Holding with Foot

[cottontiel]

Is there a way to teach your bird to hold objects with their feet?

My 'tiel loves paper straws, so I stick them in his cage where he proceeds to pull them out and chew them up. But once he gets a good chunk bitten off, the rest of the straw falls to the ground and is ignored unless I tie it up again. I'd love it if he could hold the straw for continuous chewing action... is it possible?

 

[Brittany741]

Bring him to a training perch (a perch with no cups) outside his cage.

You can try giving him a piece to chew and then handing him a second piece to see if he raises his foot. If he does, give him a treat.

Every bird plays differently and most of mine had wastefulness just like this. Birds can learn quickly just by watching another bird do task differently.

You can also put your hand out like you're asking to step up, but without giving the command. Then place the straw in his foot. If he grasps even for a second, give him a treat.

 

[Kiwibird]

Most parrots instinctively hold things with their feet. In fact, I've never heard of one who doesn't. It's like a person not holding things with their hands! Does he hold other things in his foot (like food)?

Perhaps being a smaller bird, an entire paper straw may be a bit intimidating or large for him to hold? How about if you cut one into 1/3's or 1/4's and see if he's more willing to hold a small piece

 

[texsize]

Most of my cockatiels don't hold things with there feet. I have two that do. the ones that do don't do it very well. when I give them apple they try to hold on to it to eat it but always drop it. I have learned to make the chunks large enough to hang on to and big enough that they don't drop between the bars of the cage at the bottom.
maybe if the perch they sit on was wider they would not have to work so hard at balancing and holding something at the same time.
texsize

 

[cottontiel]

Thank's Brittany, those are very good ideas to try!

The straws are already cut into thirds, haha. He has held only one thing with his feet and that's a part of his favourite toy when he's chewing on it. I freak out every time he does it because it's just SO cute!

I know that cockatiels aren't really known for grabbing with their feet.. but I've seen some who do and I feel it'd benefit my boy since he LOVES his paper straws. We'll give it a go and see.