New to Bird Board...!

[burdieme]

Hi everyone I just signed up last night, but didn't get a chance to write until tonight. I heard about this site while on another Bird site. This will be the third one I belong to. I'm looking forward to meeting people, making friends and sharing stories about our burdie friends.

I'm owned (as I like to tell people) by a normal gary female cockatiel. Her name is Tobi. She came to my home on February 2, 2007 at the age of about 7-8 months. I bought her over the phone sight unseen from "Petsmart" pet store in Thunder Bay Ontario, Canada. The store told me that Tobi was a male, but when I got her I soon realized that Tobi was a female (by her markings) The store had named her Toby, so I changed it to an "I"...

I love her to bits, she's a pleasure to have. She still won't trust my fingers so I'm not able to pet she, but I keep working on that. Tobi does "Step-up" and loves to fly around the livingroom. If anyone has any ideas on how I can gain her trust please feel free to give advise. I spend as much time as I can with her.

signing off....

[guest1717171]

welcome to the group!

[ndeben]

Welcome!!!

[Willow]

Welcome. I would try using treats to encourage her trust. You could have fun trick training her as well. You can get a little kit on clicker training for birds. Neat stuff.

[chirpy]

Welcome to BB.
Millet can be very good treat for gaining trust. Holding a long spray and letting her eat it then over time (lots of time) shortening the length of the spray so she's nearer your hand and eventually on your hand. If she eats on your hand, that will help her with trust issues. Be prepared to be patient!
Good luck and keep us updated.
Post some photos of Tobi, we loooove photos!

[singlefeather]

Hi! Welcome! Haven't been on here that long myself!
I have 5 cockatiels which I only got in the last few months so haven't got too far yet. My 1st cockatiel, Loki I have had for a year and she is very shy and nervous still! So no worries. I haven't got the whole step up thing as shes scared of my hand. But I have the eating from the hand-I highly recommend millet spray! By just sticking you hand in the cage with the millet, she should come up to you and take a few pecks them shuffle away. This may take a couple of days. Don't over-do it by constantly putting your hand in, 3 times a day or less is fine and keep your hand in for as long as you can (it starts to ache after a while!) Then after about a week or 2 since shes started eating from you try putting your hand a little further in and she'll go on your hand for it if you tease a little. But as you already have step up this shouldn't be a problem. For the petting, which I have got with my cockatiel Darcy who I have only had about 2 months I used the millet outside the cage by poking it through and poking my one finger through about two bars up. Then your birdie should come up and as she takes try moving your finger so she gets used to the movement and then after a couple of tries doing this, slowly try stroking her head. Hope this helps! Sorry its a bit rambly but i wanted to explain fully so you get what I'm saying! Enjoy BIRDBOARD!

[jenseits]

Welcome to BB. Trust-building is key to a relationship, but don't take it personally if she never lets you touch and scritch her. Some birds (just like some people) just aren't big on being touched; that doesn't diminish your relationship at all.

[micki]

hi and welcome to the forum.

[burdieme]

Hi; and thanks everyone on all your good advise. Tobi has no problem coming on to my fingers or hands and some days she stays on me for a long time. Other days not so much. I think it's partly to do with the fact that she can fly, so when she choices not to be in the visiting mood she just flies off back to her cage or her perch by the livingroom window.

What I can't do is give her a scratch behind the head or even touch her in anyway. I hear of other tiel owners who can touch and give a scratch or even cuddle them in their hands or arms....Tobi would have a heart attack even if I even thought of holding her...lol..poor burdie. Because of this I can't trim her nails or clip her flight feahers( not that I really want to do that) but I'm sure you know what I mean. That is what I'm trying to work on with her, but like "jenseits" said it may never happen with Tobi and I'm okay with that. I enjoy her immensely just the way she is.

[burdieme]

Oh yes..I'm not that savy when it comes to computers so I'm not sure how to post pics. I have to figure it out, and when I do watch out..lol