Hand on cage...parrot doesn't know you...what happens?

[Amanda_Bennett]

I got EXTREMELY lucky with Zilla! Apparently at some point in her life she was loved and taken care of and trained properly.

She has been bite pressure trained, so has never hurt me (or anyone else that I know of) Her defense mechanism is to run away "screaming" her "NO, I don't want to, I don't know you" scream, or to just back away behind a toy and make herself super skinny and quiet so maybe they won't see her.

I am now learning she likes to play a finger "wrestling" game and she gets irritated with me (my fingers) a lot cause I don't know the "rules" and how the game is supposed to be played. Sure wish I could figure it out!

 

[Dopey]

Amanda - I admire what you have been able to do with Zilla.
I've got to work on a lot with these birds but right now...I just want to love them.

 

[Birdman666]

One of the funniest and stupidest things I ever did...

A friend of mine had a catalina big mac that was EVERYONE'S best buddy. Just an amazingly mushy bird.

SOOOOOO...

I walk into the rescue. And there he is out on the playstand. So I walk up to him. Before he can even react, I put my face right there and beak wrestle. Give him a big hug. Scratch his head... [The just bird sits there with a shocked look on his face. Okay. That feels good. Do I know you?!]

Right about then, my friend comes out with HER BIRD ON HER SHOULDER...

Whoops wrong Mac! That one is just waiting for grooming...

The owner comes over to me. Says "You really shouldn't just walk up to a large macaw like that. I'm surprised he didn't bite you..."

"Sorry. I didn't realize it was the wrong bird."

Which goes back to my original premise, approach confidently and without fear, act like you're best buddies, and you soon will be.

No whispering required.

 

[Kiwibird]

I occasionally babysit a feisty little IRN who's cage does not have feeder doors (i.e. you must reach into the cage and pick up the bowls). He's definitely NOT thrilled to see my hands in his cage! He typically just sits there and 'swears' at me in bird language until I leave. One day though, he actually came down and gave me a chomp. his owner was a little embarrassed when I mentioned he bit me. I almost laughed. That little guy's bite is NOTHING like an amazon (or cockatoo!) bite thank god! I was holding my breath/had 911 on speed dial the day she asked to hold Kiwi and he was in a good enough mood to sit on her arm for a moment:52:. I KNOW what your birds bite feels like, but I don't think you WANT to know what MY birds bite feels like:32:

 

[Birdman666]

Yeah.

Those are pin pricks. They hurt. And they bleed profusely for just a little pin prick. But, really a bandaid is overkill.

Amazons don't just bite. They GRIND! They are the most likely to inflict degloving injuries. And if they are NOT in the mood, you are NOT going to win them over by being persistent.

 

[Christinenc2000]

Admittedly, I have a sick sense of humor,

You ? NOOOOOOOO LOL Actually a few times I was like what the hell

 

[Birdman666]

Amanda - I admire what you have been able to do with Zilla.
I've got to work on a lot with these birds but right now...I just want to love them.

I used foot toys instead of fingers on this one.

Start with popsicle sticks and leather strips, and work your way down to the acrilic foot toys.

Then start the finger games around the beak. AND DON'T GET THEM TOO EXCITED. ONE OR TWO MINUTES MAX WITH A ZON OR YOU GET OVERLOAD!

It teaches them to play with toys at the same time you're bite pressure training them.

This one I have done AT LEAST 25 times!!!

 

[Birdman666]

Thanks everyone - it's so nice to be able to come here and vent and get great information at the same time. Every time I think I have how I want my family/bird room to be arranged I change my mind with something else.

BTW this same friend told me I should donate the PVC play stand I just made to a rescue. What? I didn't realize that I needed to get rid of the play stand I just made.

Why would you do that?!

 

[Dopey]

Yeah.

Those are pin pricks. They hurt. And they bleed profusely for just a little pin prick. But, really a bandaid is overkill.

