Falconry Equipment for Parrot

[Sammy01]

I was just wondering if anyone has ever used any falconry equipment for their parrots and how it went. What type did you use? How did your parrot react to it?

I'm really interested in knowing about falconry gloves, jesses, anklets, and bells.

 

[Mayden]

This may be complete hogswash, but from what I can remember from briefly looking into it is that parrot leggies are a little weaker than their predator counterparts and so jesses arn't recommended.

But then again, I may be wrong.

Why are you interested in falconry equipment for a parrot? Which equipment specifically are you interested in? Because I can't see bells being handy for a parrot in all honesty

 

[ShellyBorg]

Jesses do not work for parrots. They chew right through them. This is why parrots of old were chained to their perches.

Parrots should not have razor sharp talons so gloves are not needed.

Bells are toys and are to be played with. If you have a bell on your bird , it will spend more time playing then working with you.

Raptors have a different mind set for things. Equipment developed for hunters really do not translate to prey very well.

 

[Sammy01]

This may be complete hogswash, but from what I can remember from briefly looking into it is that parrot leggies are a little weaker than their predator counterparts and so jesses arn't recommended.

But then again, I may be wrong.

Why are you interested in falconry equipment for a parrot? Which equipment specifically are you interested in? Because I can't see bells being handy for a parrot in all honesty

I'm interested in the gloves. My amazon's nails are razor sharp and my arm and hands have cuts all over. I know he doesn't mean to do it as he's really tame and I don't want to blunt his nails.

I got interested in the anklets and jesse because I believe I can make them or at the very least find someone to. I'm currently in Central America and even though there's a huge mall and pet stores they're horrible. There are no pellets, 0 to 2 toys (for cockatiels of budgies), tiny cages, etc. I wanted to use a jesse for when I take him on walks outside our property and he's on my hand so if I need to get inside he won't accidentally hop down and get eaten (there are a lot of strays, people too lazy to walk their dogs, raptors, feral cats, all sorts of danger). I currently only let him walk in our property but I can tell he's interested in going out as he sees me walk the dogs. I know the best method is a flight harness but I won't be getting anyone in at least 4 months! I kind of don't want to wait.

The bell is more for when he climbs on the trees in case he goes to high up and or in an area I can't see him. So far he's only been on small trees, but again he's tried to walk over to the big ones. I might not even let him do that as I've seen raptors fly about. I just wanted to be able to quickly locate him in case of danger, but then again I might not even let him climb the big trees. It was just a maybe when you're older and have been trained by the guardians of ga'hoole.

 

[Sammy01]

Jesses do not work for parrots. They chew right through them. This is why parrots of old were chained to their perches.

Parrots should not have razor sharp talons so gloves are not needed.

Bells are toys and are to be played with. If you have a bell on your bird , it will spend more time playing then working with you.

Raptors have a different mind set for things. Equipment developed for hunters really do not translate to prey very well.

Thank you very much for your information. I really do appreciate it.

Just on thing: my parrot's nails are sharp. My little guy loves climbing on my hand and arm and I have a bunch of cuts. I know he doesn't mean to. I don't want to blunt them as I think he might need them (he loves to climbs trees). I'm interested in falconry gloves for when I take him outside to play.

So if anyone has used the gloves how have your parrots reacted to them?

 

[riaria]

Jesses DEFINITELY should NEVER be used on parrots; their legs wouldn't be able to stand it, if they fly away forcefully. A bird of prey's legs are made for catching heavy prey at high speeds; a parrot's legs are not. And even then, there's a risk of dislocation with birds of prey if they're not tethered closely enough and can gain too much speed before they're forced to halt.

There are people that claim that it's fine to use, but it's really really not. And neither are leg chains, for the same reasons. The only way to safely take a parrot outdoors without a cage is if it's in a harness. It would be wonderful if there were any other safe alternatives, but there aren't, sorry

 

[Sammy01]

Jesses DEFINITELY should NEVER be used on parrots; their legs wouldn't be able to stand it, if they fly away forcefully. A bird of prey's legs are made for catching heavy prey at high speeds; a parrot's legs are not. And even then, there's a risk of dislocation with birds of prey if they're not tethered closely enough and can gain too much speed before they're forced to halt.

