Wing Handling | Cooperative Care

[@briananuvattanachai6646]

Parrots taught me that no animal should be forced to do something that it doesn't want to do. I am glad that animal training is going towards a more force free, cooperative route than the traditional restrain and overpower methods. I even seen videos of cooperative care being used in dairy cows. I hope that this becomes the standard for care of all animals.

[@Ansonidak]

Agreed. I certainly hope more and more people will begin to use permission based, positive reinforcement training of all animals. I always include a pitch for this kind of training whenever I can fit it into a conversation.

[@heatherhoward8462]

Thank you! I think this may be the reason my cockatiel and I have made so little progress despite daily harness training for over a year. I'll take a step back and work on wing handling for a while.

[@wendycottingham8011]

This was great!! Newt is such a great bird you have done absolutely amazing with him.

[@kiwismomma1365]

Glad you're back.

[@brickellegregory7693]

I absolutely love your cage setup!

[@FlockTalk]

Thanks!

[@katebuttery9284]

This is just what I needed. I would love another video for how to train the move-towards-your-hand-and-press-against-it behaviour. Welcome back 😊

[@stuckinthelazycorneragain4016]

I never even considered this! So interesting and useful, thank you!

[@jenanimazed5932]

So happy to see you again!!!

[@abouttimebrewing3215]

Thank you so much for all you do! I would like to see your parrotlet do this. Mine is ok on a finger or shoulder but other than that we can't touch him. I wish he would be more receptive to a nice cheek or head scratch but we've been trying for 9 years and he's just aggressive. We don't use treats for training, just enthusiastic praise which has worked for tricks and desired behavior but not for contact. Not even a treat can get him to let his guard down. My girlfriend has that shirt!

[@benkenobi4937]

Welcome back, and you've inspired me to get back into training 🙂

[@d1sastcrpiece290]

these tutorials helped a lot, my boy is doing great, getting close to lifting the wing. needed it for harness training! your harness training videos are great too

[@FlockTalk]

So glad they’re helpful!

[@ipescador]

You make it look so easy! Thank you for teaching us! You are an inspiration!

[@tarajh]

Welcome back, Courtney! I've missed your videos!

[@aresthesunconure2135]

Nice to see you again. I only follow like 5 people. Lol. Missed ya.

[@Keish03]

Omg you're back!!Ive missed ur videos!

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Great video! Will be working on this with my conures soon! 😊

[@firstclassstupid97]

Thank you so much for all your video's, you've really helped me a lot in my interactions with my birds. It is so great to see you again :D

[@kate_is_great]

Great to see you! Thank you for the video as always. ❤️

[@NOGlameows]

I just came across your channel and I just wanted to tell you I love it ✨✨ I was looking for training advice for my blue and gold and your videos are really amazing ✨

[@userunknown8454]

You're back!

[@benpitton7411]

So glade your back❤

[@cassidyyes9586]

i love ur videos alot,ur channel is very underrated for me.keep doing these great videos😭💗✨

[@agathaknive3321]

Thanks!

[@poomsaekata]

Thank you- wonderful!!:)

[@happyco.943]

I’m reluctant to touch or pet my cockatiel’s wings because they say it makes birds hormonal. However, I’m getting him a harness which will require me to put the wings through the loops… or I guess to put the loops around the wings and tighten them. It seems like catch 22 - I shouldn’t touch his wings due to hormonal reactions, BUT I must be able to touch his wings without him being stressed to get him used to wear the harness. I guess the key is doing it in moderation?

[@FlockTalk]

100% I find as long as you’re mainly touching the primary flight feathers and not stroking along the back you’ll be okay. Moderation and timing are key, if you notice other hormonal behaviours then I wouldn’t continue the training/ take a break until they return to normal!

[@klly928]

YAYYYY UR BACK 🎉🎉🎉

[@Goju4u2]

Thanks again. Havev a Hyacinth im caring for. Never been out of the cage I've been told. Well except for the time she flew off😂

[@JohnnyFaber]

Glad to see a video from you!

[@dellieb6337]

Great info👍🏼✋🏼😀

[@lizzygiroux9490]

I have a Hanns mini that’s about a year old. He still very much sees me as mommy and won’t even stand on a perch by himself unless he’s in his cage 😅 I am currently trying to get him used to just standing alone on a training perch at this point. I’m hoping I can get to wing training soon as his flight feathers are starting to grow out…

[@RobShuttleworth]

Thanks for all this valuable information. I just got a 5 yr old GCC and he came with a hanging sleep hut. I saw that you don't recommend these. He is out of the cage all day and can fly around a big room. He goes to sleep under my hand each evening, then I put him in his cage in the hut. Will he instantly adapt to sleeping on a perch? I saw that he chewed the side of the hut also, he was alone a lot before.

