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Kakariki, Care, Breeding, Ecology, and Conservation :: View topic - how tame do kakarikis get?
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how tame do kakarikis get?

 
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Patrickfrombelgium
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Joined: Aug 31, 2011
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 22, 2011 12:13 pm    Post subject: how tame do kakarikis get?

First of all, thanks to all the advice on here on how to handle biting, we now have a MUCH better behaved kakariki, thank you!

I would love advice on how to keep taming from here. I've read members say that "kakariki's tame easily" but that is not the experience I've made...
I used to have a budgie for a while and he was literally handtame in 3 days (stepping on our hands/fingers on command, letting us pet and even hold him). Our yellowcrown Mickey has become quite friendly but I don't know if he's "tame" by common standards. Here's what we've reached so far:

he eats from our hands, steps on them from time to time. he likes to be around us, when he's out of his cage he's always near me, sometimes sitting on my lap our shoulder and watches me (biting has almost completely stopsped). he's never scared of us. BUT he absolutely hates, hates, hates being touched. he does NOT perch on my finger either, which is something all birds I've ever handled did (even raptors and pigeons). as soon as any object touches his belly (to encourage him to sit on it) he either flies off or gets very angry. petting him is also not ok.

Now I realise that kakarikis have a much shorter history of domestication than budgies, and are wilder and probably more intelligent. I don't really mind that, I'm happy with Mickey as he is and he makes great company... do you think we can (hand)tame him further? I've read some members here post that they could put little leashes on their kakarikis... something like that would be impossible with Mickey, we can't touch him at all. Another thing I'm worried about is if he should need a vet one day... I don't know if the vet would be able to hold/examine him, I certainly can't!

Any advice on how to take it from here appreciated!
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Steptoe
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 22, 2011 4:22 pm    Post subject:

Kakariki are different i their personality than most other parrots.
Yes the become very tame, just like the rest..the difference being is their costant activity from one thing to another, curiosity and a very independat nature.
Or put it another way ..they do what they want when they want for their reason, and if u are included in that at that piont in time all good...
So do not expect a cuddlely little toy, devoid of its natural personalty.
OK independant....and that has its advantages...one learnds to co habit with ones pets rather than have an emotionally dependant, feather plucking senistive animal that will be a pain in the butt when are away for a while.

Comparuig a budgie pet and a kakariki as a pet is like comparing a poogle and a domesticated dingo or lepard.

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Patrickfrombelgium
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 22, 2011 11:24 pm    Post subject:

Thanks for the reply Steptoe! The budgie we had, had a rather bland personality indeed compared to Mickey :)
I don't expect him to cuddle with me or anything, but all the member photos of kakarikis sittng on fingers, having leashes put on them etc. made me wonder maybe I was doing something wrong...
I won't push for the impossible though, if that's just not in his personality, the trust he's shown us so far is pretty nice anyway!
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May
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 1:15 am    Post subject:

hi peter .... it does sound like you are doing ok ...just keep up building his trust...

the pics i have posted of the harness training is with the first of my babies i have hand fed..... none of my others are as tame..!!! and oscar thinks of me as part of his family....he still can be extremley independent when i let him out for a fly in the house he lands on my head.... when he cant find another place to land.... will come to me ....when he wants ..... but.... for example.... yesterday i thought i would try improving his foot co-ordination by playing with some coloured balls with him.... while bribing him with sunflower seeds...... he sat on the lampshade...... and i ate the sunflower seeds...!!!

keep up the good work .... and id def say..... dont try grabbing at him.... you dont want to build a feer of hands....

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Steptoe
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 8:46 am    Post subject:

Quote:
but all the member photos of kakarikis sittng on fingers, having leashes put on them etc. made me wonder maybe I was doing something wrong...

Following on from MAy....
would u put choosen 'show off' pics in the gallery or just random meanlingless ones?
If a gardener do u brag about your plants that die, the ones that dont grow or the ones that do?
Your bird should be at least hand tamed withing a couple days...in the cage. out of the cage a week maybe 10 days.
on the left is a quick search box in there type taming and read.

