# B.J's EASY BIRD BONDING,



## Bird Junky (Jul 24, 2012)

B.J's STEP BY STEP TO EASY BIRD BONDING 

The following suggestions are the result of a lifetime of experience, training 
many hundreds of birds of all kinds for performers, both professional & 
amateurs. 
The main problems when compiling what really amounts to a list of 
instructions, is the diversity of bird personalities. 
Some are naturally curious & quick to learn, while others are slow & more 
reserved. 
For their own safety birds should be confined to their cages until the 
bonding process is complete & step-up has been mastered. 
Chasing & catching a bird can undermine any bond already built up between 
an owner & bird. Allow 2 or 3 days of practice after the first successful 
outcome of each step, in the bonding process. If your bird is a little slow 
please keep practising until your bird is 100% before moving onto the next 
stage. You will be more than amply rewarded for your patience. 
It is just as easy to bond with several birds, as it is a single bird. The slow 
birds soon learn to follow the lead of their more forward flock companions. 
Those who find a flock difficult to train, are too impatient to allow the 
slower birds to catch up, befor moving on to the next stage. 
Whilst on the subject of impatience, don't be tempted to take short cuts. 
Just because your bird does what you want at the very first attempt. 
Does not mean he has actually learned thats what you want him to do. 
As I said before, a 100% success rate is what a good trainer aims for. 
Anything less is a setback waiting to happen.

(1) TAMING BIRDS with a FEAR of PEOPLE. 

The best cage position for fearful birds is a quiet corner of a room, with 
3/4 of the top covered to provide a greater feeling of security for the bird. 
In the cage provide plain seed or pellets, water, cuttlebone & an iodine block. 
Both containers are better if they can be refilled without opening the cage 
door, this will prevent further upset to an already fearful bird. 
The remaining foods such as, fruit/veg. hard boiled egg, millet spray etc. are 
to be fed in small portions as treat foods. 
This will show the birds that your arrival, means nice things to eat & by giving 
small amounts your visits can be much more frequent. Hard boiled egg should 
be sliced & fed 1/2 a slice at a time while fruit & veg, should be cut up into 
small pieces & clipped into a clothes peg to prevent it falling through the bars.
Each piece of treat food should be placed on the cage top, you should then 
retire to a distance the birds are comfortable with, to allow them to settle 
down & eat. 
At each treat feed, stand or sit a little closer. Don't be in a hurry take your 
time. Show them by going slow & easy that people are nice & not at all 
frightening. 
When the time finally arrives that you can sit quietly by their cage as they 
eat their treat food, they are ready for the next step in the bonding process.
From now on you should talk softly to your birds at every opportunity. 

(2) BITERS & BIRDS with a FEAR of HANDS

Prepare the cage as for (1). These birds are best fed the treat foods in 
small portions through the bars of the cage, with a pair of tweezers or 
chopsticks. As the birds get used to this, gradually over the next few days, 
move your fingers closer to the treat food as you slowly build up the bond of 
trust. As before the treats are fed little & often. 
If your bird is a biter or even attempts to bite, remove the treat food 
immediately for a count of 10, then re-offer it. Any longer & the bird may 
not link the two actions, do this as often as it takes, don't be in a hurry. 
Only when your birds are 100% happy to eat from your fingertips for 
several days, are they ready for the next stage. 
This stage is not complete until the birds stop any biting behavour. 

(3) HAND FEEDING SEMI-TAME BIRDS INSIDE THE CAGE

Young birds recently weaned are the most trusting & ready to eat from your
fingers. 
This stage will lead automatically to step-up. When working inside the cage 
use a hanky fixed to the bar above the door with clothes pegs to act as a 
safety curtain to prevent a bird from escaping via the open door. 
Offer the birds a treat food by holding a small piece between the fingers of 
your upturned palm & close to a perch. So the birds can reach the treat.
You will notice the birds will be thinking about the situation. If they appear in 
anyway disturbed or attempt to bite, resenting your intrusion as a trespass 
into their personal space. Remove your hand & allow them to calm down. 
When they are calm & curious, hold your hand still so they can eat the food 
treat. 
Remember offer it don't try to force it on them, If no bird approaches wait 
a few minutes, withdraw & try again a later, repeat until they eat. 
Keep offering them different small treats as often as you can over the next 
few days. Until all the birds are happy to eat from your hand. 
As before, your aim is to build up a strong bond of friendship & trust, talk 
softly to your birds. It matters little what you say, just be aware that rude 
words & the sound of a clicker (as in clicker training) will come back to 
haunt you if you birds develope into good mimics.

