Training tips needed

[Tinder]

Hi,

I've just started basic training with my Eastern Rosella Joey who I've had for 2 weeks now.

I have two main issues I need advice on - and both i think are related. I'm starting with trying to get Joey to accept food from my hands but he still won't do this. When I attempt to feed him (millet spray usually) through the bars of his cage he gets as far away from me as he can & sometimes reverts back to clinging to the back of his cage - something he did constantly the first few days after we adopted him whenever anyone approached his cage. Now he has no problem with me approaching his cage or laying my hands on it, except for when I try to hand feed him.

The second 'problem' is Joey will come out of his cage no problem but doesnt seem too keen on going back in it. Most of the time this isnt a problem at all - if i'm in all day he's free to come in & out as he pleases. It is a problem, however, when i've got to leave the house. He'll go back inside to feed & rest for a while but if i approach the cage he quickly climbs or flies back out before i get near it. I don't want him to develop bad habits & never want to be in his cage, as much as I enjoy him being out & getting the exercise he needs... so any advice on this?

Tying the two things together I've also noticed that Joey is more relaxed when on top of his cage then when he's in it. (I've heard of cage aggression - is this related to this in any way? He doesn't show aggression, just acts all timid when I try to feed him in his cage.) He still doesn't let me get close enough to hand feed him when out of cage but does at least let me get pretty close without showing the nervousness he shows when inside. I've been using the technique Michael advises to desensitize him to my close presence - not sure what its called, sorry but the one where you get as close as poss without panicking your bird, stand still, then reward them by walking away.

So is there anything else i can try here or is it just a case of keep persevering?

p.s. i haven't witheld food from him yet & I'm wondering now if this needs to be my next step - he may not be accepting my treats just because he's simply not hungry. I feed him in the morning with his seed mix and fruit & veg, then give him fresh fruit/veg again in the afternoon.
When & how would i go about food management as an aid to training? Any advice on either issue would be great, thanks

[dohcsvt]

For training purposes, I have found that when I remove the fodd prior to bed my birds are more willing to perform feats for it than when they are fat and happy. I immediately give them breakfast after training, so this is where I would start. Take food away in the evening, and let him out first thing in the morning without feeding him. Then offer the millet. I am going to venture that you get better results due to his hunger. However, if after a few attempts he still will not take it from you, you should feed him so he is not overly hungry.

[liz]

I rewarded my kids with praise when they did something right. I didn't think food should be a reward. Same with the critters. Everything has free choice feeders. They do get nutriciouse treats on a regular schedule and have learned to tell time. If I am late - they remind me.

Praise has always worked for me. I don't trick train - I teach.

[Tinder]

For training purposes, I have found that when I remove the fodd prior to bed my birds are more willing to perform feats for it than when they are fat and happy. I immediately give them breakfast after training, so this is where I would start. Take food away in the evening, and let him out first thing in the morning without feeding him. Then offer the millet. I am going to venture that you get better results due to his hunger. However, if after a few attempts he still will not take it from you, you should feed him so he is not overly hungry.

I'll try that dohcsvt, thankyou. I was thinking that may be my next step but felt a bit cruel witholding his food (soppy new bird mum that I am ) If done for only very limited periods in the morning though i'm sure that can't hurt! And i certainly won't leave him with food for any longer than a brief period.

I rewarded my kids with praise when they did something right. I didn't think food should be a reward. Same with the critters. Everything has free choice feeders. They do get nutriciouse treats on a regular schedule and have learned to tell time. If I am late - they remind me.

Praise has always worked for me. I don't trick train - I teach.

I'm not looking to trick train Liz, just to be able to attain some basic handling skills with Joey - so i can take him to the vet, get him back into his cage when i need to etc. I think he has learned in his previous home to associate his cage with bad things like being trapped in it 24/7, with no attention or stimulation. I let him stay out of his cage all day when I'm home if that's what he wants but there comes a time when he has to go back inside (when i have to leave the house for a while or when he needs to go to sleep!) but I'm having real difficulty with this and was asking really for specific advice on how to deal with it.

He'll go into his cage then bolt for the exit if he sees me make a move to close the door - and this is on days when he's been out for, like 9-10 hours already! When i have an appointment throughout the day to go to what do i do - leave him loose unsupervised in the room and hope when i get back he's ok? I can't do that, the worry would be too much. So how do I praise him into accepting these basic handling requirements?