Need Advice On Savannah's next steps....

[Blancaej]

So things have been going very well with Savannah. I've taken her to the store once a week for two weeks now and to school on Tuesday (pictures coming soon) of this week. So she has left the house about once a week for the last 3 weeks. I've also managed to get her in her harness 3 times now and she's been outside 3 times in about a weeks time. She seems to enjoy going outside!

Her new play gym that some of you may have seen, she will hop on if I put her on it and eat nuts, but she won't roam on it at all she is refusing to check it out. So the new play gym is slow going.

Savannah is cage territorial and loves her cage a little too much! I get her to step up on my arm to come out of her cage because she is very uncooperative outside of her cage so I try not to let her hang out on the outside of the cage, because I can't get her to step up from outside of the cage. So I usually bring her right to the play gym, which I don't think she really likes. Anyway, she has learned if she wants to come out to step up on my arm. Otherwise, she stays put. Well the past week she has not wanted to get on my arm, so she stays in her cage. Even with that said, usually she warms up and wants to get out within an hour of me being downstairs so she comes out none the less. Which is fine for me. But the last two days she hasn't come out at all in the morning. I did manag to get her out yesterday afternoon. (Although she snuck out while I was changing her paper this morning! LOL!)

So this is what I am thinking is going on. I think she is not wanting to come out because of the school visit on Tuesday. This poor girl was cage bound most of her life and was only brought out occasionally. So her new life is a BIG change! I know she loves being out but she wants it on her own terms. I want to be able to get her out of her cage in an emergency so I need to figure something out.

I think all the stimulation is the cause of not wanting to come out. I don't want to stop having her try new things because I know it is good for her. And if I don't keep up taking her to the store and taking her outside, she will never get the social interaction she deserves. I also think the new play gym might be contributing. Right now, it's not really her favorite place. So I took all the color off. I find she wants nothing to do with colored toys so I've been trying to offer toys that are all natural colors. That's the other thing, she doesn't really play with toys! I am really trying to get her to start! But that's a whole nother post! LOL!

So this is my game plan - I really want her to come out in the mornings. Since I work everyday she needs that morning out time, before I go to work. I know the other play gym that I had for her she would walk on and eat on her own. So I thought I would put that play gym by her cage and use the new one down the road when we move the cages out of the dinning room. The new play gym can stay in the dinning room and we can slowly get her to adjust to it. I figured in the mornings I will put her breakfast on the old play gym and once she comes off her cage I will close her door to the cage so she can't go back. She will then have to step up to go back to her cage. The other issue is she was never properly taught to step up. She may have before her adoption many years ago but they never picked her up much that way. She was stick trained but the old owner didn't hold her on her arm. I think she had a fear of her going to the shoulder. I've had no issues with that. So I am going to work on getting her to step up better. Any suggestions there would be helpful.

So after all my babbling (sorry) what do you guys think? Should I keep doing what I'm doing and have her step up on my arm in order to come out or should I change back to her old play gym and let her come out on her own and climb onto the play gym in the am. Maybe I just need to give it a couple of days before I decide anything. She may have to just get over being at school with all the kids! Although they were very well behaved!

My biggest fear is she won't want to come out anymore and I DON'T want her cage bound again. The old owner said she didn't like coming out of her cage. I want her to look forward to it! I know I've been doing a lot with her. Should I cut back?

I know I have rambled on a bit, but any advice, tips or help anyone could provide would be great! Thanks!

[spiritbird]

I have suggestion for your bird and you. Try putting a perch on the inside of the cage door. Open the cage so the perch becomes like a bridge to the outside world. When she is comfortable with that perch just let her sit on it. There is no hurrying a bird to do something as you know. She does not sound ready for the world outside of you home yet. Have you invited others inside to interact with her? Do you remove food from the cage at night? If you do she will be motivated to eat in the am. Then you can have food on the play stand and she will have to make a move out to get at it. Offer her the treats she likes best as rewards when she does something you like. Positive reinforcement is the way to a bird's heart. Good luck

[Blancaej]

Hi Dianne,

Thank you for the great advice. I actually have a perch on Quincy's door that I use for that same purpose. I will see about getting one for her. And you are right, there is no hurrying a bird to do things and she may not be ready to go outside so much. My feeling is it may be to much to early. So I should probably back off and give her more time. She has been around others. We've had guests regularly and she has done well. I do not remove food at night, that is a good suggestions. I do find positive reinforcement works best. Thank you for your help!

[spiritbird]

One of the best avian vets (who passed on) advised me to take all food out of cage at night because birds do not naturally eat at night, nor do the do droppings. Also it helps keep unwanted critters out of the cage. I have done this now for 5 years and the birds are fine with it. I give pellets first thing when they are hungry and boy do they go for them.

[Blancaej]

I do think that is a great idea! I never thought of taking the food out before bed. I will try it and I'm sure that will help to make Savannah eager for breakfast and ready to come out and play. I am going to give her a full week of no outside activity to let her calm down a bit. I think my gut told me that she was not coming out because it was too much activity for her! Thanks for helping me confirm that this may be the issue. I will see how she does after a few days of not going outside. If she starts coming out better, then bingo we know that I need to take it a little slower from now on! She will get there. I always say time and patience are key. Now I just need to listen to myself. LOL!

[Blancaej]

So Savannah got right on my arm when I got home which was great. But the best part was she climbed up on a different perch on her new play gym! Taking off the colored vetrap helped. Yay!

