Post by dianapalmer on Nov 20, 2013 1:13:13 GMT
Emma is SO cute!
I feel a little of bit of pressure about transferring her to the new cage this weekend, without traumatizing her. So, I have not just been letting her settle in as much as I would have otherwise.
I took the food out of the cage late this morning. After a couple of hours, I tried putting single sunflower seeds into her cup after clicking. However, she didn't come over to eat them very quickly, and I'm not sure she "got it."
I tried a spray of millet in my hand, just outside of the cage bars, but she wouldn't eat any, and basically retreated to the back of the cage.
So, I got a little round container and put some seeds in it. Then I very slowly (with my hand well under it, and my fingers out of reach) brought it into the cage and over to where she was sitting. She hissed a little, then she bit the rim of the cup a couple of times (I was glad it wasn't my hand). I held it steady. After a l-o-n-g time, during which she stayed still as a statue, staring at it, she took a few seeds. Then she retreated to the corner of the cage and preened herself.
After about half an hour I tried again. She took the seeds with less delay, and without hissing and biting. She scarfed down a lot of them. I did it again about an hour later with the same result.
So, flexibility seems to help. On the third try I hit on something that worked.
I am hoping that by the weekend I will be able to lure her onto a hand-held perch with some food and then into the new cage.
Right now she's sitting on the perch, adjusting her crop over and over again. I got her a lix-it bottle, and she figured it out right away. She's hooting every now and then (is there a better way to describe the sound she makes?), and I try to answer her.
I feel a little of bit of pressure about transferring her to the new cage this weekend, without traumatizing her. So, I have not just been letting her settle in as much as I would have otherwise.
I took the food out of the cage late this morning. After a couple of hours, I tried putting single sunflower seeds into her cup after clicking. However, she didn't come over to eat them very quickly, and I'm not sure she "got it."
I tried a spray of millet in my hand, just outside of the cage bars, but she wouldn't eat any, and basically retreated to the back of the cage.
So, I got a little round container and put some seeds in it. Then I very slowly (with my hand well under it, and my fingers out of reach) brought it into the cage and over to where she was sitting. She hissed a little, then she bit the rim of the cup a couple of times (I was glad it wasn't my hand). I held it steady. After a l-o-n-g time, during which she stayed still as a statue, staring at it, she took a few seeds. Then she retreated to the corner of the cage and preened herself.
After about half an hour I tried again. She took the seeds with less delay, and without hissing and biting. She scarfed down a lot of them. I did it again about an hour later with the same result.
So, flexibility seems to help. On the third try I hit on something that worked.
I am hoping that by the weekend I will be able to lure her onto a hand-held perch with some food and then into the new cage.
Right now she's sitting on the perch, adjusting her crop over and over again. I got her a lix-it bottle, and she figured it out right away. She's hooting every now and then (is there a better way to describe the sound she makes?), and I try to answer her.
It is so like one of their natural calls, they come to understand that they can learn from you as they would ordinarily learn from their flock mates 
