Good news, bad news time

[AndrueC]

Good news! Beekle (my parakeet) now flies to my hand almost on demand . Seems he likes to nibble my fingers especially if they move around. I've even had him regurgitate seeds on me a couple of times.

Bad news! It's hard to get him off again . I've posted before that he is capable of ignoring a perch put in front of him and he still is.

Actually one thing that's a bit odd:He doesn't like flying to my left hand .

I still have the problem of getting him back into his cage at night. I think that being free-range during the day means he sees doesn't see it as home. My current policy is to close the door when he goes in any time after 6pm. Unfortunately this doesn't impress him

[Millimi]

Well, first of all, how do you put the perch in front of your bird. You have to put it under their chest and push gently and say "Step Up" or the likes. No bird is going to go on a random perch just put in front of them if they aren't trained.

Also, make sure that you don't close the door immediately after the bird goes in the cage. That could make him think he is being punished. Wait a few moments and don't slam the door in his face if he wants to go back out. That could make him feel trapped. Since he likes going on your hand so much, you could lead him to the cage and put him on top and let him explore the outside and the inside on his own.

That may sound like a lot, but you are doing a great job with your keet! It seems like he really loves you. Awwww, how cute!
One more thing. (I know, here I go again...)
Be careful that your bird doesn't regurgitate too much because that can really hurt their esophagus and actually kill them, although I don't think that will happen to your bird since you care for him so much!

[AndrueC]

When closing his door I do usually allow him to settle down (usually with his beak in his seed). I've been doing that mostly so he doesn't work out who it is closing the door. I had one keet who worked that out and whenever I got close to the door she'd rush out onto the platform. Luckily she knew what "good night" meant so it wasn't a problem.

So far Beekle doesn't even seem to know what the door is . If it's closed he wanders all over the inside apparently looking for it and then resorts to running back and forth along the bottom of his cage. Eventually he calms down and sulks on his perch.

He doesn't often regurgitate food and in fact I've been avoiding encouraging him to land on me. The main reason for that is his insistence on landing on my right hand. Since I'm right handed it's a bit of a nuisance if he won't get off again. I also don't want him too attached to me as I'm out during the day. I'd rather him see me as an occasional buddy than a life-long companion.

[Millimi]

You seem to know your stuff about your bird! Well, let the bird sulk in the cage! If you have pleanty of toys and food and water and room in the cage he will learn to be okay with it. Also, when your bird is on your right hand, make him perch on one of your left hand fingers. That will let him know your left hand is no threat. Remember to be calm and tell him it's okay if he gets scared, he might have had a bad experience with a left hand!
Also, pets are full-time commitments. You can't just play with them on and off. If you don't want your bird around all the time get him a friend. Mirrors can be bad for the bird, so a companion is your best bet. Remember, the bird thinks of you as his flock, his family, so he won't understand if you don't want to play with him.
Good job though with the rest of the training. You're really doing an awesome job!

[Jodi]

Quote: Originally Posted by AndrueC I'd rather him see me as an occasional buddy than a life-long companion.

I'm sorry but I just have to address this. Birds needs attention & love, just as much as they need food, water, etc. Of course some types of birds need more attention than others. But regardless, birds want to be your companion and part of the "flock" (your family). They don't want to sit in their cage for when you feel like giving them attention. I'm not saying that's what you're doing, but that is what your statement implies. I apologize if this is not the meaning behind your statement. Unfortunately, far too many people treat their birds as occasional pets which is why so many suffer from behavioral issues.

It sounds like you're doing a great job working with your keet. And as far as getting your bird off your hand. Start training him with the "step down" command when he gets off your hand.

[AndrueC]

It's a tricky balancing act. Of course I don't want him to be lonely or ignored but the fact of the matter is that he's going to be on his own in the house during the working day. When people are there he gets attention but if he gets too attached to individuals he's going to be dissapointed during the day when they aren't there.

Right now he flies to me when I'm there and is happy to perch on my hand or my head. On Sunday he spent ten minutes performing a bizarre "circuit and bumps". He'd perch and nibble my fingers for ten seconds then orbit my hand for a couple of seconds then land and nibble again. All the while clucking and squeaking like a..well..like a demented budgie. I've no idea what he was trying to communicate but it seemed to please him. After ten minutes he flew off and perched above the lounge mirror for an hour.

He's recently discovered he can perch on the patio door handle and when it started raining yesterday he began squeaking. He only stopped when one of us got up to look out. I guess he was trying to point out the rain. Now if I we could get him to do that when someone has left the washing out it would be really handy

Oh and he's discovered yet another silly noise he can make. It's a kind of gentle raspberry. At first we thought he was (ahem) breaking wind but apprently not. He does it as part of his general "whittering away for ten minutes" when he's snoozing.

[Millimi]

That is too funny! Well, if you don't want your bird to get attached, it's too late now. What he was doing when flying around your hand was happy communication between good friends. Perhaps you should get Beekle another parakeet so that he'll have someone to play with when you're at work. Also, make sure to have a lot of toys for your bird to play with, otherwise he may resort to plucking feathers if he's bored!

[Eli]

My bird,Eli, is quite attatched to me, and I can hear him screaming from my open window when I leave my apt, but I am told he calms down when he realizes that I 'm not coming back right away. He also does alot better when I get the chance to take him out before I leave in the morning for at least a few min. How I get him back in the cage, when I have to put him in the cage, I say kisses, th en I p[ut him up to my lips and we give each other a kiss. That's when he knows its bed time and I mean it that it's bed time. If I had my way I wouldn't have a cage for him, but it's safer for him, as I also have a cat. He will ride around on my shoulder or head as long as he can. He stands on the towel rack when I'm taking a shower.

[AndrueC]

Aw that's cute - he doesn't jump into for a shower as well then?

I have a feeling Beekle is going to start exploring up the stairs at some point. He flew up there a few times when I first got him (probably out of fear because it was the highest he could get) but since then he has shown no interest in it. If he does go up I wonder if he'll be intelligent enough to fly back down to his cage?

Hmmm.

[Millimi]

Parakeets are so silly!

[CorinasCritters]

Your probably happier about the good news not minding the bad news...right? lol. That's good news.