# Elgee and me, a thread for us!



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I am making this thread in order to keep the community up to date on my tiel Elgee, and maybe get further tips and advice for training or taking care of him, ya know!


----------



## cookiemonster (Dec 30, 2010)

Soooo cute.

Always talk to your bird! It is so fun to have conversations.


----------



## WereAllMadHere (Jan 24, 2011)

Elgee is beautiful! I agree definitely talk to Elgee, I take my bird with me around the house on my shoulder so she can see everything. When you sit down for a meal include your bird (by giving Elgee a vegetable/fruit or something healthy). If your bird is young you want to make sure he starts out eating healthy early. When I got my bird she was already a year old and set on eating seeds. Make sure your bird cage isn't sitting near any drafts in the house. 

Keep us updated on how the training is going


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Thanks, I've been doing that already. What I need to do is figure out the next step in getting him used to my hands, ya know!


----------



## WereAllMadHere (Jan 24, 2011)

The first cockatiel I had was terrified of hands, she would bite and draw blood. I got her from people that kept her locked up all day, her cage was filthy, and their grandkids were always poking at the poor bird. 

I had to take it slow around her, not make sudden movements with my hands. I got her to trust me just by giving her kisses, I'd rub her head with my chin/nose she finally got use to me after a few weeks and realized I wasn't going to torment her like her previous owners. She would never let anyone else touch her though.

I pretty much treated her like a child, firmly said no when she bit. Took her with me once a week into the shower. Took her outside during the summer, treated her like one of the family. Gave her treats when she was being good or head rubs.

With Cindy all I had to do was whistle to her and she loved it, but she wasn't in a bad situation when I took her in.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Thanks for the advice, I tried taking up my ocarina practice again, he seemed to love it, but had to stop due to the fact that I was waking people up. I forgot what time it was I guess.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Talanlirr said:


> Thanks, I've been doing that already. What I need to do is figure out the next step in getting him used to my hands, ya know!


Im doing this so far with Taco. Im leaving my hand in the cage 10-15 mins every hour to speed things up  i will be doing this till he stops running away from my hand then i will start the trust exercise http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTiYpobrG8Q hopefully i will get same results as what i went through with Lucky


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Thanks for the advice, I started doing that myself. He does love me he just seems to hate my hands, but I'll hopefully overcome that obstacle. He does love my Ocarina practice, he's given me more of a drive to get better at it.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Keep putting your hands in the cage and leaving it in there also take him in the smallest room and keep offering your hand to him


----------



## Hu511 (Jan 9, 2011)

My cockatiels are exactly the same, they fear hands alot so. I'm following this topic, if anything works tell us the methods you used.

Goodluck.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

It really does work honest


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

HELP! Elgee perched on my forearm and fell asleep, what should I do?

Ok he woke up and managed to get him into his cage. Man I never thought I'd see him do that at all.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

lol I remember when Lucky done that while i was taming her and i was scared to move and having my arm stuck out for quite some time killed lol


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Since his cage is right next to my computer chair, he likes to hop onto my forearm and explore. Guess after a few days of that he became comfortable with that spot lol


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Is he more comfortable with you now  Im on day 3 of getting Taco and im getting there
last night he ran up my arm as i was putting him to bed lol


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Thats cute! I love spontaneously buying Elgee from that PetCo now, this is helping my mental health as well. Living on the brink of depression isn't fun in the least.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Having tiels defo makes you happy as they are funny and smart, Make you laugh sometimes cookie was doing the dirty on the perch and he finished by a wolf whistle


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Elgee is setting on my forearm again grooming himself. If I try to move my hand over to pet him he gets aggressive again, but if I stay at the computer with them he's fine.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Making good progress


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Just hit yet another snag... tried the trust exercise. When I moved my hand just close enough he bit my finger hopped on and ran up my arm to my shoulder to escape it. This turned into me trying to get him back on the counter of that small room, and in the end all I got was a bird who would hop onto my finger and go to his usual spot on my forearm and no trust exercises at all. 

I have one clever and stubborn tiel lol!


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I just figured a way I can fix part of this problem! Cut the millet spray down so it will fit into the palm of my hand with no excess, and teach him to eat directly out of my hand this time. That might fix part of my problem right there.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

*Success!*

Because of the fact that Elgee will hop on my finger now just to quickly get to his comfort point on my forearm, he perched right on my thumb and got started. It took him a couple of minutes to think it over and when he did his frill was all the way down like he was still nervous, but it worked!


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Good job


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

YAY for progress!


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

His frill wasn't as low as it was yesterday, which tells me that its working better than I thought. He was even ok with me using the finger of my other hand to push the little millet sprig back into the palm.


----------



## bweeep (Feb 7, 2011)

Awwww, what a cutie 
I love Elgee's coloring!


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Decided to give him a rest today, had an accident yesterday and had to grab hold of him with my hands to protect him, so I kinda stressed him out.


