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Flight Harness Training Parrot

Discuss topics associated with teaching birds to fly. Training parrots recall flight, target flying, and other flying exercises.

Re: Flight Harness Training Parrot

Postby marie83 » Sun Jan 20, 2013 5:57 pm

The parrot university has free shipping to most countries. Only thing you can do is ask your parents to order it. Make a list of all the reasons its a good idea-eg health, enrichment, socialising, safety etc to show them you have done your research, otherwise they might just think its an expensive gimmick.
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Re: Flight Harness Training Parrot

Postby JaydeParrot » Tue May 07, 2013 7:52 am

:senegal:

Hi, I have a problem with harness training with my Senegal, it was all going great, practicing each day for over two weeks.

But today, I decided to jump a few lessons and just put the harness over my bird, it worked but then she seemed to get upset about having the harness on and started to bite the harness. Instead of being smart and just taking the harness off her, I decided to try to convince her to eat her favourite treat (bananas). She went 'bananas' grabbed the harness with her beak and one foot, lost her balance and toppled onto my lap, I tried to convince her to calm down and step up on to my left arm (which now holds some bite marks and swollen bruises). I gave up and tried to verbally tell her to stop as she rolled around my right knee trying to tear away the 'evil harness' from her neck. She kept nipping at my hand when I tried to stop her. Eventually she was getting hurt and tired, I decided I needed to force her to accept my help whether she wanted it or not. A few bleeding bites later and the harness was off. Clearly upset, she flew away to a different part of the room.

She stepped back up onto my arm after a bit, I worked with her doing other stuff to take her mind off the terrible event and let her play her favourite game of me holding up a banana to her as she sits on my shoulder, she happily tears it apart and sprays the contents everywhere.

She's only been this handtame for about three months, I know I shouldn't have rushed her, I'm going to leave harness training for a bit now and just focus on taming.

What should I to make sure she doesn't freak out and near strangle herself next time I try to put the harness on her?
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Re: Flight Harness Training Parrot

Postby Michael » Tue May 07, 2013 7:59 am

Work it a bit at a time. Focus a lot (especially now) on getting the bird to voluntarily put the collar on. Also practice touching the harness material to wings and body for progressively longer periods of time without actually putting it on. Just lay it on the bird or hold it against the bird with your hand. Continue giving treats for this.

When you do actually get the harness on all the way, either take it back off before anything could happen OR (if the bird is tame and likes being held) cup the bird in your hand so it can't do anything and feels safe for a bit.

After this episode you may have some trouble convincing the bird to go anywhere near it again. See my original video and article about starting over again.
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Michael
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Re: Flight Harness Training Parrot

Postby JaydeParrot » Tue May 07, 2013 11:03 am

Cool, thanks, for that, gotta admit though, she scratched up my arm but the harness hardly had a mark, sure is much more robust than I though it'd be at taking bites from a parrot's beak!
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Re: Flight Harness Training Parrot

Postby Michael » Tue May 07, 2013 11:24 am

Kili has been chewing on her aviator harness a few days a week for the last 4 years. Still haven't replaced it. Don't worry.
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Michael
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Flight: Yes

Re: Flight Harness Training Parrot

Postby JaydeParrot » Wed May 22, 2013 6:30 am

Harness training with my :senegal: Cain has been going well and yesterday she even allowed the neck harness part to go over her neck. However, when I tried to take the neck harness back off, I realised it was a bit tight around her neck as it took a bit of pull to get off.

Thankfully Cain was calm enough to just stay where she was while I pulled it off, I am beginning to wonder whether the reason she got so upset a few weeks before is that the neck harnesss I'm asking her to wear is too tight around her neck.

I bought the aviator as X small, brand new off ebay- It was said to be the right size for Senegals but now I am concerned that the neck part may be too tight.

Do anyone else have this problem/ Know if the neck parts are meant to be that tight?

Also I've heard that it's basically impossible for a parrot to be stangled, I've seen Kili the parrot quite happily get picked up by her neck and flipped onto her back in the vids and she seems quite comfortable with that, so is it near impossible for a parrot to be strangled?

-I tend to put a towel Cain and then pick her up anyway- Previous homes have put her off grabbing hands.
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Types of Birds Owned: 2 Senegal Parrots.
Flight: Yes

Re: Flight Harness Training Parrot

Postby Michael » Wed May 22, 2013 8:39 am

You'll sooner strangle a parrot by squeezing the belly than the neck. Their belly needs to move so they could breathe. I never suggested squeezing the neck hard, but this is the safer way to pick the bird up than by the belly. That said, I've picked up Kili by the belly a bunch of times and she seems fine with it too. But wrapping your fingers around the bird and squeezing the belly hard would probably make it difficult to breathe. When I pick her up by the belly, I'm just laying her keel on my hand by her own weight and don't apply any pressure of my own.

As for the tightness, that's good. The old aviator harness was too loose. The new one fits much better. However, you need to get good at putting it on. You should follow the steps I recommend by folding the bigger part of the strap into a fake loop to practice with a lot of times before applying the actual collar. Also stretching the material around and softening it up is a good idea.
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Michael
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Flight: Yes

Re: Flight Harness Training Parrot

Postby feathermum » Tue May 28, 2013 10:18 am

i was wondering, in one of ur blogs u wrote that you'r selling the harness, are u still? and if u are, are u w/ you'r own videos to put it on & train w/ it? i couldn't finish watching or reading on the blog part b/c my computer is acting up : / what size would u recomend for nanday conure,jenday baby conure, and 2 yo F solomon Island Eckie? I'v herd the dvd that comes w/ it is really not that great,and have herd many ppl on here recomend yours instead. since i can;'t see it on my computer, it would be a good pacage to buy : )
~ THE MORE PEOPLE I MEET,THE MORE I LOVE MY PARROTS~
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Re: Flight Harness Training Parrot

Postby Michael » Tue May 28, 2013 11:01 am

If you buy 2+ harnesses from me, I'll throw my videos on a DVD for you.

You'll want an XS for the Conure and a Medium for the Eclectus. Contact me with your shipping address and which sizes/colors you want and I will let you know what the exact cost will be. http://ParrotWizard.com/contact.php
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Michael
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 6286
Location: New York
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal Parrot, Cape Parrot, Green-Winged Macaw
Flight: Yes

Re: Flight Harness Training Parrot

Postby JaydeParrot » Wed May 29, 2013 12:57 pm

Help!=: Unexplained bald patches!

A month ago, a friend mentioned that my less tame :senegal: Hide had bald patches under his wings, he doesn't like flying much so I couldn't see under the wings- I put it down to molting.

However, today I was watching my much more tame :senegal: Cain flap her wings and noticed that she has big bald patches under her wings (armpits), she isn't happy about having her wings held but I could towel her and take a picture if anyone wants to have a look.

I know this isn't primarily about flight training but I haven't got any responces from the other forums...

Does anyone know if this is normal? Both senegals seem fine but I worry why they've got bald spots, they never have pellets, they have about 40-ish% seed and 60-ish% chopped up washed fresh fruit and vegetables diet. They don't eat anything else other than that, and they have a bedroom basically to themselves so I doubt it's got anything to do with stress.

Should I go to the vets? I worry about infections/viruses from the vets but I also worry why their 'armpit' feathers are missing...
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Types of Birds Owned: 2 Senegal Parrots.
Flight: Yes

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