(4) STEP UP

After a day or two of successful hand feeding, hold your treat filled hand 
just far enough away from the perch so the birds have step onto your hand 
to reach the food. Say "up or come on", or whatever you like just be 
consistent. Do not poke a reluctant bird. You want to invite not bully your 
bird into stepping up. 
A poked bird has two options. A shy nervous bird will retreat, as you 
probably would if it happened to you. A more confident bird will step-up to 
show you he isn't backing down. Not because he thinks, poke means step-up. 
A layed back bird who goes through life taking the easy road, will step-up 
only to regain his balance. Poking will not guarantee 100% Step-up. 
If trust has been established, the birds will step up without any hesitation at 
every treat feed. 
Step up is the most important part of the whole bonding, befriending process 
so be sure your bird will step up every time before moving on. 

(5) OUT TIME

Prepare by first bird proofing the room. Curtains shut etc, put together a 
portable perch on wooden blocks, raised a few inches off the table top. 
Make or buy a bird gym. For their own safety birds should be discouraged 
from perching anywhere except on a cloth covered table or your hands. 
Out time, this is better done some in the early evening or late afternoon. 
After the birds have had a fly & play for an hour or so & will be ready to 
return to their cage for supper & sleep. Food is the most powerful tool you 
have. If they can get food outside of the cage they have no incentive to return. 
With a little treat in hand open the cage door. Put your hand in & allow the 
birds to step up & eat, slowly take your hand & bird out of the cage. 
Let them stay on your hand until they realise they're out. Let them explore & 
encourage them to use the gym or play with a favourite toy.


(6) THE RETURN TO CAGE

Fix the cage door open & put in one of their other favourite treat foods. 
Offer your birds a small food treat, when they step up for a taste, return 
them to their cage. You are now a fully fledged, 'BIRD BUDDY'.

A FEW TIPS

Save a favourite treat to be fed only as an educational treat. With my birds 
it was Peanut Butter or Cottage Cheese with salt free chopped up peanuts or 
crumb or two of Sponge cake.

Most professional entertainers use a hand perching stick. It keeps their 
clothes clean & the birds enjoy the swaying motion. It's also handy for 
getting birds down from curtain rails.

You offer a bird a treat for a wanted action. If when it's learnt it you stop 
giving the treat. Can you really blame the bird for non compliance? 

You have to convince your birds that you are the most interesting thing in 
the world, not just a lump of wood to perch on while watching telly. 

It is your job to entertain your bird, not his job to keep you amused.

The surest way to achieve anything is with bribery. It works on every living 
creature on earth including human beings. Yours B.J.
PS.
Check out my posts on tricks & games to keep, you & your birds happy & active.


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

This is great information, we also have our own training advice here http://www.talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=22073 and this has worked very well for many people. There is absolutely nothing wrong with stick training your bird first so that you are able to take them out of the cage to work with them. Some birds just have a general fear of hands. Patience is key and you must go at the birds own pace.


----------



## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Hi Bird Junky, 

I feel like you've been ignoring my messages I've sent to you privately. Please refrain from putting your outside website link in your signature and abide by the forum rules. If you have not read my messages in your inbox because you don't know how to operate the forum, you click the 'Your Notifications' at the top right underneath you "badge" and then click 'Private Messages' from the drop down menu.

If you have read my messages and continue to violate the rules, you've already read what my course of action will be. If you want to continue to be a part of this forum and help other bird lovers, then please review and abide by the forum rules.

Thanks,

Bailey


----------

