Is it too late to train/ tame?

[soupdedoup]

Is it too late to train/ tame cockatiel?

Hello,

Little disclaimer, sorry this is going to be a bit long, I just want to put out all the details.

So I got a cockatiel about 6 months ago. I bought him from a guy who had about 20 cockatiels in a huge cage, but he never took them out or handled them; they didn't have any toys either, so they were just a bunch of cockatiels together. I later found out that he was also parent raised, which I didn't research too much into at first and teh man who had them said he was about 1 year old.

When we first got him, we followed the rules of just sitting by him for a week and having him get used to us by just being present around him. Maybe two weeks after having him, he started to chirp a little. Since then, we tried to slowly give him treats and millet out of our hands, which he starting to be more comfortable.

About a month later, we started to try the step up training. He didn't respond, but we'd hold his millet far so he would have to come on our finger and then while still giving him his millet, we'd take him out. When he is out of his cage, he completely knows to step up when we put our finger in front, but as soon as he sees his cage, he'll fly towards it. After that, I had to leave on a trip for about a month and my brother didn't have the patience to take him out with millet, he would just grab him out, which scared him, but he's still comfortable once he's out.

Sorry for the long details, but now he still won't respond to the step up and doesn't like to be out of his cage. He also doesn't play with his toys or climb around as much, he will sit by his food dish and preen and chirp all day, sometimes he'll climb to the top perch, but he'll do the same thing. One good thing is that he likes to be scratched behind his head and when we open the cage door, he'll come forward to my mom or me and push his head to be scratched, but he still won't come on my finger.

Thanks for bearing with all those details, my question is: is it too late to try to get him to like coming out of his cage and to learn to step up in his cage? I'm happy he accepts us scratching him, but sometimes I feel like he might be bored, I talked to a breeder and she said since he was in a cage with a large amount of birds and was parent raised, we are basically trying to tame a wild bird. What do you guys think and do you have any similar experiences? Do you think I can tame him if I am persistent? Also, why do you think he isn't interested in his toys? I switch them out every now and then I read that cockatiels are curious, but he isn't interested in anything.

Thanks for reading!

 

[weco]

Probably the best reason your 'tiel doesn't play with toys is because he probably has no idea what they are or how to use them for his/her own entertainment.....

How long ago did your feathered friend go through the last molt? If you really want to work with and train your 'tiel, read up on clicker training & touch training...there's also several decent videos on youtube about both methods.....if you're persistent and regular with the training (no more than 15-20 minutes at a session), you should see some gain within 2-3 weeks.....if it continues to shy away, you can have its wings clipped, which will help with attention during training.....once training has progressed sufficiently, its wings should be molting back in.....

Good luck.....

 

[jroyal]

I agree with the clicker and touch training. It works wonders for scared, aggressive, shy, stubborn birds.

Another thing I like to do with smaller birds is leave the cage door open. I have two budgies that don't step up from inside the cage but once they're out they do it instantly. So I usually just leave the cage door open and they climb out on their own. I've never done any formal training methods with my budgies but just giving them the choice to come and go as they please has really worked for me. So just let your tiel come out when he wants (as long as your supervised) it may take a few days for him to actually start leaving the cage but he'll eventually come out. Most birds usually come out by accident.

I have a safe tree branch on top of their cage that live to chew on. So that's their motivation to come out. But just by giving that option, I'm able to safely handle them, they don't freak out by me constantly walking past, and they've started to explore the room and often walk right up to me. Star, my female, is notorious for climbing into your pockets.

You probably won't have the same success that I've had but it will help with your birds confidence and he'll feel safer in and out of his cage and from there you can do touch and clicker training

 

[SoCalWendy]

Here is a really good link to a how to article. Hope it helps.

Parrot Forum ? View topic - How to Teach Parrot to Step Up and to Come Out of Cage

 

[Pajarita]

Well, the breeder is right, of course, and your brother messed the training up and the bird reverted with the added problem that he scared him so now he trusts people even less. Target and clicker training will work but you will have to be even more patient this time as now you have to 'undo' the damage your brother made.

I have only one tiel that plays with toys and then all she does is take strings from the plucking ones so I wouldn't worry about that.

Have you considered getting a hand-fed female as his companion? It will make his life infinitely happier and teach him to trust humans as well...

 

[soupdedoup]

Thanks for your responses, everyone! Yeah, I'm sad that he won't step up, but I'm glad that he trusts me enough to bow his head for a little scratch!

 

[Birdlover11]

Soon he will get used to you . You have to build up a trust bond with him so he knows that you will take care if him out if the cage , at least that's how it was with my budgies . Just keep trying different toys and soon he will find out how to work with one .

 

[legal_eagle]

You should clip his wings.

 

[Julianna]

I had a budgie who was pretty much completely untamed when I got her, and it took me about 2 months of taming, but I had her perfectly tamed by the end and she loved to come out and sit on my hand, shoulder, or basically anything. Her wings were not clipped. If you can get your 'tiel away from the cage and into a different room it might help the process. That's what I did with my budgie. Just keep trying and remember to be SUPER patient. It may take a long time. Good luck!