P'let Proper handling

[walhar]

I have been looking for a bird for quite awile, I have always wanted a cockatoo, but I releized that it was not the bird for me.

After much research I got a P'let. I picked her up from a pet store and got her because I did not like how they were keeping her I knew she would be welcome with us no matter the outcome. The pet Store did not know her age but said she was a few months old. They also said she was hand fed from the breeder but they did not keep it up so she bites. When I brought her home I noticed she is missing the tip on her toe just above the nail.

I brought her home thursday, on Thursday night she was chirping and eating and curious, I took this as a positive sign. I was told to start handling her the following day. When I took her out I had to cup her gently in both hands, it took some work to get her out, When she was out she bit alot, I was told to blow in her face or do a droping motion with my hands, ouch can she bite, I don't pull away when she bites. Anyway I tried this 2 times for about ten minutes and put her away when I was not being bitten. For some reason I felt this is not how I will get her trust.

So today I have been putting my finger by her cage and telling her up, We have done this a few time today and she now gets up with no problems or biting, she likes to watch us and chirp at us and has no problem sitting on my finger.
She will not let me hold her in both hands or touch her head. She is doing way better then I expected so fast.

Does anyone have any input on how I should handle her better, will she become more interested in a scratch, should I do something to work through when she is held and biting. She is complely fine and happy when pirched on my finger...

Thanks

[dgcashier]

Parrotlets , I have found, tend to be nippy. Our little guy is 7 1/2 months old
and he was handfed. He has bonded to me and rarely bites me but will nail my huuby most any time he gets near him. Our breeder told us to shake him slightly (they called it the shivers) when he bit but that, and blowing in his face, just made him mad. Now we just take him back and put him right back in his cage when he bites...no other reaction. He is getting better. I can't always let him out of his cage every day, and that interaction is what usually stops the biting. But it does take time.
He is such a sweetie. This is our first Parrotlet. We have had parakeets and cockatiels, but Paulie is a lot different from them. He is a bundle of nonstop energy...in constant motion. He has lots of toys and he swings and plays (and eats!) all day. He even plays with his food! He eats lots of things and has a certain way of handling all of it. He's a real trip. Oh, yes, he talks too. Just relax and have fun with you liitle girl. They are worth the effort

[walhar]

Wow, Thanks for the response. She is doing really well already and let me take her out of her cage with no problems. She will sit on my finger forever and chirp. She also picks at my arm hair. I think she will do just fine, now I need more toys!!!

[Bear_t]

Hi Yay for you and your new little friend. Just was currious if you have checked your PM's, cus I left you one a couple days ago.

More P'lets

[natureboy]

You know for being such small little petite birds they sure have a mean bite.
They are like a pit bull in a junk yard they bite and dont let go.

Parrotlets often handfed and socialized correctly remain great pets and breeders it also depends on the environment and their treatment.
I have pair of parrotlets and they all were handfed and that was my preferance. I find when you have tame well adjusted birds its easier to work with them obviously but when breeding they are more trusting less flighty
and have healtheir babies. All but 2 pairs of mine are tame.
when i check nest boxes or need to take them out to have a nail clipped ect
they come right along. it just takes a bit to trust and be secure.
keep up the great work and your bonding practice and you'll have a very sweet baby.

[Sally]

My Parrotlet, Chipper was like yours. Handfed, but then left with not a lot of attention after that. She is 7 months old or so.

I have had her three and a half weeks and already, she does 6 "tricks" or commands. "come to me, Chipper" "quack like a duck," "Ring your bells" "touch your green ice" (That is a little toy on her gym), "Touch your beads," (Another toy on her OTHER gym)

Chipper loves her little gyms. Got them both at Petco. She has a very large cage and many toys.

She makes a tiny bit of improv. each day! A bit less biting, and now she lets me hold her and scratch her head.

Work on her Step up in a little room that has no cage that is she protective of. Works great. Just do it several times a day, not for that long.

This takes time I have heard, so just give her patience, speak softly and tell her you love her.

OH! The best thing is to train with a safflower seed, that is what Chipper loves to do! She will learn fast like that! Praise and treats. Sally

[Jackie C]

P'lets to have quite a strong bite for such a tiny bird, don't they? Most parrotlet owners that I know had trouble bonding with their birds at first. I wonder if they just have trouble adapting to a new environment? I doubted that mine were handfed when I first got them because they were so dead set against any interaction with me, but time and patience won them over :)

I know now that they were definately handfed because yesterday when I was feeding my baby tiels the parrotlets lined up on the edge of the table with their little mouths open hoping to get a turn. They were so cute I was tempted to give them a taste, but didn't want to start something I would regret later.

[NapoleonUWS]

Parrotlets are certainly bossy little guys, huh? Both of my parrotlets are tame but can be very territorial about their cage and playground.

I usually have best results with short play times with each separately. Neither like to have their head touched, so I don't push it...

Just takes time and patience to win them over and even then they have their moody moments!

[My Kiwi]

As far as the toys go. They love to shred ! Mine tore up a few shirts, the lampshade, etc. LOL ! She loved the foraging boxes and dried palm leaf that you can buy in strips and hang for them. She ate ALOT...so much she would actually rest her head and take a nap on whatever she was eating. Too cute ! My hands looked like I had just gotten a kitten. Their bites do hurt ! Mine liked it best on my shoulder so she could chew on my hair. She liked neck scritches and even let me preen her. In a sort time she will bond and be lovable with you. The only thing that helped with biting is I would rest my finger on top of her beak, not tap, just lightly touch and firmly say "no". She will try to run the household if you let her, training is neccesary.

[Parrotletzoo]

My P'let was nippy at first too, Seems to be the pattern ;) Green Bean used to bite everytime he saw a finger and still doesnt like the step up command after 9yrs. He likes to be picked up tho, so he puts his head down and kind of "bends over" to be picked up and then climbs in to my hand at his "jump up" (my alternative to "step up") command.

When ever he used to bite I would say frimly "no biting!" then he got to the point where he wouldnt bite but threaten to and I would again say "no biting!". Now the only time he threatens to bite is if someone he doesnt know tries to handle him, but as long as i'm in the room and say no biting he doesnt bite.

As far as having his head touched, he loves to have his neck and head kissed and i can rub is head all i want with my lips but not my fingers. I think it just isn't gentle enough because he squeeks and kind of flinches when i sometimes touch the top of his head. That being said, he will sit all day and let me rub the side of his head, cheeks and the area between his eye and vents. He will also lay on his back and stretch out his neck so i can get in there good with either rubs or kisses. He knows what "let me get your neck" means and stretches. :) so cute! lol

I think consistency and firmness (not scolding or yelling) is key to training p'lets not to bite. I'm sure if you have other birds you know already that loud scolding and yelling to a bird means "whooo hooooooo she's yelling tooo!!!!" because that is jsut how they communicate. ;)

An excelent book if no one has yet recommended it is "A guide to a well behaved parrot" I can't remember the author atm. Much of the book is written for larger parrots but most still applies to our big guys in little bodies.

parrotletzoo