# New Satinette caregiver



## MesaAZGuy (May 17, 2019)

So my wife and I picked up an adorable male Old Frills Satinette. He is a very sweet bird. He came from a breeder in New Mexico and that's all I know about him. His band shows he was born in 2018. The issue we are having is that he seems very scared. It's been a week and he does hop on my hand but tends to fly off and back to his cage top. I am hoping he will trust my wife and I in time. Any tips? The other day I was able to get a hold of him and pass him to my wife. The bird tried to wriggle its way out but succumbed to her gentile hold. He seems very muscular. In the time she held him, he did relax. Today he seemed back to his normal skittish self. I don't know what to do. In the following pics, you can see he isn't afraid of humans, just only when two hands are approaching him for the grab....
By the way, we are so in love with this little guy.



IMG_0674 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/, on Flickr



IMG_0701 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/, on Flickr



IMG_0704 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/, on Flickr


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

You will need to be patient. Most pigeons don't like to be grabbed and held and will view your hands as a threat. Have you tried offering some raw chopped up unsalted peanuts as a treat? Pigeons just love them. You will first need to mix it with her food and once she develops a taste for them, start offering them from your hands.

Rather let her come to you and not the opposite way. After she has started eating peanuts from your hands, you can try a gentle scratch around the head and eyes. 

You can also teach her to rather step on to your hand by pressing your hand (in a horizontal position) against her body just above the legs.


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## MesaAZGuy (May 17, 2019)

Thanks for the response.

He does step up to my hand with no issues. The moment I reach around to hold his wings, he gets skittish and flies off. I did introduce peanuts but he doesn't seem to like anything but the smallest of grains. He did peck some out of my hand when my wife held him gently.. He does accept water when I bring his water dish to him. We give him a few hours free flight time every day as well as interaction. I do notice that when he is about to jump off his cage top, he flaps his wings with uncertainty and breathes really heavily without having even flown for the day yet. Seems as if he has no real flight experience and is learning. I find that strange. Nonetheless, we love him dearly. When he is in the cage, he allows me to pet him. Even though he allows the petting, I am not sure he really does like it. Most birds will fluff up when accepting.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

He seems quite tame and you should be glad for that. Pigeons just don't like to be cuddled and hold. Just remember, no human can replace the company of another pigeon.


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## Ladygrey (Dec 10, 2016)

Pigeons have a high pray response, they just can’t help it, it is nothing you are doing wrong. They do not act like parrot type pet birds, which can be like a little child. 

Pigeons react before they know for sure it’s ok, they always do that . with pigeons , sometimes letting them out and just sitting and doing your own thing with some kind of treat bowl near you and use the same bowl so he recognizes it with the treat , and yes these small beaked pigeons eat smaller feed. 

I think just letting him out and go about your own business , and ignoring him in a way goes a long way rather than going to him or making him the center of your interaction. I think you will find , esp as he matures he will seek you out and even maybe land on you to get your attention . But that may be all you get from a pigeon. As mentioned they do not interact like a hook bill pet bird would.

He’s adorable!


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## MesaAZGuy (May 17, 2019)

We gave him his first bath. Of course after letting him out of his cage in his room for a while, I tried to hold him the proper one handed way but he refused. Two hands later and I had this cuddly bird in my hand who finally succumbed and puffed up in comfort. I walked him across the house to the guest bathroom where a trickle of water was pooling up. When I put him in, he just looked at my wife and I as if embarrassed to do his thing. One little poop later and he started to take into the water as it reached his feet. he fluffed up and splashed all over the place! It was thrilling just to get to this milestone. When he was done, he flew up to the edge of the bath where I placed my hand out for him. I walked him all the way back through two hallways a living room, kitchen master bedroom and onto his "East wing" to his cage. He stayed on my hand the entire way. Even when I got to the cage, he didn't want to hop off my hand. Strangely enough, this morning he is again skittish after letting him out again! When I say skittish, he doesn't avoid us completely, just walks away from my hand unless he is at the front of his cage top. It seems as if each day is a re-do. Then again, he has improved over the last week. Baby steps I guess. He is funny when we first let him out for the day... He will go to the edge of his cage top and flap his wings extended as if he is not sure about flying. Seems as if he hadn't really flown before we got him. His flight has been improving too. It's the cutest thing to watch him. He starts to breath heavily even huffing and puffing before his first flight as he prepares. He may spend a good couple of minutes extending his wings and slowly flapping them, folding them, extending them, breathing heavily and then he hops off to fly around the room and back to his cage top. He looks like a mental case! (An adorable one)



IMG_0749 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/, on Flickr




IMG_0666 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/, on Flickr


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## Ladygrey (Dec 10, 2016)

Ha! Once you start the head landing thing best to get used to it! He or she is so cute!


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## Ladygrey (Dec 10, 2016)

Now, I would definitely look up the best way to set up his cage, pigeons feet are not strong grabbers like parrots, so they do better with more floor space, flat shelf like perches, as they were cliff dwellers not tree dwellers. They like ledges. 

Feeders that are on the floor cage not on the side of the cage with a perch in front of it. 

I got a glimpse of your very nice cage, but it should be set up pigeon friendly.


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## MesaAZGuy (May 17, 2019)

He does have two flat shelves that are large. Enough that I have to clean poop from them twice a day. His one shelf is even with the top of his bowls so he can easily reach his food & Water. On the other side is an even larger nesting corner shelf. Both wood shelves are covered in velcro backed vinyl for easy washing. believe it or not, he prefers the upper most perch and spends his sleeping time there. I fabricated a cage top perch with a catch all pan. The metal framing is out to powedercoating to match the cage. Should be back this week. After that, he will spend his leisure hours outside his cage all day. Last night he figured out how to go back through the small opening at the front of his cage where he stayed all night. We put sheets of paper on the large glass doors in his room to show him he can't fly through. Today I will take those down as he knows not to fly into the glass. Aside from two pieces of gym equipment, the room is empty and all his. He always returns to his cage top after flight and no where else. i am also glad he prefers the large upper perch in the cage as it really helps cut down on poop cleaning. I think he is a diva much like his owner...


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