Parrotlets love attention and need to be handled often. They are fast learners and usually do very well with training. Parrotlets also need lots of toys and things to climb on. The parrotlets we raise will come to you knowing step up. Step up is a very importent thing to teach a parrotlet, this will teach the bird to step onto your hand or finger and gets the bird used to your hands. Parrotlets usually learn this quickly because they learn by themselves to step onto perches, so, it is natural to learn to step onto a hand/finger.

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How do you train a bird to "Step Up"? 

In case your bird doesn't know how to Step Up, here is how to train your bird to do it. To train the bird to Step Up, put your finger in front of the bird, and then press on its chest saying, "Step Up." If your push your finger against your birds chest firmly, it will cause the bird to become unbalanced, and they will then climb up onto your finger. If your bird doesn't step up right away, don't be discouraged. It can take a little bit of time, but keep repeating the steps and soon enough your bird should learn to step up. Remember, when your bird doesn't step up right away, remember that they do not know what they are doing wrong, so do not punish the bird but instead praise him or her when they make progress. A good training tool is to use Spray Millet. you can buy millet at pretty much any pet store. Most parrotlets love millet and it can last a wile if you give your parrotlet small bits at a time.

 

What is Spray millet?

Spray millet is a grass that has stalks full of seeds. It is highly nutritious and is a very good grain to give to your bird as a training treat or part of it's diet. If you use millet for a training treat, it is good to use small bits, or let your bird get one bite each time he does a trick.

When the parrotlet doese a trick, praise the bird and let him take a bite of millet and wait until he is done eating it to repeat the trick, or teach him a new trick. Sometimes parrotlets do not like the full stocks of millet because in their mind it may resemble a snake, so braking of a small bunch on millet may be better for training.

 

You can train a parrotlet to do almost anything, as long as you repeat and practice with them often.  You can teach them to come, repeat phrases, play dead, fetch etc... There are so many fun things to do with these tiny birds! parrotlets usually like to go in pockets, too. I like to take my parrotlet outside, but if want to take your parrotlet outside, you will want to clip their wings. Even if a parrotlet is very tame a small thing could spook them and he or she may fly away. Cliping wings is very easy and it will not hurt the bird.

 

How to clip a parrotlet's wings

To clip your parrotlet's wing(s), hold the wing out with you're index, middle, and thumb, or however it's easiest for you, Then, using scissors, clip the first seven to eight feathers of the flight wings, which are the longest feathers on the first row, but be very careful not to cut past the second row of feathers! Cutting past the second row of feathers can cut the skin and can injure the bird and it may result in bleeding. You can look at the picture below to see a full feathered wing. There are lots of videos and pictures on the internet as well.