snoopdoggydon Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Is it ok to let a baby african grey perch on my shoulder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyGreys Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Allowing your pet parrot on your shoulder is a personal choice & can carry the risk of injury but a risk i know some of us take.I would say make sure your parrot steps up on to your hand every time you ask him to, they have a terrible habit of running to the middle of your shoulders so you cant get them I for one do allow my greys on my shoulders usually two at a time ! but they do step up when asked.I know greys enjoy being carried around like this & can move about with us,just always air on the side of caution Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMustee Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 How old is he? Younger greys that have just weaned tend to be nippy, so you run the risk of getting bit. Also, how well is he trained to "step up"? You should not allow a parrot on your shoulder that will refuse to step up. I have a 9 1/2 month old CAG and he does sit on my shoulder but he always steps up on command and is not nippy at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nychsa Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 I let mine perch on my shoulder, but the breeders where I got her don't allow the babies to do that. I am cautious in the morning though as she's very playful in the morning and likes to rough house, so in the morning I tend to pick her off and set her on her playstand. So, as others have mentioned, it seems to be a personal decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMustee Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 From everything I have read and experienced first hand the greys are the most “reliable†to have on your shoulder. They are less prone to bite for reasons like fear and displacement aggression. The Amazons are notorious for displacement biting and should never be shouldered unless you really know your bird. Macaws are a bit better than Amazons, but I have only had one macaw that I ever allowed on my shoulder. Conures I have found also are good shoulder birds...I've never heard of any serious face bites first hand. So, I say shouldering greys is OK as long as they are stable perchers, out of the nippy stage, and are well trained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tari Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 It is a risk that I am not willing to take. It really depends on if you don't mine a scar on your face. No matter how tame your pet is they can always get startled or lose footing and grab your face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Point well taken Tari but it is an individual owner's choice to shoulder or not, I do shoulder Josey but I am always keen to her body language. Now on the other hand I have a sun conure that I can't keep off my shoulder, she is a permanent fixture there when she is out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMustee Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 judygram wrote: I have a sun conure that I can't keep off my shoulder, she is a permanent fixture there when she is out. I think sun conures must have some kind of magnetic pull to the shoulders because Otto was the same way.:laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyGreys Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 is that otto in your picture ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Klaus is a shoulder-boy. I tried like heck when we first got him not to allow it, but he wore me down. If he's getting too nuts up there, I just make him get down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUKEdevils36 Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 I allow Duke on my shoulder rarely. He doesnt seem to really have a interest on going up there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MazyAK Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Hey snoop: I let Mazy ride on my shoulder but I always make sure it's my choice whether it's my hand or shoulder. Sometimes she wants on the shoulder and I insist on the hand or nothing. What I'm saying is that it's me in command as to where she rides. As we go through our daily chores and normal routine I have her on my shoulder . She loves to be involved in the day to day routine. sometimes she gets all high and mighty on my shoulder and stretch to get her eyes above mine. I just raise my head higher and then put her off or on my hand. Face it you will get a nip once in a while, but you would know the difference from a real good bite. If a bite does happen to me it's because I have made a somewhat quick movement with her on my shoulder and it's just her grabbing to hold on. It is a personnel choice. I love the option. Bruce & Mazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tari Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Que use to want on my shoulder/head all the time for the first year. I just kept removing her after a while she got the idea and stopped. Topaz was easy since I raised her from day one. Yes she was a day one handfed chick. I just never put her up there in the first place. Joey on the other hand well try still to get up there every so often or he wants to bury his head in my neck. That worries me and I have to unglue him. lol To many veins there he could get if he got excited. How ever none of my birds have ever bite me I just like my eyes and ears and can't afford any scars on my already ugly mug. lol Dandy I can't even touch without getting bite and he draws blood every time. So