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11-05-2009, 04:51 PM
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Hello All
Hello to everyone.
I am brand new to the forum as well as a brand new owner of my first bird - a blue and gold. She is 8yo and im already loving her to death. She was delivered to me last night from her owner (her owner has a medical condition and has to move into a place that she can not take her). I spent last night just being by her and gettinbg her acclimated to me a little. I hade her taking pistachios and peanuts directly from my hand last night. She did some grooming and stretching and started to look tired last night around 10. I left her for the eve and let her be. I went down around 7 this morn and she was sleeping - she woke up when i entered the room. I hand fed her some more nuts and then she ate from her bowl after i offered it to her. She hasnt left her top perch (she is in a very large dome top cage with 3 large perches). I tried for about an hour this morning working with her to step up (which she does know). I used the "power pause" technique to get my arm in the cage and about 8 inches from her. I must be totally honest here i am a prett big 35yo guy who isnt scared of pretty much anything - when i try to get a little closer she will fluff up or act a littel hesitant toward me. she doesnt scream or hiss and really she isnt showing any really negative reaction i just dont need a chunk of my arm taken out right now. What suggestions do you have for me to get to tht next step and move 3-4 inches from her. How can I get to the point where i can pet her? She is used to being handled by her previous owner. I know i have had her less than 24 hours and it takes time, i am just looking for hints to help the process flow easier and faster. Thanks a ton everyone in advance for your help. PS I did order Chet Womach's system to get me started as well it just hasnt come yet!! 
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11-05-2009, 06:01 PM
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Congrats on the new addition!
She should be getting at least 10-12 hours of sleep per night, if not more. My own birds, depending on the time of year, get 9-14 hours of sleep, and I know others get as much as 15 hours of sleep during the winter hours. You haven't had her for very long. Unlike dogs who can trust instantly, many birds may take days, if not weeks, to warm up with new owners. Don't try to force her, and just keep offering her treats. If possible, leave the door to the cage open, allow her to come out on her own, then ask her to step up. In regards to Chet Womach's system, there are a lot of different opinions on this... I'll just say that his old training techniques use a lot of force training, which results in learned helplessness. His newer techniques are going more into positive reinforcement. In truth, there are a lot of other trainers out there that are recommended over him. Just look for positive reinforcement and clicker training articles and books.
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Monica & Fids (Fids = Feathered Kids) Click on one of the below topics if you need help on one of them! Sexing Budgies Importance of Flight-Feather Clipping Help in Screaming/Plucking Parrots Photographing Your Bird IrfanView Photo Editing/Signature Creation Posting Photos Product Reviews Guide to the Classifieds Bird Links & Resource Directory
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11-05-2009, 07:04 PM
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Hello & welcome! I agree, leave the cage door open & pull up a chair sit & talk with her in a soft voice. She will come around. How long was she with her previous owner? Also be sure to do your research on good & bad food,woods,cleaners etc..etc... There are a lot life changes when living with a feathered friend.
Congrats on your new baby!
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11-05-2009, 07:16 PM
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Quote:
THats exactly what I have been doing, i have a chair and i open the cage door. She finally moved off her perch and went all around the cage, settled on a rather large toy and started grooming... This made me happy to see her get off the perch since she went into the cage. I am going to spend a few hours each morning and night doing this until she is just used to me. I plan on taking her with me to the office etc... She was with her previous owner for 8 years (she purchased her when she was 2 weeks - the previous owner has tons of experience with birds and has had a ton - she was extremely upset to get rid of Sapphire but i assured her she would be treated extremely well...
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11-05-2009, 07:28 PM
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Welcome to the forum, glad you found it!
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 www.chinchillasgalore.com
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11-05-2009, 08:45 PM
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Welcome!
My BGM is quite insanely attached to me and I've only had him since the summer....so I'm going to say that 8 years is A LOT of bonding time....just give her some time. She's probably quite sad over leaving her owner and it's going to take a bit for her to trust you and become attached. But you shouldn't be so intimidated by the biting thing either. Chet completely hypes the idea of an agressive macaw on that daggom video of his and it's just not generally true. It happens, yes, but likely the worst you're going to get is a hard squeeze that doesn't feel to good....NOT a chunk taken out. When you offer your arm, try to tuck your fingers in....you can also wrap an ace bandage around it to give you a bit more protection. Keep in mind that Macaws are ALL about intimidation, so most of that fluffing and lunging is seeing if you'll back down. This isn't to say you should force her....but you might be safe instead of pulling your arm away if you leave it there. Also, eye contact is often intimidating to parrots, so you may want to look away while you talk to her until she feels comfortable with you focused on her. Ummm..another thing about Chet's stuff is....I don't know what he's charging these days, and I hope you either didn't pay what I paid or have a return guarantee, because...holy crap. Those DVDs were the lowest quality pieces of junk I had ever scene. It was clearly made in powerpoint, offered no live action video, and the sound quality was TERRIBLE. Whatever his experience or knowledge is aside, the quality was just insulting to pay that much for it. I know friends who make better stuff as a hobby, and sorry but...it just does not cost that much to make something like that to justify the expense. Particularly when there's youtube and of course forums like this filled with experts who want to help you for your sake and the sake of your bird -- not a profit. Edit: And yes. Pics. Totally.
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11-05-2009, 10:52 PM
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Thanks everyone for the comments so far.... I am not going to push it but am definately spending a lot of time with her.
I know 8 yrs is a bit of a bond to break and il definately give her the time she needs to reposition her feelings. I am in it for the long haul thats for sure - I am an absolute pet lover I have had tons of animals just never a bird. I currently have 2 Labs just over a year old, one is as curious as they come the other wont even go in the same room as Sapphire, lol Sapphire did have two dogs in her house prior so she is used to them as well. I have a 5yo daughter and an 8yo son they love the bird - i have limited their time becasue i want to certainly build a strong bond to me first. Thanks again and keep the help coming, Lord knows I need it. Oh and as far as the Chet Vids i paid fifty something for the initial set, he does give a 6 month return policy at this point but you can see where he tries to get you by automatically enrolling you in some monthly thing for $39.99 and if you dont cancel within 30 days you get an additional set of dvds for 200bux automatically. We will see..... I will say one thing though, his "power pause" technique definately has worked thus far...
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