Eating at the table?

I have seen a lot of people who allow their birds to sit on the table and eat with the family, some sharing a plate with their fid.

My CAV recommends not allowing the bird on the table, but if you want to include them, setting up a perch with a bowl near the table. His reason being you don't want a bird walking over where you're eating and you don't want it to take something off your plate and get pushy. Plus there's the saliva thing.

How true is this? I can see his point but I would think that would make them feel Incorporated into the family. Do you allow it?

LoveMyConlan said:

I have seen a lot of people who allow their birds to sit on the table and eat with the family, some sharing a plate with their fid.

My CAV recommends not allowing the bird on the table, but if you want to include them, setting up a perch with a bowl near the table. His reason being you don't want a bird walking over where you're eating and you don't want it to take something off your plate and get pushy. Plus there's the saliva thing.

How true is this? I can see his point but I would think that would make them feel Incorporated into the family. Do you allow it?

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Formally.... no....but we don't sit down at the table much, much more likely to eat while watching TV. Depending on what I'm eating, I'll let Willow try some, she loves to share fruit with me, (apples, PEACHES are a favorite, etc) and occasionally I'll fix her her own plate. (See pic) I will say that as long as she's not being a brat I'll allow her to either sit on my arm, leg, or shoulder, as her mood usually dictates, lol

Formally, all of the birds have perches near/on the table. We have our table set to seat 8 and there are only four of us. The smaller birds have table top perches at the ends of the table and the people sit on the sides. The two larger birds have large play stands near the table.

Informally, however, is a different story.

Charlotte is like a toddler who has to sit in mommy's lap. She frequently winds up on my knee while I eat one handed. Leo sometimes gets overly excited about what we're eating and gets off his perch to try to steal from plates. Sometimes he succeeds. We do sometimes share what we're eating if it's appropriate for birds, but we will either hand feed them or put the food in the bowls on the perches.

Here's Leo in an escape and steal food attempt.

Both of your fids are adorable! I will usually make a plate up for them if they can, but I give it in their cage.

@BeatriceC- how do you get your little and big birds at the table without fights? Even my Conures squabble when they get to close!

We have a round rope perch hanging from the ceiling right next to the kitchen table where eat all our meals. Salty cant reach the table ( well almost ), but I screwed on a feeding cup and thats where he eats dinner, right next to us. On the table? Nah, birdy feet in my food is not on the menu, but I am a big believer that parrots put a lot of emphasis on eating with the flock, and having him so near us for meals is one reason Salty is a well adjusted birdy.

I'm not entirely sure what we did to make them all get along. For the most part they ignore each other except for the early morning birdie chorus. Everybody has their own perches. With the exception of the one I use for training, I don't use any perch for more than one bird. I cart the table top perches around the house, but the big birds have their own play perches in different rooms of the house. Goofy and Cookie have been together forever, and since before I was around, so I can't tell you how the adjustment period was for them. When I bright Leo and then Charlotte in, I followed the same basic process. The new bird was quarantined for a month (a little less for Charlotte because the vet gave the go ahead early), but they could hear each other. Then they were in different rooms but in eyesight of each other, and then the cage for the new bird was brought gradually closer until they were in the same room. Additionally, I'd hold one and talk to the others while they were in their cages, then put one back and go through the rest the same way. At the dinner table, there's a 1-1 ratio of humans to birds, so if trouble breaks out, there's a person to handle each bird. The kids are teens so they are more than capable of handling the little ones.

I went looking for pictures of the whole set up, but couldn't find one. Here's what happens when Charlotte turns into a toddler.

I share my plate with Early Bird, but she's a very petite GCC. She also doesn't step on my plate. She walks around it picking her favorites and drags them away to eat.

CherylCali

If I'm eating something my Conure will try to take it off my fork/spoon if i have her out. ha-ha. Her favorite thing is to try to get into my glass of Apple juice. I just always worry about the salvia problem. And to second what Weench13 said, I don't want birdy feet food lol

Mine eats with me.

We'll frequently share healthy snacks, but he is too fearless/ill-mannered/flighty/intrusive to be out and about when we're eating meals.

He has to go to his palatial estate upstairs when there are activities that elicit his Genghis Khan personality.

And by the way... an avian vet once told me that some stuff can be passed from birds to people and vice versa, such as avian tuberculosis and colds. That was decades ago, so I bet there's more research by now.

GaleriaGila said:

We'll frequently share healthy snacks, but he is too fearless/ill-mannered/flighty/intrusive to be out and about when we're eating meals.

He has to go to his palatial estate upstairs when there are activities that elicit his Genghis Khan personality.

And by the way... an avian vet once told me that some stuff can be passed from birds to people and vice versa, such as avian tuberculosis and colds. That was decades ago, so I bet there's more research by now.

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You're right about the communicable zoonotic (sp) diseases. I let EB pick what she wants, I never share a utensil etc.

CherylCali

Our Macaw has a perch that he stands on right beside hubby's chair at the table. Our Amazon perches on the counter. They would never forgive us if we dared to eat a meal without them in the kitchen with us.

happy410 said:

Our Macaw has a perch that he stands on right beside hubby's chair at the table. Our Amazon perches on the counter. They would never forgive us if we dared to eat a meal without them in the kitchen with us.

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Oh, if ONLY the Rb would stay on a perch or counter. He mounts aerial assaults worthy of "The Ride of the Valkyries". I might be willing to endure it, but I worry that others, even if only trying to shield themselves, would injure him. So he has to go to his room.
Congratulations on your awesomely-behaved birds!

I think Charlotte might not be as well behaved as she is if she could fly. She's got a naughty streak that she's just starting to show.

Mine will occasionally eat at the table from their own plate, or get first crack at what is on ours!

Is there any other way to eat with your bird around? Eating with your bird is a great way to bond with them. Our little guy gets the left overs.