# Training Ziggy



## melquida (Feb 23, 2011)

Hey guys just posting to keep to updated on Ziggy and now my training with him/her.

I'm still waiting for him/her to settle in as he/she seem still pretty nervous or its a female lol and she just being how a female is 

Now Ziggy came from a cage that I could walk in if I was to guess 7 ft long 4 ft deep and 6 ft high he/she had about 80 other birds in their with him/her.
And I don't think much interaction at all as they were in a basement and seemed to only see people when the breeder brought people interested 

So I'm not sure his/her age they said young but I'm clueless 
So far I've sat right by the cage and talked to him/her yesterday I did not put my hand in the cage as I wanted Ziggy to be use to it before I invated. Today I've stuck my hand in 2X the 1st I stop after about a min as Ziggy seemed really freaked out and kept flying I was afriad Ziggy would get hurt 2nd time went a bit better as Ziggy moved away but did not fly all over the place to get hurt. Ziggy still has not accepted the spray from my hand and I have yet to see him/her eat I'm currently offering 70% seed 30% pellets as he/she was on an all seed diet . He/she has pooped and it is normal 

I also have been playing cockitiel sounds to help ziggy with the adjustment not sure if this is a good idea or not? 

I've decided to not take Ziggy out until he/she has accepted Spray from my hand as he/she is not clipped and seem to like to fly I doubt I'd ever get ziggy back tallest celing in my home is 12ft from the floor I'm 5"1 lol 

Any tips guys I wanna take it slow as not to have him be afriad of me


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## mpayjr (Aug 16, 2010)

If you could post some pictures we would be able to determine his/her gender. 

As to age, I would definitely question the owner, it sounds very suspicious and somewhat cruel to keep that many birds in a cage in a basement. Also, since they were in a basement I'd like to question how much sunlight actually reached the birds. In the case the bird is having a calcium deficiency, I would keep it near a window where sunlight will reach the bird. However, the bird should still have someplace in the cage, where he can escape the sunlight for a moment.

As to your training, you are doing fine. Another method, that I think tielfan or cheryl (i don't remember) had offered to some people, is to take the millet and make it really obvious that you are putting it in the cage for the bird. This will cause the bird to associate millet with you, making it easier for you to coax it to eat from your hands. However, the method you are using is another great way to, and if it's working, don't stop!

I'm not sure if the sounds may be good or bad for your bird. Once I did the same things with my birds, but they would go crazy in that they could not find the other birds, and on top of that my female (Amber) began laying eggs because of it (she was separate from the other birds because of how mean she was). 

As to whether or not you'll clip him, I would do so. I tried training my birds without clipping them, to no avail. When you clip them, they seem to attach to you more and rely on you for mobility.

In general, taking it slow is really the best thing you can do. It may take a while, but the reward of affection and care that your bird gives you will always outweigh the time you spent.


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## melquida (Feb 23, 2011)

Awe thxs for the response ad I do have Ziggy by a window as do do doubt they got any sunlight at all and yea it was really coped up the guy even had puppies down there now water and where he has them was coved in poop not the best place for any living creature. I ended up calling animal service he looks fine now he's starting to make more and more noises and I have his calium souce there . Ziggy is perking up still haven't seen him eat  hoping before he reties for the night. Put my hand in and he nipped at me but as much as it hurt I kept in in there and said no and kept my hand in there for about a min more I'm def thinking clip to as if ziggy decided to fly high up I would have no way outside a ladder of getting him down


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## melquida (Feb 23, 2011)

Update:

Ziggy is now eating woohoo but only eating the seeds  hopefully this will change soon


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## melquida (Feb 23, 2011)

Ziggy hurt himself !!!!

I don't know how I was gone for 10-15 mins to pick up my daughter at school I came back and Ziggy had blood on his wing it was brighter then in the pictures when I 1st seen it but seems to have dried I don't know what to think he seem perfectly fine chriping and eating still will not take food from my hand but eating his seeds


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## melquida (Feb 23, 2011)

Forgot to post pics


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Looks like Ziggy could've broken a blood feather or hit his/her wing on something. Is there anything you can think of the could've scared him/her? It might've been a bird flying by the window or a noise. If the bleeding has stopped then it should be ok.


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