# Getting tiels back in their cage!



## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

My two are a bit of a nightmare to get back in, I find a little bit of Rich Tea biscuit and tell them it's in their dish, does the trick..........but..........I was at Paradise Park yesterday, it's a bird park in Cornwall and I was talking to one of the bird people there. They have a flock of Lorikeets and they let them out for people to feed nectar to at around 2.00p.m. every day. There are about 100 of them, well, I couldn't resist, I had to stay to the end and see just how they got them back in, I thought this was going to be way funny, one man, 100 lorikeets, how in the world was he going to do it.......anyway, time came, everybody went except me and Darryl and another woman who also wanted to know how they were going to be caught and put away. The man came out of a hut with his dishes, called out, "come on then!" and all 100 birds flew back into their enclosure!!!!!!!!!! I was gobsmacked!! So, I asked him how he did it and this is what he said. In the mornings, all the other birds get fed, but the lorikeets only get water, they also get a type of sugar water (obviously not good for tiels, so don't try that) they get fed once a day and that is after they have been let out for their fly around to meet the people and to poop on them (I got hit twice yesterday, but that's another story) so, after they have met the people and everybody is gone, he feeds them and they are soooo ready for their food that they just fly straight back into their enclosure! He suggested the same thing for my two, he said "DON'T STARVE THEM!" but give them just enough so that they want more, then when they are out flying and you want them back in, you can put more food in their dish and they will go back in with no problem. It might take a day or two to get used to it, but they will soon come to realise that they get fed when they go back in their cage. So, I thought I might give that a try....obviously the important thing is.......not to starve them! My usual routine is to change their water, empty their seed dishes and give them fresh seed, then let them eat and then let them out.......well, of course, they don't want to go back in then, their bellies are full and they are having fun. So, today, I have changed their water and not fed them, I also haven't let them out yet LOL. I'll be doing that once I've had another cup of coffee. I'll let you know how it goes.


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## kimmikefids (Aug 2, 2008)

wow its amazing what an animal will do for food!! i guess with over 100 lories you would have to figure out some way to do it painlessly...i spose its obvious but i wasn't sure as i was reading your story either lol....hope it work for you!! i bet that would have been a beautiful place with all those lories...they are such beautiful birds....if i was staying in australia i would have bought one a month or two ago....it was the sweetest little just weaned baby....that cute little feed me squawk


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

I don't generally have any/much food available for the birds when they're out of the cage, so after 1-3 hours they're happy to go back to their cage and tuck into their seed bowls.  Same principal you described but i didn't think about it at all.


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## elijahfan (Jul 28, 2008)

so the key to get jojo back in is food ? something tells me this wont work, i use millet outside the cage mainly as a bribe to get back in, i have to be fast and he shouted at me today, my budgies go back in as and when but he wont do this sticks to me like glue


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## Kfontan (Oct 10, 2007)

WHen I think about it, it makes a lot of sense.

It's like calling the kids in for supper when they are out playing after school.


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## bigmikey36 (Aug 5, 2008)

Always worked for me....yell at me there's food close and i'm off and runnin.....they're not so different from us they have different behaviours same as we do different personalities but one thing that they all have in common....will go to food and water. Makes total sense
Mikey


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

That's amazing! We have a park here with Lories that the public can come in and have the honor of being poo'd on. I never thought about how the got them back in. I bet that would be something to see.


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

Well, this is the first day of trying this out, the only thing I find is....my birds are out a few times a day! I put them away if I'm going to be doing a lot of housework with doors and windows opening and shutting or if we have to nip out to the shops.......so now I have a question. How much should I feed them during a whole day and how often? Now, I know that tiels have about two tablespoons of food a day, so, two tiels 4 tablespoons is what I've been working on..........now, I suppose the best thing to do would be to put a little bit of the four tablespoons in the cage for the first flight and a little bit more for every flight.......Hmmm, is there a flaw in that that I can't see? What do you think. It's no good me feeding them the whole lot when they go in the first time, because then they won't want to go in the second time. It's late, I'm tired and I think I'm babbling. LOL.