Amazons don't just bite. They GRIND! They are the most likely to inflict degloving injuries. And if they are NOT in the mood, you are NOT going to win them over by being persistent.

Grind - that's it!
I was never afraid that my Too or my Catalina was going to bite me...but man... the Zon bite has me scared.

 

[Dopey]

Thanks everyone - it's so nice to be able to come here and vent and get great information at the same time. Every time I think I have how I want my family/bird room to be arranged I change my mind with something else.

BTW this same friend told me I should donate the PVC play stand I just made to a rescue. What? I didn't realize that I needed to get rid of the play stand I just made.

Why would you do that?!

I haven't quite figured out why she wanted me to do that either. She realized she had stuck her foot in her mouth when I told her I had just made it.

 

[Dopey]

Amanda - I admire what you have been able to do with Zilla.
I've got to work on a lot with these birds but right now...I just want to love them.

I used foot toys instead of fingers on this one.

Start with popsicle sticks and leather strips, and work your way down to the acrilic foot toys.

Then start the finger games around the beak. AND DON'T GET THEM TOO EXCITED. ONE OR TWO MINUTES MAX WITH A ZON OR YOU GET OVERLOAD!

It teaches them to play with toys at the same time you're bite pressure training them.

This one I have done AT LEAST 25 times!!!

I want to make sure that I understand this.
Foot toys in their beaks or give them to them as foot toys? Then move with them to bite around the mouth. And then use my fingers? Ouch!

Right now the severe just looks at me moving his head from side to side. Both of the Zons are feisty and I'm so ever careful watching the beaks.

 

[Birdman666]

Well what I did was to sit down with a towel on my lap. I set the bird down on my knee. I would then take a foot toy and play with the foot toy and/or the leather string on my lap with the zon to get the zon used to hands around the beak during playtime.

You gradually get them to the point where they take the toy from you gently.

This is the first two to three weeks. Use your judgment, they progress at their own speed.

Then, once they are gentle, we start the finger games on the beak. This is a thumb and a forefinger, moving rapidly like a mouth "coming to get you." Then slowly move the fingers to the beak. Grab the beak gently and let go. WATCH HIS EYES FOR SIGNS OF AMAZON OVERLOAD when doing this one. (If the eyes are going, and the tail spreads and stays open, it's time to stop the game. You are entering psycho-zon territory.)

Zons can be taught to control their bite pressure, but can't be depended on to do so when they go into overload. So at that point you back off until they are 100% calm again. Zons play rough.

Same thing as with any other bird, when they beak your fingers, and start to apply bite pressure, you back off and tell them that's too hard.

Another thing I did to distract when they started getting excited, was to reach around with a little finger, and scratch the feathers on the underside of the eye by the chin.

Headfeathers go sproing. A few minutes of head scratchies. A treat. We're calm again, and the game can resume.

Really - only 5-15 minutes a night of this kind of stuff and you start to see noticeable behavior changes - especially if you do it at the same time every night - and favorite treats are involved.

And one bird will watch the others... they learn by watching sometimes, and they learn it's not something to be afraid of, it's something you look forward too. (Attention, toys, and treats! Yippee!) Then, it's my turn, and they show you they can do it too... It becomes a "flock activity."

 

[Dopey]

Well what I did was to sit down with a towel on my lap. I set the bird down on my knee. I would then take a foot toy and play with the foot toy and/or the leather string on my lap with the zon to get the zon used to hands around the beak during playtime.

You gradually get them to the point where they take the toy from you gently.

This is the first two to three weeks. Use your judgment, they progress at their own speed.

Then, once they are gentle, we start the finger games on the beak. This is a thumb and a forefinger, moving rapidly like a mouth "coming to get you." Then slowly move the fingers to the beak. Grab the beak gently and let go. WATCH HIS EYES FOR SIGNS OF AMAZON OVERLOAD when doing this one. (If the eyes are going, and the tail spreads and stays open, it's time to stop the game. You are entering psycho-zon territory.)

