SillyYak and Nikis' training journal

[sillyyak]

Bought Niki 6th Dec, he was so nervous he didn't make a sound first day, just sat there. Didn't eat, didn't drink. Very sad.

[sillyyak]

He did his first tweet at 8.17am and seemed more relaxed. I sat with hiim next to me nearly all day, talking non stop, he seems to like it but i had to keep my movements very slow and my voice calm. Good first whole day, he ate, drank and tweeted. Looked a lot happier.

[sillyyak]

Well, i've spent the last 3 days talking to him at every opportunity and putting my hand in the cage at every opportunity. He was very nervous the first day and kept panicking but now he'll let me rest my finger on his perch and i can drum them gently and call his name. He looks at me now and doesn't fly around the cage in a blind panic. Today i touched his foot, he moved over but didn't fly off. He seems more nervous first thing in the morning and last thing at night but during the day seems to put up with more.:budgie:

[monet]

Good to know your making progress.:)

[sillyyak]

Thanks Monet.:)
Very strange thing happened this afternoon about 2pm. I was standing in front of him as normal and started copying everything HE did. Anyway, on an impulse i slowly turned 360' whilst at the same time spinning my finger and saying, "round and around, round and around" and HE DID IT TOO. So, i thought this is a fluke and i did it again, but the same thing happened again. I just did the finger action and words on the 3rd time and he span round again on his perch. The moment my partner Kraci came in he stopped and made me out to be a liar. lol Excellent fun.:budgie:

[sillyyak]

Well, we had a major cage clean out today which entailed Niki sitting in his tea bag box (his choice) whilst i scrubbed the bars and wall behind etc. Thought i'd take it easy with him today but at 5pm today when i put my hand in he just sat there and let me touch his left foot. I got to touch his chest too, very gently. No panic at all. Roll on tomorrow. lol
No words but he looks at me now, like he's interested.

[sillyyak]

Well, got Niki a wee pal, Kric (Chris in Bulgarian). Both male (i hope). I thought getting another bud would impede my progress with Niki but the strange thing is, they are both really calm together and both seem equally interested in becoming pals with me. They both listen. it helps that i'm in the same room with them day and night (no central heating in my village so you heat one big room n live n sleep in it). They can both be gently touched which is strange because i've only had Kric since the 15th, 2 days ago. Great progress concidering i've only had both for a combined time of 11 days.

[sillyyak]

Well, baby bars have maulted off their little green heads and they're now officially teenagers lol, they're a pain. I've never ever had anything so LOUD in my living/bed room. lol
The quiet chunderings start at 6.30am (sunrise at the mo, gawd help me when it's earlier), after about 10 mins the chchch noises start as they fight over who's going to eat out of the green 'thing', (they've got 2 feeding trays but they both like to eat out of the green one). They are stll not hand tame. I talk to them every day and they sit bolt still when i start to whistle a tune and pay serious attention, but there's no sign that they'll ever talk like me. lol.
They are the best fun. I'll persevere with the hand in the cage every day (i do this when i put the green feed tray in as it's an 'in cage' clip on. If they panic and flap about i walk away with it. They've learned now that if they are calm and quiet my hand gives them what they want. Kric is so much calmer than Niki. I've no idea why. Niki is the one most likely to panic and cling to the sides of the cage when my hand is in there.
They are so good together. Talk non stop all day.

[Luna]

I love your stories! That's great that you love them so much, and that you got your first birdie a friend. I'm thinking of doing the same for my Luna, but in the future when I have more space for a bigger cage! Keep at it with the hand-taming! Persistence is key!:)

[sillyyak]

But 5 months on and i can only now get my hand in the cage. I'd have thought they'd be all over me by now lol.....must work harder, as me old teacher used to say.:budgie:

[sillyyak]

I've taught them to screech at the top of their demonic feathery lungs whenever a sad, poignant part in a film comes on. Or an important bit of a documentary. :D
OK OK, they taught themselves. HOW DO THEY KNOW? It's uncanny, they go quiet when the stupid unimportant ads come on.
I've now learned to threaten with a towel, they shut up when i walk towards them with it (to put over cage lol), so i walk back with the darn thing and they start screeching again lol.:D
I've heard Buddies taste good. Anyone got a budgie dietary translation card? lol MAYBE THAT WOULD SHUT 'EM UP.

Seriously though, the little feathery monsters (exchange 'monsters' for an 'f' word and you'll have their collective names):D are actually responding well to hand in cage and now don't even flinch when my hand goes in AS LONG AS IT'S HOLDING THE GREEN FOOD THINGY. They are taking lessons now in how much wall paper to peel off the walls per day. They're very good at it and i think they'll be ready for their first diploma soon.:S
Anyway, tea towel at the ready, (wears path in carpet as going back n forth all day) lol

[summoora]

Ha, I hope you don't have lead-based paint on the walls.

[sillyyak]

Now there's an idea lol:budgie: