# Chester's taming journey



## Mystry Mew (Jul 28, 2007)

Well, he's already attacking millet from my hand. Just now, he'd follow it when I held it out of reach, so I decided to try holding it on the other side of my other hand (the cage door is big enough for me to easily fit both hands in), and he reached over the "bridge" hand to get the millet!  He won't step on the "bridge" hand to get the millet just yet, but I'm sure he will soon if I keep doing this!


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## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

Hope he steps on your hand soon  It does take a long time (as you probably will already know)  Once he relises your hand is full of yummy food, he will step up  Just keep making the bridge, Chester won't be able to resist the millet 
 GOOD LUCK!!


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Have you tried handling him outside the cage-that's always best.


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## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

Babyluv12 said:


> Have you tried handling him outside the cage-that's always best.


Good idea, hope it works


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## Mystry Mew (Jul 28, 2007)

Babyluv12 said:


> Have you tried handling him outside the cage-that's always best.


Not yet. I'd have to get him out first, and I want to do that in a way that won't be stressful for him (especially since he'll be stressed enough about getting his wings clipped).


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Mystry Mew said:


> Not yet. I'd have to get him out first, and I want to do that in a way that won't be stressful for him (especially since he'll be stressed enough about getting his wings clipped).



I was just saying that if you allow him to get comfortable with his cage first it'll be harder to tame, or it will take alot longer I should say. He will also get territorial easier since he'll think your hands don't belong in his cage eventually.


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## Mystry Mew (Jul 28, 2007)

So how should I get him out, then? I mean, it's a good idea, but I'm not sure exactly how to go about it. I could try luring him to the cage door with the millet, but then he might fly and I'd have to catch him without him knowing how to step up, and plus, my brother doesn't want poop in his room unless it's in the cage (he's in my brother's room).

Edit: Not really related to taming, but I just checked in on him, and he appears to be singing to his feet! XDDDD


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Are you able to take him into your room? Or any room where it's just the two of you. If he's eating from your hand and used ur arm as a "bridge" I am most certain you can get him to step up and them place him on your chest with one hand over him-like a baby.


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## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

When I first let Earl Out we just opened the cage, and waited & waited, until he came out on his own accord  It did take a long time ( about 45 mins for him to come out) but he began to trust, coming out of his cage, with us in the same room  It's just the getting him back in the cage part that is tricky  LOL!!


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## Mystry Mew (Jul 28, 2007)

Babyluv12 said:


> Are you able to take him into your room? Or any room where it's just the two of you. If he's eating from your hand and used ur arm as a "bridge" I am most certain you can get him to step up and them place him on your chest with one hand over him-like a baby.


No, he's not stepping over my hand like a bridge yet, just reaching his head over it. If I can get him out of the cage, though, I could take him into the bathroom, since that's almost right across the hall from where he is (can't use my room because that's where the budgies are  ).


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Mystry Mew said:


> No, he's not stepping over my hand like a bridge yet, just reaching his head over it. If I can get him out of the cage, though, I could take him into the bathroom, since that's almost right across the hall from where he is (can't use my room because that's where the budgies are  ).


Oh ! I forgot the budgies. Sorry. You can use the bathroom and do it. You mentioned he's clipped now for taming so you can easily get him and take him there and just place him on your hand. Sit down and talk to him. If he jumps off easily pick him back up and place him on your hand again. Just keep doing that until he looks comfy on your hand (starts preening..exploring..etc) then u can start putting your finger out under his belly for him to check it out -give him some millet if you want and place your finger directly under his belly saying step up. Keep doing this and he'll be stepping up in no time. It's much easier to do outside the cage although a truly tame tiel should have no problem being handled inside the cage as well. Once he's got the hang of that put him on your shoulder and walk around slowly with him so he can check out the house..etc. If he's clipped there will be no issues with doing that since he won't fly away-maybe just jump off. Ziggy had the habit of jumping off my hand-I'd just pick him up and put him back. He doesn't do it anymore. They ussually won't if you've done all those things before. Sit down with him and watch some tv, etc. If he looks anxious to get back and looking around-trying to fly off then walk him back to his cage backwards, turn around and have him step up on his perch. Then walk away. He'll learn easily this way. It's the way I taught all 10 of mine, esspecially the tiels. The more time you spend with him outside of his cage the easier it'll be for him to become tame.


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## Mystry Mew (Jul 28, 2007)

> You mentioned he's clipped now for taming


No, he still needs to be clipped. ^^


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

I would take it slowly with him, remember that he's an adult, he will probably respond better to the slow and steady approach. I don't think it will take too long anyway, sounds like he's very friendly for a breeder bird.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Just keep working with him. Iam sure he will come around


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## Mystry Mew (Jul 28, 2007)

Well, we just now made some progress! I had my hand in front of him and I was holding the millet near my wrist so he had to stretch to get it, and he put one foot so that the front toenails were on my hand!


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## Tia (Nov 21, 2007)

Your doing great! He's taming fast for an older bird.


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

Congrats on the progress!


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## Mystry Mew (Jul 28, 2007)

Today I brought his cage into the living room so he could watch Malcolm in the Middle with me. He certainly enjoyed that; he was head-bobbing and making his different sounds, and twice, came up to where I was and bowed his head right next to the bars just long enough for me to touch his crest.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Wow great  it seems like he is coming along well. Is he 9 months?


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Good to hear all is going well.


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## Mystry Mew (Jul 28, 2007)

xxxSpikexxx said:


> Wow great  it seems like he is coming along well. Is he 9 months?


Possibly. The breeder said all the males were 9 months to a year, but wasn't sure which ones were which (really the kind of thing he should've been keeping track of ).


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

He should keep track of that sort of thing. When I got Spike I was excited to know his hatch date, but the breeder did not know his hatch date  So I had to estimate that his birthday will be on may 1st


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## Mystry Mew (Jul 28, 2007)

OMG You guys will never guess what just happened. Well, maybe you will. If you saw the last thread I posted, then you know that we finally clipped his wings yesterday. Well, today (not too long ago, in fact; maybe a couple hours), I lured him out with a particularly fat millet spray, and after a little bit of trying to avoid stepping up, I picked him up and carried him out of the room to practice step-ups. We made some progress on that, but do you know what he'd rather do? Well, first of all, keep in mind the breeder warned me that I was buying an aggressive wild bird. This exact same "aggressive wild bird" decided he'd rather cling to my shirt and be a sweet little cuddle baby! He spent a lot of time snuggled against my cheek and enjoying scritches... so flippin' cute! ^-^ (but I'm trying to get him to not jump onto my shirt every time I tell him to step up) I didn't want to put him back in his cage, but I had to so he could sleep and so I could take a bath and come back in here...


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Awww! That's really sweet. I love it when my Ziggy cuddles under my chin and begs for kisses and scritches. I'm glad he's improving. Ziggy use to do the jumping on my chest thing too at first. Try sitting and watching tv and having him just perched and relaxed on your finger. Then he'll realize that's also a safe place.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

awww what a good aggresive wild bird  Some breeders must not care enough about their birdies  He will learn to step up soon enough  Can't go wrong with scritches though


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## Tiki (Dec 26, 2007)

Aww! He sounds cute!


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

He's tamed down really fast for an aviary bird!  He must just have a really friendly personality. You've done an awesome job with him so far.


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## Tiki (Dec 26, 2007)

Bea said:


> He's tamed down really fast for an aviary bird!  He must just have a really friendly personality. You've done an awesome job with him so far.


Yes I agree! It is terribly sad how many people give their "horrible, aggressive, bloodthristy, wild birds" into rescues, and within days they are stepping up and cuddling. 

you are doing a great job!


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