Taming a parrotlet

[Konabird]

I have been reading the taming guide on here and following it as closely as possible, but I have a few problems. My parrotlet is about 5 months old now, and I've had him for about one month. I started clicker training, which he seemed to take to rather easily, but has since sort of started ignoring the target, or touching it and running away to the other side of the cage every instantly. I have been treating him with millet, which he will take from my hand reluctantly. He takes a bite and then runs away to the other side of the cage.

I'm not sure if this is normal, because he is my first bird, or if I'm doing something wrong. I could really use some advice!

Here's a picture of my bird, Pirate:

[Michael]

How long are you withholding food prior to doing this? Sounds like he isn't motivated. I don't recommend heavily managing small birds and especially babies. But it sounds like 3-6 hours without food will make things work better.

On the flipside, if the little guy is already friendly and steps up, I wouldn't worry too much about training at all right now. I'd wait till he's a bit older for that kind of stuff and focus more on introducing him to stuff. However, if you can't handle him then going through the training immediately is your only option.

[Konabird]

I've been taking his food out about two hours before I start training. I also removed millet from his diet, because before I did he was completely ignoring the millet spray I was trying to use as a treat.

He does not yet let me touch him, or step up. The picture of him on my hand was from me picking him up when he jumped out of his cage when I stepped away from it for a moment. I had to get him off the floor.

Anyway, is the running away from the target right after touching it normal? Same with the treats. I don't know how to get him to warm up to me!

[Michael]

Forget about target until he is reliably taking treats. Try taking food away for longer. Try 3 hours. Next time 4. And up to 6.

[cml]

Very cute little parrotlet!

[janetafloat]

Cute bird!

I'm no expert but here's my take on it...

I'm about a month ahead of you, I've had my baby tiel about 2 months, I was somewhat gung-ho at first but I've had to slow down and work at the bird's pace. I think it takes a LOT of patience and time to get a bird to gain trust and confidence in being handled, unless it comes to you already hand tame.

Perhaps try sitting quietly with the bird, reading or doing something that isn't focusing on the bird, every day. Perhaps resting your hand at the cage door and doing nothing else until the bird seems less nervous, and then holding it in the same place with some millet in it, talking in a friendly voice to it. Basically taking some time to just build a relationship in a way that isn't focused on training.

I know that my tiel (about 4-5 months old) still has the attention span of a gnat and there are some days when he does well with the clicker training and some days when he's just not there. Even on good days I keep it to about 5 mins twice a day.

What diet is your bird on? I do think it helps having your bird on a pellet diet, as then they'll sell their soul for some seed!

If you bird is coming toward you at all, then you've been doing something right, but it could well be that the 'dashing in, grabbing some millet and dashing off again' thing is a step in the process and you need to keep going with it but be patient and, like I said, perhaps spend more time close to the bird without wanting it to do anything, and just build the sense that you're safe to be around.

Good luck with it, you'll get there!

[friend2parrots]

Forget about target until he is reliably taking treats.

I agree with this.

spend some time identifying which treat your bird will do anything for. its diff for each bird. janet afloat is right - getting him onto pellets will make seeds irresistible. if he's still on a seed diet, then then take his food bowl out, and separate all the seeds, lay each type individually on a plate, spread apart, and place the plate in front of him when you know he's hungry. the seed he goes for immediately will be his favorite seed. note the top three seeds. withhold these from his daily diet, and use only for treating.

practice hand feeding the top favorite seed (using the other two for backup) through the cage bars when he's hungry. he'll probably get hungry quite fast, you may not have to wait more than an hour after removing the food dish.

also, i noticed your bird is clipped. if you allow his flight feathers to grow in, it will improve his mental sharpness and confidence, and hence, his trainability

[Konabird]

Forget about target until he is reliably taking treats.

I agree with this.

spend some time identifying which treat your bird will do anything for. its diff for each bird. janet afloat is right - getting him onto pellets will make seeds irresistible. if he's still on a seed diet, then then take his food bowl out, and separate all the seeds, lay each type individually on a plate, spread apart, and place the plate in front of him when you know he's hungry. the seed he goes for immediately will be his favorite seed. note the top three seeds. withhold these from his daily diet, and use only for treating.

practice hand feeding the top favorite seed (using the other two for backup) through the cage bars when he's hungry. he'll probably get hungry quite fast, you may not have to wait more than an hour after removing the food dish.

also, i noticed your bird is clipped. if you allow his flight feathers to grow in, it will improve his mental sharpness and confidence, and hence, his trainability

The only problem with this is that he only seems interested in seeds. I know he loves sunflower seeds the most, but they are too small compared to my hand for him to take them from me. I've already done the thing where you lay out the seeds and stuff. I'll probably stick to millet, he seems to like that since I took it out of his diet.

Also I've never been able to get him to accept a treat through the bars. The only way he has ever taken a treat is from me reaching in. I'll take a step back though and see if I can get him to do it again, thanks for the advice.

On the wing clipping thing, his wings were clipped when I got him. If it were my choice he wouldn't be clipped now. I don't plan on clipping him in the future at all.

One more question, since I am stopping the target training for now, should I still incorporate the clicker when I give him a treat? Or just forget about that too?

[Konabird]

What diet is your bird on? I do think it helps having your bird on a pellet diet, as then they'll sell their soul for some seed!

Right now I have him on a mix of Zupreme Fruitblend for cockatiels, and a mixture of sunflower and safflower seeds, and millet during training. I make sure he eats all/most of what's in his dish before I give him new food, he's pretty good about finishing his pellets even if he does it last. I've read that an all pellet diet isn't good for a parrot (the same is said about an all seed diet).

I don't claim to be an expert or anything. I just go by what I've read.

[Michael]

I've read that an all pellet diet isn't good for a parrot.

Where did you read this?