----------



## WereAllMadHere (Jan 24, 2011)

Well at least he's warming up to you now congrats!


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Thanks, I'm slowly making progress with him, I hope we can become good strong friends soon, ya know!


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Alright, now I need to figure out a means of stopping him from biting like crazy, I've had to stick him back in his cage twice today cause of him perching on my hand and biting to the point that my hand bleeds. Any advice would be helpful.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

This should work http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTiYpobrG8Q to stop biting


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

He's still resistant toward that exercise, still hops onto my finger and runs up to my shoulder to get away from it. So I decided since he's so comfortable with my arm and shoulder, that the trust exercise can continue... it worked to a point, he stopped thinking that he can run away from it at least, and the frequency of the bites were getting less and less in the end.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I decided to do that cause I came to a realization that he seems to think that he can easily reign over me.

When I try to train him he thinks that can easily make me stop, when I give him treats in the palm of my hand he seems to pretend that my unmoving hand isn't there and eats the treat.

Thats the impression that he leaves me here, I don't have any reason to think otherwise.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Oh my lord! I think I am definitely making progress... he sat there on my arm staring up at me. For some reason I felt a compulsion to reach over, and he turned his head to the side and I was able to scratch him for a few moments!

He did turn back to start biting again, but to me that was amazing!


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Yay well done you certainly are


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I just can't believe he let me, he used to bite like crazy, but now.


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

He's getting more comfortable with you, soon he won't STOP asking for scritches!


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Taking it a bit slower with him. Trying to get him to follow the millet treat onto my finger and hold him there with the treat for a few moments before pulling it away. He stays on my finger, and if he doesn't move or bite me he gets another few bites of his treat.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I've figured out that Elgee still seems lonely. Every time he hears anything that sounds like another tiel he becomes much more vocal. He seems awfully quiet when he doesn't hear those sounds. I think I'm gonna see how well I can train him this month and snag another tiel next month if he's done well.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Awww bless guess we be looking forward to another new tiel


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

*Dissapointed in myself*

I now understand why I seem to be having trouble bonding with my tiel... I went back to the PetCo today to snag some new perches and toys for him and the lady there who owns birds of her own knew a lot more about tiels than the guy who sold Elgee to me.

She asked me what I had already in the cage and as soon as I said that I had a mirror in there she explained that since I only just got him that he'll bond with the closest thing he can find to his own kind... in this case he bonded with his own reflection and wanted nothing to do with my hands. She said it might take a week, but if I took the mirror out today then I can start over with him.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Taking the mirror out has made a difference already. He seems much more vocal around me. He also doesn't seem to bite my hands anywhere near as much as he did before.

Gonna see if I can take his trust training a step up tomorrow, and get started on those trust exercises that I had seen in the one video that I.Perry showed me (thanks by the way ). I think it should work a lot better this time.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I am making a world of difference with Elgee. Making sure not to approach him from behind or touching his feet. Having Elgee has made me aware of a lot of my own faults, making it so I can correct them to become a better owner for him.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Thats great news


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

*He stepped up without biting!*

Elgee just stepped up without biting this time to start with, took him a few moments, but he took that magic step up!

Getting rid of the mirror has set me on the right track here!


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

YAY!!! That's so cool, feels good doesn't it?


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

It does! I know I was in the wrong buying him spontaneously the way I did with out putting any real thought into it, but having him is making me a better person. I love my tiel so much!


----------



## mpayjr (Aug 16, 2010)

Here, try this. It helped me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnnwZqCfe_Y


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Hey thanks! That was more than helpful, now I know how to defend my hand from his bites.


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Its ok to buy spontaneously as long as you take responsibility for it...when we got our first tiels, I thought my hubby knew what he was doing and that we were doing ok until I found this forum and realized that even the books I had bought were missing huge chunks of info! But now you're learning and enjoying it and that's all that matters!


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I just had a long training session with Elgee, just running him through stepping up. I think we both had fun with it. The way I figure it, the more I spend time with him the more I develop the bond between us.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Oh wow! He really was having fun, I put him back on his cage, and before long just as I sat back down, he flew back onto the desk positioned himself to step up again, he must have really been having fun with that, ya know!


