Post by dianapalmer on Mar 2, 2014 17:00:40 GMT
I have been giving my cockatiels sunflower seeds as treats. I have small black ones and large striped ones.
Emma will fly to my forearm to get sunflower seed. After she arrives, Piper and Snowy fly over to check it out. Then P&S eat the crumbs that fall onto my sleeve as Emma eats her seed. Apparently they really like the flavor.
Birder owners say that budgies can bully cockatiels. I do notice that the budgies try to take the sunflower seeds and other treats out of the cockatiels' mouths.
As the days have gone on with this activity every morning, I noticed that the budgies have learned to crack and eat the small sunflower seeds, without any help from the cockatiels.
So, I have been using the small seeds to train P&S to step up. That's going pretty well. This morning, Piper was on my finger eating his seed and Snowy tried to fly onto my finger to get his own, or to take Piper's from him. Piper lunged at Snowy as he tried to land, and Snowy ended up completely upside down, holding onto my finger with both claws, and he couldn't figure out what to do. So, Piper started pecking at Snowy's feet. Snowy fell off and flew away.
I was reminded of scenes from old westerns where someone is clinging to a ledge and an enemy comes over and starts stamping on his fingers to get him to fall off.
It's a wild, wild, wild, wild west at my house.
Emma will fly to my forearm to get sunflower seed. After she arrives, Piper and Snowy fly over to check it out. Then P&S eat the crumbs that fall onto my sleeve as Emma eats her seed. Apparently they really like the flavor.
Birder owners say that budgies can bully cockatiels. I do notice that the budgies try to take the sunflower seeds and other treats out of the cockatiels' mouths.
As the days have gone on with this activity every morning, I noticed that the budgies have learned to crack and eat the small sunflower seeds, without any help from the cockatiels.
So, I have been using the small seeds to train P&S to step up. That's going pretty well. This morning, Piper was on my finger eating his seed and Snowy tried to fly onto my finger to get his own, or to take Piper's from him. Piper lunged at Snowy as he tried to land, and Snowy ended up completely upside down, holding onto my finger with both claws, and he couldn't figure out what to do. So, Piper started pecking at Snowy's feet. Snowy fell off and flew away.
I was reminded of scenes from old westerns where someone is clinging to a ledge and an enemy comes over and starts stamping on his fingers to get him to fall off.
It's a wild, wild, wild, wild west at my house.
