Large parrot vs small in training

[Jules1]

Hi,
I'm looking for the experienced bird trainers here who have trained both large and small parrots.
First, do you feel a difference in training between the two?
Second, do you find it easier to train a bigger, medium sized bird to a small parrotlet, lovebird species?
I've only been training for two months now and I am training parrotlets, lovebirds and one Sun Conure. So far I find the conure easier, because he is less flighty, and nervous in nature. He seems to understand more to the training than the parrotlets do.

Like I said I've only been training for two months and I wonder if the parrotlets and lovebird will ever accept me as their flock and become tamed. We have been spinning, waving, stepping up and now working on putting a ball into a cup. We are also working on recall that is important. I have also been working on holding my hand near them and touching them to get them tamed

Please share your expertise in this issue with me. I know professional trainers say they train the same but I'm not experiencing this yet. And I do understand if bird came from an abused background it would take a lot longer, but this isn't the case with mine.

Thank you looking forward to learn from you all

Julie

[Michael]

Hi,
I'm looking for the experienced bird trainers here who have trained both large and small parrots.
First, do you feel a difference in training between the two?

Nope. It's the same in concept. Different only in body size.

Second, do you find it easier to train a bigger, medium sized bird to a small parrotlet, lovebird species?

While the training theory and concepts are the same, the pace is completely different. The small birds are hyper and you gotta be quick. Progress is quicker in terms of human time but slower in terms of number of repetitions.

For example i'd find that a budgie could learn the turn-around trick in 100 repetitions in a single day whereas it might take a Cape Parrot 50 repetitions stretched out over 3 days. With the budgie it's like you went through 3 days by doing 3 sessions in the same day. Different metabolism and association of time.

I've only been training for two months now and I am training parrotlets, lovebirds and one Sun Conure. So far I find the conure easier, because he is less flighty, and nervous in nature. He seems to understand more to the training than the parrotlets do.

That's a lot of birds to try to work with at the same time with little experience.

[marie83]

It will honestly vary depending on the individual- how they are raised, what they are fed (bad diets stunt development), flighted or clipped, allowed to fledge or not, traumatic past, natural differences in intelligence levels and personality. I could go and get another green cheek from the exact same place I got Ollie and make sure they were raised in the exact same way, however they would still be two completely different and individual birds to train.

I do agree with Michael in that the concept of training is the same but you may need to make adjustments to suit the individual bird.

I haven't trained any big birds as such but have trained a variety of smaller species.