What are your thoughts on personal space for your birds?

[Fawn]

I've come to the conclusion (I think) that I'm not so sure I want fingers on my babies.. after outings with my Umbie (who is the MOST unpredictable) and people getting nibbled, I think I'm going to start a "No Touch" rule.

My friends don't believe me when I say he doesn't bite me... he just doesn't! He's mushy and loving and crazy and playful all in one - PERFECT. But if I happen to come across a child or an adult who spots him and wants to hold him, they're toast and I'm never sure when. (I've since stopped letting people hold or touch him at all - he just doesn't like it and I don't need a lawsuit)

THEN! There's the people who DON'T listen at all when I say he may bite. I try to gauge his level of excitement and when I say he's fresh, it's probably because he's almost caught ME! Still, there's fleshy pink fingers poking and prodding and stroking this seemingly calm bird and WHAM.

How much is too much contact?? What is YOUR definition of proper socialization? A bird that you can hand off, or a bird that people respect reveling in it's striking beauty while keeping their little pigs off the plumage?

[ShellyBorg]

When out with my birds its hands off for the most part. They can look but don't touch.

[Honesty]

When people come to visit me, I tell them Codie will bite if they touch him. Sometimes they just have to see for themselves and get upset when he bites them. I say... I did warn you!

I would say, while you are out with him, just be firm and tell them not to touch!

[Blancaej]

Definitely a "no touch" policy for me when I have my birds out in the public. I've been lucky so far and haven't had people try to touch them. I just show them the Quincy scar and they don't make an attempt. LOL! :th_biggrin:

But I never want to take any risk of my birds biting anyone, plus, being touched by strangers is very stressful for them.

[Fawn]

Ah ha! Ok just what I figured. Thanks for your input guys.. I'm going to make it strictly no touch.

And Blancaej you're definitely right, that's a good point. The whole process is stressful. I wanna be nice and let people experience how awesome they are by interaction but it really makes my birds very uncomfortable. And me even more so. I'm on edge and just waiting for it. All that stress for us both isn't worth it.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk now Free ('[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]')

[spiritbird]

Interesting topic. Some birds like to cuddle and some do not want to be touched at all. Perhaps this comes from poor socialization or good socialization when the bird is young. I have a parent fed English budgie that trained fairly easily. Then the other parakeet from Petsmart wants nothing to do with being touched. Only time she comes near me is when I am holding millet sprays. I had a GCC conure that loved to be with people and allowed anyone to touch him.

[coltfire]

when out it has to be a no touch policy, 1, as been said the stress on the bird if it does not like to be touched, 2, you do not know what is on the hands of people touching, as in creams, perfumes, or what ever it maybe. 3, the what if he/she bites (lawsuit) and if he/she bites and does not let go the person just may injury your bird by trying to rip there finger out of mouth, and 4, well there s lots more reasons why but yeah no touch while out.IMO

[Mare]

I don't take my U2 out in public, except to the vets and he's very well mannered there. At home though, when we have company, he lets people know their advances aren't welcome, (unless they are female :)). Kids are the scary ones, for me, because they don't always listen and Amigo has to be watched like a hawk to make sure no one is hurt.

I agree that folks should be told not to touch the bird!

[Debra]

When we take Lucy out, I always warn people that she might bite. Jerry offers them her back, but only the back. I'm trying to break him of that habit.

[shel]

I don't take my U2 out in public, except to the vets and he's very well mannered there. At home though, when we have company, he lets people know their advances aren't welcome, (unless they are female :)). Kids are the scary ones, for me, because they don't always listen and Amigo has to be watched like a hawk to make sure no one is hurt.

I agree that folks should be told not to touch the bird!

kids are the scary ones for me as well! no idea how my bird feels about them! lol

[Mare]

They/kids are definitely targets for my Sassy Goffin's and U2! Chip, I don't think, wouldn't hurt a fly but I also wouldn't want my bird hurt, in any way.

[Turquoise]

So far I have not taken mine out in public, mainly because I live in the country and a trip to town is at least 12 miles and no one in my two small towns close to me would be interested in having my noisy bunch around them. I don't live in a 'pro-parrot' area. I have only taken Roscoe out for a walk around my lake community and only showed him to one neighbor who was too scared to even get near him.

In my home I rarely have visitors. In the almost 2 years I have had my flock they have seen 3 different people in their home. The first time the macaw boys & my ekkie girl Leyla Belle were super quiet in their enclosures. The 2nd time was when my nephew who is very much a grown man came by. All the birds were out on play perches that day, but were very leery of his presence. He of course did not try to touch them. When my son was here for 6 days, none of the birds were very fazed by him being here. Roscoe was the most leery of him tho & chose not to come out for most of the time. When they were out, Jory knew not to touch them (I had parrots when he was young & still at home. He could do as much with them as I could, he had a knack for handling them). Peta my GCC when right o him when I let her out. She was touted as being a man hater, but she loves my hubby & I both and was fine with Jory as well.

As far as allowing strangers to touch mine if I were to take them in public~~A big NO!! Since I know my big kids do not want even my hubby to touch them and will give him a quick smart bite if he merely walks too close to them on their perches. There are laws about dangerous animals & being bitten even if the person provoked it. So I would never want to have any kind of hassle or the threat of my birds being taken away & imprisoned for being a bird.

If they were conditioned to allow strangers to handle and touch them, I would think otherwise as I know a lady on FB who has a certified companion bird Umbrella Too she takes to children hospitals and other places where folks need to be uplifted. her Too shops with her in every store she goes to and is touched by anyone. A true one of a kind parrot indeed and to be a Cockatoo is quite impressive in my opinion.:th_biggrin:

Oh I forgot to mention none of my larger flock, my macaws or ekkie have encountered children since I have owned them. So I would venture a guess they would not be impressed with the poking prodding tiny fingers of small humans since they won't tolerate the larger species of said creatures trying the same stunt. I just don't have any children around me, no grandchildren or small nieces or nephews to test them on, but I but I am right about my flock and little ones.

[Mare]

My cockatoos, De', will not be comfy in any space with someone they don't know. Amigo use to be a huge threat, in the house, to folks he was unsure about. He's come a long way, since then and is now rather easy to be around in this atmosphere :). Watch new kids in the territory, folks, for sure!