never ever never well he be up there. Maybe I worry to much but not only would their be my pain and possible scare but I think if I ever really got hurt by one of my birds I would lose trust with them and not want to be around them as much. And yes it is a personal chioce but to me its a choice up there with smoking or speeding it can come back to bite you. :whistle:<br><br>Post edited by: Tari, at: 2008/01/16 10:02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMustee Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 LMG - Yeah, that’s Otto. He loved to snuggle up to my face and under my chin. The only "bites" I ever got from him on my shoulder was if he was preening my face he would sometimes preen the edges of my nose and would put a little too much pressure for comfort on the "bull ring" area. It would make my eyes water every time but it was not like he was really biting me it's just a very sensitive spot.:pinch:<br><br>Post edited by: BMustee, at: 2008/01/16 13:47 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 I love that Avatar of you and Otto BMustee!! :-) I let Dayo on the shoulder also and so does Kim. He likes being a part of what we are doing. The only times I have received a quick "Nip" was..... One time he was on my shoulder when a grandchild came running in the room and straight to me. Dayo grabbed my ear quickly to encourage me to get out of the scary situation. It did sting a little, but no piercing. :-) The others are when he gets "Playful", I can feel him start ducking and weaving from the pressure points moving around from his Talons and he will do q lighting strive on the hair, then a quick peck on the neck on the sometimes chirp or whistle. I guess it's his way of saying "Hey, lets play". But, it never inflicts damage, just like a quick pinch from someone. He does run to the middle of my back if he doesn't want to get down. So I just grab his Talons and lift him off whether he likes it or not. It is definitely a personal decision each person must make. There are risks as others noted also and you should always be aware of where your bird is and what their Talon pressure is indicating they are doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMustee Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Thanks Dan, I love that pic of Otto and me too. I've got a few of the "play nips" from Elmo too. He will reach around to my face and run his beak across my skin in that darting and weaving manner to let me know it's time to play. I guess thats not really biting, but it's close enough. Here is two of my fav pics of Otto. <br><br>Post edited by: BMustee, at: 2008/01/16 14:28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Oh those are BEAUTIFUL photos BMustee!! I can see why they are your Favorites!! I want a Sun so bad, but then I would probably ignore Jake, my Dragon Conure from Hell. :-) I really love Jake though he is a character and fun to have screaming, flying at my head and biting at me all the time. But, Jake's making progress and does now fly and land on our knee or close proximity when Dayo is with us. I can see Jake wants that closeness too, but he is still having to slowly let go of the wild and natural fear he has with-in himself. They have had a Sun they weaned at the petstore for about 3 months I go to every weekend. I love interacting with him through the Cage bars. They are so loving, sweet and comical, who couldn't fall in love with them!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMustee Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Oh I know, I can't look at a Sun without melting. Otto was the greatest bird, but I'm sure everyone else thought of him as a demon bird from hell...he was a one person bird for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Otto is so cute and it reminds me of my Sunny, the permanent fixture on my shoulder and sometimes she grabs those talons into my shirt and holds on for dear life. She is so used to being there that I go around the house doing stuff and she just hangs on even if I bend over real quickly or whatever. She is my first parrot and I love her dearly. Thanks for sharing those pics of Otto with us, I just love the sun conure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMustee Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 The first pic is Otto waving "Hi". He loves doing that trick, and the scratch under the beak was his reward for doing it. He would do it for Ice tea too. :woohoo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nychsa Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Ok - I know this is the Grey thread, but those conure pictures are awesome BMustee! I do love Conures! Even though Jiggy is a Dusky Headed Conure, he is SO cute! And that personality - I mean - do they get any crazier!He's always on my shoulder too and then he sits there chirping away. My parnter, and Jiggy have regular evening matches now - he lets Jiggy chase a pillow or paper towel around and he does so with a vengance! Jiggy then hides behind me, pokes his head out and then returns for more attacks on the pillow or paper LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loviechick Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Your sun is so cute BMustee!!! As far as shoulder perching is concerned, it's a personal choice. My birds are all alowed on my shoulders, just not while I'm cooking or cleaning, primarily when I'm online or watching TV, typically when I'm sedentary. I don't recommend it for people with unpredictable birds, or birds that bite! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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