Trying to tame Freddie.

[Urban_Warrior]

Hi, I have a IRN called Freddie that you can see in the pictures I have attached bellow.

I got him from a petshop about 3 days ago and I have been totally lied to about him. I was told he was last years hatch!! yet he has a ring round his neck. He was fed mainly on a sunflower seed diet and he is not tame at all (as you would expect from a rubbish pet store) and to make matters worse we traved 135 miles down to get him. However he is worth it. Now he is home and eating a healthier diet of pellets, seeds (not sunflower) and fresh fruits and veg, I was wondering how and when I should start to tame him? I had a cockatiel years ago and to be honest no matter how hard I tried she was not interested in me what so ever. I would like to tame Freddie even just so he will sit on my hand to make it easier for him to get out and excercise. Also would you recommend clipping his wings?

Any information at all will be much appreciated.

Dan & Freddie.

 

[weco]

Welcome aboard Dan.....as you've found out, pet shops are not always honorable in their dealings and are often more interested in moving merchandise than providing correct information, but in fairness to those shops that bend over backwards to make sure the potential bird owner is well informed before leaving the shop with a new bird, they are around and there are a large percentage of them.....you just have to find them.....

While there are cases of a bird coming into a new home and settling right in, the norm is somewhat different than that.....you usually have a period of acquaintance where the bird figures out whether or not you're just fattening it up for your next meal or not...and...that doesn't normally happen in three days.....more often it can take a few weeks to even a few months.....

Sitting near the cage & talking to the bird goes a long way to calming a bird, as does offering treats & even food through the cage bars. Depending on where a bird is hatched & raised, along with whether it was handled and how much, up to and after weaning & fledging.....the hand-feeding process can be just that, hand feeding, taking a bird out of a neonatal tank/cage, holding, feeding it & putting it back in its tank/cage...a rather clinical process...or...the handling may include feather preening, the assisting in the removal of feather sheaths. As new feathers grow in, they poke through the bird's skin and while the skin is designed for it, it is an itchy and sometimes painful process for the bird and (if it lets you) gently rubbing/squeezing the sheaths can endear you to the bird.....

Always keeping a calm voice is better than raising one's voice.....refraining from jerking back if the bird bites, does not send the message that the bird can get its way with you by biting, sometimes an extremely difficult thing to correct.....

You would be well counseled to read up on and practice clicker training & touch training...there is a lot of good information on the internet and several decent videos on you tube and while there are commercial training materials just waiting for your £££, the free readings and videos are just as good and in many cases, better.....patience is the operative word when working with and training both you and your new feathered friend.....

Good luck.....

 

[Urban_Warrior]

Thank you so much Weco. That was a huge help and I will take everything you said on board.

 

[MyBirdsMinion]

Very good advice from Weco! Talking and even singing to Freddie in a soft voice will go a long way. I might add too that sitting with your hand in his cage (even if he runs to the other side) will help. Just sit there and don't reach for him; let him get used to your hand. When he will sit on your hand on his own (in a few days or a few weeks) take him in a small bathroom or a large well lit closet and sit with him on your finger or hand while you talk to him. you will be amazed how well he behaves in a tiny little room. Do this every day and soon he will be your best buddy!

 

[Urban_Warrior]

Thank you, I will take it all on board.

 

[kanundra]

He really is beautiful

I'm sure he'll get there. Took me a while to get Bobby settled, but with patience and food anything is possible.

 

[chippy]

This is my favourite training video...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkI9PvOsjS0]Building Trust With Your Bird - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Yellowpeaches]

My problem is that I can take out my irn food dish (to replenish it) but I cant get back in the cage without being bitten. What do you do in this case?

 

[khaiqha]

I had a parent raised IRN as a child. Took my about one month to tame him, and then he was the most awesome bird I've ever had. I spent a lot of time around him first, doing homework next to him while he was in the cage. Then I offered food from my hand in the cage. Eventually I started taking him out.

I highly recommend leaving the bird flighted, not only for the bird's benefit, but yours as well. A bird that has the option to fly away is much less likely to bite you. If you're concerned about having an untame bird flying around your home, start in small rooms.

 

[Urban_Warrior]

Hi, yes that's what I am doing with him. I have him in the sitting room with us all the time, as for his wings I have had them clipped because when he was out (regardless of room size) he would smack into walls and furniture and nearly cracked his beak!! For his sake while we are tameing him he will be clipped. I personally think he will take a long long time to tame as he is still as warey with us as he was on day one however we are working with hi all the time, talking to him loads and letting him do everything at his pace and not ours as there is no rush.

thanks again

 

[Farhan213]

Why dont you teach him over the mirror. Trust me its work..
If possible play some games with him.