Getting older bird to step up ... problems

[wolf0994]

It's been a while since I was on here. At least a couple months. Kawie our 16 year old CAG has settled in nicely with us. We have had him since April. He adjusted rather well and is now on Harrison's High potency coarse as his main food source. He has nature wood perches in his cage even though he is on top of it most of the day. I had one on top of his cage as well but he shredded it, lol.

My current problem is trying to get him to step up. He gives us plenty of kisses and will touch fingers with his beak no problem at all. He does it 50 times a day or more. But if you move your hand any lower than his beak he gets nervous. His previous owners could handle him when he was real young but stopped being able to when they had him cohabitating with a DYH amazon. If you reach for his feet or bring a stick towards his feet he will run. I have been able to get him to step up ONE time. He had been spooked into fluttering off of his cage, he has never learned to fly the poor guy. Once on the ground I think he was a tad nervous and I was able to put my hand down by his feet and he stepped up no problem. I was acting so fast I just set him back in his cage without thinking that was a prime opportunity to hold him for a while and show him that there is no danger from it. When I reach for his feet he will immediately reach down with his beak and try to grab my hand or he will run. I have seen the damage he can cause with biting from the previous owners and to be honest am a smidge shy to just force the issue even tho I wonder if thats what is needed here. So... looking for suggestions. Oh... and gloves dont work. As soon as i put them on he avoids me like the plague. He wont take any food from me if I have them on either. I tried setting a glove on top of his cage to get him used to it and he just avoided that side of the cage.

Any suggestions are welcome.

 

[friedsoup]

I would almost bet that his last cage mate was a toe biter and he is afraid of loosing a toe. Will he step up on a perch? While you hold the other end? If so get him on the perch and place it on the floor and get him to step-up on your hand again this time have a treat waiting and a chair where you can sit down and have some quiet time with him. That may be a starting place for you. keep us updated.

 

[Alisana]

I would almost bet that his last cage mate was a toe biter and he is afraid of loosing a toe. Will he step up on a perch? While you hold the other end? If so get him on the perch and place it on the floor and get him to step-up on your hand again this time have a treat waiting and a chair where you can sit down and have some quiet time with him. That may be a starting place for you. keep us updated.

friedsoup brings up some very good advice. Getting him to step up on a perch will be a good starting point. If he steps up, offer him heaps of praise and rewards so that he associates it with a positive experience. Just whatever you do though is hold your perch STEADY and don't let it shake.

There was one case of a bird who refused to step up and it was due to two factors: first was the handheld perch wasn't steady and the bird would slip/fall off due to the shaking, second issue was whenever the bird tried to put its foot out to step out, or to use it's beak to climb up for balance, the owner would pull away.

Ensure that you are not mistaking the use of his beak for balance rather than for biting. Birds will grab things with their beak to test to see if it's sturdy, then pull themselves on before letting their feet leave the perch. (Similar to how we grab something with our hands before letting our feet leave a platform/surface)

Good luck!

 

[lene1949]

If he's afraid for his feet, don't put your hands or perch near them... Put them near his chest, so he can step UP...

 

[wolf0994]

I would almost bet that his last cage mate was a toe biter and he is afraid of loosing a toe. Will he step up on a perch? While you hold the other end? If so get him on the perch and place it on the floor and get him to step-up on your hand again this time have a treat waiting and a chair where you can sit down and have some quiet time with him. That may be a starting place for you. keep us updated.

friedsoup brings up some very good advice. Getting him to step up on a perch will be a good starting point. If he steps up, offer him heaps of praise and rewards so that he associates it with a positive experience. Just whatever you do though is hold your perch STEADY and don't let it shake.

There was one case of a bird who refused to step up and it was due to two factors: first was the handheld perch wasn't steady and the bird would slip/fall off due to the shaking, second issue was whenever the bird tried to put its foot out to step out, or to use it's beak to climb up for balance, the owner would pull away.

Ensure that you are not mistaking the use of his beak for balance rather than for biting. Birds will grab things with their beak to test to see if it's sturdy, then pull themselves on before letting their feet leave the perch. (Similar to how we grab something with our hands before letting our feet leave a platform/surface)

Good luck!

Thanks for the info. Sadly Kawie will not step onto hand held perches. He will run from any object I have in my hand and try to approach him closer than about 1 foot with. He will let my hand be near him but is very cautious if I put it anywhere close to his body other than his beak. I can pet his beak all day long. He will not let me touch him anywhere else.

Also I dont believe it is a balance issue because when i put new perches into his cage he is very slow and deliberate in checking for sturdyness prior to stepping onto it. His movements towards my hand are very sudden and rapid as if in defense.

I am thinking my only options now are to either just put my hand all the way to his chest to try to get him to step up and if he bites me, well then he bites me. Though that could prove to be mighty painful. Or find a way to safely and calmly get him to the ground and then pick him up from there like I did the one time before and then hold him for a while and let him see its not a bad thing.

 

[Didomum]

Have you tried sitting real close to him to see if he will walk on to you? It takes time but once is happens with that slowly work him down your arm to your hand. I had to do this once with a older bird. I got very tired of sitting still but it was worth it. best of luck and don't give up.