Hello All,
I recently adopted 2 tiels from a local avian rescue. I brought them home on Sunday morning and let them settle in all day long. Later on that evening I offed them some millet through the bars of the cage and both of them eagerly came running for it. They were completely fine with my hand being there holding the millet while they pecked away at it through the bars. I continued this throughout the day on Monday and they were very receptive. So I figured id try opening the cage door to see if they would eat from my hand while it was inside of their cage. Low and behold they came running. However while my hand is in the cage i CANNOT move even the slightest bit or they get skittish and nervous. One of them will just shy away a bit and then come right back for more millet while the other will open his beak wide and lunges at my fingers (and got me few times). Last night I decided to open the doors on their cage to let them have some flight time and to see if they would be calmer outside of the cage. It was kind of hit and miss. They both took the millet from me but would not go near my hand. They would sit as far away as they possibly could while still being able to reach the millet. the nippy one was still just as nippy, but did eat a lot of millet from me and generally didnt seem to mind my presence. the other seemed more content and at ease outside of the cage. after some time i got him to let me bring my empty hand between him and the millet but he wouldnt step up. When i tried to lightly push against his chest to get him to step up, he kind of shyed away and got real nervous like he did in the cage but came back shortly after. I feel like he is willing to step up onto my finger for some millet but hes not sure of my finger. The real trouble came when it was time for them to go back into their cage. They didnt want anything to do with my hands and they started schreching and flying all over the room trying to avoid me. Eventually i coaxed them onto a perch but had to rush them to the cage because they saw my hand at the end of that perch and you could tell they were about to take off again. Ive only had them for a few days (today is # 4) and i feel like ive made a lot of progress with them seeing as how they werent handled much at the rescue. I mean they got attention but because they had about 25 cockatiels there, they were never really taken out of the cage in god knows how long. I feel like they enjoyed being out of the cage and nibbling from the millet i was offering, but i feel like i ruined the little bit of trust i had started to build with them when i had to put them in the cage, i mean that was stressful for me, i can only imagine how they felt. Do you think I'm going to fast for them? Should i keep them in the cage until they get more comfortable eating from and steping up onto my hands? Any ideas? I want to let them out but i dont want to traumatize them when its time to go back in....
I recently adopted 2 tiels from a local avian rescue. I brought them home on Sunday morning and let them settle in all day long. Later on that evening I offed them some millet through the bars of the cage and both of them eagerly came running for it. They were completely fine with my hand being there holding the millet while they pecked away at it through the bars. I continued this throughout the day on Monday and they were very receptive. So I figured id try opening the cage door to see if they would eat from my hand while it was inside of their cage. Low and behold they came running. However while my hand is in the cage i CANNOT move even the slightest bit or they get skittish and nervous. One of them will just shy away a bit and then come right back for more millet while the other will open his beak wide and lunges at my fingers (and got me few times). Last night I decided to open the doors on their cage to let them have some flight time and to see if they would be calmer outside of the cage. It was kind of hit and miss. They both took the millet from me but would not go near my hand. They would sit as far away as they possibly could while still being able to reach the millet. the nippy one was still just as nippy, but did eat a lot of millet from me and generally didnt seem to mind my presence. the other seemed more content and at ease outside of the cage. after some time i got him to let me bring my empty hand between him and the millet but he wouldnt step up. When i tried to lightly push against his chest to get him to step up, he kind of shyed away and got real nervous like he did in the cage but came back shortly after. I feel like he is willing to step up onto my finger for some millet but hes not sure of my finger. The real trouble came when it was time for them to go back into their cage. They didnt want anything to do with my hands and they started schreching and flying all over the room trying to avoid me. Eventually i coaxed them onto a perch but had to rush them to the cage because they saw my hand at the end of that perch and you could tell they were about to take off again. Ive only had them for a few days (today is # 4) and i feel like ive made a lot of progress with them seeing as how they werent handled much at the rescue. I mean they got attention but because they had about 25 cockatiels there, they were never really taken out of the cage in god knows how long. I feel like they enjoyed being out of the cage and nibbling from the millet i was offering, but i feel like i ruined the little bit of trust i had started to build with them when i had to put them in the cage, i mean that was stressful for me, i can only imagine how they felt. Do you think I'm going to fast for them? Should i keep them in the cage until they get more comfortable eating from and steping up onto my hands? Any ideas? I want to let them out but i dont want to traumatize them when its time to go back in....