Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:36 pm Post subject: How do I get him to stop thinking about his stomach?
I'm concerned that my Kakariki isn't exercising enough.
When I let him out of the cage he jumps straight in the plants and starts chewing leaves and the only way to get him back in his cage is to give him something to eat.
How do I get him to exercise without chasing him around the house to get him moving? He is not tame but is slowly starting to let me get closer to him but chasing him isn't helping that situation.
He also isn't satisfied unless I give him kiwi fruit seeds for dinner, are they fattening for them?
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 9:25 pm Post subject: Re: How do I get him to stop thinking about his stomach?
I wouldnt really consider myself an expert on these birds yet, but I do know that they do eat like there is no tomorrow, so you may not need to worrie. Is your bird overweight, does he look too fat or is he alright; Maybe you can post a picture?
If you want him to "exercise", why dont you let him out where there are no plants so he simply can not eat. Is that possible?
Keep us updated
He doesnt fly cause he doesnt feel condfient about the place yet
1st you have to decide
do u want a house parrot as one house a nouse cat, or you want a cage bird?
Kakariki are not destructive, and sure they do the od dropping..but a cat throwing up in the house adds up to a lot more than a house parrot.
A house parrot, you have a cage with a box to sleep in at night, attached to the side of the cage...its no big deal to snip a few wires then cover with a box attached
Get him used to sleeping in the box..
Then open the door about 3 hrs before dusk, and leave him...go do what u have to...if it means walking past him do so, ignore him.
Scatter a very small amount of millet seed on the floor not far from in front of the cage, to go down to.
It will not take long before u can walk pst him on the floor and not take any notice of you.
Opening the door just before dusk, gives enough time to check stuff out, and return to nest down...espec if you have lights with dimmers, then close the cage.
Eventually, he feels safe, and gets into mildmischeif, u think "I knew I should have moved that" he even starts flying straight at you, dont duck!!!
He will touch but not hit, then one day figure out it could be a cool place to land.
You get more confident, then start going to work and leaving the cage open...
Then a nice day comes along and move the cage outside, but so can still see inside...and other locations so he gets to be familar with what where things are..
This is 'insurance' IF a window is left open...place the cage outside
He will come back to it after having a 'blast' outside. he will have a ball
OR as many do, give their parrots the freedom the same as a cat.
Parrots ARE NOT DUMB....
So your kakariki not flighing around...he will when ready, and confident.
We currently have a king as a house parrot _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Oh no, he's fine with his environment. He swoops me all the time but hasn't landed on me yet and I can feed him his Kiwi Fruit by hand. We've had him for 12 months now and i'm being patient with him and earning his trust so I can pick him up down the track like I did with my last Kakariki. I just don't want to frighten him by chasing him around and reversing all our hardwork.
I just let him play in the plants over the weekend and he actually got over it very quickly when I wasn't chasing him out of the plants and started to fly over to get my attention instead.
I'll post a photo during the next week or so.
Thanks for your advice though.
I never knew you could let a bird out of their cage outside and they'd fly back into it. I'd be too worried just yet but I will try it later on.
I can only speak for Koki and me, as I'm not an experienced bird keeper. Koki has been home with me about 5 weeks and she's about 10 or 11 weeks old. Sometimes it seems like she eats nonstop. When I let her out she hops right up on my hand then her cage. If I sit down she will just hang out or do her thing, but when I stand and walk, like in the kitchen, she flies across the room to me and back and forth. About the last week or two we have regular exercise sessions. I call her from her catch top from about 8' away, when she lands on my hand I tell her to perch and she flies back to the cage or wherever I point. We do this for 5 or 10 minutes where she is just flying back and forth.
OK, now to get her to this point, I had to hand tame her and teach her to come to my hand and perch on her cage. Take her to a very small room, mine is about 1 meter x 1 meter, and close doors. Sit on the floor with a small T-perch. She can't go anywhere, if she flies she lands right back on the floor next to me. Nothing up high to distract her or that she can land on. Put a sheet over the mirror. Then talk to her sweetly, put your finger under her belly and say up-up. Tell her she's a good bird when she steps up. Move her so her belly touches the perch and say perch. Tell her she's a good bird when she perches. NEVER get frustrated, she can read this. Do this 10 minutes a day. Don't pet or scratch her if she doesn't like it. Just get her used to stepping up and perching. After a week start holding your finger/perch a few inches away where she has to stretch her legs. Later move further back so she's hoping 8 or 10 inches.
When it's automatic (3 weeks or so) move to her cage and start with your finger right on her belly, but you can start stepping back sooner. OK, I do give her hulled sunflower after every 4 or 5 back and forth flights. But that's all the sunflower she gets. She doesn't mind exercising for them. And sometimes it's millet, or a nibble on a pecan or almond. What ever she works for.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You can download files in this forum