He refuses to come out of his cage on demand

My pet Hahn's macaw will not come out of his cage on demand. We present our finger in his cage near him to "Step Up", and he either moves away, attempts to bite our fingers, or hangs on to the side of the cage for dear life. My husband is determined that I get him to step up from within his cage. I don't think it's necessary because generally if I open his cage, he almost always comes out on his own, and THEN is willing to step up from most places (except the top of his cage).

What I'm doing, is demanding he step up from within his cage, and if he doesn't I close his cage and don't let him out. But I don't want to do this to the point where he never gets to go out.

What really rubs us is that the first English words the dude has learned how to say is "Step Up". He'll even say it while we're trying to get him to step up from within his cage, but he doesn't do the actual action.

Note: He is about 6.5 months old. We got him on Labor Day weekend. He was originally better at stepping up until we took him to the avian vet and he seemed almost traumatized by the vet taking his blood.

Awwww, the poor boy. Use treats to lure him out and onto your finger. You both (You and husband) need to do the training for this exactly the same - same words and expression, same way to ask etc. Otherwise he can get confused. Be patient. You should go to the Macaw sub-forum and read the stickies at the top, and then read every singe post by Birdman666, who is our macaw expert.

It is often best to work at the bird's pace rather than force them to accommodate every expectation. He is still fairly new to you (about 7 weeks at time of post) and may feel the cage is his territory. Have you tried enticing him with a reward for stepping-up from the cage?

This thread may give some helpful ideas for increasing trust: http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html

Kudos for taking him to the vet for an apparent well-check. You may be very correct he associates close human contact with a painful (but necessary!) act. Time and trust are the great healers for parrots!

OMG! It just worked! Thank you, wrench13! I will also read the stickies as you suggested.

I had the treat in my left hand and was offering him the pointer finger of my right hand. He put one foot on my finger, but was holding on to the side of the cage with his other foot. He reached for the treat, but I kept moving it out of his reach until he FINALLY gave me the second foot. I gave him the treat and managed to take him out of the cage and give him HUGH praise along with the treat. Now he's at his play gym. I'll use the treat method from now on until he steps up from within his cage without it.

I know that my hubby and I don't use treats as much as we should.

Scott, I posted the above before I saw your post. Thanks for the useful article link.

My Hahn's macaw is very comfortable with me and never bites me. The closest he ever really comes is threats from within the cage. Otherwise I think we're almost bonded. He'll let me do almost anything with him outside the cage, he even lays on his back and lets me kiss and tickle his tummy. My husband, however, sometimes gets a bite and sometimes is chummy with him.

I do have a clicker. Again, I guess I should start using it. The avian vet suggested it, too. We had two other birds before our Hahn's macaw, but they were a little different.

Good job wrench! Brilliant success! you too Cthebird!

This place is so great because of the experience all the members have, and not for nothing, Cthebird stick around you will be helping others within weeks, everyone has a great idea or thought. So many things I learned from just browsing around are amazing to learn.

Awesome, glad to see success!!

I wanted to add to this thread so it moves to the front page. I need to review to learn some more

Once a behavior has been learned, one should never stop giving treats. Sparingly, perhaps, but never stop completely.

Would be like working at a job that pays well and then all of a sudden stops paying. If they stop paying, you might stop performing! But if they continue to pay, even if intermittently, you may continue to do your job.

MonicaMc said:

Once a behavior has been learned, one should never stop giving treats. Sparingly, perhaps, but never stop completely.

Would be like working at a job that pays well and then all of a sudden stops paying. If they stop paying, you might stop performing! But if they continue to pay, even if intermittently, you may continue to do your job.

Click to expand...

I get it.. I just haven't figured out what entices him. His running from me is new thing. I've already played this game a bit with him. If could still stand on my head I would try that!

personally. I think it is the harness and he knows he has to wear it. It takes a grand total of 30 seconds to put it on.. I can dive into details.. He steps up to me at any time. flies to me, knows to nip my ear for pistachios and cashews..

Once he is on hand, he chills out and accepts the placement on the back of the chair, hoodie comes next. I switch up.. sometimes the hoodie 20% of the time no hoodie.. Keeping the harness outa his mouth is uh sometimes he wins, sometimes Im quicker.

He doesnt protest with the harness on, hell he even lifts his wings up to pull them thru the harness.

The trigger seems to be when I start putting shoes on, filling his water bottle, filling pocket with his treats. By the time I get to the cage, he has already anchored himself to where I cant reach..

To me it's weird with how attentive and accepting he is, to nearly everything (except yap yaps) Its kinda funny right now. in that he is hanging out contently in his house preening. I got a hunch hmmm sorry dont mean to go on and on and

I bet if I stand up with the routine going for a walk, he may rebel..

Whats the chance I am takiing him out too much?

MonicaMc said:

Once a behavior has been learned, one should never stop giving treats. Sparingly, perhaps, but never stop completely.

Would be like working at a job that pays well and then all of a sudden stops paying. If they stop paying, you might stop performing! But if they continue to pay, even if intermittently, you may continue to do your job.

Click to expand...

That is EXACTLY how my birds stay potty trained because they know at some point they will get a treat for doing a good job and going poopy when asked.

DiscoDuck, if Rudy is getting overwhelmed by so much going on around him outside, then he would probably let you know.

When he's clinging to his cage, does he have the harness on already or is this before putting the harness on?

MonicaMc said:

DiscoDuck, if Rudy is getting overwhelmed by so much going on around him outside, then he would probably let you know.

When he's clinging to his cage, does he have the harness on already or is this before putting the harness on?

Click to expand...

silly screen name.. people know us as Rob and Rudy..

Any ways... he knows the timing of the day and see my pattern of getting him ready to go out. So no harness... His clinging is before the harness. when I bring him in, first thing is to slip the harness, he flies to his perch, I turn on the news, he preeens..

Today. I tried something completely different, this behavior only occurs in the afternoon and no matter what I do it doesnt seem to matter. He is not directly coming out in the afternoon. Thats not true, If I bait him, he doesnt bite the next day

TO me, Its just seems weird. Morning and evening, he runs to me.. Its not really a big deal, just can be a little tedious... on me... to sit and wait or play games that work one day but nearly never again. so no more games..

I guess we see who lasts the longest on the standoff. Again, no big deal, it just seems like a strange interaction comparatively to all the other stuff we do together.

OH! after doing this for 300+ days now. THere are no alarming events other that Hawks, occasional crows. Harleys, firetrucks police, ambulances bumber to bumper 5pm traffic. he is very accustom to all of it.. I am in a noisy urban area. we mix it up between a gorgeous park, (devoid of people) to the city streets. This year we will do the downtown concrete jungle, why not? Google the map for brandywine park- wilm de

Well, I know someone who's business is DiscoBee... so I don't see anything wrong with DiscoDuck! If you prefer Rob then that's fine, too!


What about varying when you go for a walk? Or changing up how you go out?


Brandywine Park is gorgeous! Wish we had something like that over here! But the desert doesn't allow for such greenery.

Sunnyclover said:

That is EXACTLY how my birds stay potty trained because they know at some point they will get a treat for doing a good job and going poopy when asked.

Click to expand...

Gawd.. nothing like notching things up to a higher level! Thanks!

After Rudy is uh... gently removed from his cage... He will sometimes evacuate his bowels. Now with that said, most of the other times I dont notice while he is on my shoulder until I get home and change shirts.

I think, I have a posket full of food that I regularly keep him... uh.. my words.. busy with pistachios and other nuts. lately I have been giving him more sticks to chew..