New and different addition to my bird collection!!!

[cindy]

Thank you for your kind words...it was difficult. I can see in his eyes a certain softness and intelligence. In the few days he was here his little personality came out and he was not as frightened. Apparently the previous owner had him with her always when she was home. She left for three weeks and he screamed for her, her husband was caring for the bird while she was away was not happy and when she returned home told her the bird must go...it is a shame. If I had been the only person living here I would have tried to work with the bird a little each day to get him use to being home alone or having me leave his sight.

I was able to cover part of the cage, walk behind the cage so he could not see me and then come back after a few seconds, talk to him and then repeat it, he did get to a point of not screaming then but it was when I went out he became to frantic.

The best part about him going to the aviary, I can see him and play with him when I go to visit my friend.

[dfcauley]

Hi Cindy,

I think you did the right thing. If the little bird wasn't happy and missing his friends.... so sad for him.
Isn't it amazing how they develop those personalities. Almost stubborn like a little child.

[cindy]

Donna...you are right about stubborn. I gave him a snuggly wash cloth to cuddle with and if I touched it he yelled at me and then pulled on it, tucking it near him as if to say "this is mine, no touch!"

[Nipper06]

Cindy,

I would try and work with your Linnie every day, if your goal is a tame pet that likes to be out of his cage. You don't have to be real pushy but encourage him to perch on your hand for a while every day - and offer treats - so he gets over any fearfulness. Otherwise, you could end up with an un-tame bird that will be a boring pet and will always be afraid of you.

I adopted both an older baby Bourke Parakeet and an older baby Scarlet Chested Parakeet. Both were supposedly hand-raised but were already 6+ months old when I got them and not especially tame. I worked with them every day anyway, even thought they usually flew off my hand and back to their cages (both were wing-clipped as babies but partially flying when I got them). Eventually, both got tame and now will fly to me (I did not re-clip) - and they have become great pets - but they might have just gotten wilder if I didn't work with them. Now they are fully flighted, tame, and enjoy time out of their cages every day.

I got them 6 months apart so the Bourke was fully tame and friendly before I got the Scarlet Chested. I don't know if I would have had as much progress if both were adopted at the same time, in semi-tame condition. If I were you, I'd only get a second Linnie after this one is tame - if your goal is tame pets. If you are just going to breed them, tameness is not so important.

[cindy]

Hi...I also own two little hand raised bourkes...by the same breeder that raised the linnie. The little linnie went back...we have other people that live in the house including a student in college...his separation problem was to much to ask of the others in the house to tolerate if I worked with him. I could not leave the room for a minute or move to the other side of the room away from the cage without his screaming. I trieded brief moments away from the cage and reassuring him, it was times like taking the dogs out, he saw me go out the slider, as soon as the door shut he screamed bloody blue murder and continued until I walked back in. Covering him was not an option and is nothing more than frustrating for him. It was best he go back and live amongst his own kind with a girlfriend. If it was just me living here I would worked with him but it was unfair to ask them to do tolerate this. Trust me it was like having a Macaw living here...

In the past I have worked with non handfed lovebirds (the male was as wild as you could get) and tamed them down to the point they followed me in a line across the floor, climbed on me, went back "home" when I told them to go to their cage. They mated had several clutches and allowed me in the box to check the young...I left the babies with them until right before the eyes opened then handfed them out. As I trained the handfed babies the parents would fly yo me and cuddle on my shoulder or eat food with the young out of my hands.