There are people that claim that it's fine to use, but it's really really not. And neither are leg chains, for the same reasons. The only way to safely take a parrot outdoors without a cage is if it's in a harness. It would be wonderful if there were any other safe alternatives, but there aren't, sorry

Thank you very much for your info. I guess Milo's going to have to wait four months to go on walks.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Don't use Jesses, but a falconry gauntlet would be fine as long as your bird isn't afraid of it.

You should look into a safety pumice perch, it will file your amazons nails down. It has a smooth top to protect the feeth from bumble foot.

Also look into the aviator harness, I use it for my galah and love it, as do many other people

 

[ShellyBorg]

If your guy has nails that sharp they really do need to be blunted for his own safety. In the wild they get worn down with all the movement they do and different perches they have. Taking just the sharp tip off will not hamper climbing at all and make it was more enjoyable for you to play with him. It also makes sure they do not get over rown that would make it harder for him to play and climb.

 

[riaria]

I've also posted in your other thread on the same topic.

As for the nails, what type of perches do you have? Parrots need varying diameter perches, different textures, preferably wood with the bark still on it. Sandy perches are good for dulling those ultra sharp tips. Generally, if the nails are too sharp, you just need different perches.

As gloves... It would obviously depend on the bird, but if they're used to stepping up, and are used to it being a positive thing, then I'm sure they wouldn't have any issues with stepping up on a glove (unless they'd got precious bad experiences with gloves, of course). Take it slow, put the glove in you lap, let them play with it, step up onto it when it's lying on the table, etc. And give lots of treats. I've not tried any of mine with a falconry glove, but I don't think they'd mind much, to be honest.

Though, as I said, you really shouldn't need a glove. If they're too sharp, get different perches. If they're too long (which is different from sharp - short nails can get sharp too) and nothing helps, see a vet to rule out any deficiencies.

 

[riaria]

If you can't get a harness on him, you can always use a small travel carrier, or even get a buggy and put a cage on it so you can go for walks together

 

[Sammy01]

If your guy has nails that sharp they really do need to be blunted for his own safety. In the wild they get worn down with all the movement they do and different perches they have. Taking just the sharp tip off will not hamper climbing at all and make it was more enjoyable for you to play with him. It also makes sure they do not get over rown that would make it harder for him to play and climb.

Thank you very much for your concern but that's why I'm getting him to climb on trees too. I know that when they play and have natural branches to climb they'll trim on their own. I just can't do that right now. To be honest, I've only ever trimmed two of parrots nails when they got too long, all others kept them in control.

He recently broke a nail pretty bad and bled. So now when anyone just looks at the foot he tries to hide it. The glove was more of a temporary fix. After he broke his nail he didn't even want to move about so that's when they grew. He went back to his old self and I don't want to bug him about it. Also, I see him use his sharp nails to just stab in his fruits when he's playing with his food (I have no clue why) so I don't want him to think it's a punishment for playing with his food.

If anything, I'll suck up the cuts until he gets them where they need to be.

 

[ShellyBorg]

Now I understand where you are coming from.
Look at making or buying something along these lines. They leave your fingers free but give great protection and a great surface to grip for the bird.
Robin Hood Archery Bracer

 

[Sammy01]

Don't use Jesses, but a falconry gauntlet would be fine as long as your bird isn't afraid of it.

You should look into a safety pumice perch, it will file your amazons nails down. It has a smooth top to protect the feeth from bumble foot.

Also look into the aviator harness, I use it for my galah and love it, as do many other people

Thank you for taking the time to respond. Unfortunately where I'm at there aren't any good pet stores. I have asked someone to bring me a flight harness but it won't be for another four months. I guess my amazon is just going to have to wait it out.

As for the perch, I can't find it here either. I am taking him outside to help file his nails down and he has natural branches in his cage too. I believe I explained in my other thread why Im not doing this myself. He recently badly cut a nail and he doesn't even want us to look at his foot (it's fine, I still do it to check up on it). After he got hurt he didn't want to move about so his nails grew. Now that he's going our they're naturally trimmed; thus, the glove is more for just a temporary fix until his nails get trimmed on their own (he's pretty active so it shouldn't take long).

 

[Sammy01]

Now I understand where you are coming from.
Look at making or buying something along these lines. They leave your fingers free but give great protection and a great surface to grip for the bird.
Robin Hood Archery Bracer

I could probably find someone to make me something similar to it. Thank you for the suggestion it looks lighter than the glove.

