Got some Questions for the bird people- Peach Faced Love birds

[Aspen and Misty]

Well, lol. Here is the story. My friend caled me up and was like guess what! I was like what? She's like I just got back from Texas and guess what I got! I was like what! She was like 2 love birds, and guess what you get to do for the next week! Watch them! LOL. So I have 2 very very pretty Peached faced love birds sitting behind me chirping very loudly. Surprisingly, Nova didn't seem to bother them, although we still keep them up at all time, safty percaution. Wwell anyway. I got some questions.

My Friend wants me to try to hand the birds while she is away to get them used to people. I was wondering, how do I hand tame a bird????

And does anyone know how to tell weither a love bird is a male or female??

Thax for all the help! O and PCB you should be happy to know, my dad really really reallly wants birds now. He keeps saying do we have to give them back? YOu know this is dangerouse because I miss AJ and JJ and bringing a bird into the house makes me want one more :rolleyes: just thought you might like to know, lol.

O, are there any treats I can give them?

Ash

Up date- I put my hand in there and just held it out like a Perch "Romeo", (thats what I'm calling him for the week, they don't have a name yet) came and sat one my hand. He also flew out of his cage so I picked him up off the floor and put him back in his cage, I was suprised to find out he was great about being picked up off the floor and put back in the cage, no fighitng, biting nothing, just a very calm birdie.

~Side Note~ Nova is kept outside anytime the bird cage is off of the very high self it is on or if ANY of the doors are open, even just to give water

Julette is not warming up as well. THey are resting on the counter behind me and just getting used to my presence. I think we will make some wondeful progress this week, even if its just Juliette not freaking out when I come near the cage.

PS: You all should not be surprised to know that the moment I saw they had no toys in there cage I went and got them some. They now have 2 bird toys to play with, lol.

[Jessica12345]

oh little lovies!:D those SWEETIES! :D LOL... heres a little paragraph i found on sexing....

Some visual characteristics that may aid in determining sex are that the female is heavier bodied than the male and will sit more broadly with legs apart, while the males sit more upright. A females tail will appear more square while a males will appear more rounded. When observing the nesting behavior, the female will do most of the nest building work.


Im a little busy right now though so ill post more later... :) . good luck with them!

I WANT PICS! :D :D :D

[ChewmonkeyBC]

O post pics!!My mom loves love birds!!
To hand tame a bird you just keep putting your hand in the cage and getting them to climb up onto your hand...to teach them to step up onto your finger place your finger against their chest and say "step up" after a while doing this they will eventually do so,thats what I did with my Parakeet Greenie...for a snack we feed my moms Cockatil crackers,but not to many.....

Well thats all for now!

[Aspen and Misty]

The only problem with trying to get them to step up is they wont even let me go near them. They freak out. They havn't touched me since the one time when Romeo did, although I don't expect anything over night.


Ash

ps: THanx Jessica, I can tell now who is who and which sex who is.

[Jessica12345]

How long have they been there? :) they might also be nervous with new surroundings.... plus your friend just got them so thats a lot of shuffling around. You said they are near your computer? its good to let them get used to your presence. you may just want to pull up a chair and sit next to the cage, talking to them quietly for a while (about 15 minutes) not even taking them out. If you do this often and they get used to you being there.... Do this same step but with the cage door open. Dont reach into the cage yet... Until youve just left it open for several sessions. then, put in your hand and feed them treats. its really up to them what treats you use... try and pic which one is there favorite. If you use crackers make sure they are not salted. THEN you move onto teaching step up... trying to get them onto your finger. Lovebirds that are in pairs will NOT bond very closely to the owner because they already have each other, But You can still get them onto your finger. ;) The process of taming them can be a long one, but it is worth it. GOOD LUCK!

[Aspen and Misty]

Thank you :D I have just been sitting by there cage talking to them, it's fun and they seem to be responding, they will chirp when I talk and sometimes come to the front of the cage to eat or drink. Thanx for all the help. I'll have to print this out for my friend so that when they go back home she can continue where I left off.


Ash
ps: They have been here for 2 days now.

[Jessica12345]

glad i could help. :)

now Dont forget about pics! :eek: :D

[popcornbird]

I should have replied sooner, but we were gone on a mini vacation for the weekend (Popcorn and Muffin came with us). :p Anyway, I'm so glad your daddy's loving the birds! :D Hope that means you can get your own someday! That's how my dad got into birds. We had to bird sit our friends tiels for 2 weeks, sometime before Popcorn and Muffin came into the family. They were SO sweet, and since then, my dad's been hooked with birds! They really are AWSOME pets! :D

Anyway, for taming, I believe 1 week may be too little time, especially with a pair of LOVEbirds. They aren't called LOVEbirds for no reason. :p Lovebirds tend to fall in love with 1 member of the family, and if they're a pair, its usually the other bird. I'm certain they can still be tamed well. It will just take longer. For the first week you need to try to spend time next to their cage and talk to them. Don't touch them because they will only freak out and lose trust instead of gaining it. They need to know that you mean them no harm. After a week, you should put your hand in the cage, and just let it lay there for a while, bringing it closer to the bird at every training time. Its best to put a millet spray in your hand to make them greedy for their favorite treat. :p Once they get used to seeing your hand around, you'll have to take them out. Make sure their wings are clipped, and carefully take them out with a small towel (not over the head) or by wearing a glove. From my experience, I have seen that many birds FREAK out by seeing a glove, so I prefer using a small wash cloth towel. You need this so they don't bite and injure your finger. Put the bird in your lap and let go. He/she may jump out and run, but you need to keep doing it and talk to him/her gently every time. I have found that if you put them in your lap and ask someone to put a sheet over you and the bird (so to confine the bird with you under the sheet with no way to get out), birds gain confidence much quicker. Do that every day for 15-20 minutes every time. Tame the birds seperately, with the other out of sight. If you do it in front of them, they get worried about their buddy because they obviously don't know what you are doing, and it can make them lose trust. Good luck to you and your friend, and beg that daddy of your's! If he's loving birds, he won't be able to resist! Hope this helps! :D

Ps. Remember. We NEED pics! :D

[Aspen and Misty]

Thanx PCB!

I wasn't planning on trying to tame them in one week, expessially since this is my first time, lol.

Well, I can't get pics cause of my digital camra is broken because of a certain 5 pound grey ball of fluff with floppy ears and my computer has crashed. So, no pics, Sorry :(



Thanx for all the help! I'm going to pass it on to my friend.


Ash