Just thought I'd check in and give a quick update on how things were going with Ziggy. I think we're progressing pretty well. I've been using a hand held perch to ask him to step up inside of the cage, then once out of the cage I ask him to step up onto my hand. We do a few step ups, then I take him to my bed and sit with him and give him some millet. Yesterday and today he's even allowed me to pet him some while he's eating the millet! I still need to get brave and work on getting him to step up onto my hand from his cage. But he comes at me like a little pit bull - and I chicken out! Which I know is bad because I'm just reinforcing the behavior. Even though my brain is saying stand still, don't react - my arm and hand don't seem to be cooperating yet! But - we'll get there eventually! I think I took some good pictures of him the other day - but then I found out my chihuahua got a hold of my cable to connect the camera to the computer! So - I have to try and find a new one so I can post some pics!

Sounds like you are doing fine, keep up the good work. We all take a bite every now and then.

My husband has been making fun of me. I swear I'd rather be bit by the conures and the tiels than little Ziggy any day! I think I'm just going to have to close my eyes, grit my teeth and stick my hand in there and get it over with!

Yes that's a good way. When I had my petshop we all took turns letting animals bite us so we could mask our drama in front of customers! LOL Once I walked in at night and an employee had a baby Monkey Tailed lizard dangling from his chin. (they bite like Parrotlets but dont let go lol)...He told these girls he was showing off in front of it was a trick he taught him. LOL While the blood was dripping down.

Anyway, they bite pretty hard when they're scared and in a foreign environment like him but they learn as they get more comfortable. Then it becomes MUCH less. My hen and I have a little game with fake biting so give him time and he'll be fine just like her. I hold her strawberry and she gives me the "ok let go now" sign and for fun I wont then she gives me gentle mouthing progressively getting harder and watching my face waiting for me to give a squeal LOL.

Don't worry about it use the perch. He will trust you alot more. MONTHS from now you can worry about stepping on your finger. My hen is totally recall trained and ULTRA friendly but still prefers a small perch. No big deal to make her pass some test or something, I just go with it. Her mate just stepped on my finger for the first time this month after 6 months and he ALWAYS liked to step into my cupped hand, no fear or wierdness just of the finger. LOL

BEND your index finger dont waggle it, Also tighten your skin around your hand in a fist and it doesnt hurt so much. But dont get into a battle of wills just let him get settled. He lost everything he ever knew so he has to learn from scratch.

Ha ha!! That's funny Steph! I'm the same way. Which makes no sense. Has he bit you yet? Is it just the anticipation of the whole thing? We had to bird sit my niece's little budgie once, "Patches O'Hulahan", and I was scared to death of that little thing! Ridiculous huh? I made my daughter feed and water him because he bit me so much. Nice mothering skills I know. I'm scared of it so send in the seven year old! He never bit her though.

Anyway, glad to see that I'm not the only small bird chicken! No pun intended.

Thanks for the advice Cindy! I also appreciate your feedback!

Vicki - yes - Ziggy has bitten me! And man are those little beaks SHARP! LOL That's too funny about you making your daughter feed/water the bird!

Cindy's right. It took Winkie about 2 months to stop biting so much when I would get him out. Try letting him come out onto your sleeve, it kinda helped 'cause i was a bit of a coward about the biting at first. actually it feels like someone grabbing a tiny bit of skin between their fingernails & twisting it.
Also, do you have a cage with a small door? When Winkie was in his small cage he didn't like to come out at all & was really territorial.

hope this helps.

Absolutely a bigger cage is much better. And another new person made a great observation (damooster) that it seems that our huge hand going in that small door freaks them out. They're so tiny they have to be paranoid about everything. And rightly so, accidents are the number one cause of death, sadly.

His cage door is pretty big. Actually once he's out of the cage - he's fine and doesn't bite. He just doesn't like me messing with his cage! But I've just been using a hand held perch to get him out - then he's fine. But tonight - I finally bit the bullet and stuck my hand in there! I did get several pretty good bites, but I just gritted my teeth, kept my hand there and repeated to him to step up. He finally did and I brought him out, told him what a good boy he was and gave him some millet. Now next time will hopefully be even easier for both of us!

Good! The key thing is persistance. It took 2 mths to get Winkie to want to come out on his own. (as i keep repeating