Aggresive or scaried lovebird

[jancijen]

I have noticed that when i offer him his favourite spray of millet or apple he is calmly eating but sometimes when i offer him for example sunflower or now a bit of pastry then he is trying to get to my fingers from right or left. Is it normal or not ?

[Eric&Rebecca]

Don't feed pastry. Too much salt, fat and things.

It's because the seed is smaller so your hand is not distanced from him and he feels intimidated. Of course it's normal, he doesn't like hands at the moment. Just use the one treat for now.

[jancijen]

Ok thx And is it normal when at 20:00 he is passive and somtimes he sleeps ? He is on the cage bars and he mostly sleeps there, too He normally wakes up at 6:30 in the morning and then he sleeps a bit, too (i think). (Then i go to school)

[Eric&Rebecca]

Yes... my birds start settling down around then. I've known birds, especially lovies to sleep on the cage bars. That's 10 hours sleep, ideally he should sleep through till 8:30... is there not someone else at home that could uncover him then, he's probably still sleeping because he needs that extra 2 hours.

[jancijen]

I think he is Now i covered him with blanket ( dont worry he has enough space for breathing ) because i am not sleeping now and thx again

[Eric&Rebecca]

Yeah its ok... a bed sheet or a blanket or a large towel.. they will be able to breathe. Just don't turn the heating up too much LOL

[jancijen]

Today i was at petshop and they said me that next week they ll have clicker ^^ . And do u think that it is okay to feed my bird about 3 times a day for about 15 minutes ? Because i dont think that he ll be able to eat for a hour at one time , or ?

Btw: feed = giving treat

[Eric&Rebecca]

Hi,

Start with training once per day for now. Don't push too hard too soon. Before you treat him don't give him normal feed for 2 hours. The treat loses the appeal without appetite

Great news on the clicker.

Also concentrate on spending lots of time around your bird. Just doing daily chores or sitting or whatever. Just get him really used to your presence. I talk to mine, like a mad bird woman, so if I'm doing the laundry I'll say 'Look at all this laundry George (my newwest baby), what I am I going to do?!' after a few weeks he chittering back and I'd respond with 'you think so?' then he'd chitter and i'd be like 'oh really... you think that?'... wow'

Little things like that really do help too.

[jancijen]

I have never brought his food away and then treat. He just loves spray of millet And when i go around him i am talking to him or when i watch tv

[Eric&Rebecca]

That's part of the training- if the bird is hungry itself an incentive, if he's not hungry there's no reason to try for the treat. Once the pattern is established, if I do this action I get a treat it reinforces the behaviour. Before training you take away the food for two hours. I personally, feed my birds in meals but they do free feed on TOPS pellets and dried fruits and always have water. You MUST leave water in the cage but two hours prior to training remove the food sources.