Training It is a good idea to have your baby's wings clipped before you take him home. This involves removing the ends of 5 to 8 of the longer primary flgiht feathers and is no worse than clipping your own fingernails or hair. And remember that your bird will moult twice a year on average, with his first moult beginning when he is only a few months old, so his flight feathers will usually moult out and grow back in before he reaches six months of age. Even if you want a free-flying bird, it is better to clip them once when they are babies because if makes your bird more dependent on you for his mobility and makes training easier. When you first get him home, he should be allowed to adjust the changes in his life for an hour or two before you begin any training. If he appears perky and not frightened after this short wait, you may begin training; otherwise you may want to wait until the next day (especially if you picked up your bird late in the day) to start your sessions with him. You can tell when a bird is very firghtened because he will be panting with his beak open. If this happens during your session with him, it is probably time to return him to his cage to let hin rest. With a baby budgie, you may get him used to you and teach him not to fear you by holding him gently cupped in your hands and held against your chest for short periods of time. This is like being back in the warm dark nest box with his mother's heart beating above him, and can sometimes calm a frightened budgie. Try to work with your bird in a small room and, if possible, sit on the floor so he hasn't too far to go if he flits away. Always try to move slowly when approaching your bird. Gently move your finger toward the lower breast, just above the legs. If he flits away, wait for him to settle and move it towards him again. When you can touch him, press your finger gently under his belly and above his legs; he will have to step on your finger, flit, or risk being pushed off his perch. While your finger is touching him, repeat "Step up". Always use the "Step up" or "Step down" command when working with your bird. This will help to keep him from becoming aggresive toward you once he matures. Once he is on your finger, wait for bit to get him used to being there and the place him back on the perch with the "Step down" command, buy gently placing your finger under the perch and pressing the perch above your finger until he steps off. Repeat this process until he is comfortable with it. Try to remember to talk encouragingly when working with your bird. This will help make him feel safe and will also be part of his "talking" lessons. Do not tire him with overly lengthy session. Stop any training session if you or the bird are having a bad day or things are not going well. Try to always end each session on a high note. When your bird will get on and off your finger without fear, you should start "laddering" him. this means getting him to step from one finger to the other in a ladder effect, always remembering to use the "Step up" phrase. Always handle your bird gently and never tap him on the beak or body to correct him. A bird only learns fear from this kind of discipline. To correct a bidgie, a sharp verbal "NO!" will usually distract him from misbehaving. If he is trying to nip, a sudden dropping of the hand he is sitting on will put him off-balance and put an abrupt end to the biting. A bird being bad is better placed back in his cage until he is in a better mood for training. A bird being good should be rewarded with his favourite treat, friendly happy words and, if he enjoys it, a 'head skritch'. If you want to teach your budgie to talk, you may give him regular lessong of about 15 - 20 minutes durations, once or twice a day. Starting by repeating one word over and over is likely to bore your bird as much as it bores you. A budgie will pick up the words he likes the sound of more quickly, and may never learn to say words that don't interest him. His 'lessons' should consist of just talking to him, and allowing a space between for him to respond... although this probabaly won't happen immediately. Always speak clearly and enunciate properly... if you say "Wook at de widdo baby", that is what he is going to learn instead of the intended "Look a the little baby". Do not expect him to speak clearly in the beginning. He is making progress when he starts to chirp back at you. Once you can recognize his word or words, begin each lesson with those words, go on to new words, and end the lesson with words that he knows. Always begin and end each session on a positive note by using familiar words. Some birds learn their first work within weeks, and others may take months to pick it up or never speak at all. Listen carefully to your bird though, because most birds pick up as many words by accident as they do from the lessons we try to teach... and they aren't always the words we would prefer them to learn! Remember that a bird LOVES drama, so if you raise your voice in anger and repeat words you don't want your family, friends or neighbours to hear, don't do it around a bird who is learning to talk. In closing... We have tried to answer some of the questions a new owner may have. You will learn quickly that your baby will most likely end up owning you, and that you are there to serve. We hope that you enjoy your new companion, become good friends and develop a trust and joy in each other. |
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