Baby Quaker with a behavior that needs to be addressed

Hi! I have a 3 month old Quaker named Kiwi, that is exhibiting some behaviors that are troubling me. I can't get him to step up, although I think I need to get him away from his cage to do that. He's becoming very possessive over his cage, comes to the doorway, but when I try to put my hand in front of him, he acts like he would tear me up. Today I managed to get him out and let him play on the top of his cage, but come time to put him back in the cage, he wouldn't step up, and flew to the ground, after multiple attempts of trying to get him on my finger, and multiple attempts of him acting like he was going to attack me. He was supposed to be a hand fed baby, but he doesn't seem to be very fond of hands at all.

Id start touch training him in/around his cage and then train him to step up on a stick and THEN start training him to be ok with hands. Hes such a cutie, good luck

In the meantime, as far as handling him, should I keep letting him come to me from the cage, or should I scoop him up? I don't want to traumatize him, but want to be handling him. Once you get him up around your face, he loves to be close and rubbed on. It's from a distance, he's not so good. [emoji15]

Wvbirdlover said:

He was supposed to be a hand fed baby, but he doesn't seem to be very fond of hands at all. View attachment 12581View attachment 12582

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The problem many of us make with the term "hand fed" is that that does not translate to "hand tame" and the majority of "hand fed" birds require actual training.....even the basic command of "step up" is probably unknown to most just weaned birds.....commercial breeders just may not have the time to train the birds they sell and as far as the hand feeding goes, the chicks start out as having no recognition of human voice/commands and are simply picked up, begin their feeding response & have a feeding tube/syringe stuck in their beak & when they're full, they are picked up & put back in their neonate cage without further handling.....

There are a number of decent Youtube videos on how to teach your bird to step up.....although there are a lot of threads on the forums about "step up," if you try using that search parameter, you get everything but exactly what you're looking for.....in a quick search for step up before typing this response, the search returned the thread http://www.parrotforums.com/training/16247-magoo-big-stepup.html as the 16th of a multihit list of returns.....there may be some secret way we need to hold our tongue or twist our nose to make it easier to searchthe forums' archives.....

Our Super Moderators have been pinning how-to tips, things that seem to require additional instruction to properly navigate the forums...maybe one or more of them will respond to my response & clarify any errata here.....

Thank You very much for explaining my gap in communication perhaps when I was purchasing my baby. That actually Really explains a Great Deal to me! I never thought about how they were handled and fed, and how it could be different from a previous experience I've had. ( I think it's true, the older my kids get, the grayer I get, and less 'working' gray matter I harbor! LOL )

I checked out the link, and I will look for some others and some YouTube videos.

Walt, thank you for your helpful input and clarification of the term, 'hand-fed baby'. I agree, and will add that it is common for adult quakers to be cage territorial and hand shy without proper training. Wvbirdlover has a wonderful opportunity to avoid encouraging these characteristics by establishing a positive training routine for Kiwi at an early age. There are many reliable training methods available that have proved successful time and time again. I suggest researching several methods and choosing the one you feel most comfortable with.

I personally suggest, "Guide To The Quaker Parrot" by Mattie Sue Athan for any new quaker parront. There are also some very good threads in our "Training", sub forum. Here's some that you may find useful:

http://www.parrotforums.com/training/48810-need-help-step-up-training.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/training/46617-stick-training.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/training/48598-touch-training.html

Good luck to you and Kiwi. Please keep us updated on your progress.

Walt, I'm sorry you had trouble with the search engine. Have you actually tried holding your tongue and twisting your nose? Of course that method will only work for you, if you in fact post photos of the tongue holding, nose twisting, and possibly eye rolling. Sorry Walt, I couldn't resist. Seriously though, I will bring up the search engine issues in the moderators forum and discuss possible improvements. Thank you for pointing out the problem.

Thanks Allee for your input as well. I actually did purchase that book from Amazon about a month ago, but haven't gone to it for much of a reference. ( it seems like people at the end of my finger tips has been a quicker method, when I've had questions, I'll admit) I will look at that again and check the links you posted. I did try the touch training this morning, first thing out of bed with Popsicle sticks. ( which is a miracle for me to be doing anything straight out of bed, before at least 2 cups of coffee) I'd Love to Really just cuddle him. He Is So Adorable. When I was doing that, he says, 'whatcha doing'.. LOL
Now, I haven't tried looking for those links quite like you've described, and perhaps that's been my issue! [emoji102][emoji103][emoji104][emoji23]

weco said:

....

Our Super Moderators have been pinning how-to tips, things that seem to require additional instruction to properly navigate the forums...maybe one or more of them will respond to my response & clarify any errata here.....

Click to expand...

http://www.parrotforums.com/technical-support/49179-advanced-search-functionality.html

Hopefully this little tutorial will be of help, Walt.

Well, after watching some of the tutorials from the links, I ended up doing a couple of methods. I did the touch training ( and I placed a toy in his cage that brushed his back every time he went for his food dish, in which he's 'told off' several times lol ) then, because he comes to the door and gives me kisses, I incorporated the pressure training. I snuck my hand up inbetween my head and the cage. At first I just rested it on my shoulder. I never did the kisses 'face on', I would sit by the door kinda sideways, then it got so I could completely face the cage, and he would come to give kisses. ( he's talking and saying so many things, right in front of me, I'm amazed. The others I've had would always talk when you were in another room, but not Kiwi) after working on this two days, he is stepping onto my hand from his cage, and letting me kiss and love on him! it's amazing. My husband is shocked at all he is saying and doing.

Thank You All for helping me with this! this forum is a Blessing!!