[@FlockTalk]

Most birds will adapt just fine, my conure likes to sleep on a perch pressed between a toy and the wall so if they really value an enclosed space to sleep you may just want to hang a large toy near a wall for them!

[@RobShuttleworth]

@@FlockTalk Hi, I've cut the sides out of the sleeping hut for the first phase of eliminating it, I washed it also. He knows something is different and doesn't stay in it as much. I hope you can help me understand what he's doing in the video below that I just made. He's not aggressive most of the time but sometimes seems to switch to evil and needs to bite something. I do tug of war with him sometimes with a paper towel when he's worked up. Sometimes he will step up onto my finger when he needs help, but most of the time he will try to bite me. I can rub his beak and he likes that. He got me on the back of my neck today and it hurt and I yelped and put him on his cage. I didn't yell at him but he usually acts like this after he bites me. Bobbing his head... kzbin.infoX1fnLvto6Lc Thanks.

[@GB_Gummy]

Just what I needed, thank you !!

[@stephanielopez6970]

Awesome video! What do you use as a reward? Are you using individual pieces of millet and/or seed?

[@FlockTalk]

In this video I’m using Newts pellets, I’ve done a video in the past called “treats and rewards” that covers the different treats I use and how to determine which treat your bird likes best!

[@stephanielopez6970]

@@FlockTalk thank you!! 😊

[@helenellsworth9556]

How do you get them to that stage though, I can scratch my Teil, pat down the back of the neck, she loves it, also travels on my shoulder, she likes to get close to me but how do I get to the stage of what you're doing

[@FlockTalk]

I have a tutorial on “start buttons” that covers how to train a bird to opt in to the training session which you will find helpful in guiding a bird to start the wing handling process. Additionally the “veterinary restraint” video might be helpful! I find teaching the start button to really make a difference when training something they may be uneasy about. Puts them in control of the situation which boosts confidence and in this case here they actually initiate the first touch, leaning in to your hand, instead of you reaching towards them. Takes a lot of the pressure off and gives them the confidence to engage in the session and try!

[@MimifBones]

What treats do you use for training sessions? My girlie gets fed up and full of sunflower seeds within about 5 minutes so I don't get to progress the training as she's not food motivated after that.

[@FlockTalk]

Newt gets pellets for most of his training, if they’re filling up that quickly that usually means your treat size is too big! For small birds you want treats to be millet sized, medium sized birds a safflower seed size and large birds a black oil sunflower seed size! The treat should be easily swallowed in one bite! millet, broken sunflower, safflower, sesame, broken walnut, and oats can all be good options

[@PinkSodaPlays]

Hi! I just wanted to ask a question about blood feathers (I’ve watched your video on it but I don’t think you have already mentioned how many times it can happen). About 2 weeks ago, my bird has a broken blood feather and it has already been plucked and removed properly. Today, it happened again but on his other wings, is this normal?

[@willb6426]

What u using as treats

[@FlockTalk]

In this one I’m actually using his pellets. In other videos I’ve used millet or sunflower seeds. I made a video called “treats and rewards” that will answer that more in depth for you.

[@willb6426]

@@FlockTalk thanks ill check it out

[@antonius872133]

Amazing! Tbh, I've lost hope of ever putting a harness on my birb...I thought cockatiel were just too fierce for that kind of handling. Yet, your video makes me wonder if something else is possible...

[@paulthomas7641]

What would you give a lorikeet to co this

[@FlockTalk]

As a treat do you mean? Usually folks will use a hand-feeding syringe filled with nectar to train lorikeets!

[@paulthomas7641]

Yes like a training treat and this will motivate her as its her diet anyway ?? Thank you

[@FlockTalk]

Depends on the bird, you could try different nectar flavours or perhaps pieces of her favourite dried fruits!

[@kated5499]

My bird is biting me when I touch his tummy and back .have I lost his trust

[@mehmetbayrak6126]

where is mia. i mean your blue parrotlet.

[@FlockTalk]

She’s on my hand and in the background during the outro

[@mehmetbayrak6126]

I always support you. You are doing great thinks and you taught me useful thinks. Thanks for everythink. I will keep follow you. Btw waiting new videos.

[@benkenobi4937]

So mia wasn't MIA after all ;-)