# No millet, no problem?



## ParrotLover2001 (Dec 30, 2016)

My birds aren't trained, why? Because they don't accept treats! They don't want millet, they don't want anything. They won't take anything I offer them. I managed to teach Elvis my tiel to step up by offering head rubs instead. I can't teach Elvis anything else. I've been trying to teach him to come when called. But he doesn't accept head rubs anymore. There is no way I can reward him, and I'm finding it very difficult to train my birds. 


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## Lunawolfsong (Mar 31, 2016)

I have a few questions, to begin with

1. Are your birds tamed? What are their histories? If they aren't tamed, it will take time for you to gain their trust through taming exercises before training will be easy. 

2. How long have you had them? When I first got Kirby, he wouldn't touch anything other than his food. The only things I could train him to do were to turn around (because I would touch his tail) and to fly on cue (once again, because I touched his tail a certain way). It took him a few months I think before he settled in our home enough that he would try millet, which he loved, and from there other treats. 

3. Do your birds eat seeds or pellets or both? Before Kirby would take millet, I would sometimes be able to use a bowl of seed as a treat lure, and sometimes still can  He's a seed junkie, so the seed is a good reward for him.

I hope any of this helps!


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## Lore (Dec 5, 2016)

Do any of the birds eat millet of you hang it in their cage? Even if Elvis has learned to step up, he might still be a bit scared of your hands? Same could be for your other 2. Especially if any of them _love_ some treats when you just leave it in the cage for them.

You could try to find out if there is something other than millet, that Elvis will like.  Maybe he loves sunflower seeds, or some kinds of nuts, or maybe apple or something all different? If you do figure it out, leave it in the cage but sit near and see if they eat it. Then next time try to see if they eat it when you stand next to the cage, then with your hand in the cage, and then move the treat closer and closer to your hand.
Take small steps!


Hope this was of any help  goog luck!


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## ParrotLover2001 (Dec 30, 2016)

Lore said:


> Do any of the birds eat millet of you hang it in their cage? Even if Elvis has learned to step up, he might still be a bit scared of your hands? Same could be for your other 2. Especially if any of them _love_ some treats when you just leave it in the cage for them.
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I don't know if they eat it in the cage, I know my lovebird doesn't, I'm not sure about my other 2 birds. I can try that. Thanks! 


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## ParrotLover2001 (Dec 30, 2016)

Lunawolfsong said:


> I have a few questions, to begin with
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1. Elvis is tamed, my other to aren't.
Their histories, I'm not sure. They were all still young when I got them, Elvis was 4 months, Chrissy (budgie) was 6 months, Jordan (lovebird) was 9 weeks. They don't have much of a history, Elvis and Jordan were hand raised, Chrissy was parent raised. That's as much of they history I can give.

2. I've had Elvis for almost a year, And my budgie since July, and my lovebird since Christmas (I don't really expect her to be eating the Millet now. But my other 2?)

3. They eat seed, carrots, pellets, cracked corn/ground corn. But mostly seed. 


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Definitely hang some millet in their cage and let them get the taste for it. I often find that with birds that don't want to accept any treats from me, letting have a couple of millet sprays for a while and then taking them away really encourages them to accept it when I offer it to them as a treat.

I've never met a cockatiel that I couldn't bribe with millet


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