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Quit talking and other training dilemmas

Want to teach your bird talk? Learn about and discuss methods for training birds to vocalize and mimic different sounds on cue.

Quit talking and other training dilemmas

Postby sighthoundlover » Sat Dec 10, 2011 8:17 pm

My male blue-headed pionus is now 6 months old. I got him in September when he was about 3 months old. He learned how to say "prettybird", make a kissing sound and a laughing sound fairly quickly and did it frequently. Then I had to go to Baltimore for Thanksgiving for 4 days and a friend of mine came to my house twice a day to care for him while I was gone. When I returned home it was clear that he was very happy to see me and was quite affectionate but he has not spoken a word since - no prettybird, no kissing sound, no laugh! :( Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get him back talking? In addition, he has never taken food or seeds from my hand :? . He loves for me to pet his head, scratch his head and body, and give him kisses. He steps up readily but he just doesn't take treats or food from my hand. There's a lot of training I'd like to do but I feel handicapped because I can't get him to take treats. Would love advice, help, etc.
sighthoundlover
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Re: Quit talking and other training dilemmas

Postby CrazzMc » Sat Dec 10, 2011 11:16 pm

sighthoundlover wrote:My male blue-headed pionus is now 6 months old. I got him in September when he was about 3 months old. He learned how to say "prettybird", make a kissing sound and a laughing sound fairly quickly and did it frequently. Then I had to go to Baltimore for Thanksgiving for 4 days and a friend of mine came to my house twice a day to care for him while I was gone. When I returned home it was clear that he was very happy to see me and was quite affectionate but he has not spoken a word since - no prettybird, no kissing sound, no laugh! :( Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get him back talking? In addition, he has never taken food or seeds from my hand :? . He loves for me to pet his head, scratch his head and body, and give him kisses. He steps up readily but he just doesn't take treats or food from my hand. There's a lot of training I'd like to do but I feel handicapped because I can't get him to take treats. Would love advice, help, etc.


Sounds weird but starve him. He basically needs to realize that the 'food from your hand' is 'safe'. The big problem is motion, we all move, unstable, so that's another reason why parrots tend to be more pre-cautious. However, in your example he seems quite tame. So do this. If you stay home all day or if u have class/job. Take his food out in the morning (9ish) or like half an hour after you wake up your bird. Then let him get hungry (even a bit aggressive) then around 11 try. If no, then try around 12, 1, 2. Etc. Just remember not to completely starve your bird. My birdie is a fatty and he loves eating so everyday when I get back from class at 2:00 I take his food out and we train at 4:00 then I give him dinner at 6:00.

My bird is the exact opposite. He will eat from my hand, let me scratch him only if he's eating out of my hand, but when it comes to stepping up he hates me. :( we are still working though and he's beginning to form more trust.
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Re: Quit talking and other training dilemmas

Postby Shelby » Mon Dec 12, 2011 1:01 pm

CrazzMc wrote:Sounds weird but starve him....Take his food out in the morning (9ish) or like half an hour after you wake up your bird. Then let him get hungry (even a bit aggressive) then around 11 try. If no, then try around 12, 1, 2. Etc. Just remember not to completely starve your bird.

6 months is still quite young for food management (what Crazz mentioned. It's not "starving" the bird, it's called food management or a training diet. Starving your bird is NEVER okay. Food management, when done properly, isn't harmful to the bird.) Your bird is still a baby and he needs access to food all day so he is getting enough nutrients to grow and develop properly.

If he doesn't take treats, it could mean he doesn't know what they are and if he can eat them. Try feeding him his usual pellets or seeds from your hand, or put them in a spoon and hold the spoon in your hand. You could also try offering him spray millet. I don't know how big pionuses are, but smaller birds like cockatiels LOVE millet.
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Shelby
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