How old for trick training?

Of course as I ask this.. My GCC turns 13 weeks tomorrow and he will not take food from my hands. I can practically shove his beak in it (and I have)... He simply won't take anything from my hand. Period. I've tried putting it on a spoon, he knew what I was doing and refused. He eats from his dish. That's it.

However I want to start target training him, I feel pretty confident he would let me put a harness on as he allows me to touch everywhere and steps up and down easily.
I know he's super smart so I want to help him interact more. But I know he's a baby so I don't want to start too soon.
Ideas?

Step up is "trick" number 1. Sounds like you have already started!

Good point.

It's weird to me that he won't take anything from my hands though. I've even let him watch me put the sunflower seed in his dish directly. Trying to get him to realize I'm not poisoning him!

But I guess it's ok to let him be a "baby" for now. Just handling him, etc?

Never too early to try? He'll likely be happier to go with it now then when he hits puberty.
Try fruit from your hand? Pear is soft and juicey, most parrots seem to like popcorn (not as healthy as fruit but tempting if your bird likes it)

Sammy is very wary of new foods, and will only try things he deems strange directly from my mouth. I carefully hold it between my lips so as not to get saliva on it and then offer it to him from my mouth. He will then eat whatever it is from my hand from then on. Dunno if this would help your situation, it's just a little life hack that works for Sam.

Also, you don't HAVE to use food as your reward for trick training if he doesn't want it. You can use praise or scritches.

Doublete said:

Of course as I ask this.. My GCC turns 13 weeks tomorrow and he will not take food from my hands. I can practically shove his beak in it (and I have)... He simply won't take anything from my hand. Period. I've tried putting it on a spoon, he knew what I was doing and refused. He eats from his dish. That's it.

However I want to start target training him, I feel pretty confident he would let me put a harness on as he allows me to touch everywhere and steps up and down easily.
I know he's super smart so I want to help him interact more. But I know he's a baby so I don't want to start too soon.
Ideas?

Click to expand...

Hi ....

First of all, it's never too late to train a bird.....They are always learning.
My Major Mitchell cockatoo was nearly 69 when it passed away. When it was 60, I taught it to get everything together for a peanut butter sandwich which was a snack now and then. It would fly to cupboard, hang with one foot on cupboard handle, open other cupboard, reach in and drop peanut butter jar onto counter, then a short hop to counter, walk over and get loaf of bread, pull it over next to peanut butter, and then start a ruckus to have me make him a sandwich. Hilarious!

That being said...Some birds just won't take food from your hands. My Zons rarely do. Would you eat from someone's hand or do you prefer it on a plate? You see birds watch our behavior far keener and better than we give them credit for. If they see you don't eat from hand, then they won't either. But repetition of you eating something from your hand in front of them and showing the expression that it's really good, and saying it's really good to them will spark their curiosity and willingness to try it from your hand.

My Zons for example would not drink from a cup or glass...I showed them I enjoyed it, and had my Senegal and Tag near by which they will drink from it. The Zons seeing that I enjoy it and the other birds enjoy it will then want to carefully try. Now both love drinking from cup....the technique works....Monkey see monkey do.

Yes monkey see monkey do works. Jet taught Ace how to play.

Roman is barely a year old We started doing trick training a few days after he got here as a way to kin of bond. Started with the chopstick touch training. He already knows how to wave and turn around on que he also flies to people on command but that one still isnt 100%. Lol. We started after he was on solid food. And had better navigation skills