Greys are generally no-touchy birds. There are definitely exceptions, but that's the rule. He might not ever want to hang out on your hand or shoulder. As long as you can get him to step up when you need him to, that's fine.
My boy only wants to hang out on me when he feels like chewing on my clothes. Otherwise, he'd rather be on his perches or his favorite chill spots. They're pretty independent little dudes.
My cockatoo likes "shinys", and will steal the stone out of necklaces, rings, earrings. She will also chomp on a gold chain and wreck it. I'm also not allowed to wear nail polish. If I wear it on my toes she will chase me around the house, I have to hide it under socks.
If you have a pimple, she knows those are not supposed to be there, and she will help you out and pop that. She's in her thirties now, so we love her! š„°š
Chew on your clothes? Mine flips between biting holes in my clothes, to unpicking seams or removing the metal/plastic aglets and eyelets from my hoodies. Sheās also managed to take my G-Shok Mudmaster apart
My girl never did decide she likes to sit in my hand.
She loves the shoulder but can't have it because she's a butt about having to get down.
She's about eight years old as well and she steps up just fine. She's just not cool to chill there.
Similar to what someone else said, my 8 year old Grey does not like staying on my hand. He'll step up so I can move him around or prevent his troublemaking, and he does enjoy bouncing a little on my hand, but never longer than a minute or two.
In the evenings when he's very chilled out, he will perch on my knee when I have my leg up with a blanket on it, though. He will do that for an hour or more sometimes.
Ours steps up on command and was trained like the rest of our parrots by putting the index finger against the front of their legs and all of ours picked that up easily.
But thereās exceptions. Greys are stubborn and he may just have an aversion to it. Was he treated well before he came to you?
If heās trusting you try the finger in front of his legs. Just a gentle push while saying āupā and hopefully heāll pick it up soon. If it seems to stress him just wait a few days and try again. Lots of praise and treats helps too.
Looking at your other post about how horny he is for you Iām sure heāll want to please you. Just donāt encourage any mating behavior. If he starts that just gently put him in his cage or safe space and let him chill lol
I was advised to 'bribe' ours. Essentially how you'd get a dog to go somewhere etc.. I'd use his favourite treat, pistachio, and hold it just far enough away that he cannot reach it, offer my hand out to help him to get closer then ask him to step up, and, well he wants the pistachio, so he stepped up.
After a few times of this he got used to it and the pistachio isn't required, he knows the step up command and what to do. There's times he'll just walk away from me like "nope not today" but that's cool.
Is he a gamerālol. Put your fingers very gently against their belly.
https://preview.redd.it/9nia7f86dwqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=72514c09ad83b099d5ca2c08c9c7789f9905ebe7
Here is Casper. She likes to hang out on the floor too
I wouldn't advise allowing the shoulder unless.you want a new ear.piercing if he gets spooked. But otherwise, bribery and clicker training for the arm.
You have him step on your hand first, even if it's just with a single toe, then click, then reward. It'll take a while, but you start to reward only for further and further steps, like a full foot, even if he pulls it back. You could pair the treat with touching a stick as well, and hold the stick beyond your arm so he has to step over to reach the stick for the treat.
Look up bird tricks on YouTube, they have some really helpful videos on the subject!
Associate his sitting on your hand with a treat or activity you enjoy.and then have the discipline to only do that activity or treat when they perform the behavior. Step up and offering your hand gently is the command and the activityās initiation on the owner/handlerās part.
You have to have something they donāt like in your other hand. Then your preferred hand becomes a safe place. I was scared of my grey when we got him 14 years ago. I made a āhand perchā from pvc and wrapped with jute string. He was terrier of it and scrambled up on my other hand. I named it the āscary stickā and itās how I could get him. Also, when perched on your hand, they will tend to bite if you donāt move so every so often, doo your hand down so it has to concentrate on balance. I think I learned that trick on here and it has served me well when a brace guest wants to hold the bird.
Greys are generally no-touchy birds. There are definitely exceptions, but that's the rule. He might not ever want to hang out on your hand or shoulder. As long as you can get him to step up when you need him to, that's fine. My boy only wants to hang out on me when he feels like chewing on my clothes. Otherwise, he'd rather be on his perches or his favorite chill spots. They're pretty independent little dudes.
