Afraid of hands

[deetz]

I have 2 rosella's, a boy and a girl, have had them for 1/2 a year. The owner before me had the parrots since they were small and now they are 3 years old. The problem is the old owner didn't do much with them. So they are still really afraid of hands even now. I have regular training sessions with them so the boy can do step up, wave, target, shake, and sometimes turn around. But for the girl i haven't been able to teach target properly because she is afraid to come to the stick usually.

Despite the boy being quite tame already he is agressive towards my hands, fly's on my head, and sometimes on my shoulder to bite my ear. I have been trying to get him used to my hands by slowly aproaching him but for half a year now i see no progress. Lately i thought of a training method for him where i would hold my palm extended with all fingers wide and put the target stick next to my hand so that he would come to it in hopes of getting used to my hand. Now the progress i have achieved is that i would put my hand in his cage and he would come next my hand and sit there, me almost touching him and then after a while i would click - treat him. So i was wondering if this is a good method for me to use on him?

For the girl on the other hand.... i have no idea...
At first when i got her she was ABSOLUTELY terrified of my hands, she wouldnt go near them! as soon i went close to the cage with my hands she would run up to the corner of the cage. Now the progress i have with her is that she takes treats from my hands, if i put my hand next to her she doesn't run away, and sometimes lets me scrach her beak but thats it. No step up, hardly target trained. So any ideas?

P.S. Boy name is Cheeko, Girl Jenna.

[liz]

There has been much discussion on this subject. Key "afraid hands" into the search to bring up the conversations.