Finch Taming Tips

[MiaCarter]

I've had a bunch of people PM me about the process I use to tame my finches.

I've just started taming my newest three birds, 2 budgies and a cockatiel, and they're totally un-tame so I've decided to chronicle the process in detail on my site. (And you know me by now....I mean in detail.)

The process I'll be using with them is basically the same that I use for finches. And where any small differences exist as applies to finch taming, I'll be making note of that in the writeups. (Plus, I know many also have hookbills, so perhaps the info will be useful to you if you need to work with one of them.)

I just put up the first writeup with an overview of our starting point and the general approach for the beginning phases here: http://www.petfinchfacts.com/

There's also a couple writeups with general tips and an overview of the strategy lower on the homepage. And the future writeups will have details on each phase, the progress, etc.

And I'll update on this thread too, of course! Just not the minute detail of the writeups.

So just wanted to invite anyone who's interested to follow along!

Basically right now, the cockatiel and budgies are about as tame as your average finch, with the added complication of fearful aggression in Hunter the cockatiel. So we're really starting from scratch.
So to begin, I'm just sitting along side their cages, whistling and talking to them softly so they can get used to my presence. This is one of the few differences in taming hookbills, as they tend to prefer talking, whereas finches can seem to take it or leave it. Finches tend to respond best to soft little whistles and such. You can experiment to see what gets and keeps their attention.

I'm in the process of offering lots of different foods to improve upon their unhealthy seed-only diet, but I'm also watching to see their preferences. Once I find a food that they really enjoy, I can use that to begin working with them by offering treats -- a peace offering of sorts.

[Sam007]

Very interesting and helpful writeup. Thanks for sharing!

[Gráinne Barrett]

Keep us updated MiaCarter ! This look to be an interesting post

[delray]

I am already attempting to use miacarter 's process. I am going to start it for real when I know I have a bit more time. Thanks Mia!!

[Raven]

Awesome post, sounds like you have your work cut out for you.

[MiaCarter]

Good news! We have progress!

I went from sitting alongside the cages to offering millet through the cage bars and the budgies and the cockatiel accepted this peace offering!

I decided to test my luck and put my hand inside the cage with the treat and we were successful here too! I was feeling optimistic, so I cut a millet spray in half, so we started with my hand a bit closer. (But if you need to, you can use a whole spray to give them more space.)
In both cases, I slowly moved my hand closer until my fingers hit the perch where they were standing.

So I decided to push a bit further and plucked a cluster off the millet spray. I offered it to Hunter through the cage bars and he accepted it. I then offered it to Hunter with my hand right beside him and he accepted it! No biting! No hissing! He was clearly cautious, but not fearfully aggressive which is HUGE!

I wasn't able to get the budgies to eat a single millet cluster from my fingers. Louise really wanted it and she kept circling, but she just couldn't work up the courage to move in. Chester had no interest. He's the more cautious of the two.
So I backed off and offered the millet spray again. And again, they ate from it with my hand inside the cage and right up against their perch.

You always want to end each session on a good note. I didn't want their last impression to be one of cautiousness and fear. So I backed up to a point where I knew they would be comfortable so we could finish the session on a happy note and their last memory of the session is getting a treat.

I just posted a more detailed update here:
http://wp.me/p4JWrl-fY

So encouraging! I can't believe it!
It's a bit uncommon to see such fast progress with finches. They tend to take a bit longer to feel comfortable with having you in really close proximity. But finches actually tend to become trusting much faster than hookbills, so the later stages tend to go faster with finches and slower with hookbills.

I should also note that every session involves a gradual progression to wherever we are in the taming process. So when I return to work with them again, I won't just stick my hand in the cage with a treat. I'll start out by sitting with them and talking/whistling, then I'll offer a treat through the bars, then with my hand inside the cage and so on. That way, it's gradual for them and you ease them into the situation. Super important.

[delray]

MiaCarter thanks for more tips!! Like I said when i have more time I will try again. Maybe this weekend.

[afinch]

Mia, I did a similar thing last year with a pair of ADULT completely non-tame zebras from the pet store. Within two weeks they were eating RIGHT out of my hands :] This definitely works. Just takes a lot of patience and consistency. Unfortunately, this doesn't last (in the absence of consistent conditioning) if the subjects fully matured in non-tame condition.

