Got My First Bird (canary)

[Rickjb39]

Hey all i got a standard yellow canary a few days ago and im looking to tame her and eventually end up with a bird that i will be able to let her out side her cage and not worry about chasing her with a net :) But at the moment shes terrified when ever my hand goes by the cage or inside it so for the past few days ive just been putting a few treats inside her little treat tub i made so she relates my hand with food and hopfully build up a trusting relationship to the point where she will perch on my finger. What im looking for is taming tips, caring tips as this is my first bird and she wont be my last :)

[Tom Lawless]

Hey Rick, Congratulations and welcome to the forum. Canaries are such pretty birds. I haven't heard too much on taming them but if there is information out there on it I am sure someone will post it for you. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Rickjb39]

Originally Posted by Tom Lawless

Hey Rick, Congratulations and welcome to the forum. Canaries are such pretty birds. I haven't heard too much on taming them but if there is information out there on it I am sure someone will post it for you. Good luck and keep us posted.

Thanks for the warm welcome tom :)

[CanaryLover]

Hey Rick! Welcome!
I have two canaries. They are very hard to tame. In fact, trying to handle them and work with them can actually stress them out pretty bad. Their hearts race so fast, and they really don't take stress very well.
However, your new friend will get use to your hand and the sound of your voice and the noises around him and will be singing in no time!
Also, I have kind lof "trained" mine to do two things...or should I say...they have trained me!
The first is that they have open flight time everyday and when they see the green net, the fly straight to their cages. I don't even have to use it anymore!
The second is that I will start to make the sound that my male makes when he is warming up to sing, he hears me and does it back...I do it again and he chirps back...this goes on for a while until he breaks out into song and I can no longer keep up! (That's kind of trained right?)

[tabooh]

Originally Posted by CanaryLover

Hey Rick! Welcome!
I have two canaries. They are very hard to tame. In fact, trying to handle them and work with them can actually stress them out pretty bad. Their hearts race so fast, and they really don't take stress very well.
However, your new friend will get use to your hand and the sound of your voice and the noises around him and will be singing in no time!
Also, I have kind lof "trained" mine to do two things...or should I say...they have trained me!
The first is that they have open flight time everyday and when they see the green net, the fly straight to their cages. I don't even have to use it anymore!
The second is that I will start to make the sound that my male makes when he is warming up to sing, he hears me and does it back...I do it again and he chirps back...this goes on for a while until he breaks out into song and I can no longer keep up! (That's kind of trained right?)

Generally speaking from what I have been told in past the above mention is something that I would agree with strongly. Good luck and congrats

[mabird]

Hi!

Congrats on your new baby!!

Good luck with your goal of training her... I don't know much about it, but I wish you the best of luck.


Would love to see a couple of pics when/if you get a chance.

[Rickjb39]

thanks for the replies people :). upto now she will take her treat seed or apple out her little treat tub if my hand is by her but not too close also she has become well aware that her treat tub is a treat tub and sits on the perch by it tweeting away as if to say "GIVE ME A TREAT" lol. I'll get some pics of her once she stops flapping around when i hold a camera up :p

[Rickjb39]

Its been about 3 weeks now since i got "Birdie" (names by my 1 year old daughter) and the poor little thing is still terrified when my hand goes int he cage from when i put its daily treat in its tub :( surely he/she should be used to my hand going in and coming back out by now?

[Canarygirl]

I'm a canary breeder and at this time have over 100. They can be tamed but just to a point. Mine is so use to me being in the bird room they aren't flighty or scared, but that's about all the taming I know you can do, to get them use to you. My hens don't mind me picking them up while I check under them to do a egg check, when they see me coming it's a " here she comes again" look but not scared at all. Layla

[Rickjb39]

ok thanks canarygirl also ive had to question if "birdie" is a female :o as about 5 mins ago he/she just broke out in song :o but i dont knwo if its a female singing or a male song as it doesnt sound too complex