Braveheartdogs Training Journal

[braveheartdogs]

I decided that maybe keeping a public training journal will help me to move forward in my training plans with my budgies. I am working with 5 of my 6 budgies.

Atticus - came from a bird shop on April 23. He was young but extremely fearful. I worked hard with millet training and he has come very far. He still doesn't hang out with me just to hang out with me, but he will step up out of his cage and outside of his cage. Eat millet from me inside and outside of the cage and generally seems pretty comfortable. I will continue work with Atticus daily on his basics when he comes out for his daily out of cage time. I am very proud of Atticus and super happy about his progress. More on him as he progresses.

Lucille - is a girlie bird that came from a very reputable and nice bird shop on May 30. She is housed with another bird that came from the same shop at the same time, a male named Shamrock. Lucille is very skittish. She was making slow but honest progress with millet training from my hand and I made a very big mistake by pushing her by allowing her out of cage time (she would crawl out the door of the cage onto a tree). I would have to get her if she flew off and I think it really damaged our relationship. Yesterday, I made the decision to go back to square one, no more out of cage time and back to daily in cage millet training sessions. Today was the first day of the new plan and already she is more comfortable and secure without the pressure I had put on her.

Shamrock - the little boy bird who came with Lucille. Shamrock does better out of the cage, but I am continuing on the same training plan as him as I am with Lucille, which is daily in cage millet training sessions. He is much more relaxed and confident and willingly runs over for millet where Lucille takes some more time.

Chiquita - a girl bird who someone found and couldn't find the owners of. Very sweet girl. Doesn't eat millet out of my hand in cage, but is pretty comfortable stepping up outside of the cage. Hmmm, may move her to a cage with a bigger door so I can progress with millet training.

Blueberry - a new baby (I think boy) bird who came from a breeder. He is already used to being held and so should be pretty straightforward to progress with. I love him already and am excited to work with him.

I am building a small flock to hopefully move forward with some breeding next year. I will be getting one more (if the mutation I want becomes available) and that will be it. I will spend time training them as they mature.

Vicki:budgie:

[braveheartdogs]

Did some switching around and now my budgies are in their permanent cages with their permanent cagemates. I think the new arrangements will help with their training.

Atticus cheerfully runs over to get millet from my hand in the cage and outside of the cage. He steps up inside and outside of the cage and is looking more and more comfortable and relaxed about this.

I moved Lucille in with Atticus and now when I put my hand in with a millet spray Atticus runs over to eat right away and now she is too! Yay. Will continue like this until she seems really comfortable.

Shamrock is now in a cage by himself, he was in with Lucille. He comes over almost immediately for millet spray from my hand. I think he will be able to step up sooner than Lucille.

Chiquita is now in with Oliver who is very comfortable being held, trained and stepping up. Oliver runs over for millet and Chiquita runs right over with him.

Blueberry (who I'm still not sure of his name) is adjusting well in quarantine. He is not eating millet yet, but is eating and drinking otherwise.

So far, so good.

Vicki:budgie:

[braveheartdogs]

We have made a lot of progress in the past couple days after weeks of work.

Atticus continues to do well and steps up inside and outside of the cage. He is doing a great job encouraging Lucille to eat millet from me.

Lucille is now stepping onto my hand to eat millet. This is SO huge for her. It took a couple of weeks of just feeing millet in there until she was coming to it quickly, then I started adjusting my hold so that she kind of had to step on a little and then more and more. Yesterday and today, she hopped on to eat the millet with both little feet on my hand. Yay!

Shamrock is still in a cage by himself, awaiting a friend whenever she may come. Today was big for him as well. He has been doing well eating millet from my hand, today he came closer then flew out of the cage. I picked him up (by inviting him to step up off the floor) and immediately offered millet. He began to eat the millet while on my finger, a first for Shamrock!! He ate millet for a couple of minutes on my finger and on back to his cage. Success.

Chiquita, now happily sharing a cage with Oliver, will usually eat millet from my hand if Oliver is.

Baby Elliot has eaten millet from my hand inside his cage. Big step for the baby!

[braveheartdogs]

Atticus seems to be getting where I never thought he would get! He steps up pretty reliably and is always comfortable eating millet inside the cage or out. He will climb all over my hands eating millet. Yay Atticus!

Shamrock is doing excellent too. He will eat millet from my hand and sometimes off of my hand. He will come out of his cage on his own (or with a little millet lure) then sometimes step up while I am feeding millet. On several occassions he has sat on my hand eating millet outside of the cage.

Lucille is doing well and will climb on my hand to eat millet. Yesterday she stayed on as I moved my hand a bit. She ate some spring greens today. She definitely seems to be more comfortable.

Chiquita will step up from outside of the cage, but not inside and I dont' push her. She will sometimes have some millet if Oliver is having some, other times not.

Elliot, the baby will let me touch him in the cage but he is clearly still afraid. He doesn't really accept any millet. I need to get a cage for training with a larger door.

[braveheartdogs]

Oliver - Fabulous as usual.

Chiquita seems shy and a little reserved, but not frantic or overly upset. I am just respecting her boundaries and feeding her millet which she only occassionally takes.

Lucille is making slow progress. Will eat millet spray from my hand inside the cage. Will hop onto my hand to get to it. Will allow my hand to move slightly. Still seems very suspicious and concerned.

Atticus will eat millet all the time and climb all over my hand! I never thought he would get this comfortable, it's wonderful! I love him. He does seem a little snippy with the other males particularly Oliver, so I don't let them out loose together. He steps up inside and outside of his cage when I ask, but he doesn't really want to hang out with me. Would prefer to harass the other budgies in their cages.

Shamrock is moving slowly too. Seems to love to come out of his cage and will eat millet spray from my hand but like Lucille, seems suspicious. Even if he is on the ground he is not comfortable stepping up.

Elliot is doing fabulously well! Stepping up in his cage and allowing me to take him out of the cage while on my finger. Sitting on his big triangle swing that hangs from a boing and even sitting for a while on the tiny playgym by the computer. He is doing great! I am really feeling super attached to him.

Buck is doing ok. He seems comfortable eating millet spray out of my hand. Huge for him. I am not pushing him, so this is all we are working on.