eve
09-11-2009, 10:36 PM
I'm a little far behind in posting LB's responses, so this is going to be a long post. This may seem a little jumbled. We've had him 4 weeks as of today.
Since he was such a little baby fresh off the nestbox and so helpless, I made the mistake of taking him out of the cage for the first few weeks. He was allowed to fly around until tired and then I would hold him in my closed right hand (to make a cave using my last three fingers for a perch and my forefinger as a support for his head, and my thumb cupped lightly under his upper breast) while I talked baby talk to him and rubbed his head just over his cere. He would initially be a little alarmed, but shortly would fall asleep while grinding his little beak. Obviously still wanting to snuggle in dark, warm places. This would last about 30 minutes and then I would take him back to his cage, open my hand and he would jump back on his perch.
This routine continued for about three days until I put him on my right shoulder and we watched "The Winged Migration" for about an hour, which he got into instantly. I talked to him about the show while gesturing about it with my left hand while explaining the scenes to him as if he was a young child ;), and then would turn my head to make comments to him. He would puff up, shift his wings, and listen. I heard a few beak grinds during this. When it was time to go, I got up slowly with him on my back, bent over to let him hop into his cage.
During this time period, when he squawked, I intentionally began spoiling him to make him feel comfortable by going into the breakfast room where we keep him because of the large window where he can look out to see the street traffic and bird traffic in the trees close to the window. I think he began doing this on purpose after the first week because he'd would get all puffy when I sat down. To also improve communication with him, I began copying his wing stretches, and leg stretches, and when he yawned I'd make over him with baby talk. He's began repeating the yawns (as many as four in a row) and then getting all puffy as he sat there like a fat little toad on his perch. :o
About the second week, as I had not been able to get him to get on my finger while on my shoulder (would fly off), I began offering him my finger to get on after he'd landed in my ficus tree in the foyer (a common place for him to land after getting tired from flying) and he would. He then let me carry him to where we would again watch "The Winged Migration." Happily, the occasional beak grinding continued. (During this week, one day I began resting my head on my left hand so he could see my entire face and I would close my eyes (a sign that I trusted him). Eventually, we were both closing our eyes and checking each other out by peeking with one eye off and on. The last time I looked he just kept his eyes closed and seemed asleep until I took him to his cage ?? He occasionally began bobbing his head during this week, too, while singing and being silly.
Third week I again got him out of his cage with my hand but he was more resistant. I insisted (my mistake), but we watched "Winged Migration" again. During this time during one day, I began helping him with the pin feathers above his cere and jaw when he was still in my closed hand before I put him on my shoulder, which he loved, closed his eyes and almost passed out in joy. Toward the end of the week after we walked over to where we were going to sit, with him perched on my finger, I just rested my finger on my shoulder to let him use it as a perch so he could get used to it. Before that time, he'd panted when I left him on my finger too long. The next day he was willing to sit on my finger in his cage, which he had previously refused to do.
During this week we also rocked out together several days to TV music. He likes New Orleans Jazz and Zidego. One day....this is so hilarious.......my blind dog, Ginny, wandered into the breakfast room and began barking at something outside. She was debarked before I got her so she was just making her usual rasping sounds but she thinks she's barking. I began patting her on her back in time to the Zidego to quieten her, and singing to Ginny about not barking. And, then LB joined with us! So, there we were: LB, Ginny, Zidego music, and me all singing. Hilarious!:D
So far, so good.....
The reason for my saying that I made a mistake in taking him out of his cage, now that he's older (although he definitely enjoys our time out of the cage and is no trouble to get back into his cage) he hasn't connected the good times out of the cage with the way I get him out and began slicking down and obviously nervous when I got close to talk to him. I realized that I wasn't making any progress if he was afraid of me while in the cage.
So,taking someone's advice about reading a book to him, two days ago I backed up to his cage so as not to get him nervous, and kept my back to him while sitting in a chair close to his cage and read to him. And, when I saw that he was accepting my being so close with no signs of stress, I began facing him to read to him. This book reading is a marvelous tip! Just after one day he was obviously more relaxed, and today started singing softly while all puffed up while I was talking to him. (I'm laying off getting him out the cage and will just let him come out when he is ready. I think he's just a good-natured little bird that I was going too fast on. ) His beak grinding is becoming a regular thing now, sitting on one leg while sleeping with me in the room, etc. I'm so glad.
Now, after this long story, I have a question. Today, I noticed that he is beginning to regurgitate his food while I was talking to him. At first he would just bring it up and spit it out so that some was hanging on his beak, but is now rechewing it. I know in older birds, this is a courting sign, as one of my former budgies (Butchie) would paste his seed all over his favorite mirror. Do you think this little guy is just so happy that he's regurgitating so soon? Or, is he just eating too much? I've never had one this young do this before?
