!....that's amazing that he just stepped right up, guess he figured it was time, lol.

he is beautiful....a little bare, but very very sweet!

WOW Marcia, AMAZING progress in such a short amount of time!!

You ARE very brave!!! I am SO very happy for you. You are truly BEAMING with love in the photos. And Merlin is one big, gorgeous boy!!!!

Merlin is one lucky baby, and is am guessing he has figured that out! What great progress, you two are embarking on an awesome friendship. So happy for you both!

If you're talking about the pinfeathers sheathing his tailfeathers, I would just wrap him up (gently) and **carefully work them out.. Don't hurt him and don't bend the feathers! If they're not ready to come out, he will let you know.. Usually with a flinch. Leave them be at that point.

I just had to deal with Duke's tailfeathers as well. He let me deal with them the next day I had them. They looked like they were completely encased in plastic (all the way to the tip).

2 days later (after the tailfeather / pinfeather session), I gave him his first shower. Remember to give him lots of encouragement and love during the shower! Duke was terrified! He smelled like a litterbox before I put him in and less like one afterwards. It will take a few showers to get the smell out of him..

I don't know if Merlin smells, but just do the first few showers with water (and keep them short) unless he loves the water right away! 5 min. is usually a good start.

I've done my birds pin feathers but they just let me do it easy I don't want to set back our progress by stressing him like that now its only the middle of three of his tail feathers that are sheathed I was just gonna leave them and hope they come out or wait a while til he trusts me more, and Merlin doesn't smell thankfully!

If he happens to be going to the vet anytime soon, you could always have the vet do it. Make them the bad guy.. lol.

I'm so happy to see this! Congrats! I had a setback with Simba tonight, but seeing this really encourages me. Thank you for sharing!!