australian parakeets
Special to Official Kids Mag
many people love having tame and
trained birds as pets. Opinions vary as to
which birds may be the most amenable
to bonding, but many birds make great
companions.
First-time bird owners are often
advised to start with a young bird, as
it is often easier to tame and train a
young animal than one who is older.
certain pet stores or bird specialty
retailers will hand-raise the birds from
babies so they become acclimated
with humans very early on.
Taming is based largely about
trust. Therefore, it may need to
begin slowly. Gradually go from
simply being in the company of
the bird to allowing it to grow
accustomed to your hand in the cage.
Eventually, after you and the bird are
comfortable with each other, allow it to
sit on your finger or shoulder. according
to rob marshall, an australian avian
veterinarian, as a bird comes to trust,
he or she will also allow touch from
the top of his head to the back of the
neck. repeated handling can build up an
attachment.
according to the experts at Vca
hospitals, do not overdo your avian
acclimation or training when the bird is
first brought home. he or she may need
to settle in to its new home. Everything
is new, and new sights, sounds and
smells can be stressful. Once the bird
has acclimated, aim for taming sessions
between 15 and 20 minutes per day.
also, allow the bird to have some alone
time to entertain itself; otherwise, you
may end up with an overly attached bird.
having a bird's flight wings clipped is
recommended when letting the bird
loose in a home and during training.
This also may help the bird be more
dependent on you and more trusting of
your handling.
taming
&
training
pet
birds
Birds can bite, and
when they do, it is
important to remain
calm. Keeping fingers
together and curled
inward can make them
harder to grab. a short,
downward shift of the
hand if the bird is sitting
on it and a firm verbal
"no" may prevent the
bird from biting.
Off icialKidsMag.com • march 2019 • 45
