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When to open a cage for new birds

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When to open a cage for new birds

Postby Angelina » Sat Oct 27, 2018 5:59 pm

Hi, I have several questions: I just got 2 lovebirds housed temporarily in a small cage because the lager cage is in transit. I would like to open the cage in the bathroom for them so they can roam and fly. But they are not at least tame. I haven't gotten to the point that they sit on my hand. It's going slow with them. Also I am concerned that they might fly into the window. Also I have one part of the window screened with mosquito screening, which is not very strong. They could cut it wide open with their beaks if they wanted to. This is day no. 3 and I just sit close to them a lot so they get used to me. I have stopped putting my hand inside the cage. I read that 2 females can't be together. but in the store they didn't know their sex. So far, they do o.k.

I
Angelina
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 3
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: Peach faced lovebirds
Flight: Yes

Re: When to open a cage for new birds

Postby Pajarita » Sun Oct 28, 2018 10:49 am

Young females always do OK but it doesn't last because they are terribly protective of what they consider their nest and, as the cage becomes just that, one of them will fight the other for it so, if I were you, I would get them tested asap. It's not hard and it's not expensive so there is no reason not to do it and a VERY big one for getting it done.

Don't sit right next to them. Give them room. Sit in the same room but not next to them. You are, most likely, scaring them with your close presence. These are not birds that have imprinted to humans so a giant alien close to them and, most likely, looking at them is not reassuring at all and you need to make them relax so take it easy and give them some room.

Wait until you get their cage, set it up and move them in. If you are free-feeding protein food, change the diet and give them something like gloop, chop or mash in the morning and seeds or pellets for dinner. If you do that, you will be able to allow them to come out to fly before dinner and they will go back into the cage on their own when you serve it. BUT for this to work out, you need to establish the cage as theirs [and that's why they need to be in their 'final' cage and not a temporary one], get them used to a completely non-changing daily routine and your presence [this takes about 10 days to two weeks] and their diet has to be right [because if they have access to protein food during the day, they would have no incentive to go back into their cage]. All this takes a few weeks so, for now, forget about letting them out of the cage but, if you decide to do it anyway, don't do it in the bathroom which is a completely unfamiliar place for them. As to the mosquito screen... yes, lovies will chew right through it so you have to keep a VERY alert eye on them, especially since you don't know if you have a male/female pair [it's usually the ones without mates that try to 'escape' all the time - because they want to go out and look for one]. When I had the lovies flock in Pennsylvania, I had to get them redone about every two weeks or so and I remember the employee of the hardware store that did it asking me if I had a bear for a dog that could make holes so fast in them to which I replied that it was no huge dog chewing the screens, it was teeny tiny birds doing it :lol:
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: When to open a cage for new birds

Postby liz » Mon Oct 29, 2018 6:13 am

My cockatiels will make holes in screen. My son used cage wire on the screen door that he put on the cockatiel room.
He also put cage wire on the window. The cage wire on the window also keeps out preditors.
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Location: Hernando FL
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BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: When to open a cage for new birds

Postby Angelina » Mon Oct 29, 2018 5:57 pm

Thanks, both of you for your replies. It makes sense what you say. I followed the advice of some youtubers and obviously I did make them uncomfortable. I should have gone to look for answers here first. Anyway, I read here that I should spend 2 hours a day to tame a bird and I don't have that much time. So for now I just would like to learn how to get to the point that the birds trust me and eventually step up onto my hand. Without the 2 hours a day. Is that possible or total illusion?
Angelina
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 3
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: Peach faced lovebirds
Flight: Yes

Re: When to open a cage for new birds

Postby liz » Tue Oct 30, 2018 5:17 am

Even 2 hours of out time is not really enough.

Be visible. Spend most of you home time in her room with her door open. Talk or sing but do not challenge the bird. You should also ignore the bird while you are active in that room.
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: When to open a cage for new birds

Postby Pajarita » Tue Oct 30, 2018 10:28 am

I don't know where you read that 2 hours are enough but Liz is 100% correct, it's not anywhere near enough for out-of-cage time which is supposed to be around 4 hours a day [my birds are out much longer than that]. Two hours are what is usually recommended for one-on-one time but, again, I don't think that's enough either. I don't spend 2 whole hours with each and every one of my birds but that's because they have other birds they interact with when they are out and they do have access to me during the entire time so if they want to spend 4 hours or more perching on my shoulder and the other birds allow it [I have a couple of 'jealous' ones :lol: ], they are welcome to do it.

Now, when you talk about them 'trusting' you and eating from/perching on your hand, you are talking about taming because that what taming means. Basically, that they learn to trust and like you enough to interact with you as with another flock member. It's not the same bond you would get from a companion bird that has been hand-fed and has imprinted to humans but it is a relationship. Personally, I don't believe in taming parent-raised aviary species but there are people who do it. And, yes, it takes a lot of work and a long time to achieve it because, basically, you are going against nature. I do, in time and without doing anything whatosever, get the little aviary parent-raised ones to trust me enough so they don't scramble away from my hands or completely freak out if I have to towel them for anything but they don't step up for me or take food from my hand.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: When to open a cage for new birds

Postby liz » Thu Nov 01, 2018 6:13 am

When we say wild bird we are really talking about a scared bird. They don't need tamed they need to learn to trust.

When a bird is on your shoulder it is far from your hands and close to your face. I have scared cockatiels who will sometime land on my shoulder and stay there as long as I don't try to interact with them. I have some who will land on my back when I am changing foods or cleaning. They have personal contact and know that I cannot reach them to eat them
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes


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