One word.
Safflower
Safflower
Taming Birds
Any input is greatfully appreciated. What are the best techniques for taming birds? Handfeeding with raw peanuts, spending lots of time in the loft so they get used to your presence? Also, do you recommend wearing the same clothing, so that the birds will be familiar with you? Thanks, Don. Man, this glass of wine sure tastes good!!!
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You don't need to wear the same clothes. Your birds know who you are.
I start with the birds when they are young. Everyday I mess with the babies in the nest starting when I band them. I fight with them every day. Pick them up and handle them. This gets them used to me and handling. By the time they are out of the nest you can usually just pick them up. Then it is food, food, food. Hungry youngsters and treats work great. I usually have a five gallon bucket that I take into the young bird loft turn upside down and hand feed the birds. Simple conditioning to hand feeding and being held.
Randy
Randy
Thanks to all of you for the info. I never thought of safflower.
Its so funny - my birds hate me when I walk in with a dust mask on. I guess they dont like the scraping!
I agree with handling and hand feeding. I feed mine sunflower as a treat and they like it. I almost forgot to tell you that you are supposed to be gentle with them while they are on your hand. I find out that holding them too tight is not something they like and they remember that and ended up not wanting to be hold. Look at the way this fancier is holding up his birds--so gentle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um_94j2FkzA
Now, there are some birds that can't be tame. They are the aggressive type. It doesn't seems to matter whether you handle them often. They just don't want to be hold, etc. There are those that are really tame as well. Those I like very much. They sit on your shoulder, head, forearm and literally likes you a lot. They literally are not afraid of you. So in that sense it is genetics--there are those predispose to be tame/docile.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um_94j2FkzA
Now, there are some birds that can't be tame. They are the aggressive type. It doesn't seems to matter whether you handle them often. They just don't want to be hold, etc. There are those that are really tame as well. Those I like very much. They sit on your shoulder, head, forearm and literally likes you a lot. They literally are not afraid of you. So in that sense it is genetics--there are those predispose to be tame/docile.
they day they are old enough to walk and move about, I play with the babies everytime I am in the loft 24/7. That goes for hand feeding them like their parents do shaking food down there throats, feeding peanuts, and safflower as well. But the most important things is that older birds in the loft can change the way the babies will act. If you have birds that are scared of you, the babies will learn from them and be afraid as well, my older birds who are tamed and trusts me, will set good examples for the younger ones as well as newly acquired birds from other lofts.
Hey alb23m, that's a whole new standard to aim for!
I use Canadian peas. Also, like they said above, handle the young everyday, even if it is only for a minute. I take each one out of the nest and let it perch on my hand (Of course you will get the occasional poop, but that comes with the territory.) and talk to it.
The biggest mistake a new person (Or even an old person) can make when trying to tame older birds is getting frustrated. I have some older birds who were quite wild. I ought them from a guy who raises them for food. I started with holding seed in my hand. When they would not come to my hand, I put the seed in the feeder and stayed inside the coop. I had to back away, but they eventually went to the seed. They ate the peas first, then the milo, etc...
Each day I would put the regular seed in the feeder, but hold the peas in my hand, staying close to the feeder. Eventually, one of the adult birds figured out if he was going to get the peas, he had to come to me. (I never put peas in the feeder.) Then another one would come, then another. They are still very leery about being handled, but it is a work i progress.
The youngsters will come right up to me with no hesitation. I can pick them up, handle them at will.
So practice patience. They will come around.
The biggest mistake a new person (Or even an old person) can make when trying to tame older birds is getting frustrated. I have some older birds who were quite wild. I ought them from a guy who raises them for food. I started with holding seed in my hand. When they would not come to my hand, I put the seed in the feeder and stayed inside the coop. I had to back away, but they eventually went to the seed. They ate the peas first, then the milo, etc...
Each day I would put the regular seed in the feeder, but hold the peas in my hand, staying close to the feeder. Eventually, one of the adult birds figured out if he was going to get the peas, he had to come to me. (I never put peas in the feeder.) Then another one would come, then another. They are still very leery about being handled, but it is a work i progress.
The youngsters will come right up to me with no hesitation. I can pick them up, handle them at will.
So practice patience. They will come around.
Not to sound mean, but I feel hunger is your best tool to use when taming birds. What I do is starve the young birds for a day. I start feeding peanuts to them in small pieces. At first, they'll have trouble eating the bits of peanuts, but slowly they'll get it. And when they have acquired the taste for peanuts, they'll always want it, even after you feed them their regular feed.
Feed control.....that is what it requires, plain, simple, and to the point. And it does not require any special seeds. Those who hand feed have very tame birds.
i hand feed them but i want them to be like the video i posted above. When you call them, so they come to you.
They key is spending time in the loft with the birds so they get used to you. Handle them often and give them treats while your in there. I use spanish peanuts as treats for them and they love it. To get them to take a treat from your hand you have to make sure they are hungry this seems to be the key to everything when it comes to pigeons. At first they will be very hesitant to take the treat from your hand so you have to be patient. It took about 20 minutes sitting there almost motionless until the first bird took a peanut from my hand. After that it was like the flood gates had opened....lol. You will have some that will not bit the first time around but if you do it on a regular basis you will gain their trust and they will have no problem taking anything from your hand. With this and handling them often you will have problems picking them up while your in the loft. Also, start as early as possible when taming your birds. It takes more time to tame OB's.
Henry
Henry
Most of my birds are not tamed but they trap when called. This is because I only feed them twice a day. 1/2 oz of feed per bird in the morning. In the afternoon I release them for about 30 minutes to an hour, (Hawk depending), then ring a cowbell. I put out plenty of feed but only give them 10 minutes to eat then remove leftovers. Any birds that does not trap does not eat. They learn quickly, (except one hen, she is as hardheaded as her master).
Thank all of you so much for all of the info. I will try everything I have read on the posts.
LOL......I think we ALL have one or two of these. I've got one.....he's a cock though. To this day, he is THE most horrible trapper. Even after flying 200 or 300 mile races, he hits the landing board and starts spinning and cooing........talk about hard headed..........Most of my birds are not tamed but they trap when called. This is because I only feed them twice a day. 1/2 oz of feed per bird in the morning. In the afternoon I release them for about 30 minutes to an hour, (Hawk depending), then ring a cowbell. I put out plenty of feed but only give them 10 minutes to eat then remove leftovers. Any birds that does not trap does not eat. They learn quickly, (except one hen, she is as hardheaded as her master).
This video is of him when he's just a youngster. Nothing has changed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-udrgtPQ9j0
Renee, I think that males hormones have overshadowed his hunger.
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