| Caring For Your New Bird | NetPets® |
HANDLING YOUR NEW BIRD
If you introduce your bird to new things slowly, with much reassuring talk, the bird should not get upset. If something does scare it (if it squats, spreads its wings, and hisses, or screams and tries to get away), stop immediately and comfort the bird. To pick up your baby, especially at first, present your hand, with the back facing toward the bird, and the fingers extended. Tell the bird "Step" if it does not immediately come toward you, and gently push your finger against the bird's chest just above the legs to encourage it to get on. Give the bird time to step onto the finger and get a grip before moving your hand, or you are likely to dump the bird on the floor, as finger-perching is difficult for uncoordinated young birds. Don't think the bird is trying to bite you if it reaches with its beak first-some birds use their beaks as a "third hand" to balance with when climbing and stepping. The bird's perching and stepping abilities will improve with age.
Your hand-fed baby bird craves attention, and should be given regular cuddle time and attention every day. Let it help you as you go about your daily business, and share your snacks with it. . However, you must remember to allow your newly weaned baby to return to the cage to eat every couple hours or you could inadvertently starve it by giving it too much attention. If the bird cannot be on you, remember to speak to it often to let it know it hasn't been forgotten.
While handling your brand-new baby bird, keep one important rule in mind at all times: Do NOT give the bird more attention now than he will be getting once he isn't a novelty anymore. Many, many birds are spoiled too much when they first go to new homes because they are just so cute, their owners never leave them alone. But sooner or later, the household stops revolving around the new bird; by then, the bird EXPECTS to be cuddled all day, and may begin to scream, pluck its feathers or mutilate itself out of frustration and confusion. If you make sure your bird knows how to spend time happily alone in its cage with its toys, you and your bird will be happy together for a long, long time.
Most hand-fed birds are used to being petted on the head, neck, back, chest, and under the wings. They often enjoy it when someone they trust puts a hand over their back and cuddles them closely (but not too tight!), and they may love to cuddle tightly against your neck, under the chin. Many birds also enjoy laying on their backs while being petted under the wings and on the neck. Let your bird become used to you before doing this, however. They enjoy being petted by a thumb and forefinger scratching on opposite sides of their necks under all the feathers, against the grain, and under the chin, very gently.
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