# Stepping up and gripping questions



## Kai (Jan 28, 2008)

Ok... I'm going to try to make my questions make sense. It's only 8:30 pm here but my body thinks I haven't slept in days (which isn't the case).:wacko:

I'm trying to teach my tiel the "Up" command. I'm placing my finger in front of her chest and gently pushing while saying "up". All that has accomplished so far is me nearly tipping her backwards off the perch. Am I going about this the right way or should I be trying something else? Any extra suggestions for how I should go about this would be really appreciated by both me and my tiel.

The other thing I wanted to ask about is the grip strength in a 3-month old baby (wait... hatched Oct. 20..... guess we are almost 4-months now). I have noticed that there is very little power in my baby's grip when she is sitting on my hand. She can still perch on my hand but she tends to slide off a bit even when I don't move at all. She keeps having to readjust her position. Is this normal for her age or something I should be worried about?

Thanks in advance... Time for bed.


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

I wouldn't be worried about it, because every tiel is different.  I'm not sure why she wouldn't step up when you push, try putting your finger lower so you're pushing against her legs.


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## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

Little Bill (budgie) was like that for a while, he would not step up, even when i pushed on his legs, I tryed lower down and he would cling on to the perch, like he was getting blown off by the wind.  

So I tryed another way just leave my finger infront of him, and just touch above his legs slightly.  He now steps up, without me pressing on his chest hard  

Hope this helps  

Sophia x


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

With my baby lovebird at 1st instead of giving her just one finger to step up on i'd turn my hand (fingers/palm facing upwards towards her) and give her all my fingers to step up on, I did it that way until she got a little over a month old (she'll b 2 months old on the 19th of Feb) and now i can give her one finger and she hops on

The other night I had her playing on the floor with me(she started flying a few weeks ago so she's still stoked about that) and she kept flying onto the top of my monitor (which I told her I don't allow Billy(our quaker on it) she's not allowed either & I'd snap my fingers a couple times while holding out my index finger and she'd fly down on to my finger  she did it a couple times, then I'd have to get up and get her lol


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Spike came home knowing how to step up  The breeder told me to press against his tummy just a little bit away from his legs so he can move them on to my finger


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## Kai (Jan 28, 2008)

I tried again this morning and moved lower onto her legs. This time she got up with very little difficulty. I'll just keep at it and remember to be patient. My breeder clipped her wings before I took her home and she has been rather unbalanced ever since (both wings are clipped equally though). I think we are both still getting used to each other.  After all, I've only had her a week.

She is already learning to LOVE head scritches. While sitting on my hand she will put her head down and hold onto my thumb with her beak. Once she is "locked in" then I get to rub all over her head. 

I can't believe how stuck I am on picking a name for her. Normally I can come up with a long list and then something jumps out at me.... I don't even have a list time time! Nothing! Sigh.... Doesn't help that I still don't know if she is a she... lol first molt can't come fast enough for me.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Thats good that she is starting to step up  Just keep working with her  Better get started on that name  When I got Spike I could not think of a name either. So my Mom named him Spike and I agreed :blush:


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

Thats great that she/he is starting to step up sounds like your making good progress, the name game is always a hard one especially if you don't know the gender, try and come up with one that can go either way I know easier said then done  you can always change it once you know or keep it like some of use have, when we got Georgie the breeder thought she was a male so we named her Georgie but turns out she is female and the name just stayed she suited it.


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

I had trouble naming Cookie too, usually i've named a new bird before we get home from the pet shop/breeder, but not even the 45 min drive was long enough to think of a name for her.


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## Kai (Jan 28, 2008)

She's just so QUIET! She doesn't move around much yet either. Just from the perch I place her on to the food dish. When I take her out of her cage she just sits on my finger, let me cuddle her for a bit and then preen. How am I supposed to name a Lug-a-bug like that? Hmm... Lug-a-bug... lol Maybe not.


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

She's still little...she'll get the hang of things soon enough...Baby doesn't grip on tight either.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Spike does not have a strong grip either  How about Bug


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## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

Cockatiels don't have such a strong grip as budgies :wacko: Earl doesn't seem to hold on tight, he must do though


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