problem going in cage

[kandiland]

Hi everyone I am not new to this form I just like to read all the good advice so I have not posted very much, but I have a 7-8 week old irn I have hand fed it since s/he was 3-4 weeks my problem now is that he hates being in a cage and every time I put him/her in a cage s/he hurts themsevle we have broke a feather, hurt its beak. Any suggestions on how to get it in acage without wworrying that when I return I will find a happy bird not a stressed out or hurt bird. Please any suggestions would greatly help.

 

[weco]

Often young birds will play rough, break a feather, maybe fall a time or two, but unless you notice him thrashing around the cage or otherwise being destructive to himself, I might be inclined to chalk it of to playful exuberance.....

As to disliking his cage, how big is the cage? Are there any toys in the cage? Does he play with the toys? Birds do not hatch ready to play with a swing, ball or foraging toy.....actually, unless they have been caged with a bird or birds that do play with their toys, the bird will usually sit on their perch very stoically.....if that's the case here, you are going to have to get down on the floor with the bird a teach it what a toy is and that it can amuse itself with one, being sure to express a lot of ooos and ahhhs & fun face expressions.....the same is usually true when trying new foods, often we have to eat whatever we want them to eat, again, making all these good sounds & giving good facial & body expressions.....

If the cage is too small, a bird might feel cramped, but then that doesn't mean that it needs one large enough for you to get into yourself.....

 

[MonicaMc]

Now would probably be the time to teach independent play as well as foraging.

 

[kandiland]

There is toys in cage and he does play with feet toys so he does know how to play. The cage is big enough but when I put him in the cage he is trying every thing to get out to be with me that he doesn't care what he does to him self and could care less what is in the cage. I left him in the cage for a hour and he did nothing but try and get out that he was so wore out the he slept for a while that he had me worried that he had hurt himself in a way I could not see.