Best Treats for Training

So Willow is a great bird, and loves to snuggle.

That said....getting her off the cage or off the perch can be a task. Most of the time it either takes a couple minutes to coax her, *or* is she gets "bitey" and I'll just wrap my hands around her and pick her up until she lets go. (I hate this method because I fear hurting her.)

So.... I want to work on "step up" and then "step down" with her, but so far I can't find any treats she likes besides apple slices. (No seeds, I know)

What treats do you use that you (your bird) has had success with? Carrying around apple slices in my pocket just isn't practical, lol

I'm ordering a flight harness tomorrow as well, so hopefully in a few weeks (and with practice) I can at least take her outside and let her explore the fields a bit. Eventually I'd like to get her to fly to/from people by command, I know she can fly if she wants to, but so far getting scared going down the stairs is the only time she will fly, lol

Thanks in advance!

Your bird should tell you this. Place a variety in front of him and see what he goes for. My Illiger's went for the safflower seeds every time, so that is what I use.

You will want to remove that treat from his food so that he gets it only when training.

Well that's why I'm asking what you have that works, I've seen lists and lists of stuff they *can* have.... I just want to try what has at least worked for other birds. I bought a whole thing of "all natural" nuts (unsalted) and so far she just holds them for a second, and drops them. Tried a few fruits as well and so far only apple works.

Did you give her the nuts whole? Or bite-sized? She might not quite have recognized it as food.

As for very convenient treats, I love papaya seeds. After you dry them out and let them get crunchy, they are a very convenient treat. The exact right size for training, actually, since I don't have to break them into smaller pieces to avoid filling them up.

Pine nuts also get a big reaction. As do dried hibiscus and star anise.

Less convenient, pocket-wise, are pomegranates. But most parrots LOVE them!

Anansi said:

Did you give her the nuts whole? Or bite-sized? She might not quite have recognized it as food.

As for very convenient treats, I love papaya seeds. After you dry them out and let them get crunchy, they are a very convenient treat. The exact right size for training, actually, since I don't have to break them into smaller pieces to avoid filling them up.

Pine nuts also get a big reaction. As do dried hibiscus and star anise.

Less convenient, pocket-wise, are pomegranates. But most parrots LOVE them!

Click to expand...

They were shelled, so they were pretty small. I tried "showing" her they were food by showing her 2 of them, and eating one while she watched....she took it....dropped it, lol

The trick here is finding out what your birds favorite treat is. Skittles has several treats but there are a few that he likes so much he'd move mountains for them. Pasta being the most common.

The trick for me has been associating a certain treat with a certain action. It makes it easier for the bird to understand but also allows you to still give them treats other times during the day.

For example, Skittles gets 'power treats' daily. He gets one every morning after I wake him up. He's come to expect it. But his real treats (pasta, juice, fruit) he 'earns' through good behavior and following directions.