by macbrush » Thu Jan 19, 2012 2:46 am
I still can't really touch my grey, but I can touch his beak and leg, or rather let him touch me. I started using a really thick motorcycle leather glove without wearing it, just the glove, he bit it real hard at the beginning, then after he accepted the glove as target stick, I trained Spencer to just use the beak to touch the glove, it took a few days. Then I start over, but this time I wear the glove half way (so if he bites, it won't get my finger), Spencer started bitting again, but not as hard as before, and slowly, he stopped bitting, and let me touch his beak wearing the glove. When I am 100% confident with glove, I started using my bare hand, be ready that the bird will change his mind while approaching your hand and bite at the beginning, or sometimes the bird would just ignore the hand. Just alternate wearing glove and bare hand until he gets the idea and gain more confident. Remember to praise your bird really really excitedly when he touch your hand.
It took me about a week of work, and suddenly one afternoon, when I come home, i just put my hand inside the cage say "touch beak", Spencer just did it. No glove, no hesitation. But be careful though, they might bite once in awhile at the beginning, at least mine did, twice at the first week.