Zons can be taught to control their bite pressure, but can't be depended on to do so when they go into overload. So at that point you back off until they are 100% calm again. Zons play rough.

Same thing as with any other bird, when they beak your fingers, and start to apply bite pressure, you back off and tell them that's too hard.

Another thing I did to distract when they started getting excited, was to reach around with a little finger, and scratch the feathers on the underside of the eye by the chin.

Headfeathers go sproing. A few minutes of head scratchies. A treat. We're calm again, and the game can resume.

Really - only 5-15 minutes a night of this kind of stuff and you start to see noticeable behavior changes - especially if you do it at the same time every night - and favorite treats are involved.

And one bird will watch the others... they learn by watching sometimes, and they learn it's not something to be afraid of, it's something you look forward too. (Attention, toys, and treats! Yippee!) Then, it's my turn, and they show you they can do it too... It becomes a "flock activity."

Okey Dokey - I have cut and pasted this information into a document so I can print it out and put it in a journal I'm going to start for each bird.

I know I won't be able to do it every night because I have a busy life but I can do it 4-5 out of 7 nights a week. Could I do the same on the play stand (on a perch) with him or is it better if he is on my lap? I have one Zon who likes foot toys and one who right now could care less and a Macaw in quarantine . This is going to take some time.

 

[Birdman666]

The one who likes foot toys is the one I would start with, and the other zon watches him play until it appears that he is really curious...

Keep your focus on the one you are playing with and pretend he doesn't exist for a moment. (He will quickly remind you that he's there, and he wants to be involved. Let him stew in it for a few minutes, then switch birds, and give him what he wants...)

 

[Dopey]

I know they watch each other. I finally say Patches preening the other night...or did I mention that before? I've seen him play with a toy - finally - and I've seen him preen. Progress.

Thanks Mark!

 

[Christinenc2000]

Well what I did was to sit down with a towel on my lap. I set the bird down on my knee. I would then take a foot toy and play with the foot toy and/or the leather string on my lap with the zon to get the zon used to hands around the beak during playtime.

You gradually get them to the point where they take the toy from you gently.

This is the first two to three weeks. Use your judgment, they progress at their own speed.

Then, once they are gentle, we start the finger games on the beak. This is a thumb and a forefinger, moving rapidly like a mouth "coming to get you." Then slowly move the fingers to the beak. Grab the beak gently and let go. WATCH HIS EYES FOR SIGNS OF AMAZON OVERLOAD when doing this one. (If the eyes are going, and the tail spreads and stays open, it's time to stop the game. You are entering psycho-zon territory.)

Zons can be taught to control their bite pressure, but can't be depended on to do so when they go into overload. So at that point you back off until they are 100% calm again. Zons play rough.

Same thing as with any other bird, when they beak your fingers, and start to apply bite pressure, you back off and tell them that's too hard.

Another thing I did to distract when they started getting excited, was to reach around with a little finger, and scratch the feathers on the underside of the eye by the chin.

Headfeathers go sproing. A few minutes of head scratchies. A treat. We're calm again, and the game can resume.

Really - only 5-15 minutes a night of this kind of stuff and you start to see noticeable behavior changes - especially if you do it at the same time every night - and favorite treats are involved.

And one bird will watch the others... they learn by watching sometimes, and they learn it's not something to be afraid of, it's something you look forward too. (Attention, toys, and treats! Yippee!) Then, it's my turn, and they show you they can do it too... It becomes a "flock activity."

Okey Dokey - I have cut and pasted this information into a document so I can print it out and put it in a journal I'm going to start for each bird.

I know I won't be able to do it every night because I have a busy life but I can do it 4-5 out of 7 nights a week. Could I do the same on the play stand (on a perch) with him or is it better if he is on my lap? I have one Zon who likes foot toys and one who right now could care less and a Macaw in quarantine . This is going to take some time.

Great Idea !