Taming Bobwhites

[Fat Daddy]

Wow, Those are some calm birds. Mine would be bang'in on the back side of the pen when I leaned into it. And 2 people would be traumatic for them if one was inside. Thanks for sharing. Bill

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
THEY ASSOCIATE ABOUT AS WELL AS "ELEVATOR" AND "OUTHOUSE"


WITH BOBS YOU MAY GET 1 TO EAT FROM YOUR HAND BUT ONLY WITH LOTS OF WORK AND RULE #1 APPLIES AT ALL TIMES--- "NO TOUCHEY!

"


A WORD OF FAIR WARNING..... THEY BITE! AND I DONT MEAN A PAINFUL LIL NIP EITHER... I'M TALKING FULL BLOWN ATTACK GOOSE LATCH ON AND PREY FOR LOCKJAW FLAT OUT BITE! WHEN THEY GET YA THEY ARE BITIN' FOR THE CHEAP SEATS

 

[Riffecreek]

Quote:
THEY ASSOCIATE ABOUT AS WELL AS "ELEVATOR" AND "OUTHOUSE"


WITH BOBS YOU MAY GET 1 TO EAT FROM YOUR HAND BUT ONLY WITH LOTS OF WORK AND RULE #1 APPLIES AT ALL TIMES--- "NO TOUCHEY!

"


A WORD OF FAIR WARNING..... THEY BITE! AND I DONT MEAN A PAINFUL LIL NIP EITHER... I'M TALKING FULL BLOWN ATTACK GOOSE LATCH ON AND PREY FOR LOCKJAW FLAT OUT BITE! WHEN THEY GET YA THEY ARE BITIN' FOR THE CHEAP SEATS

If you will notice I go for the hens to get into my hand.... Bob roos are just as JJMR describes MOST of the time... I have one in that pen that will let me "pet" him a little... but you close a hand on him and its worse than a pit bull backed into a corner by a poodle!!!

 

[JJMR794]

Yes I Have Mature Hens That Have Calmed Down... Gotten Used To The Feed Monster Routine And Will Eat From Your Hand.... Even Hop On To Your Hand To Graze, But Make No Mistake.... Try And Close That Hand As Fast As You Can In An Attempt To Grab Them And All You Get Is Air.... Poof! Gone! Better Luck Next Time Sucker And Thanx For The Snack...

And I Have Some Roos That Are Pretty Quiet And Docile... So Long As You Dont Try To Handle Them, Even Have A Few You Can Stroke Along The Back Once Or Twice. I Also Have A Collection Of V Shaped Scars And A Bright Angry New Wound To Add To That List On The Lateral Side Of My Left Middle Finger From Brushing A Roo Out Of The Way In An Attempt To Collect Eggs This Evening (which Is Also Convieniently Throbbing.. How Special)

 

[kahlertm]

Thanks for the important info on the dangers of offering hands or bod parts to the bobwhites JJ. Duly noted.

Tonya

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
YEP FOR EYE CANDY ITS BUTTONS (GAMEBIRDIOUS PIGMI)
FOO FOO LAP QUAIL ITS COTURNIX
AND THE JUNK YARD DOGS OF THE QUAIL WORLD-- BOB WHITE

THEY DONT PLAY EITHER

ONCE THEY LAY BEAK ON YA CONSIDER YOURSELF BIT... I'D RATE THEM HIGHER THAN THE BITE FROM AN AFRICAN GREY OR AMAZON PARROT... THEY'RE DETERMINED LIL S%^&S!

STILL NOT AS BAD AS THAT PSYCHO BROODY RINGNECK WENCH OF MINE...

 

[JJMR794]

AT THIS RATE I FIGURE I WILL JUST THROW IN THE TOWEL AND BUY A COAT OF ARMS BEFORE THE REEVES PHEASANTS ARE BREEDING NEXT YEAR

 

[millebantam]

I used to keep my bobs tame with a diet of pot seeds and bong water, but then I couldn't pry 'em away from the X-Box long enough to breed.

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!! CANT TYPE FOR THE TEARS ROLLING DOWN MY CHEEKS I AM LAUGHING SO HARD... THANX I NEEDED THAT!

 

[kahlertm]

Have to admit....pharmacutical intervention is becoming.... uhhh.... widely used in animal behavior cases these days!

I've had dogs put on prozac, cats too!

But seriously....if there is a danger like that present to the original poster, I feel obligated to reaffirm what JJ is warning about. I am all for training an animal or habituating an animal to your presense. But I also have had a long, long career in animals and when an animal is a potential harm YOU GO THE CONSERVATIVE ROUTE.

I don't take aggression cases anymore due to the unfortunate desperate belief of some, that an animal well versed in aggressing, can be rehabilitated. If an animal has practiced an attack on a human, and then done it again (with the human UNDOUBTEDLY PULLING AWAY FAST for self preservation and pain, thereby reinforcing that behavior like a champion), the animal has learned to use that behavior as a VERY SUCCESSFUL defense mechanism. I am not talking about something that is thought about conciously by the bird or even a dog or cat. It is one of the inner/deeper most part of the brain functions, and it will re occur automatically when the animal is stressed. They teach us animal behavior folk, that the deeper function will always override the higher function (liking you) if the animal is afraid or stressed enough.

I wanted the bobwhite people to come on and give the good stuff on these birds. I don't know them and now we have it. Replied in brief last night but worried all day on it.

Original poster, please take note to what you have received here.

Once a neuropathway is created...what we would call a memory, it will be quickly re-used by the brain. Remember when I wrote about perfect practice makes perfect? Well there you have it. A bird that has bitten, has practiced. You now have that to overcome and it is very hard to "un-teach", no, impossible to "un-teach" something so very natural to the bird. Parrots...yes, over time can be counter conditioned with a program and I might add they can live to near 90 yrs old...so a person would have time to "work it out"

.

So my original posts on habituating the birds will only go so far, and with certain birds. If the bird is seeking or acting to bite, do not proceed any further. It is yelling at you that you have gone too far in it's own language. Find an alternate way of getting what you need out of the cage and don't let it "practice to make that bite perfect". Some zookeepers have put lures of food on the other side of the cage while they get what they need in the case of Parrots, Iguanas, and a Maribu Stork that I have worked around. That is a good way to not let the animal practice attacking the human. Don't look at it like whimping out. Look at it as being a good animal steward, who plans to keep a bird alive longer and with less stress. We are all sort of zookeepers here. Think of it that way. It's your job.

JJ is right about the levels of the quail too. I'm stickin wit my foo foos.

Sorry for the long post, but it is my profession and I feel compelled to warn any young people here on the forum. I don't want kids hurt...or anybody else either. You guys are my friends.

Hope your booboos heal ok JJ. Here is a proverbial bandaid for my buddy, from T.

I am always willing to talk via PM voluntarily (as in free dude) with folks on behavior stuff if you need me. It is my interest. You guys give me free advise, I give back. Payin it forward.


Tonya