Eating in front of parrot

[Michael]

I'm sitting here eating down some pizza really quickly as a late dinner cause I've been really busy today. As soon as I got back, I let Kili out first thing so she is sitting on my shoulder while I eat and check messages (except now she is climbing down my arm to play with keyboard again!).

So this made me think of a question to ask you all. And it's a two sided one. If you are eating in the presence of your parrot, do you think it makes the bird jealous? Does it get aggressive about it? Try to take the human element out of the question and go really by observation of bird rather than saying "I'd be jealous in the same circumstance."

On the other side of it. Regardless of whether your bird cares or not if you eat near it, do you as an owner feel compelled to give it food when you are eating even if it isn't hungry or feeding time?

[Michael]

BTW, I didnt give her any and I don't feel the least bit bad about it

[Natacha]

They normally get food in their cages, whether it be fresh veggie/fruit/grain/sprout mix or some of what I'll be having when I am eating in their presence.

If I dare eat sometime while they are out of their cages (such as it happens sometimes with breakfast), most of them will come close in hopes of getting some. If it something healthy enough for them I'll give them a piece, if not they don't get any. I try to have stuff I can give a tiny piece of so they eat it and leave me alone while I finish whatever I'm having.

[Natacha]

BTW, I didnt give her any and I don't feel the least bit bad about it

Yeah when I do eat something and they are out and I don't give them any because it's not the best for them, I don't feel bad either. But if I can give a piece of it, I do just so that they'll be occupied and leave me alone..

[Michael]

The important thing is not to set an initiative for being a nuisance to get fed. This isn't even a matter of hunger but the novelty of whatever you are eating. If you indulge them on occasion, they will always come over and pester you. Actually the one thing I do once in a while is actually reward with a piece of my food if the bird is being really well behaved and not getting in my way. If she would go sit quietly on her tree and not interrupt my meal, I would go out of my way to give her something to munch on to reinforce that behavior.

I think some people may not realize that off the table food (as opposed to bird treats) are still positive reinforcement for a behavior. It is still training the bird even if you don't realize it. Giving a bird food for pestering you only guarantees there is more where that came from.

[Natacha]

Maybe, but it's healthy and not bad for them, I don't feel bad giving them a piece, in fact most of the time I'll give them a piece first and they'll come after me when I forgot. Once they get a piece, they go away and do their things, even if I'm still eating.

As for when I can't give them a piece, they come close and stand there and expect something and don't get anything. They stick around until I'm done and it's obvious they won't get anything cause there is nothing left.

[MandyG]

I think some people may not realize that off the table food (as opposed to bird treats) are still positive reinforcement for a behavior. It is still training the bird even if you don't realize it. Giving a bird food for pestering you only guarantees there is more where that came from.

One thing I've learned is EVERYTHING you do is training the bird. Food related or not. At least it is for me, I have a sly little amazon. He could easily train me or I could easily train him inappropriate behaviors if I wasn't paying attention to what my body language and my actions were communicating to him .

Mojo is usually out on his play stand when I'm eating but he doesn't have any interest in me because I don't feed him once I've sat down to eat. If I have something healthy I'll intentionally make extra for him (like veggies) and I'll put them in his dish before I go to eat. He's been clipped this entire time though so he's never had the option of coming over to me and hasn't associated coming to me with receiving food unless I'm asking him to come to me. This might change now that he's figuring out what those wings are for .

I don't plan on giving him anything off of my plate if he does start flying to me. To me that would be like feeding my dog for sitting there begging quietly, even if it's 'well behaved' begging it's still begging. I don't feel compelled to feed my dogs just because I'm eating, and I don't feel that way about my bird either. I wouldn't want him thinking it's ok to fly to my guests when they're eating, not everybody appreciates a bird. It's just easier to never encourage that behavior to begin with.

[MissLady9902]

I have a friend that has a yellow naped amazon, a peach fronted conure and a severe macaw.
I will take Noodle over to her house and we will have a bird party!
We usually make breakfast foods and veggies for the birds.
They get to sit at the table with us (except Tori the macaw who is a little agressive) and we all eat breakfast
together! It's fun for us and the birds.
The norm at home is birds eat on their house and we eat at the table.
If I share food it's given on their house. Noodle will try anything and loves pasta night!
(he gets cooked pasta without the sauces)
Occasionally I will have Noodle on me while i'm eating a snack and he's VERY intersted in what I am eating but I don't share.
Poor Noodle! (not really)

[Michael]

Speaking of "at the table" I have often sat Kili down at the table when I have company over or visit someone I know well's house. I put a paper towel on the chair and on the floor behind it and she sits on the chair back at head height with everyone else. She absolutely loves it, is super behaved, and occasionally gets rewarded with something from the table for sitting calmly rather than making any sort of trouble or begging.

I could never eat with a dog at the table but this parrot is not only polite (eats with her hands, well feet but they're like hands) but also really cleanly about it too.

[Natacha]

If I share food it's given on their house. Noodle will try anything and loves pasta night!
(he gets cooked pasta without the sauces)

Sounds like Noodle is like Petey in regards to cooked pasta

Sometimes, after we are done eating and that I have taken care of the leftovers, I'll let Petey enjoy the few bits of strands of noodles that might be left in the colander. Nothing much but she LOVES it.

Of course, I'm the one who brings her to the colander in an effort to show her I can be nice