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My parrots first free flight

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My parrots first free flight

Postby Acka » Mon Jul 23, 2012 5:36 am

My Birds First free fight. i found this footage from a while back and decided to put it up. i now use a harness with my bird and her wings were clipped back then. i was calling her name the whole time so she knew i was there. Hope you enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEIuix9W-tY
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Acka
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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Re: My parrots first free flight

Postby marie83 » Mon Jul 23, 2012 6:51 am

Glad you started using a harness, the video should have a do not try this at home warning lol. Your bird is sooo cute though. What harness do you use now and what methods of training her to wear it?
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marie83
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Re: My parrots first free flight

Postby Acka » Mon Jul 23, 2012 4:28 pm

I use the petetite aviator harness and to train her to wear it I just used positive reinforcement. First I held the target stick just behing the loop ( just like Michael did) and clicked when she had it on an rewarded her, then I did that about 10-15 times and got her to lift her wings up to go through the wing wholes then clicked and rewarded, I did this about 10-15 times. Next I just tightened it and rewarded, now she loves it, :gcc: I got her use to the harness being around her first though. I brang it in to her playtime and her cage sometimes so she was pretty used to it.
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Acka
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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Flight: No

Re: My parrots first free flight

Postby marie83 » Mon Jul 23, 2012 6:02 pm

Wow, I have the same harness but the next size up because the petite is far too tight to get back over the head but I do worry the one we are training him with will turn out to be too big. I used the same methods with Ollie but he will not tolerate it under his wings even though I can handle him in any way I want.

We had to postpone training though due to him having health issues at the moment.
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marie83
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Types of Birds Owned: Yellow sided Green Cheek Conure
Pineapple Green Cheek Conure
Flight: Yes

Re: My parrots first free flight

Postby Acka » Tue Jul 24, 2012 3:40 am

Oh that's no good, first I brought a cheap type of harness and mika hated it! She would let it get over her head but she also hated the wings part.
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Acka
Cockatiel
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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Flight: No

Re: My parrots first free flight

Postby Tro » Thu Jul 26, 2012 6:08 pm

marie83 wrote:Wow, I have the same harness but the next size up because the petite is far too tight to get back over the head but I do worry the one we are training him with will turn out to be too big.

I got the petite one too and my GCC will slip his head through but when he can't get it back out he panics and I have to do all the steps over again (Starting with leaving the harness by his cage) because he gets really scared of it and i have to warm him back up to giving the harness another try. I'v been thinking about getting one size up also, I was worried that it might be too heavy for him or he would be able to some how miraculously escape it. Have you had any problems so far with going one size up or is it working out better?
Tro
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Re: My parrots first free flight

Postby marie83 » Thu Jul 26, 2012 6:37 pm

The weight is fine but I haven't fastened it up fully yet so I'm not sure if he would wriggle out of it somehow as the collar part is significantly bigger. The band that goes under the wings should fully tighten though. A collar midway between the two sizes would be perfect though.

Luckily with the petite I realised before I slipped it over his head fully that it probably wasn't going to come back off. The harness in petite is also supposed to fit a 'tiel but mine has a bigger head than my green cheek!!

If you go for the small then practice inside lots before you risk taking him outside, just in case.

Sorry I can't be any more help than that. If you do order the bigger size will you let us know how you get on please?
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marie83
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Location: Midlands, UK
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Types of Birds Owned: Yellow sided Green Cheek Conure
Pineapple Green Cheek Conure
Flight: Yes

Re: My parrots first free flight

Postby Tro » Thu Jul 26, 2012 9:57 pm

Thanks, I am going to be ordering the X-small soon because no progress is being made with the petite and I don't want my green cheek to become too afraid to give the harness a shot. He, I think took a step back with petite because before the collar was slipped over his head he enjoyed his harness training sessions but now he's more cautious and timid of the harness then he was when I first introduced him.
I will post on his progress when I start his training with the larger size. :thumbsup:


I watched Mika's free flight shes beautiful! I love to see these little guys in flight when all their feathers are displayed they look amazing. My Tak had his wings clipped when I got him but he is going through a malt and I am so excited to see those clipped flights get replaced.
Tro
Cockatiel
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 73
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Green cheeck conure
Flight: Yes

Re: My parrots first free flight

Postby Acka » Fri Jul 27, 2012 2:09 am

Thanks!
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Acka
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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