New Baby IRN

[BrandiC]

Hello! I'm new here and a new owner to a 3 month beautiful neon yellow IRN, Athena. I have had her for only 5 days. I have been getting her out everyday, keeping her with me. She hasn't really made any noises, she explores her whole cage, she will get out of the cage on her own. She will now come to me when I say Athena come. What type of treats should I use for rewards when training? When should I start training? I also have a flyper (harness/diaper) I would like to train her with as well. I want to make sure I'm not rushing things and making her uncomfortable in anyway. Her cage is in my living room up against the wall. I am typically in there the most, but I take her in what ever room I will be in. I also work every day Monday to Friday but I do go home at lunch to give her fresh chop and spend some time with her. I hope I'm doing things right.

 

[foxgloveparrot]

When you start training is up to you and Athena to decide. If Athena is not very tame yet, you can help her get used to you through training. If you two prefer to train her later on, you can do so. As for the training treats, every bird has a different treat preference. My favorite way of finding out a bird's favorite treat is by putting them all in a bowl and seeing which the bird takes first, then which one, then which one after that, and so on. Then put only the first few she picked into the bowl. Whichever she picks from that is usually the favorite. Fruits, seeds, and small bits of bigger nuts make good treats for IRNs, so I would include some of those in your treat test. And yes, you are doing great! Keep going!

 

[BrandiC]

When you start training is up to you and Athena to decide. If Athena is not very tame yet, you can help her get used to you through training. If you two prefer to train her later on, you can do so. As for the training treats, every bird has a different treat preference. My favorite way of finding out a bird's favorite treat is by putting them all in a bowl and seeing which the bird takes first, then which one, then which one after that, and so on. Then put only the first few she picked into the bowl. Whichever she picks from that is usually the favorite. Fruits, seeds, and small bits of bigger nuts make good treats for IRNs, so I would include some of those in your treat test. And yes, you are doing great! Keep going!

Thank you! I have noticed she likes blackberries and hot peppers a lot. I've tried dehydrating my own fruit and she doesn't seem to care to much for it. Any suggestions on what dry treats to try with her?

 

[wrench13]

I used tiny pieces of pine nuts as a training treat. What ever you wind up with, it should be used only for training, so it remains special! Never too early to start training, even harness training. Key to successful training: Be consistent in how you ask for the action or trick, be immediate when giving the reward - have it ready, and always reward when there is any progress, even a little bit. Lastly Be patient, and expect some back sliding, 2 steps forward and 1 step back. Parrots are stubborn and change slowly, most of the time. The good news is that once she understand that you are doing a training session, she will learn faster. My little amazon, Salty, and I train every night for all sorts of tricks, and he often learns a new trick in 1` or 2 training sessions.