Sorry for the long story. I had intended to begin this post earlier.:o
Since he was such a little baby fresh off the nestbox and so helpless, I made the mistake of taking him out of the cage for the first few weeks. He was allowed to fly around until tired and then I would hold him in my closed right hand (to make a cave using my last three fingers for a perch and my forefinger as a support for his head, and my thumb cupped lightly under his upper breast) while I talked baby talk to him and rubbed his head just over his cere. He would initially be a little alarmed, but shortly would fall asleep while grinding his little beak. Obviously still wanting to snuggle in dark, warm places. This would last about 30 minutes and then I would take him back to his cage, open my hand and he would jump back on his perch.
This routine continued for about three days until I put him on my right shoulder and we watched "The Winged Migration" for about an hour, which he got into instantly. I talked to him about the show while gesturing about it with my left hand while explaining the scenes to him as if he was a young child ;), and then would turn my head to make comments to him. He would puff up, shift his wings, and listen. I heard a few beak grinds during this. When it was time to go, I got up slowly with him on my back, bent over to let him hop into his cage.
During this time period, when he squawked, I intentionally began spoiling him to make him feel comfortable by going into the breakfast room where we keep him because of the large window where he can look out to see the street traffic and bird traffic in the trees close to the window. I think he began doing this on purpose after the first week because he'd would get all puffy when I sat down. To also improve communication with him, I began copying his wing stretches, and leg stretches, and when he yawned I'd make over him with baby talk. He's began repeating the yawns (as many as four in a row) and then getting all puffy as he sat there like a fat little toad on his perch. :o
About the second week, as I had not been able to get him to get on my finger while on my shoulder (would fly off), I began offering him my finger to get on after he'd landed in my ficus tree in the foyer (a common place for him to land after getting tired from flying) and he would. He then let me carry him to where we would again watch "The Winged Migration." Happily, the occasional beak grinding continued. (During this week, one day I began resting my head on my left hand so he could see my entire face and I would close my eyes (a sign that I trusted him). Eventually, we were both closing our eyes and checking each other out by peeking with one eye off and on. The last time I looked he just kept his eyes closed and seemed asleep until I took him to his cage ?? He occasionally began bobbing his head during this week, too, while singing and being silly.
Third week I again got him out of his cage with my hand but he was more resistant. I insisted (my mistake), but we watched "Winged Migration" again. During this time during one day, I began helping him with the pin feathers above his cere and jaw when he was still in my closed hand before I put him on my shoulder, which he loved, closed his eyes and almost passed out in joy. Toward the end of the week after we walked over to where we were going to sit, with him perched on my finger, I just rested my finger on my shoulder to let him use it as a perch so he could get used to it. Before that time, he'd panted when I left him on my finger too long. The next day he was willing to sit on my finger in his cage, which he had previously refused to do.
During this week we also rocked out together several days to TV music. He likes New Orleans Jazz and Zidego. One day....this is so hilarious.......my blind dog, Ginny, wandered into the breakfast room and began barking at something outside. She was debarked before I got her so she was just making her usual rasping sounds but she thinks she's barking. I began patting her on her back in time to the Zidego to quieten her, and singing to Ginny about not barking. And, then LB joined with us! So, there we were: LB, Ginny, Zidego music, and me all singing. Hilarious!:D
So far, so good.....
The reason for my saying that I made a mistake in taking him out of his cage, now that he's older (although he definitely enjoys our time out of the cage and is no trouble to get back into his cage) he hasn't connected the good times out of the cage with the way I get him out and began slicking down and obviously nervous when I got close to talk to him. I realized that I wasn't making any progress if he was afraid of me while in the cage.
So,taking someone's advice about reading a book to him, two days ago I backed up to his cage so as not to get him nervous, and kept my back to him while sitting in a chair close to his cage and read to him. And, when I saw that he was accepting my being so close with no signs of stress, I began facing him to read to him. This book reading is a marvelous tip! Just after one day he was obviously more relaxed, and today started singing softly while all puffed up while I was talking to him. (I'm laying off getting him out the cage and will just let him come out when he is ready. I think he's just a good-natured little bird that I was going too fast on. ) His beak grinding is becoming a regular thing now, sitting on one leg while sleeping with me in the room, etc. I'm so glad.
Now, after this long story, I have a question. Today, I noticed that he is beginning to regurgitate his food while I was talking to him. At first he would just bring it up and spit it out so that some was hanging on his beak, but is now rechewing it. I know in older birds, this is a courting sign, as one of my former budgies (Butchie) would paste his seed all over his favorite mirror. Do you think this little guy is just so happy that he's regurgitating so soon? Or, is he just eating too much? I've never had one this young do this before?
Sorry for the long story. I had intended to begin this post earlier.:o