Shoulder training

Ginkai

New member
Mar 20, 2012
168
0
Brisbane, Australia
Parrots
Eastern Galah - Suki Lala 10 months old
Greyhound Cross - Max 7 years old
Great Dane Cross - Marque 2 years old
Rats -Lola 1yr old, Tsuyu, Enya, Fury all 6 months old, Cookie 8 weeks
So I've read in a few places that allowing your parrot on your shoulder is a bad idea. Is this true or just a personal choice? I like having Suki on my shoulder and she has perfect step up and doesn't stop me taking her down from there so I figure It's ok. But I thought I'd ask for the forums advise.

Like I said I want to give Suki the best start in life. If allowing her on my shoulder will be bad for her I'll stop putting her up there.

Thanks again for any advice
 

PortaPerch

New member
Apr 28, 2012
380
0
SurfCity, SoCalif
Parrots
Chewbaca, F. Galah, h10/10;
Greybeard, M. Congo AG h03/09
Fran's Exotic Birds has most of the parrots on stands where you can touch and hold them. She does not allow birds on shoulders.

Greybeard goes downstairs to the kitchen on my wife's shoulder, so far without incident. She likes his close presence. I often have to follow with a PortaPerch, though. If the bird is slipping or losing its balance, it will grab the nearest thing with its beak: your ear. A bird on the shoulder cannot make eye contact with you; it's just a close presence. There's also the poop, of course, and our Galah doesn't hold it a long time.

I hope this doesn't sound too much like advertising, but that's why I invented(?) and developed the PortaPerch. It fills a need. It puts the bird on a stable, grippable footrest in front of you, at about eye level. Greybeard won't let me pick him up, but he always steps up on the PortaPerch for me. If he's facing forward as I'm walking with him, and looks tempted to jump off, I just turn him towards me. I can park him anywhere, and the the poops and most food droppings land on the cleanable, disposable paper plate.

PortaPerch.com
 
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SunnyGirl

New member
May 8, 2012
280
2
Jesenice, Slowenia, Europe
Parrots
sun conure - Sunny
well my young sun conure really loves to sit on my (or my mums) sholder, she almost never falls of, except if I make a sudden or a bit too fast move, but otherwise she is fine up there, it's the best place to see everything that I'm doing :orange: and all the budgies I had before had no problm being on a sholder either
 

lizardsmells

New member
Dec 2, 2011
434
0
Eastern panhandle of WV
Parrots
Kazi - 13 yr old yellow nape amazon rescue
Kazi is allowed on my shoulder most of the time. There are times he's behaving in such a way that I know it wouldn't be safe.

However, I allow him up there with the knowledge he could do some real damage to my face. Parrots are still wild animals (even when born in captivity) and prone to the same impulses. He's nailed me twice on the side of the face, neither was bad at all, but both bled a little. he's gotten my ear once too. So it's risky, but one I'm willing to take.
 
OP
Ginkai

Ginkai

New member
Mar 20, 2012
168
0
Brisbane, Australia
Parrots
Eastern Galah - Suki Lala 10 months old
Greyhound Cross - Max 7 years old
Great Dane Cross - Marque 2 years old
Rats -Lola 1yr old, Tsuyu, Enya, Fury all 6 months old, Cookie 8 weeks
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
Thankyou for your advice guys. I only let her on my shoulder when she is in a calm and/or cuddly mood. I know the risk and I'm willing to take it to.

Thanks again.
 

osnyder

New member
Sep 26, 2011
303
0
Philadelphia
Parrots
Stitch the Blue Crown Conure
I do it. If he gets feisty or screamy I put him back. If a bird has a history of aggression or erratic behavior, then it is not recommended.
 

evesta

New member
Mar 22, 2012
305
0
Nebraska
Parrots
House and Wilson-Lineolated Parakeet Brothers
I let mine on my shoulder but they are small, don't know if I would allow a bigger bird on there just because they can do more damage. At first even with the little guys they would get to excited and attack my ear, eye lid, hair and neck but they've learned to behave now and it is just sweet kisses and poop on the shoulder;)
 

Mare Miller

Banned
Banned
May 14, 2011
1,260
Media
2
3
sierra foothills of central California
Parrots
13yr. old male umbrella cockatoo,
we call him Amigo!

7yr. old Goffin cockatoo, she IS Sassy!!
I have a U2 that has a bad reputation, rightfully so, of being a nasty biter, (of men). My husband has had his ear chomped on a couple times by allowing Amigo to get close to that area.

I may be inviting disaster by letting Amigo set on my shoulder but he has never bitten me. He will land on my shoulder when I'm out in the yard and so far, so good. Always a concern, though.
 

Featheredsamurai

New member
Aug 24, 2011
4,172
19
California
Parrots
African Greg
2 cockatiels
It's recommended to not have birds going through puberty or mature birds on your shoulder. Also there's the risk of you face being bitten as they hold on if they get off balance. Some people say they also develop superiority behavior problems. As long as you stay on top of your behavior training and understand the risk of your bird grabbing your face on accident/purpose you shouldn't worry to much.