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[Pinkbirdy]

I think ive seen you say ,Savannahs an older bird . She is still new [in bird time to you]. I don't remember her story . I think she is still adjusting to things [and it might be overwhelming]. What I do with my birds everyday.Is give them the option .Some days they don't feel like coming out .When I want them to. I do the no pressure approach and its less stress on all of us. Im sure Savannah will come around ,shes just taking all this new stuff in :)

[jtbirds]

Well Blanca everyone's advice has been great but I will add to this I suppose, I have days were certain of my guys don't want to come out I offer them all the chance more then once, I will stick my arm in and say step up give them the time, etc... And someways they just want to be left along. These animals are like humans and they defiantly have bad days and good days.

The other thing is for shows I ask all my birds who wants to go out today, and the ones that move right up to the front and usually are hanging on the doors are the ones ready to go the others may not move or move away it means no thank you I will stay today, so I don't push I take the ones that want to go. Many times this leaves me with birds I may not have wanted to take but I still do because they were willing and it makes them better for the next time!

[Blancaej]

Thanks guys. I do give Savannah several chances to come out in the morning. If she doesn't I just let her be. So if she doesn' t after a few tries I will leave it at that and figure she is just not in the mood. I know she is adjusting to her new home. With all this aside. I think she is doing awesome. I want her to enjoy our outings, not dread them.lol

I also like the idea of asking on outings. I've done that with Quincy. :)


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[Blancaej]

I also just wanted to say that the last thing I want to do is push Savannah and have her do something she doesn't want to do. Your posts just confirmed what I thought was going on and that I should continue to do what I thought I should at this point. Its nice to have everyone opinion so I know I am moving in the right direction!

With Savannah, my biggest fear is her not wanting to come out like het old home. But I know she is happier and I need to remember that she will be fine! :Dl
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[Turquoise]

Blanca, she does sound like she is just still trying to take it all in. She is acting natural in my opinion & I think you are doing a great job with her and the right things. Even tho all of my big kids are still virtually babies & i have been their only owner since they left their breeders, they do have days they don't want to come out & I respect their wishes.

Mister 'always busy' Roscoe even has days that he will not step up for me to take him out. Being the impish brat he is, he will come to his enclosure door & look as if I forgot him & I will offer one more time as long as he is not screaming at me, to let him out. If he refuses the 2nd time, I just tell him I'm not playing his silly little games & ignore him if he does it again. He is fine with it & usually later in the day he is ready to come out.

In the beginning when the boys came home, I used positive reinforcement with offering pistachios for stepping up & coming out. Angel got a pistachio for climbing out onto his play perch since he can't step up. I used the same treat to teach them to go back in when I needed them to since on work days I don't have time to play games with an unruly macaw. They learned they were handed a pistachio when they came out & was allowed to pick their own out of the nut treat bowl when they went in without any fuss. So far it has worked great with both boys.

Miss Ruby Jewel is a different story. I had to do things differently with her since she had a very different life with her breeder before she came home. Kitty let her stay out all day long on play perches & holding her. She ate on her play perches & my birds eat in their enclosures since I don't have the time on work days to wait for them to finish. The first week she thought I was horrible because I wouldn't let her stay out all day & I was 'imprisoning' her in her home. She willingly came out & stepped up for me every time & did step up to go back in, but she would pace the floor in her enclosure anytime she saw me. She also didn't care for the treat system to get her to do things. So I observed her actions. Thought about how to mold her previous life into my life and she has adjusted fabulously since she decided this is her home now in a very short time. She now knows when she is out in the morning that I am fixing her food & when I am through and take her back to her cage, she will eat. She doesn't view her cage as a prison anymore & in the evening when I take her back she knows I will put a couple of grapes or nuts in her bowl & that is her positive reinforcement she looks forward to going back in for.

Just thought I'd give you a little info of how different my boys are from my girl & how I had to figure out how to make it work.:th_biggrin:

[Blancaej]

Thanks De'Andrea! It sounds like we are doing things very similar. :) I too don't want an unruley macaw on my hands! Lol! If she doesn't want to come out I'm ok with that. I've given her the choice. And this thread has reassured me that its ok to leave her after several attempts. She will be fine. :)

We are still both getting used to each other and learning to communicate. I need to make sure I keep up those rewards, I have up,d the praise and I think she has responded well to that. I got her out this morning on the 3rd try! You do such a great job with your macaws! Thank you for sharing your experience. It helps tremenously! :D

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[Blancaej]

After being out for a couple of hours this morning, I put both my buds in there cages for a few minutes. Then, Justin, I asked my buds if they wanted to come into work today and Quincy turned into a ball of feathers and stayed on his perch in his cage. LOL! That was a definite "NO". I went to Savannah, put my arm up, asked her if she wanted to go to work, and she hopped on. We had a great day at work today! This was her 3rd visit. I think she is getting more and more relaxed with work. Which is great news, because I really like having her there with me!

[jtbirds]

Haha Blanca that's how my guys are, wanna come out, some scream and run around others sit there and glare at me like not todaynim having a bad feather day:p.

[Bokkapooh]

When a bird won't step up, I leave the cage door open and walk away and closed the door behind me.

Several minutes later the bird in question is on the cage door waiting to be stepped up:)

[Blancaej]

;) I can see why that works! :)

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[Pinkbirdy]

See they are trying to tell us :) We just have to pay attention

[Blancaej]

Exactly! :D

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