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How to Give Food to a Parrot Without Getting Bit

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How to Give Food to a Parrot Without Getting Bit

Postby Michael » Mon Feb 17, 2014 11:10 am

How to Give Food to a Parrot Without Getting Bit

Article about teaching a parrot to take food from your hand without biting. Not only helpful for training your own parrot but also in case you encounter other parrots or need someone to be able to give a treat to your bird without getting bit.
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Michael
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Re: How to Give Food to a Parrot Without Getting Bit

Postby 9Beaks » Mon Feb 17, 2014 7:08 pm

I don't see the video link.
In your second still pic of Ginger and Santina, is that mark on Ginger's finger where Santina bit her? I know Ginger must be very experienced with birds, and she's probably taken training lessons from you and read your book, please explain what did she do, or not do, that got her bit? Michael, how do you know if Santina isn't favoring males over females? (Ie: she bit Ginger and your sister, but not you and your brother).
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Re: How to Give Food to a Parrot Without Getting Bit

Postby Michael » Tue Feb 18, 2014 1:21 am

The video is at the bottom and quite essential. In case you missed it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhb9xbSFulI

A lot of explanations are in the video besides the article. Ginger runs a rescue and handles lots of birds so I didn't expect her to rush Santina like that. On the other hand I think she assumed Santina was really nice cause she saw me handling her. A bit of a misconception that led to that initial bite but with the work we put in, Santina was eventually taking nuts and not biting.

As for "preferring men vs women" I think is a whole load of nonsense and people should stop saying that at all. Coming from the rescue I was told she preferred women and hated men. At my place she prefers me cause I'm the only one and I'm training her. And then she's fine with my brother cause he approaches her right. The others just did it wrong so how does it have much to do with gender? I think people get too hung up on these sorts of coincidence and use that to discourage themselves or others from working through issues. The bird doesn't like many people at the moment but we'll work on resolving that all around.
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Michael
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Re: How to Give Food to a Parrot Without Getting Bit

Postby 9Beaks » Tue Feb 18, 2014 4:27 am

Ok, viewed the video and it answered a lot of questions, thank you!. From the video, what I noticed when Ginger walked up quickly was that Santina already appeared in a posture that was defensive, beak was open, head was down, eyes pinned, ruffled feathers, and appeared poised to bite - which she did. (Ginger, sorry you got bit!). At that point, I would have been hesitant at getting my fingers near that big beak! Later, Ginger keyed in on not having her other hand within Santina's site, and once Santina could see it she did calm down a bit more. With Ginger moving slower and you talking her through the steps, Santina was able to be calm and take the nut. Good job! Santina's not quite ready yet for the kids at the park but, with time, she will get there! Thank you for the video and pointers.
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Re: How to Give Food to a Parrot Without Getting Bit

Postby Cynthia » Tue Feb 18, 2014 8:36 am

We both got birds around the same time so I have been waiting for update with you and Santina. The video explains a lot of what you have been up to. I did write a comment on the Youtube video about do you think at her age you will be able to trust her around the public eventually ? Anyway I to have been working with Luci, the Palm Cockatoo that I was given around Christmas of 2013, also she will be 15 years old April 1014. A few things to over come but all is doing good. Love your video's, keep them coming.
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Re: How to Give Food to a Parrot Without Getting Bit

Postby Michael » Tue Feb 18, 2014 9:42 am

Well look at it this way... Kili used to bite people when I was screwing up with her in the beginning but since we worked on it, doesn't bite anymore. Truman, who I raised correctly from the beginning, has literally bit no one. Santina never bites me since I got her from the rescue. If I can transpose her stimulus not to bite me, toward others, then the problem would be solved. Granted I gotta be careful and work with people I know/trust to get us to that point, I don't think it's impossible.

I have ways to make birds get used to people without people getting hurt. First I have to build the maximum trust and relationship with the bird so that it would be entirely under my influence. Can't necessarily control other people (heck look at Ginger who went too quickly). Eventually when Santina gets used to wearing a harness, taking her out in public to watch (with no touching) is a good way to begin to establish on biting. If nobody touches, there's no need/opportunity to bite. Then I will begin to introduce touching where the bite is impossible by holding her beak shut with my own hand. If she'd try to bite anyway, she'd get me and not the stranger but using this technique I don't tend to get bit either cause my birds don't want to bite me. Thus I can begin to introduce treats and head scratches from myself and strangers in exchange for her tolerating others while also ensuring that she can't bite someone else. Also you'd be surprised how far much less propense a parrot is to bite someone else when you get it outside on a harness. Everything else is so much more scary, there are no territory issues, and strange people are still more familiar than many other things. If Santina can be as good with public as she was with me 1 week into having her, we'll never have a problem. All I gotta do is teach her that everyone else is just as good to her.

That said, I probably won't ever let anyone handle her without my direct control cause I just don't want to be liable for the offshot chance she bites someone. I take the chance that Kili and Truman won't bite anyone because if they did, a dozen sorries will probably do it cause the kid would stop crying by then and realize it was nothing. Truman's beak is a bit too big for what I'd be comfortable with chancing around others but with his absolutely perfect track record, it is a very reasonable chance to take. Kili is more likely to bite someone but she is small, doesn't bite hard, and frankly she too hasn't bit anyone in a very long time. Regardless of Santina's track record, it's just a chance I cannot take so I will make sure we only have controlled interactions.
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Michael
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 6286
Location: New York
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal Parrot, Cape Parrot, Green-Winged Macaw
Flight: Yes


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