Bird hates owner...

[ParakeetLover92]

Ok so as a couple of you hgave seen me post the bird isn't using the cuttle bone. well when i go to get her a cheak up, my 2 year old parakeet, i'm goign to get her wings clipped now she is a very scared bird she kinda hates people and me her owner..... becuase ,i think, it was all when people told me to let her ouit of her cage to have a little exerces when i got her so i did but she didn't go back into her cage and she was freakign out so we had to put gloves on and pick her up and pout her in the cage. While she was SCREAMING for her life like i've never herd before! but were just tryign to help so that happend about 2 more times and i haven't done it scince only sometimes becuase she now knows to go back into her cage, so thats why i'm gettign her wings clipped. And yes i have worked with her and it has helpd but really no use so i started it up agaian yesterdya lol. So i posted this borad to ask people when i go to get her wings clipped and for a cheak up for her beak is she goign to hate me do u think like what does the avian vet do? do u thing she'll be ok? Alicia

[Buteo]

Standard disclaimer:
I've probably got the least amount of experience here, so ya might not want to listen to me...
I'm confident though that if I'm too far off base, someone will come long and tell ya I'm nuts.

I quickly looked over some of your previous posts for more background info on your situation.
First, ya really gotta work on the trust thing with the bird.
You're saying the bird hates people & you.
What I'd like to know - is it really hate? Or is it fear/mistrust?
Hate: Facing the threat(you), screaming, lunging & biting when approached?
Fear: Facing away from the threat(you), avoiding your touch any way it can, shivering/shaking, biting when grabbed.

Birds have multiple levels of trust as you now know. You said in an earlier post that it was trusting you enough to let you touch it's chest. Does it still let you pet it like that?
I hate to say it, but usin the gloves to grab your bird probably isn't doing much to improve things between the 2 of you.
Do you know if your bird "step-up" onto a dowel or spare perch rod more readily than your finger?
You both may find that would be a far less stressful method of transfer.

When our Petey first showed up, he used to hop, run, crawl & flutter all over the inside of the cage to avoid a hand. I'm very pleased that Petey is pretty easy going, but it still took a few days of putting my hand in the cage on the perch beside him & gently talking to him to get him confident enough in me to stop running away & let me touch him.
Sweet, soft talking & very slow, gentle movements are absolutely vital.
Oh yes, not staring the bird in the face is also important.
The #1 rule I can think of with just about any animal I've ever worked with is praise. Whenever something goes right, reward with LOTS of praise - no loud sounds or sudden movements, but enthusiastic praise!!

The next step is exactly that - the step-up. This can be accomplished by using the offered finger perch to apply very gentle pressure on the lower belly at the top of the bird's legs.
An alternate method is by rubbing the fingers slowly up against the front of the birds toes.

With some birds, the "step-up" onto a finger & being able to move the bird once it's there are 2 completely different levels of trust. With a particularly skittish creature, you may need to practice "step-ups" for a while before the bird is comfortable with you trying to move around with it. When starting off, move slowly and in small increments only.
Always be aware of the entire perimeter of the bird.
It's tail brushing over a perch or food/water dish may spook the bird into abandoning your finger for what it sees as a more stable place.

Our Petey occassionally makes it a little bit of a game when it comes time to go back into his cage. If he's on the perch on top of his cage, he'll move away from my hand a few times. This can continue till I move in such a way as to not give him an escape path that doesn't include crossing over one of my hands. As soon as he steps onto my fingers I say, "Thank you. I know ya don't want to, but you're good little bird for listening & doing what I ask."

That isn't always the end though. Sometimes Petey decides he doesn't want to go into his cage. He'll grab for the cage doorway with his beak or once inside he simply refuses to step-off my finger. If it's a case of refusal to step off, I say "Oh you don't wanna go in yet? Can I give a little more attention then?" I bring him back in front of me, stroke whatever part of him he'll allow me to while I talk to him very softly. After a few mins, I tell him "OK, you've had some more attention, it's time for you to go in now."
When I put him in the cage the next time, I make sure I can slowly sweep my hand under a perch bar to make him step off. I say the "step-off" command and give praise when he does it.
If it's bedtime, I usually try to put him on one of the highest perches in the cage.