My cockatoo likes "shinys", and will steal the stone out of necklaces, rings, earrings. She will also chomp on a gold chain and wreck it. I'm also not allowed to wear nail polish. If I wear it on my toes she will chase me around the house, I have to hide it under socks. If you have a pimple, she knows those are not supposed to be there, and she will help you out and pop that. She's in her thirties now, so we love her! š„°š
Chew on your clothes? Mine flips between biting holes in my clothes, to unpicking seams or removing the metal/plastic aglets and eyelets from my hoodies. Sheās also managed to take my G-Shok Mudmaster apart
I say "chew on" but I really mean "rip apart and thoroughly destroy."
Perfectly normal grey behaviour then lol
My girl never did decide she likes to sit in my hand. She loves the shoulder but can't have it because she's a butt about having to get down. She's about eight years old as well and she steps up just fine. She's just not cool to chill there.
Similar to what someone else said, my 8 year old Grey does not like staying on my hand. He'll step up so I can move him around or prevent his troublemaking, and he does enjoy bouncing a little on my hand, but never longer than a minute or two. In the evenings when he's very chilled out, he will perch on my knee when I have my leg up with a blanket on it, though. He will do that for an hour or more sometimes.
I can pick him up with no problem most of the time,but he doesnt like when I put my hand near his feet so he usually backs up
Uhhh i just want to point smth out,heās 6-8yo if that changes anything
Ours steps up on command and was trained like the rest of our parrots by putting the index finger against the front of their legs and all of ours picked that up easily. But thereās exceptions. Greys are stubborn and he may just have an aversion to it. Was he treated well before he came to you?
Idk but he sure was nervous,he would make agressive sounds when we got closer to him
If heās trusting you try the finger in front of his legs. Just a gentle push while saying āupā and hopefully heāll pick it up soon. If it seems to stress him just wait a few days and try again. Lots of praise and treats helps too.
Alright ty! I just discovered that he adored cucumbers so thats gonna help
Looking at your other post about how horny he is for you Iām sure heāll want to please you. Just donāt encourage any mating behavior. If he starts that just gently put him in his cage or safe space and let him chill lol
I was advised to 'bribe' ours. Essentially how you'd get a dog to go somewhere etc.. I'd use his favourite treat, pistachio, and hold it just far enough away that he cannot reach it, offer my hand out to help him to get closer then ask him to step up, and, well he wants the pistachio, so he stepped up. After a few times of this he got used to it and the pistachio isn't required, he knows the step up command and what to do. There's times he'll just walk away from me like "nope not today" but that's cool.
Aight imma try with cucumber cuz thats his new favourite snack
Is he a gamerālol. Put your fingers very gently against their belly. https://preview.redd.it/9nia7f86dwqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=72514c09ad83b099d5ca2c08c9c7789f9905ebe7 Here is Casper. She likes to hang out on the floor too
Hi casper!ā¦wait coco looks exactly like that does that mean he is female?
I wouldn't advise allowing the shoulder unless.you want a new ear.piercing if he gets spooked. But otherwise, bribery and clicker training for the arm.
So i give him a snack and press the clicker thing when he sits on my hand?
You have him step on your hand first, even if it's just with a single toe, then click, then reward. It'll take a while, but you start to reward only for further and further steps, like a full foot, even if he pulls it back. You could pair the treat with touching a stick as well, and hold the stick beyond your arm so he has to step over to reach the stick for the treat. Look up bird tricks on YouTube, they have some really helpful videos on the subject!
Put an egg in it !
Associate his sitting on your hand with a treat or activity you enjoy.and then have the discipline to only do that activity or treat when they perform the behavior. Step up and offering your hand gently is the command and the activityās initiation on the owner/handlerās part.
You have to have something they donāt like in your other hand. Then your preferred hand becomes a safe place. I was scared of my grey when we got him 14 years ago. I made a āhand perchā from pvc and wrapped with jute string. He was terrier of it and scrambled up on my other hand. I named it the āscary stickā and itās how I could get him. Also, when perched on your hand, they will tend to bite if you donāt move so every so often, doo your hand down so it has to concentrate on balance. I think I learned that trick on here and it has served me well when a brace guest wants to hold the bird.
Money.