 

[BillsBirds]

You have a computer, can't you buy a harness, or other supplies from Ebay? or My Safe Bird Store? Or other bird item suppliers? Many places ship internationally.

 

[Sammy01]

You have a computer, can't you buy a harness, or other supplies from Ebay? or My Safe Bird Store? Or other bird item suppliers? Many places ship internationally.

I believe I've answered this. I am getting a harness but it's taking a while to get here...

As for other supplies I don't really need them. I have a lot of natural branches available and trees that I allow him to climb. I'm also getting him his own live tree. So Im good with perches.

Toys, I can make some and he's not a fan of toys. He's rather just play about on a tree or hop about on them. He also likes to just sit outside and watch people pass by. When he's not doing that he's climbing his cage in odd ways and playing games. Again toys don't seem to attract him much, he'd much rather climb a tree and hide behind leaves while he watches us.

Believe it or not, pellets aren't necessary. They're awesome and make it easier for you to feed your parrot but you can also feed them nothing but fresh veggies and fruits with a bit of snacks like seeds and masa and they do great.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I believe pellets are a necessary, they fill in any nutritional gaps. Even I take a simple daily supplement of natural vitamins to fill in any gaps I might be missing. But if you don't have them available in your country you can only do the best you can, you should do extensive research into parrot diets. The bird tricks cookbook is great for that, and you can get a digital copy for around $40 that is emailed to you for instant download and so you don't have to pay expensive shipping(plus the hardcopy is around $70)
here's the link if you want to check that out
Natural Feeding Program

Since not all parrots have an appetite for the things that are best for them, I consider pellets to be my backup plan for good nutrition. Just like anything on this list, pellets alone cannot sustain all of a parrot’s dietary needs. If you have a bird that is finicky with veggies, or has previously been on an all-seed diet, pellets should be offered as a staple and always available. They will make up for the deficiencies in your parrots poor dietary choices.

source

 

[Sammy01]

I believe pellets are a necessary, they fill in any nutritional gaps. Even I take a simple daily supplement of natural vitamins to fill in any gaps I might be missing. But if you don't have them available in your country you can only do the best you can, you should do extensive research into parrot diets. The bird tricks cookbook is great for that, and you can get a digital copy for around $40 that is emailed to you for instant download and so you don't have to pay expensive shipping(plus the hardcopy is around $70)
here's the link if you want to check that out
Natural Feeding Program

Since not all parrots have an appetite for the things that are best for them, I consider pellets to be my backup plan for good nutrition. Just like anything on this list, pellets alone cannot sustain all of a parrot’s dietary needs. If you have a bird that is finicky with veggies, or has previously been on an all-seed diet, pellets should be offered as a staple and always available. They will make up for the deficiencies in your parrots poor dietary choices.

source

Thank you for your concerns, but I've already looked into it. The little guy is doing great. I understand you all just want what's best for my little guy, but he's really okay.

I understand where many of you are coming from and in the beginning I was concerned too. I've based my parrots (even budgies) diet on pellets too and it seems quite nerve racking in the beginning. Once I did my research and spoke to my vet about it I believe I got the best possible information. Not a diet that's too sugary (which can happen with fruits), lacking vitamins (if they refuse to eat certain bits), etc. and if at any point I or the vet feel he might be lacking vitamins I'll take him.

I know my question might make it seem like I don't have experience with parrots, I do. I had a bird that once liked wearing a hat and playing soccer. As such I was curious if they're legs could handle jesses. It doesn't seem like much and I've seen quite a few people use them here (of course they were pretty much tied to the stick). As for the bell, the little guy isn't interested in them and I know he can easily carry one, but then again there's no point in asking him to use one when I'm not going allow him to climb the bigger trees. I guess next time I have a question I'm just going to call up my vet and ask him as he knows Milo's treatment best and understands the lack of resource for companions in this country.

Once again thank you all for your concerns for Milo but he's doing well. I'd like to thank everyone who gave me awesome suggestions and took the time to properly explain things to me.

ETA: now that I read it over I think I sound grumpy. I really don't mean to. I swear. Maybe it's just because I felt the previous poster was a bit judgmental. But I really do appreciate your help. I wish I had stumbled on the book you suggested earlier rather than having to do all the research I did then calling the vet for advice on designing their menu.

 

[ShellyBorg]

It sounds like you are doing a great job.