And it is all about trust as may says.....along with firmness....which solved the biting...
Use his peronality against him...he doesnt want to sit on your finger...give him a reason to.....get him to learn what mint (herb is) and if he wants it...

Cheers
Steps

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hanger527
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Joined: Oct 16, 2011
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 1:58 am    Post subject:

just in my experience perching on fingers and riding your head and shoulders is as good as you can get .they are so active and curios they wont stay long my most tame doesnt like to be touched other than gentle finger rub on his chest /crop area and if you try this go slow watch the eyes and dont flinch when they react suddenly cause sometimes they just want to taste you if things are calm and quiet i can get a wee kiss
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kikibird
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Joined: Sep 16, 2011
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 10:15 am    Post subject:

I would say ours is fairly tame, and not being experienced in karikis am not expecting too much more, she does not bite, is happy with all the family when lose, even the dog.... see my pics.... we are currently trying to harness train ours and are making slow progress..she now seems happy with myself and the harness but unsure of my husband, she likes to have a good explore though and will spend quite a while investigating the kids toys before even noticing we are around. but i would say persevere because kiki suprises me day after day.
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Steptoe
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 5:20 pm    Post subject:

Quote:
she likes to have a good explore though and will spend quite a while investigating the kids toys before even noticing we are around.


That is like pur wild trushes in the gardens...one walks around a cnr and notices one digging in the ground but it hasnt realise we are there...so I just stop and watch..it then notices after a while, watches back, learnsa there is not threat and carries on...
/u was planting dwarf bean seeds the other day, and the Blackbird pair wher quite happy digging in the compost I had laid a few mins before hand les than 2ms away.
Last weekend had to rebuild the rear wooden steps...geting a bit dicky to say the least....yeah using power saw, electic drills, turned around and damn near steped on the thrush. Shocked

Simply watching, and having them know u are, and notr being a threat makes for a very settled animal, be it a pet or wild bird in the garden.

There is something very satisfying co habitaing with the animals around one rather than humanising them.

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kiwi_the_kakariki
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Joined: Jul 09, 2011
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 12:27 pm    Post subject: tame Kak

Hi
My Kak was hand raised..(not by me)

I got him young, I think he was 14weeks old.

He is very tame not afraid of humans, when I first got him he was great with my young kids but like all parrots Ive had they very soon dislike the kids signlol he started to nip So I stopped them handling him.

They can easily still let him step up on them and ride around on there shoulder no worrie and his very gentle when he nibbles your hair or face he loves to give little kisses.

Kiwi does not like to be touched or rubbed in any way signlol he will get nippy so we just stopped that all together he loves to be with you and jump up to you or even fly over to you but he's not the cuddly touchy feely kind like a cockatiel would be.

Also has stopped his normal kak chatter almost completely now he talks. he is a chatterbox and says a few phrases and learns very quickly. I think he believes his half human now signlol
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Steptoe
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 4:00 pm    Post subject:

Quote:
all parrots Ive had they very soon dislike the kids he started to nip So I stopped them handling him.

Thats a common thing....
Personally I think it is a matter of taming the children Shocked
I know from our own children and grandchildren, and not just kakariki...
Children tend to think "Im want to play with u NOW" and it follows in their mind the pet will also right there and then, which is generally not the case.
So the pet thinks they dont want a bit of it, the child persists (no agressive or anything) the pets pateince is pushed and does what it would do to any other bird in the flock and give a nip.
We never stopped the children, but explained the above and body language, the red crown raise just a little...and suggested them then to back off...if they dont expect the bird to do exactly the same as they would to their brother or sister...
From there a nip just got duno
And "if someone annoyed u when u dont want to play, will u stop wanting to play with them"
Either way, bird/pet advoids them, they know why, get nipped, they know why....and the children get a lesson in life Whistle

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