Time frame of bonding/taming

[Amy1569]

I'm getting a 1 year old male parrotlet in 4 days. Current owner states he's alittle 'nippy'. Great. :(
I've been reading alot about the biting and nippiness and I'm getting worried.
Has not had much time with being handled on a regular (but some) basis since he was weaned/hand fed. (daughter's bird) When she does take him out, she uses a towel.
I'm just curious as to the maybe the timeframe to get him bonded with me.
I realize all birds are different..and it depends on how much time I spend with him a day...

I going with your experience people...fill me in ..

So..1 yr old male, handled say 4 times a day, for 20 mins each time. (at the least)
I have a daycare ... so more time would be spent with him at night and on the weekends.....but I would make a point to obviously spend the time with him during the day as well.

Now .... I realize that this is a very 'grey' area...but ...i'm curious how the answers go...if there is a similarity to a timeframe...

Yes ok..So I'm impatient. lol...

It sounds like most of you got your 'baby' as a ....baby. How about you who have gotten older birds..?

Give it to me...
I can take it..
:D

[Babybreau]

I don't have any advice, but good luck!

[Amy1569]

Babybreau...I love the color of your bird in your picture ..... is that a cockatiel?

[pam311]

I have 2 plets, one was hand tamed when I got him and the other was not. Luigi is 4 months old now and I have had him for 3 months and he still is very leary of hands. I work from home and the"boys" are in my office with me all day. Each bird is different and your fella may respond quicker to you that his previous owner. Good luck and keep us posted.

[unpoquito]

I bought two untamed parrotlets. Ziggy is much more nippy/bitey than Emmie. He has bitten hard enough to draw blood. I've been learning that I have to be extremely patient with these little guys. I hope in time they will be more comfortable at least coming out of their cage to play and learn to step up reliably. I think it could take months or even a year.

[SweetPeasMom]

I really wish I could answer your question with a concrete answer, but I dont think anyone can. Each birdy will take his/her own time at things, my guys are all 3 different. The only thing I will tell you is Patience, Understanding and lots of Love.

[Berry]

I've had a few budgies and parrotlets in my time so here's my advice only if you are very keen on taming your bird in the quickest time. 1-The very first thing to do is have the birds wings clipped. 2-When you go out make sure the cage is closed/locked with bird inside. 3-When you come home take your bird out of the cage and play with it on your hands. The bird will recognise that you are the friend who plays with him/her and gives him/her entertainment, the bird will start looking forward to you coming home in a short period of time. 4-Do not over react when you are bitten just move your hand away because the bird will soon learn that all he/she has to do is attack you and the fight is won by the bird. If the bird bites then approach the beak with your thumb and first finger squeezed together, then a bite will not hurt as much. When the bird bites then release your fingers and close them on either side of the birds beak without squeezing too hard but touching. The bird needs to know that you are the boss and your not going to run away, the bird will learn the biting thing will not work on you unless threatened then natural instincts will kick in. 5-Give your bird enough food for that day only, in other words don't fill the cup full of food but, just enough so that you will empty the shells and replenish the food everyday and your birdy will learn that there is another good reason for having you around besides entertainment. I'm sure this will work, be patient and friendly and call your birds name when playing.

[Kumiko]

I would research Clickertraining. Some of the most nippiest/bitting birds got silenced in just one clicker training session and stepped on fingers easy.

I love it. Kiwi's being more of a gentleman now. He never bit me, but behaviors that I didnt like are now vanishing.

[Amy1569]

This is a great start everyone....thank you sooo much.

I guess common sense is the key...I mean I know and realize it's not an overnight thing....my son's budgie is about 2 yrs old..he steps up, he shoulder sits. But the whole rubbing/scritching of the neck, or holding/cupping in the palm...he still squawks at that....or 'pet' on the back...noway....and he's been held my several people, kids, me, daycare kids...and he's fine... He's over at college now.....lol...he'll learn a few things I'm sure :)

Keep the advice coming!!

Thanks again :)

[unpoquito]

I completely agree with not reacting to a bite. Don't make a fuss about it (even though it smarts!). If you completely ignore the bite, they seem less likely to bite again. You can teach him to have a gentle beak with gentle stroking of the beak and say, "gentle beak, good boy" or "beaky beaky," or something like that. Both of mine know what this means, and most of the time do respond to it. I reward them with allowing them to explore a toy, millet, or my fingernail with their beak and tongue, and telling them how GOOOOD they are. You cannot have too much patience with these little birds. It can take a long while to gain their trust. I've had mine for just about 2 mos (can't believe it's been that long), and we are just beginning to bond finally. Ziggy is still a bitey thing with some situations, so I try not to put him in situations where he will fail. I try to set them both up for success so that they receive praise, and I believe this also helps to form a good bond. This is how I've always worked with puppies, and most have grown up to be wonderful adults.

[Amy1569]

I am totally expecting a good 6 mos to a year for him to be tame the way I hear of some on here, or see on youtube. If it happens sooner...great..alittle longer....ok.

I'm curious unpoquito how often you 'handle' or take your birds out to play with and teach..? Daily...4 or more times?

Just wondering....

If I can get him used to me in less than 3 mos or so, stepping up and enjoying a scratch here and there...I'm good...lol

[unpoquito]

Hi Amy, my two really don't like to be handled at all, so if I overdue, they stress out, and Emmie plucks her feathers more. I pretty much have a set, daily routine for them so they know what to expect. They come out once daily individually for time to practice step-ups or hang out with me. Sometimes we do step ups, sometimes we just hang out together listening to music, I talk to them, or take Ziggy to the shower (he seems to like this while Emmie hates it, so I don't take her). They also both come out of their cage several hours each afternoon, and are allowed to play or fly wherever they like (supervised of course). They seem to stick with playing on top of their cage on a playgym, on top of a bookcase, or sit on their orbit swing in the window. They both fly each day of their own free will and have learned to fly back to their cage on their own. They're getting better with my hands when I have them out one on one, but they're clearly still nervous about hands, so I keep this to a minimum. Sometimes, I just rest a hand near them, so they can see it's not a threat. They rarely come out of their cage willingly, so unfortunately, I have to take them out....they are getting a little more at ease with this.

[unpoquito]

Also, their personalities are quite different. Emmie is more gentle and enjoys having her head scratched. Ziggy does not like having his head scratched but likes his beak to be gently rubbed. Ziggy loves to fly all over and has developed a flying pattern.