# Bird scared of millet?



## SkyofAngels (Jun 28, 2007)

My mom has a cockatiel that LOVES millet so she buys these big bags and gives it to her all the time. The other day she thought maybe the doves will like it so she put one in her doves cage and the bird started freaking out, ran to the corner of the cage flapping around and panting scared to death of the millet. I don't understand it, she uses these birds for her magic shows they are so tame and they love her and trust her. Why would the bird be so afraid of it? His mate started pecking at it and liked it but she doesn't give it anymore. I told her he was acting out cause she named him twinkles, how manly does she expect him to be? lol! She anamed his mate stardust and their daughter moonbeam. She claims it sounds magical. They are much more daring then the male. Mybe she should change his name to pansy or something. silly bird


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

I love watching those shows with the birds in when we go on holiday, it's amazing how they do anything asked.
Whats millet?


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

I've heard of doves being scared by millet sprays before. They're kind of snake-like and make a rattling noise too, with all of those little seeds.

You can buy clips at the pet store for hanging the sprays upright - maybe that would help. Or it might make things worse, who knows. Silly birds!

But on another note...
How did your Mom train her birds for the magic shows? I got one of those books by a dove magician on bird training & the techniques were so hard to follow. I had wanted to incorporate a couple of little dove tricks into a musical routine I do at variety shows. But I gave up after reading that book!


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

Pigeons and doves can be scared of millet sprays but loose millet they love, suggest that you only offer millet for a day and once they start eating you cannot stop the.


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## flitsnowzoom (Mar 20, 2007)

Your mom might also take the spray and peel the little seed bunches off so there are just the little round balls of the millet seeds. I do that with my finches as the millet spray is just too big. I also do that will our parakeets, but that's more to keep them from pigging out on the millet. Like warriec says, once they start the millet habit, they pretty much ignore everything else. Must be yummy.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

SkyofAngels said:


> The other day she thought maybe the doves will like it so she put one in her doves cage and the bird started freaking out, ran to the corner of the cage flapping around and panting scared to death of the millet. Why would the bird be so afraid of it?


Sometimes birds are very afraid of even innocent things as seeds. This is especially true if the bird has never seen them before during it's entire life. If your one dove has never been exposed to millet before, this could be why you got that reaction from her. She wouldn't recognize it as food and doesn't understand what it is. If you continue to offer it daily, she will get used to it and may even try it eventually.

I've seen the same thing (not quite so drastic) with my pigeons if I add a new seed/grain type to their mix that they've never seen before but they soon get curious enough to try the "sinister seed".


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## SkyofAngels (Jun 28, 2007)

My mom has been an entertainer for over thirty five years and has used doves the whole time. She is fantastic with them. She doesn't have to train them to do the trick because the trick does all the work what the birds need to do is remain in the trick until she takes them out and sit on her finger after the trick for a few minutes while she talks about them and this gives time for pictures and then they just have to be used to people because she lets the kids pet the bird "With one finger, they are very gentle birds lets be gentle to them children" Indoors they sit on a perch during the show if it is an outdoor show they go in a carrier. The way she "trains" them is by establishing a mutual trust which is time consuming but worthwhile. So they will be friendly and used to the people.


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