Advice for very stubborn birds

[Florence]

Hiya!

(there is a TLDR)

In September 2023 my mum decided to adopt two male cockatiels. They had been with their previous owners for about 7-8 years and are about 8-9 years old.

My mum has gotten sick so I’ve been looking after them pretty much since we got them (about 7 months).

The area where there cage is (my mum refuses for it to be anywhere else) spacious but has lots of things for them to fly into and dangerous areas and before I let them out I want them to be able to step up so I can make sure they stay safe. I don’t mind if they aren’t super loving birds because they have each over I just want to be able to weigh them and stuff safely.

The only thing I’ve been able to achieve with them is a change in diet, they where on an all seed diet before we got them and they now have a mix of lifetime formula, seed and vegetables which was no mean feat lol.

My only issue is that they are still TERRIFIED of my hands and me if I get too close. When I try and change the bottom of the cage or clean poop off toys they are screaming and screaming and get so scared. They won’t step up and won’t even take millet I’m holding at the very end of or I’m near and don’t even like it that much. They LOVE pistachios and won’t take them from me directly, I’ve been consistently trying this for the last seven months and I just don’t think they are very food orientated.

I just don’t really know what to do, they wouldn’t leave there cage for MONTHS and when I got them to leave, they wouldn’t go back and I had to pick them up into the cage after one of them was bleeding from their beak, hence why I’m worried to let them out again without more training.

Wing clipping doesn’t seem right to me and I don’t know if it would even solve the problem.

These are the first birds I have ever owned (again not my choice to adopt but I love them so so much) so I’m trying my best but I need some help

TLDR; 2 very stubborn birds still hate hands and being close to them after 7 months of consistently trying with millet, treats ext. Any advice?

 

[Gen120]

Have you tried just sitting by their cage & talking to them quietly?

 

[Florence]

Have you tried just sitting by their cage & talking to them quietly?

Yeah, I have school during the days but I sit by the cage and sing/read to them at least 3-4 times a week for long periods and check up on them lots throughout the day

 

[Gen120]

Yeah, I have school during the days but I sit by the cage and sing/read to them at least 3-4 times a week for long periods and check up on them lots throughout the day

Hmm do they respond to you or?

 

[Florence]

Hmm do they respond to you or?

They will chirp and listen, I think they ate comfortable around me because they will groom and play when I’m around they just hate hate hate me being too close to the cage or my hands being near them

 

[Emma&pico]

Have to tried to teach them to step up onto a perch ? You could try targeting training too if offering millet make sure it’s a really long bit so your fingers/hands aren’t on show

you could hold perch and millet behind so they have to step up onto perch to reach millet

 

[Florence]

Have to tried to teach them to step up onto a perch ? You could try targeting training too if offering millet make sure it’s a really long bit so your fingers/hands aren’t on show

you could hold perch and millet behind so they have to step up onto perch to reach millet

Hi!

yeah I’ve tried we have the reallllyy long millet that someone gifted us and one of them will take a couple bites if I hold it close to them sometimes.

They freak out if when I hold a perch in the cage and run away if I get it close to them

 

[Emma&pico]

@sunnysmom may have some advise for you

@Pixiebeak as brill ideas too

just keep sitting and chatting to them have a special treat bowl where you drop a treat in for them what’s their favourite treat seed you could take that out of mix (if they are on a seed diet ) and they only get it from you when chatting hide your hands at first so they aren’t in view then slowly have them on your knees or in view and work upwards to where they comfortable take a treat from bowl while your hands there

have you tried a flat hand palm up with treats in your hand ?

 

[Florence]

@sunnysmom may have some advise for you

@Pixiebeak as brill ideas too

just keep sitting and chatting to them have a special treat bowl where you drop a treat in for them what’s their favourite treat seed you could take that out of mix (if they are on a seed diet ) and they only get it from you when chatting hide your hands at first so they aren’t in view then slowly have them on your knees or in view and work upwards to where they comfortable take a treat from bowl while your hands there

have you tried a flat hand palm up with treats in your hand ?

Thank you, I’ll carry on trying to introduce my hands. I’ve tried flat hand palm up but they won’t get near my hands. I’m getting my mum to contact their previous owner as they are friends to see what they did/ if they handled them.

 

[sunnysmom]

You can look into target training with them. That way you can hopefully get them to go in and out of cage, etc without actually have to touch them yet. There are some good youtube vidoes on it or www.goodbirdinc.com is a good resource.

 

[Zilga]

I second everyone who suggested target training; it has helped my bird overcome fears related to inanimate objects, though I haven't had to try it with hands. We just started trying it to get her to like my husband more (she hates but does not fear him) - I'll let you know if it works!