Coco is "targeting..." reluctantly.

Coco is targeting...

Coco started touching the target for every sunflower seed.  At first he bit it, but then he got it... and just touched it... for the seed.  I'll take whatever time it takes to get his "ducks in a row."  He had bitten me again earlier today when I tried to get him out of the cage for a shower.  He has a temper.  He's never been a biter.  Puberty seems to have brought this behavior, a perfect reason to get him back on track with training.  So, I ignored the bite, waited a few hours, offered the seeds and target... and he got it.  Whew!  It's a start.

I weighed the birds yesterday evening before bed at 7 PM to verify that they weren't losing weight on the training diet.  Coco the lesser sulfur crested cockatoo (LSCC) and Bobby, the Timneh (TAG) could both use a little more weight.  Coco's a picky eater (wants only seeds) and Bobby is a quivering mess of nerves.  Lucy is about perfect weight (Congo Grey) and Gracie is too heavy (TAG).

Lucy    428 grams
Gracie  306 grams
Bobby  278 grams
Coco    274 grams

Target/clicker training was again easy for Gracie, but she was seemingly less hungry today, so she would only take a few seeds before I had to up the treat to a cashew.  She did "target" the stick when it put it clear across to the opposite side of the cage from her.  She threw all of her all natural bird food (kibble) on the floor of her cage.  Clean food was returned to her food dish.  In other words, if it didn't land in "anything," then I recycled it.

Bobby targets well, but he's so scared all of the time, he often drops the treat.  The Avian vet told me that peanut butter could be harmful to the birds (a mold, Aspergillus flavus, that can be found even in cooked peanuts) and we should avoid it.  But, the birds have had peanut butter (organic, freshly ground) for years, so I am using it as an ultimate-treat to tempt both Bobby and Lucy to calm down and focus on the target/click/treat training.   Lucy bit the blankety-blank-blank stick again (in anger/frustration) when I tried to give her a sunflower seed.  She took the cashew, but threw it (demonstratively) away and glowered at me.  So, I pulled out the peanut butter for now.

My plan of action:

-->Desensitize all 4 birds to the clicker and stick and get them used to target/click/treat over the coming week or so before attempting anything new.

-->Reduce and eliminate peanut butter entirely within 4 weeks by getting the peanut-butter-loving birds used to the training, the training diet, and replacing the peanut butter with almond butter.  Right now the almond butter is not enough of a prize to calm Bobby or incite Lucy to train properly.   Coco only marginally likes peanut butter and Gracie hates anything sticky, but she does like peanuts.  Again, peanuts will be eliminated.

-->Continue target/click/training at least twice a day for each bird and the dog (in front of the birds).  Move the "target" and get the birds to follow.  Get Bobby targeting more confidently and Coco/Lucy, less aggressively.

-->Shower the birds regularly!  Gracie and Coco got a shower today.  Game plan also includes one bird gets a shower every day.  Why?  Individual time spent with birds that also inspires relaxation for them.  (Also, less bird dust!)

Today was a good day, in spite of my very sore finger.  I've handled Coco many times after the bite.  He loves me.  I know that.  He's a wild-child and it's my responsibility to help him change that.

Highlight!  The bonus treat!  When Coco had successfully targeted the stick a few times in a row, he got 3 sunflower seeds instead of one.  After a few more single treats, he got a nutriberry.  Jackpots are proven to work in dog training, so hopefully it is helpful in bird training.  All the greys also enjoyed a "jackpot" of several bites of their favorite after a few single-treat-target-click rounds.

Tomorrow is a new day and all 4 birds (and dog) have shown greater understanding of what I'm doing.  I'm happy and I have a whole big box of band aids.  Let's hope I don't have to use any more of those!  <%