I don't know how calm a manner your vet has, but chances are your bird will find the whole procedure (the trip, examination, procedure and return trip) rather stressful. The bird will likely be very disappointed to find it's unable to fly like it could before. It will be somewhat uncomfortable or more accurately less selfconfident in it's ability to escape trouble with reduced flight capabilities, but eventually it will adapt.

The best thing you can do is remain as calm as possible & try to reassure the bird that everything is and will be OK.

[svolk]

I think Buteo summed things up very nicely

Trust is the key, and trust comes with patience. Your bird is most likely very nervous around people and you can change this by establishing trust:

Talk gently to your bird and read or sing to him.
Make your movements around him slow and deliberate at first.

Do not push him, allow him to move at his own pace - this may mean that it takes days or weeks until you get to the "step up" phase, it tooks weeks for my budgie - patience really paid off.

Work on the step up command after your bird feels more comfortable around people and hands. I feel that working on the step up command is best done from within the cage if the bird is not tame. This allows the bird to understand that hands in the cage are a good and normal thing - this way your bird will not freak out when you are cleaning the cage or changing food and water.

I also do not recommend using gloves when handling a bird. The bird will still be afraid of bare hands. You will get bitten by your bird at some point, and even though it hurts, try your hardest not to react to the bite - do not scream or jerk your hand away - this is teaching your bird that biting gets them what they want, which is your hand away from them! By not reacting you will be teaching them that biting will not get them what they want - but once you build up trust, they will not fear hands.

Good luck. Be patient.

[ParakeetLover92]

thanks well I guees it's mostly fear but whenm i put my hand to the cage she trys to bite me........ i really want to do the step up thign liek i tried before and i did get my hand on her chest but when i was tryign to teach her push her off her purch like people said she always looked at my finger liek "i'm goign to bite you!!" and it realy freaked me out she liked eye balled it !! well thansk alot every oen i'm goign to try it but then agian i feel bad that i don't let her out of her cage becuase of the fact that she can't get back in but now she kinda knows how to get back in but i'm gettign her wings clipped so i cna let her out i just fell like i'm a bad bird owner! becuase i don't let her out she will be 2 this chrismas!..or sumthign like that....... plus she has a litle over grown beak like it's about to hit her skin becuas ei'm a first time bird owner so this week i'm goign to the vet to get her wings and beak clipped and a cheak up so hansk everyone.

[tielfan]

While you're at the vet, ask him/her about places in your area where you might get some help with training, like a bird club or a pet store with friendly clerks. Mature birds are harder to train than babies but it is possible to teach them.

Birds who aren't accustomed to stepping up will often glare at the finger. But she isn't biting or trying to escape, so this means that she's nervous and unhappy but it isn't too severe. Go slow, keep working with her on a regular basis, and she'll become less nervous. Respect her limits and try not to push her so hard that she bites or flies away.

Does your bird like millet spray? If she does, it can be a great tool for reducing fear and increasing trust. Teach her to eat it from your hand. If she isn't already used to eating millet spray, hang some in her cage so she can learn how yummy it is. After that you can work on handfeeding. At first use a fairly long piece so you can hold on to one end and she can nibble on the other without coming too close to the hand. Go slow in the beginning, and stop if at any time the sight of the approaching millet spray makes her nervous. She'll eventually get used to it and let you come close enough for her to eat it. Once she's confident about doing this, you can gradually use a shorter and shorter piece so that she ends up touching your hand. This is a good way to show her that hands can do nice things for her.

You can also use the millet as a training reward. If she'll take millet from your hand right now, you can put your hand as close to her as she's comfortable with, or touch her if she'll allow that, then immediately give her a bite or two of the millet. Once she figures out that she gets a treat if she doesn't freak out over what the hand is doing, she'll start letting the hand come closer and will be more tolerant of what the hand does. Just remember to go SLOW.