sarahxx92
04-08-2011, 01:36 AM
decided it was time to start a training/taming journal of my progress with kirby.
just a little background information:
Im 18 and have never owned a bird before, i thought about getting a budgie a few months ago but didnt have the time so it didnt end up happening.
I am currently studying companion animal studies, and was doing placement in a local pet store when I discovered kirby.. I was cleaning one of the budgie cages which kirby was in, and was wiping down the front of the cage with a cloth, all the birds were up on their perches staying far away from me! but Kirby came right to the front (on the ground) and would grab onto the front bars and do a little flip! latter on I couldnt help but keep watching her, and soon realised she didnt get on with the other birds very well, she was a bit smaller than them and couldnt get to the food very well.
so the next day I went and bought her :)
when I first brought kirby home i put the box she was in inside the cage and let kirby come out in her own time.
eventually she came out and sat on the bottom of the cage without moving for 3 hours... then climbed up onto a perch and sat there for another hour and then finally ate some food.
The next day I left kirby alone to get used to her cage.
Kirby's cage is in my bedroom and I spend ALOT of my time in there, so Kirby got used to me coming in and out of my room, then when i felt she was comfortable i would put my hand in the cage and just leave it there, Kirby would let me pat her chest but would jump away if i tried to move my hand near her head.
I havent had much time to try and train kirby as I've been at school and doing placement at the pet store still. I now have 2 weeks holidays and am only at the petstore one day so am able to spend lots more time with kirby.
Kirby is not afraid of me, but yet doesnt always cooperate either. She is very playful with her toys! which im happy about, she absoloutly loves chewing on things.. (including on the things she shouldnt chew on).
so far all I do is put my hand in the cage, try and get her to step up (but she never does she will fly away or move away on her perch) sometimes she will bite me if she doesnt want to play. but most the time she just ignores my hand!
I wrote in a post in budgie behaviour how Kirby would sit on a mirror toy I got her, and all she would do for hours was sit on the little perch (on the toy) and play with this mirror.. she even slept on it.
I ended up taking it out of the cage so she would play with her other toys more, but its very handy as now i will hold the mirror toy in my hand and she will happily jump on and play while im holding it, and often supports herself by standing on one of my fingers.
I really cant get her to step up though :(
At the petstore i got her from they said i should be getting her out of her cage (like holding her) but i dont want to frighten her yet and I still dont know if i should clip her wings.
I want her to be able to come out of the cage but i feel my room is too dangerous for her.
just a little background information:
Im 18 and have never owned a bird before, i thought about getting a budgie a few months ago but didnt have the time so it didnt end up happening.
I am currently studying companion animal studies, and was doing placement in a local pet store when I discovered kirby.. I was cleaning one of the budgie cages which kirby was in, and was wiping down the front of the cage with a cloth, all the birds were up on their perches staying far away from me! but Kirby came right to the front (on the ground) and would grab onto the front bars and do a little flip! latter on I couldnt help but keep watching her, and soon realised she didnt get on with the other birds very well, she was a bit smaller than them and couldnt get to the food very well.
so the next day I went and bought her :)
when I first brought kirby home i put the box she was in inside the cage and let kirby come out in her own time.
eventually she came out and sat on the bottom of the cage without moving for 3 hours... then climbed up onto a perch and sat there for another hour and then finally ate some food.
The next day I left kirby alone to get used to her cage.
Kirby's cage is in my bedroom and I spend ALOT of my time in there, so Kirby got used to me coming in and out of my room, then when i felt she was comfortable i would put my hand in the cage and just leave it there, Kirby would let me pat her chest but would jump away if i tried to move my hand near her head.
I havent had much time to try and train kirby as I've been at school and doing placement at the pet store still. I now have 2 weeks holidays and am only at the petstore one day so am able to spend lots more time with kirby.
Kirby is not afraid of me, but yet doesnt always cooperate either. She is very playful with her toys! which im happy about, she absoloutly loves chewing on things.. (including on the things she shouldnt chew on).
so far all I do is put my hand in the cage, try and get her to step up (but she never does she will fly away or move away on her perch) sometimes she will bite me if she doesnt want to play. but most the time she just ignores my hand!
I wrote in a post in budgie behaviour how Kirby would sit on a mirror toy I got her, and all she would do for hours was sit on the little perch (on the toy) and play with this mirror.. she even slept on it.
I ended up taking it out of the cage so she would play with her other toys more, but its very handy as now i will hold the mirror toy in my hand and she will happily jump on and play while im holding it, and often supports herself by standing on one of my fingers.
I really cant get her to step up though :(
At the petstore i got her from they said i should be getting her out of her cage (like holding her) but i dont want to frighten her yet and I still dont know if i should clip her wings.
I want her to be able to come out of the cage but i feel my room is too dangerous for her.