# set back in taming



## monz (Apr 3, 2011)

Hello, 
I got a young cockatiel around a month ago, he wasnt hand fed or tamed and was very scared of people, so I started taming him and within a few weeks he was eating millet from my hand. The thing is that in the last week or so, hes become a little agressive and its as if hes going back to being scared. Another thing is that he wouldn't come near my hand if I dont have millet, but if theres millet he had no problem steppin up even if the millet was in the other hand and not close to the hand hes steppin up to. I've never tamed a bird before and I was wondering if I had done something wrong for him to go back to being scared? I had tried to get him to step up onto my hand like I read somewhere, but it scared him and I stopped trying to do that since, could it be that it was that that got him to go back a few steps?

Its so frustrating to lose the bond we had just started to have ! 

If anyone has any advice or went through the same thing I'd be more than happy if you shared it with me


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

How old is he do you think? Have you tried just setting your hand in his cage for 15 minutes at a time and once he gets used to it moving it closer to him?


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## RobinWalters (Feb 10, 2011)

Sounds like the same thing I have gone through with my Jr! he is about 7 months old and we have had about 7 weeks know. He will eat the millet out of my hand and step up while I am holding it and will even let me scratch his head ( as long as I have millet ). I started yesterday with the same suggestion of letting my hand stay in the cage about 15 minutes at a time each day, I am hoping this will get him use to my hand without the millet. I have read many post where is says to have patience.!

Good Luck to you!


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## shelagh (Nov 2, 2010)

Is this a sign of the onset of birdie puberty? Could he be entering his first molt? Mine (though hand-tamed) has been more nippy and willful over this past week, and is losing many down feathers and the odd wing feather. In an untamed bird I would imagine the setback would be more obvious, as Kuno even tries to display his masculinity more adamantly than ever, doing "bat bird" poses topped off with a soft "hiss" into the air to impress his mom and dad.


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## RobinWalters (Feb 10, 2011)

I don't know shelagh - maybe some more experienced bird owners could answer that question so we both will know!


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## shelagh (Nov 2, 2010)

Well, my female went into her first molt and had a bit of a nippy period, although she was before that and now is a cuddle bug. I found that the molt took a toll on her comfort upon receiving scritches, so I has to take on a more "preeny demeanor" and help pluck the keratin lightly from the tips of her pin feathers. At the end of the molt she developed what we called "wing-itude" and she wanted to assert her mobility. We simply held her down and pretended to clip her. She has been sweet as ever for months after that. Of course she gets into her " I wanna fly" moods and we let her do it within a safe area, but she can't boss us around. That's what caring for creatures with the cognitive capacity of toddlers demands.


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## monz (Apr 3, 2011)

I'm not sure how old he is. He is my first cockatiel and my experience with birds is very limited. But he has like 2 or 3 baby feathers on his face, at least I think so :S also his feathers are a bit messy and i was told that after the first molt **** get new neat ones.
He doesnt seem to min the hands when they're outside of the cage, i guess ill have to take it easy and start from there again. 
Thanks everyone


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Sounds like birdy puberty to me...going through his first molt and he's nippy, its not really a set back in training it just means he's hormonal. Which can be helped by placing him on the long nights treatment (12-14 hours of darkness a night.) He may not go to sleep right away but he's knows its night time which means shorter days which are not good for breeding. It took my flock about two weeks for all of them to settle down.


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## rockysmum (Mar 1, 2011)

sounds like all the above posts , but must mention this i had same problem long long time ago with one of my birds he was fine doing well, then one day he wouldn't come near me it turned out he was terrified of a new jumper i was wearing it was pink it set him back, i had a very good bird breeder friend who did laugh , she taught me so much
Yes patience especially with hormonal birds
spend lots of time sitting next to his cage softly talking to him , i eat next to mine they usually cant resist and come over to see what im eating


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