Stepping up...

[dulphinz]

Ok, I'm new to birds and have owned our now 8 month old eclectus boy for 2 months. He will not step up from inside his cage. I have to put my hand behind him to eventually have him step up (which I HATE doing...but I end up doing it so that he can get some play time outside the cage and spend time with us). He has never bitten us nor tried, eats well, drinks, chit chats a little now and then and seems to want our attention. If I have him on me and give him scratches he comes close to falling asleep sometimes. He seems to like playing on his java tree and has even enjoyed some meals at the table with us. He will step up from anywhere BUT his cage. I don't want to keep forcing him and have him hold it against me! What can I do, he will under no circumstances take treats from my hand so that doesn't work at all with him. I haven't target trained, but I'm wondering how to effectively do that when he doesn't take treats! Any advice/help would be appreciated, I've tried all kinds of different things and nothing seems to be working. He's a friendly bird and I don't want him to be cooped up all day in his cage...

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Eric&Rebecca]

Inside the cage is difficult. He's probably a bit cage aggressive because that's his territory. Why don't you try taking him out on a wooden dowel for now. Then work up to the hand...

You can still let him out even if he won't step up to come out just yet. Getting in and out the cage on their own is an important skill to learn too.

Michael has a training guide on this on this forum. If you look taking your bird out the cage guide or something similarly titled there should be some amazing tips in there. You're doing well and it's great he's comfortable with you.

[Pajarita]

Male ekkies are not known for cage aggression for the simple reason that it's the females that are dominant in the species and they even have more than one husband so the males are programmed to 'share'. I think the problem here is distrust -and the fact that he doesn't take treats from your hand stems from the same problem. Personally, I would open the cage and just go about my routine. I would not force him to come out in any way. I would just be patient and wait him out. If you play your cards right, he will eventually want to join you because he will not be able to help himself, parrots are, after all, eminently social and more than like, they physically NEED companionship.

Just open the door and put a treat right outside in a very visible and easily accessible place. If you have the kind of cage which door opens down and becomes a small platform, it would be perfect but, if you don't, buy yourself a platform, hang it just outside the door, put a treat there and wait him out but don't stare at him, walk around talking to him and look at him out of the corner of your eye and, if he doesn't come out, try again later - and again and again until he comes out on his own.

[Eric&Rebecca]

Maybe you could use the Java tree you mentioned for Parajita's suggestion?

[dulphinz]

Thanks for your suggestions. I will stop forcing him and just give him time I guess...do you know how long I should expect it to take him? As I said earlier he chit chats and seems to want attention and perhaps come out but just doesn't.

[Eric&Rebecca]

Well it can take a few days, a couple of weeks or a month or more. Let him come out the cage or maybe like i said take him out on a wooden dowel or maybe make a walkway r screw a perch to the outside of the cage.