by Pajarita » Fri Jan 02, 2015 1:08 pm
Wolf is correct, you need to change her diet and take your time with her -you should also uncover her cage earlier and only turn on the lights (good quality full spectrum) at around 8 am (and you should be turning them off at around 3:30 pm and allow dusk to fall naturally and for the birds to go to sleep after).
But you can also start training her. Wait until mid-morning, after she's had her breakfast and bath/preen session and, when you see her relaxing, do a 10 minute training session (no more!). Then, again, mid-afternoon and when she has been active for about 1/2 hour after her noon rest (it should be around 2pm). First teach her to target (she needs to touch the tip of the stick with her beak and, when she does, you give her a sunflower seed with your 'pinched' fingers). Once she learns this, teach her to step up onto a stick (not the one with the target, a regular stick -you can even use a tree branch), and, later, to step down. It doesn't matter that you have to offer the treat with pinched fingers, the regular interaction without pressure, haste and at the right times of the day will start building trust in her and, eventually, she will start 'forgetting' about hands that grab and start focusing only on hands with sticks and treats. Once you've been this for a long time (say, 3 months or so), she is used and looking forward to the steady routine and you see that she is relaxed, you can start putting your index finger on it (you grab the stick by wrapping your fingers around it against your palm except the index which you rest on the stick), she might be reluctant to step on it at the beginning but, if she does, just ask twice and leave it be (don't give her the treat), wait about 10 minutes (do or pretend to do something else) and come back and ask again. If she doesn't do it, it's fine, wait until the next training session and ask again. Once she has been perching on the stick with your finger on it (the stick has to be long enough so she has room to perch at the end where there is no finger) for 7 to 10 days without hesitation (and it HAS to be without hesitation, you can't rush these things), start shortening the stick. Just one inch at a time and, again, wait until 7 or 10 days for her to get on it without hesitation - and then shorten another inch. Eventually, if you are very patient and always take into consideration her wishes and allow her to set the pace, she will step on your finger -just make sure your hand is not open, it has to be a fist with your index sticking out only, even the thumb should be 'tucked' in. If you achieve this, it will be the first step for her to eventually accept an open hand.