This is the champ that was the first to step on my palm

[delray]

afinch That's great!! I am semi in the process. Whenever we go near the cage they fly up to the bars and look at us face to face!! As I've said, when I have more time i want to go the next step.

[MiaCarter]

afinch -- Aw, he's cute!

Indeed, you do need to be consistent or they do return to non-tame status. But that's true of any animal. It happens with dogs and cats too. It happens shockingly fast too -- a matter of a few weeks.

Though you'll always find that a once-tame animal is easier to tame again in the future. In working with the ferals and stray cats in my area, I can always tell which were born feral and which were once owned by the speed and manner in which they evolve during the taming process.

delray -- That's wonderful news! That's a great first step!

[afinch]

MiaCarter it's also true of human beings

[MiaCarter]

So time for an update!

Budgies are doing nicely! They now eat a little millet cluster, pinched between my fingers with my hand inside the cage. They had resisted this previously.

Hunter is doing nicely too!
We're working through some nipping. He's very conflicted - he wants the treat I'm offering (hand inside cage), but he feels uncomfortable about having my hand close. He nips in an attempt to get me to pull back when he's done. It's not a true fearful bite; it's a mouthing. So we're working through that. That entails keeping your hand in place, which is hard because you naturally want to withdraw but to do so is to show him that nipping is an effective method for getting me to back off when he no longer has any use for me.
So I'll keep my hand in place and tell him "No" in a firm voice. Once he nips a few times and realizes I'm not moving, he'll take a step back to where he feels more comfortable (which is what I'm encouraging. You don't nip; you simply take a step back.)
Obviously, trust is an issue for Hunter so I expect we'll stay where we are in the training process for at least a couple weeks, while he learns to trust me.

Here's the latest in detail post:
http://wp.me/p4JWrl-g5

[Sadie]

Thank you MiaCarter for these detailed descriptions.
I appreciate it very much

[MiaCarter]

So, I think it's time for an update!

Hunter is a tough nut to crack. We're still at the same place with Hunter and we're not going to move forward until he learns to trust me. That could take weeks. It could take months. Even years. But I'm more stubborn than he is so I'm not going anywhere!
And really, he's not stubborn as much as he's frightened and generally clueless about the fact that socializing with a human can be enjoyable! That's the same obstacle you need to overcome with finches too. They need to learn to trust and they need to realize that they're missing out on something enjoyable!

I won't lie. It's a bit discouraging at times. I've definitely had a moment or two where I've thought "Hmm....is he going to be the one bird who's just un-tamable?" I always wonder that at some point with the tougher birds. But I just tell myself that it took him years to become who he is today, so it's not fair to expect him to change in a matter of a couple weeks.

But Hunter is showing signs that he's starting to like me, which is always a good thing! If he's in a nippy, nasty mood, I'm not going to force him to engage. That would be setting him up for failure (or setting up myself for a bite). So I'll just turn my attention to the budgies instead. But when I do that, he has started to show his displeasure by **shrieking** (I ignore him completely to avoid reinforcing it. He stops pretty quick. Then once he's good for a couple minutes, we'll try working together again.) While this show of displeasure is audibly painful, it's actually really good that he's wanting that attention.
I've literally had birds who were so poorly socialized that they would go to the opposite end of the cage, turn their back and totally ignore me. So it could be worse!

The budgies, on the other hand, are making lots of progress!
Chester knows his name and comes to me when I say his name.
They're really starting to engage, whereas Hunter is still a reluctant participant in the interaction. (In fact, Hunter has tried to pull the treat from my hand, effectively trying to cut me out of the equation entirely! LOL But alas, he has figured out that treats and mum are a package deal. )

Both budgies eat out of my hand like a champ. They've started brushing up against me and even putting a foot on my hand while eating which is HUGE! Perching on your hand takes a lot of trust, so putting a foot on my hand is showing they're feeling more comfortable with me.

They've also really taken to the toys I've given them.
Sadly, Hunter is still frightened of his toys. But I've caught him watching the budgies with theirs, so I'm going to order some doubles of the ones the parakeets have and give them to Hunter to see if that helps him "get it."

Here's the latest detailed post: http://wp.me/p4JWrl-gn

[afinch]

Nice re the budgies. Cockatiels can be very tough to crack. And if they've developed an aversion, it's very difficult to change their minds.