training props

[skeetersunconure]

some tricks i want to teach skeeter incolve props like ring on the peg and i looked on the internet and cant find any thing that would work should i make my own or where would i get it? aso the slide where do get a parrot slide andfinally the shape board? i think tahts what you call it ideally with three shapes but no more than foutr because i dont want it to be too confusing. thanks so much!!

[Michael]

Truth is you often have to make the training props yourself. This is why I'm thinking of starting an online store for parrot props pretty soon to make a lot of these things available for everyone. Most of the props I'll build myself and others I will source. I'm pretty sure I'll have at least the following available:

-Training Stands
-Parrot Slide (in 2-3 sizes)
-Bowling

[skeetersunconure]

well if you do i'd probably buy some

[Brittanyv326]

You made that bowling prop, Michael? Definitely looks good! I don't think you'd have a problem selling that..

[lainmai]

I think I need a shopping trip to NY soon

I still want to know how much the training stands are

[Kim S]

I think that would be a seriously good business! Maybe making trainingvideo's for every prop and put that into the package. Could be really fun.

Maybe its a good idea to put a difficuly level on different props. I can immagine that teaching a bird to go down a slide is easier than having it put rings on pegs.
Like start with diff. 1. recall perches, then dif 2. sliding down the slide ect...
Or am I goin overboard here.

[lainmai]

I think that would be a seriously good business! Maybe making trainingvideo's for every prop and put that into the package. Could be really fun.

Maybe its a good idea to put a difficuly level on different props. I can immagine that teaching a bird to go down a slide is easier than having it put rings on pegs.
Like start with diff. 1. recall perches, then dif 2. sliding down the slide ect...
Or am I goin overboard here.

I think that's a good idea personally =)

[Michael]

You made that bowling prop, Michael? Definitely looks good! I don't think you'd have a problem selling that..

No I didn't build it but I cleverly bought if for $10. Never again. That place no longer sells them or is it out of business. But I am constantly on the lookout for good props so I think I'd be better than most to source them and then offer them for sale online. I want to create a convenient all in one place to buy parrot props. I will build some unique ones and source other ones. I would do my best to include instructions how to train the tricks with each prop.

As for levels. In all honesty, I don't think there is such a thing because what may seem easy to us can be astonishingly difficult for the parrot or could be childs play. Going down the slide could potentially be a difficult trick to teach if the parrot is phobic of it and require a lot of taming. Indeed some tricks require more intelligence but it's somewhat difficult to compare. It's just that some tricks require greater pre-requisite tricks than others. To teach ring on peg, you really should teach fetch, basketball, piggy bank, and puzzle first.

It looks like the training stands will have to be $149.99 but including shipping. I just couldn't source materials (in these small quantities) to be able to make them for less. It's kind of my fault cause I keep trying to get the best components into them. I am going to have a choice of perches available. The Java variant you've seen on Truman's stand in my videos. I will also offer the kind with bark like Kili has. I don't know the name of that wood so I'd really appreciate if someone could tell me what it's called. Here's a picture of Kili's climbing tree that's made of the same kind of branch. Here is Kili sitting on her training perch:

http://kili.sazhin.net/photos/3/A16W6117.jpg

So I think I will have a selection of thin/medium and in Java and that kind of branch. I am beginning to suspect that parrots will like the one with bark better and I'll test on Truman soon. He seems to prefer flying over to land on Kili's stand than his own. I think the Java is a bit slippers and bad for early training. My goal with the store is to make a unified place for buying all parrot training props. Otherwise they're all over the place and you must combine bird store, regular store, and building yourself to have a collection like mine. But if all goes right, I'll be able to offer everything for sale online in one place along with instructions for every trick. It's hard to answer the original question and give advice where to buy props otherwise cause there is not one unified place that has it all.

[lainmai]

Dang, price is a bit out of my price range when it comes to include shipping and duties =(

I think I have a way to make my own though, we'll see if I can get it to work