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

No flaw! I think you're on the right track. Sounds like a good plan to me. Unless one of your 'tiels in a piggy and scarfs up all the food before the other has a chance.


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

No, they are both pretty good actually, not too greedy at all. Of course they have to have two of everything, but it works. So, tomorrow, I'll try that properly. Just a little bit each time they go back in. I'm sure if that man with 100 Lorikeets can get them all back in with no hassle, I can do it with two tiels..............watch this space. LOL!!!

I know I've had at least one tiel for a year now, but I still can't quite get used to the fact that they don't have to eat all the time!! I've kept guinea pigs for over 10 years and they have to have a constant supply of food and hay because if they stop feeding for any length of time, say half a day, then it is really difficult to get them eating again, their stomach just doesn't work, so I have to get it into my head that the tiels aren't the same, they don't need food on tap ALL the time.


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

Well, I tried my theory out this morning. When I uncovered them, I just changed their water and didn't give them any food. I let them out for a fly around and then about an hour or so later, I put a little bit of food in their dishes and put them in the cage. Daisy went in with no problem at all and started eating.........Dooby on the other hand, held out for his Rich Tea biscuit....oh well, I'm 50% of the way there. LOL.


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## elijahfan (Jul 28, 2008)

wow really ? see i keep seed the cage all the time, maybe if i put some food in before bed, then reove the tray in the morning, let him out then fill to get him bakc in ? might try that  rich tea biscuts i can see jojo going for them too


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## Kfontan (Oct 10, 2007)

Plukie said:


> Well, I tried my theory out this morning. When I uncovered them, I just changed their water and didn't give them any food. I let them out for a fly around and then about an hour or so later, I put a little bit of food in their dishes and put them in the cage. Daisy went in with no problem at all and started eating.........Dooby on the other hand, held out for his Rich Tea biscuit....oh well, I'm 50% of the way there. LOL.


It sounds like a good start to me.


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

You're definitely on to something!


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## elijahfan (Jul 28, 2008)

do i feed my riel too much he has a full seed bowl eats as and when ? he went back in fairl easy today tho hmm


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## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

Looks like Daisy's falling for the plan but maybe Dooby is still into his old habits!


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

He's too smart for his own good sometimes. Why go in for rotten old seed when you can hang on and get a biscuit? LOL!!


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## elijahfan (Jul 28, 2008)

*it works !!!!!*

ok today was cleaning day  i did jojo's cage first but don't replace his seed bowls, i then did the budgies and then let Jojo out, when i say out i mean climbing all over my right hand side, anyway after a while i put his seed trays back in his cage it toke a minute or 2 but he went straight back in, i shut the door,  i think he was a bit annoyed i tricked him back in but it worked  i might try then when i wake up removing the trays filling them but not replacing them till i have him out,  

it was in fact too easy


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## Ginnyprit (Aug 25, 2021)

elijahfan said:


> *it works !!!!!*
> 
> ok today was cleaning day  i did jojo's cage first but don't replace his seed bowls, i then did the budgies and then let Jojo out, when i say out i mean climbing all over my right hand side, anyway after a while i put his seed trays back in his cage it toke a minute or 2 but he went straight back in, i shut the door,  i think he was a bit annoyed i tricked him back in but it worked  i might try then when i wake up removing the trays filling them but not replacing them till i have him out,
> 
> it was in fact too easy


I am so glad to see this might work. My Phoebe (who I hand fed from 2 weeks of age) WILL NOT go back into her cage. She won’t get on my hand anymore to carry her in and last few times I let her out I had to catch her to put her back, which I know is not good. So I haven’t let her out for 3 days now. I am going to try this and pray it works. One question: do you feed pellets, seed or both? I have been keeping both in her cage at all times and also fruit and vegetables. Hope this is not too long to read. I will certainly be thankful if this works. I was about ready to rehome her.


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## Lizy (Aug 26, 2021)

I suggest target training! It's very useful. There are some videos on YouTube which show you how to do it.


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