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

yay congrats


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Managed to get him back in his cage, he got pretty tired off of that long bit of play.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Awww bless him


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I noticed that while we were playing he didn't bite me at all, but after he got tired out he started biting like crazy again.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

They get so nippy when they are tired lol when mine do this i put them to bed


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Sorry for not updating last few days, been moving around a lot with appointments and the like. Set Elgee on the next level, started only rewarding him when ever he stepped up without touching me with his beak. He caught on pretty fast, in a couple days I think I can move on to teaching him a new trick.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Thats great news lol I think pics of him is a must lol


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Been a bit since my last status post, and for that I am sorry. He still bites my hands, but loves going around with me where ever I go.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I finally found a trust exercise that works with him... I put on my leather jacket, and then waited for him to start biting it. When he got well into biting it I started stroking his head... when I got him let me stroke his head without biting me I clicked my clicker calmed him down with my voice and gave him some millet as a reward. He was getting very good with that too, I was proud of him.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

lol leather jacket... im so pleased for you


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Well its kind of a double edged sword for me. I love Elgee more than my jacket, but I don't like that marks he leaves on it


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

lol iv had many of those


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Ah but now you have found a way to his heart lol.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I have indeed, I'll do that once a day for now. And then up it to twice a day when he gets more comfortable with it.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I think Elgee is jealous right now, my sisters have done out and I got saddled with my little sisters new toy poodle puppy. I closed up his cage to make sure nothing bad happends but he sure looks high strung over there seeing me with a puppy dog in lap lol.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

lol i guess you got alot of sucking up to do ha ha


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I just used that as a joke, but he was high strung about it. So I think I need to find a better way to puppy sit so I don't stress out my bird.


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

I think it might be more scared of the puppy then jealous. Has he ever seen the puppy before? If not he's probably afraid and that's why he seems so stressed.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Your right, he/she has never seen this pup before, ya know!

Sorry about making a comment that may or may not have been rude.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Elgee seems more an more like a female. White spots have been forming on the yellow areas more and more lately, trying to look up what normally happends when tiels molt at the moment.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

How old is he and how long you had him now


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Not sure, I bought Elgee from a petco in the city, and the guy who sold me the bird said that they come in and are sold so fast that they don't keep track of or work with them. I got Elgee back near the end of January.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I'm not sure how old Elgee is, but I spoke again with the manager a couple days ago, and she says that sometimes birds will come in from other stores if their not selling to well over to stores that have a higher sale rate for them, so Elgee could be older than we know.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

I believe my Lucky is a bit older aswell as she from a shop


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I'm seeing a lot more feathers lying around day after day. This could mean that Elgee has started to molt. That would make Elgee about 9 to 10 months old I think if I'm reading this right.


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Yes that would be about right if this is Elgee's first molt.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

This bird can't seem to live without me now, it flies to catch me as I'm leaving the room, and now at night I can't get to sleep without this bird flying into bed with me... he/she seems to have grown attached to me.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Awww how cute be careful not to roll on him/her though lol


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

The small feathers on Elgee's face are being replaced by grey ones, and I'm finally taking notice of the pattern on the tail feathers, so I'm guessing female.

I intend to buy a new perch and put it into the wall next to my bed.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Awww bless have you got a pic


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I'm still working on good lighting, all these pictures are either too dark or too bright. I do use flash, but the flash makes it to bright anyway.

You can tell that I am not used to having my own camera lol


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Me and this bird like to fight when it comes to taking pictures lol. In any case heres a new pic of Elgee.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Elgee is adorable


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Super cute...a technique I use is to stand farther back and zoom in on the bird with a flash, they come out clearer that way.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I intend to go ahead this coming month and buy another tiel to help keep both me and Elgee company. I just feels like theres something missing to me when it comes down to it.


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Haha YAY! Any idea what mutation you would like and what gender?


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

not sure yet, the petco usually just gets in the grey ones. I'm gonna do some research and see about finding other pet stores, or adoption options to give me a better variety.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

My care and patience has paid off... Elgee has reached that stage where I can stroke his crest without biting me. He still bites, but when he see's my finger raised over his head he stiffens lowers his crest all the way down like he's nervous and lets me stroke him. I made sure to give him a treat to encourage him to keep doing that at the least!


----------



## shelagh (Nov 2, 2010)

I wouldn't consider that a fail; your baby is acquiescing to the affection, and that is a great sign..encouragement is key...


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I was just happy that this bird is showing signs of getting over his aversion to hands. lol


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

My bird is still loosing feathers. But I can now see the sprouts of new ones, I can hardly wait to see what my bird will look like when this is done!


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

Elgee and I are now almost fully bonded together! Still slowly working with her on the hands thing, but she doesn't even really bite them anymore, just feels them up, sometimes she'll hiss, but then she quickly calms back down.


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

YAY! Seems like she has really come to trust you! A lot of the time they'll use their beak as a hand to help them climb up and such.


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

I couldn't have pulled this off without the advice and support of everyone here, and I say... thank you, all of you. Were it not for your help and advice this bird likely would have died off long before now... thank you.


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Thats what we are here for


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Well we just gave advice hun, you did all the real work. And you did a wonderful job too!


----------



## Talanlirr (Jan 21, 2011)

This coming tuesday when I go for my shrink appointment, I'll be bringing home a brand new cockatiel to expand my flock with. Gonna have to figure a name now lol


----------



## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Yay well i cant wait for the pics ha ha


----------

