Balance nip?

[Casey]

A little while ago my scarlet was on the tree. I wanted her to step up so I could put her away. She moved away but I did not want her to disobey me. I kind of forced the step up which was not a problem. But her balance was off. She gripped my arm with her beak to balance herself and got me. I just ignored it and petted her for stepping up.

How often does your macaw need to balance itself and grab on?
What if anything do you do about it?

 

[JerseyWendy]

OUCH! That was one heck of a balance "nip".

Niko doesn't quite nip quite like that, he is a expert pincher, however. I usually ignore the pinching, unless I see he's getting downright hornery. When he gets to that stage, I firmly tell him "NO" and put him either back in his cage or on the Java tree and give him a time out. That usually works. While he's in time out, I completely ignore him. Time outs last about 5 minutes, or more, if I see his still has a case of AGITA.

 

[Casey]

Actually it does not hurt.
She did it about 30 seconds after she got on me and lost her balance.

 

[triordan]

Is she young?

 

[Casey]

Is she young?

About 7 months

 

[plax]

Hey Casey, you're using our MOA emblem in your signature block... why don't you join our group?

 

[Casey]

Hey Casey, you're using our MOA emblem in your signature block... why don't you join our group?

Thought I did

 

[plax]

Thought I did

You have now

 

[suncon97]

Ouch.Try being on your knees cleaning the bars and having an African gray balance her beak on your forehead lol.I couldnt help but laugh and scratch her head then she tried to Give me a kiss.

 

[JJones1719]

Casey, Your Scarlet is very young and most likely trying to get the footing and balance. Macaws do use their beak sometimes as a 3rd leg to grip onto.
You may want to work with your Macaw on the amount of preasure they use on you.
When my Green Wing was young, I would place two fingers near his beak. Most of the times he would just lick them, but when he took them into his mouth and bit down, I would seperate them to open his beak. Once he released me, i would reward him to let him know when bitting down was to hard. One finger at the inside top beak and the other on the inside lower.
I did this over and over again and now when my GW uses his beak to climb on me or hold my hand while stepping up, he knows what amount of preasure is allowed.
Best of luck Joe

 

[Casey]

Casey, Your Scarlet is very young and most likely trying to get the footing and balance. Macaws do use their beak sometimes as a 3rd leg to grip onto.
You may want to work with your Macaw on the amount of preasure they use on you.
When my Green Wing was young, I would place two fingers near his beak. Most of the times he would just lick them, but when he took them into his mouth and bit down, I would seperate them to open his beak. Once he released me, i would reward him to let him know when bitting down was to hard. One finger at the inside top beak and the other on the inside lower.
I did this over and over again and now when my GW uses his beak to climb on me or hold my hand while stepping up, he knows what amount of preasure is allowed.
Best of luck Joe

Joe,
Can you explain a bit more how you would place your fingers. I don't understand

Thanks

 

[plax]

Casey: I've done what Joe suggests with my birds at various times - usually shortly after each of them came to live with me. The method does work to teach Macaws where the maximum acceptable finger-squeezing pressure threshold should be. I have in fact used this method on Salsa. When he arrived here (over 5 months ago), he liked to use too much squeeze pressure when beaking my fingers. But he has learned through this method where the threshold lies. He now mostly abides by this awareness.

The way I perform the beak separation method is by placing my middle finger inside the lower beak (i.e., below the bird's tongue, but resting my finger on the bird's inner hard beak surface rather than back into the soft tissue area near the under part of the tongue). I then pinch my thumb and my index finger together at the tips and rest them against the underside of the bird's upper beak surface. This allows me to spread my thumb upward and away from my middle finger and thus pry the two beak halves apart as the Macaw tries to squeeze my fingers beyond an acceptable pressure point. It also allows me to avoid making contact with the forward cutting edge of the bird's lower beak. The method will require multiple repetitions and consistency. But large Macaws will learn from this method if you maintain that consistency.

(Note: The above is simply one method to convey a finger-squeezing threshold to a large Macaw. But, again, it's a method I've had success with. As has Joe, apparently. However, be mindful that other methods exist as well.)

 

[Casey]

Casey: I've done what Joe suggests with my birds at various times - usually shortly after each of them came to live with me. The method does work to teach Macaws where the maximum acceptable finger-squeezing pressure threshold should be. I have in fact used this method on Salsa. When he arrived here (over 5 months ago), he liked to use too much squeeze pressure when beaking my fingers. But he has learned through this method where the threshold lies. He now mostly abides by this awareness.

The way I perform the beak separation method is by placing my middle finger inside the lower beak (i.e., below the bird's tongue, but resting my finger on the bird's inner hard beak surface rather than back into the soft tissue area near the under part of the tongue). I then pinch my thumb and my index finger together at the tips and rest them against the underside of the bird's upper beak surface. This allows me to spread my thumb upward and away from my middle finger and thus pry the two beak halves apart as the Macaw tries to squeeze my fingers beyond an acceptable pressure point. It also allows me to avoid making contact with the forward cutting edge of the bird's lower beak. The method will require multiple repetitions and consistency. But large Macaws will learn from this method if you maintain that consistency.

(Note: The above is simply one method to convey a finger-squeezing threshold to a large Macaw. But, again, it's a method I've had success with. As has Joe, apparently. However, be mindful that other methods exist as well.)

Omg I feel so stupid...
Middle finger in the mouth forward of the tongue
but I don't get where the thumb and index finger is?

If anybody could do a video I think it would make a great sticky

Thanks for your patients in trying to explain this to me.

 

[plax]

Omg I feel so stupid...
Middle finger in the mouth forward of the tongue
but I don't get where the thumb and index finger is?

If anybody could do a video I think it would make a great sticky

Thanks for your patients in trying to explain this to me.

I'll do a video of me using the finger positions on one of my birds. I'm not sure it will be good enough for a sticky, but it might at least give you the basic idea. I probably won't get to it for a bit, though.

 

[plax]

OK, here's a quick video of me using the technique on Salsa's beak. It's pretty short since I was kind of in a rush - I even stared to call him "Zaf"

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npy5jcmCxWc"]beak finger-hold example - YouTube[/ame]

 

[JerseyWendy]

BRILLIANT!!!! Thanks a million for posting this, Plax. I will attempt this on Niko ASAP.

 

[plax]

BRILLIANT!!!! Thanks a million for posting this, Plax. I will attempt this on Niko ASAP.

You're welcome. When done correctly it's essentially a lock grasp that gives you some control through leverage, which birds usually don't like very well. Ultimately it serves as a deterrent when they squeeze too hard. I should stress, though, that the grasp must be done correctly. If it's not, it's possible to get bitten by your bird for trying it .

 

[JerseyWendy]

I should stress, though, that the grasp must be done correctly. If it's not, it's possible to get bitten by your bird for trying it .

Yup....I just learned EXACTLY that. No blood or anything...but Niko was NOT a happy camper with me. :54:

 

[plax]

I should stress, though, that the grasp must be done correctly. If it's not, it's possible to get bitten by your bird for trying it .

Yup....I just learned EXACTLY that. No blood or anything...but Niko was NOT a happy camper with me. :54:

I'm guessing after that you may not have been one with him, either :11:. The best policy is to use the grasp immediately after the bird squeezes too hard or pinches you. They need to associate it with their behavior.

 

[JerseyWendy]

I'm guessing after that you may not have been one with him, either :11:. The best policy is to use the grasp immediately after the bird squeezes too hard or pinches you. They need to associate it with their behavior.

So right after Niko pinches me I should do that "maneuver"? Meaning, I'll be putting my fingers in his beak, correct? .....hold on....I'm off to buy some band aids first....:31: