What toys are best and when to start training young Lorikeets to talk??

[SharlenaSharlena]

Good evening everyone!
My Lorikeets (Skittles and Starburst) are about 14 weeks now and growing so fast! They have now started to fly and are fully weaned! They have been such a joy and are the most affectionate birds I have ever come into contact with. So now that they are older they are wanting to play constantly! We have block toys that hang from little ropes and bell toys but I just wanted to see what toys would be best from everyone else's experience. I was also curious if anyone has any experience with training Lorikeets to talk. Ours have started mimicking animals (our dogs, outside birds, phone) but we are trying to teach them words. I always say "Hi", "Hi baby" and "Yayyyyyy" but I was wondering when is the best time to teach them,when they are young or when they are a little older. Any who didn't mean for this to ramble so much, thanks so much for any advice!


Starburst!


Skittles and daddy!


Skittles kissing up!

 

[MikeyTN]

If I remember right certain Lorikeets are good talkers. Mine isn't so I can't help you there. To me plastic baby toys and plastic balls makes perfect toys for them. But you can have some block of wood as they like to chew on them. Because of their messiness, hence the reason why I suggest plastic toys. Then you can rinse them off when you need to.

 

[SharlenaSharlena]

OMG Why didn't I think of that? Baby toys would be fantastic! They like things that are rubbery (they are always playing with my rubber cancer bracelet when I wear it). Plastic toys is a great idea because ours love making messes over everything. I will go to the Baby's R Us out here and check out some safe baby toys. I want them to use their feet more, they haven't caught on to the whole footy play toys yet. I had thought about cat toys, would that be a safe alternative as well?

 

[MikeyTN]

Those cat ball toys would work fine! My Malachai plays with them.

 

[LoryLover]

From the moment you got these little guys is the time to teach them to talk. Its the same as a little child, start talking to them and even when they can't yet say it, they will listen and learn. My chattering began talking at 3mos old. We got her as a 6week old baby.

Cat toys are okay as long as they aren't filled with catnip. I go to the cat and ferret section to buy the plastic wiffle balls, the ones with holes in them and a bell inside. The noisier the toy, the better the lorikeet will like it.

 

[MikeyTN]

LoryLover,

The exact toy I got for Malachai...lol. If he's mad he picks them up and sling it across really hard...

 

[LoryLover]

LoryLover,

The exact toy I got for Malachai...lol. If he's mad he picks them up and sling it across really hard...

haha, he must get it rolling quite aways! When Sweet Pea is mad, she starts biting her toys while saying "no biting", lol

 

[LoryLover]

Sharlena, your little lorikeets are SO cute! Look at their cute little tails! I love their names. Do they get along well together?

 

[SharlenaSharlena]

Sharlena, your little lorikeets are SO cute! Look at their cute little tails! I love their names. Do they get along well together?

Thanks so SO much for the suggestions everyone! It helps so much especially since I am new to all of this. Oh my stars they get along FANTASTIC. One can't be doing something the other isn't Skittles is the adventurous one always jumping off of stuff and climbing. Starburst was a late bloomer (still has much of her baby feathering, although she is bigger than him and more dominant) but that hasn't stopped her from trying whatever he is doing. They are definitely very much enamored with one another. Constantly preening, playing and shnuggling each other. They even have conversations. They do this weird muttering LoryLover to each other and these clicking sounds. Its adorable though! Your Lory is beautiful! I am so fascinated with them! What do you feed her to get yours so vibrant>? Ours will be starting Linda's Blessing on Monday.

Oh and I will have to take more pics this weekend, their tails just started growing in and they have gotten SOOOOOO long!

 

[MikeyTN]

Here's Malachai.

 

[LoryLover]

Sharlena, your little lorikeets are SO cute! Look at their cute little tails! I love their names. Do they get along well together?

Thanks so SO much for the suggestions everyone! It helps so much especially since I am new to all of this. Oh my stars they get along FANTASTIC. One can't be doing something the other isn't Skittles is the adventurous one always jumping off of stuff and climbing. Starburst was a late bloomer (still has much of her baby feathering, although she is bigger than him and more dominant) but that hasn't stopped her from trying whatever he is doing. They are definitely very much enamored with one another. Constantly preening, playing and shnuggling each other. They even have conversations. They do this weird muttering LoryLover to each other and these clicking sounds. Its adorable though! Your Lory is beautiful! I am so fascinated with them! What do you feed her to get yours so vibrant>? Ours will be starting Linda's Blessing on Monday.

Oh and I will have to take more pics this weekend, their tails just started growing in and they have gotten SOOOOOO long!

The way they get along sounds soooo adorable! I can just picture it. The clicking sounds are very typical of lories. Tapping too, they will tap their beaks on something to make a noise and you can join in (tapping with your fingers) - I do! Having a lory is great fun and you have two of them! Double the fun!

Sweet Pea started talking when she was 3 months old, and even now at 16 years old, she is still learning new things to say. She mimics coughing, clearing the throat, spitting (gets that from when we brush our teeth), laughing, humming tunes just like a person would hum (da-dee-dee-dee, do-da), whistles tunes perfectly, doors squeaking, etc, etc, ....... once your two start this, I can just imagine the duo performances!!

When Sweet Pea is tired, one of the things she says is "me a tired pea"... haha.

Did you know you can potty train them?? We started Sweet Pea potty training at 6 weeks old! Just get a plastic plant liner - one of the real sturdy plastic ones, put paper towel in it, sit the lorikeet on the rim and say "go potty"... when they do it, give them tons of praise. This will surely help with the mess if you let them out running around on the floor. Sweet Pea will run over to her potty dish on her own, potty into it, then go back to playing on the floor. They learn super quick, only takes a couple days, and then a few weeks just re-enforcing the idea.

I've always fed Nekton-Lori nectar. I order it from a distributor in Florida for 1/2 to 1/3 the price it is sold in pet shops. I order 3000 grams of it each time I order - costs about $90 (includes shipping) and lasts for about 7 months.

The coloring of all the different species of lories & lorikeets is just amazing. Sweet Pea is a chattering lory and I love her coloring - especially how her legs are green feathered extending from a red feathered tummy! Very cute.