Plus Suki's a Galah, their bites aren't really that bad anyway :) Sometimes I have Rosie on my shoulder, but it kinda sucks because I have to be very careful or she gets off balance and falls off. She use to be obsessed with my ear and bite it constantly so she never sat on my shoulder.
 

lene1949

New member
Sep 26, 2011
1,701
1
Brisbane, Australia
Parrots
Cory: Short billed Corella -
Echo: Galah -
Max: Alexandrine -
Skye: Yellow Sided conure -
Luka: Green Cheek Conure -
RIP Shrek: Quaker
My birds have shoulder privileges... Should they ever hurt me, that privilege would be gone... Our shoulder is the most natural 'perch' for the bird to land/stay on, unless we always lift up our arm, and that's not a natural position for us to be in.

I have 2 parrots in an aviary, they have been out there for approx 3 years... Cory, a shortbilled corella, and Echo, a galah... As soon as I walk in they're both on my shoulders...

I think the most difficult thing with birds is, if the bond with you - thinking you're their mate... they might bite just to get you to fly away...
 

PortaPerch

New member
Apr 28, 2012
380
0
SurfCity, SoCalif
Parrots
Chewbaca, F. Galah, h10/10;
Greybeard, M. Congo AG h03/09
Below the paper plates are 12 piece parts to make a light, stable, sturdy platform whose base is polypropylene.
 

aliray

New member
Jan 28, 2012
2,269
1
Rotonda West , Fla
Parrots
yellow sided green cheek conure,Chiquita Quaker parrot Sweetie Pie, African red bellied parrot Tiki, spanish timbrado canary Lucas
My quaker rides on my shoulder and usually if he starts getting a little nippy it is because he wants something like if I am making his and the canary's fruits and vegies he will want a piece or if I make myself an ice coffee and he starts it is because he wants a drink so I'll get him a small glass of water and let him have some sips then he is happy. He also likes to sit on my shoulder to unload and load the dishwasher and gets a lot of excercise running up and down my back as I bend and straighten. He will also get a little nippy sometimes when running the faucet while rinsing off dishes because he wants to take a bath in the sink. He is a characture and makes us laugh all the time. He doesn't bite hard just nibbles. .Alison and sweetie pie:D
 

TortoiseLady17

New member
Mar 25, 2012
165
0
Jacksonville, Florida
Parrots
April - 32 year old Panama Amazon!
Zuri - 3 year old Congo African grey
George - 4 year old Panama Amazon
My husband always allows our amazon on his shoulder. She will preen his face and mo e down to his chest to try and intercept any food she thinks looks good. Our U2 is not allowed on my shoulder, he has nipped my face once (not bad). He gets excited easily and since he is missing a foot, can become unbalanced if I move. Since he is bonded to me, I don't allow any other birds on my shoulder in his presence, don't want a jealous U2! :)
 

PepesMama

New member
Jul 10, 2012
14
Media
1
0
Austin, TX
Parrots
This is our first Parrot. His name is Pepe and still a baby. ((Hatched 28APR12)) Having fun watching him grow.
It's at PortaPerch Portable Parrot Perches .

Thanks for asking. We just started in this venture, as we know there is an unmet - and usually unrecognized - need.

PP
These look great. What a wonderful idea. my DYH is 11 wks old and we have had him for a week. Today is Vet check up and Shopping day. I am really interested in the Perch to go.
 

MaraWentz

Banned
Banned
Mar 27, 2012
1,023
Media
8
2
St.Leonard, MD
Parrots
Red Front Macaw, Elvis, 10,male RIP

Red Front Macaw, Erin, 1.5,female

Goffin Cockatoo, Blossom 2,female Rehomed

Blue & Gold Macaw, Oscar, Male, 21 years old, Rehomed

American Bulldog Mix,
Riding on the shoulder is great if your bird listens to you're every command, and isn't real clingy. Elvis, my previous red front listened to everything I , unless it was bed time or time for me to leave. So it was no wonder when at the end of the day I'd get ready fro him to go to in his cage and when I would put my hand up there to get him down he would bite to stay out. Also he was a one person bird and very jealous. Therefore if anyone or anything got too near he'd attack it, unless they weren't close enough then he'd attack my neck. Very painful- worst place I've ever been bit. Other than that it's no problem.
 

BMac

New member
Jul 12, 2012
25
0
Piki, my little rainbow, goes everywhere with me riding high on his favourite shoulder. His wings are clipped by the vet so he can't go far, but the only two times he came off was once in a high wind and the other when he decided to ride on the dog's back instead. Before him I had inherited my grandfather's sulphur cockatoo who we lost 5 years ago at the venerable age of 98 years. And he spent most of those 98 years on someone's shoulder or on the back of grand dad's horse. Never had any trouble with biting from either of the two characters. I've read about the trouble of dominancy with allowing a bird on your shoulder, but walking around with your hand in the air gets a trifle uncomfortable and if they are on perches or stands all day you might as well get a pet mouse although they aren't half as clever or a tenth as affectionate as an ADHD lorikeet. And one other advantage of having them on your shoulder . . . . the little ratbag can't destroy your computer mouse. :)
 

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