How to domesticate a parrot? This is the most frequently asked question. And if you ask it, you haven’t done your homework. First of all, to avoid having to feed your parrot, buy a hand-fed baby parrot, which are always cozy. What does a hand-fed parrot mean? It is a parrot that has been hand-fed special food at an early age by a person/breeder/breeder. These parrots are hand-trained from an early age and are not afraid of humans but seek their attention.
Parrots that have been measured by their parents but where humans have been actively involved in the breeding process are also very cuddly. This is usually the case when parrots reared at home hatch their babies and allow the owner to take them in hand. These parrot lets, although fed by their parents, are also cuddly. Parent-reared chicks are more stable mentally because they understand themselves as a parrot and do not have a pathological attachment to humans (where the parrot sees the owner as its partner). As a result, these parrots have less aggression and are less likely to walking on foot.
The most important and most difficult stage is to wait for or find a domesticated chick of the desired species, as there are few such chicks in Lithuania so far. It is the domesticated parrots that become the best friends and joy of the family. Of course, every parrot can be tamed to a certain level. But human company is a joy and is only sought after by domesticated youngsters. In Lithuania, most of the domesticated chicks are sold in spring and summer, because that is when parrots breed. But it pays to wait. Bear in mind that the prices of domesticated young are higher, but again, it is worth paying for. If you have already found a young parrot of the species you want, how can you tell if the young parrot is cuddly? A parrot is not afraid of hands, is not afraid of being stroked and is not distracted by the cage.
However, even if you keep a timid and uncomfortable parrot, you can certainly tame it a little.
Steps in parrot cuddling:
1. The parrot is distracted when you are in the room
The best time to feed a parrot is in the evening. This is when they are calmer, less willing to fly, so this is the most convenient time to get your parrot used to your hands. In addition, it is most convenient to start with the parrot in a cage rather than loose in the room. Simply sit next to the parrot’s cage for at least a few minutes each evening. To get used to you, the parrot needs to see you and understand that nothing bad happens when you are around. You can just read a book while sitting next to the cage (even with your voice, to get the parrot used to your voice), and the more time you spend together, the sooner the parrot will stop being afraid of you.
2. The parrot is distracted when you are near the cage
When the parrot is not frightened by the sight of you in the room, reduce the distance between you and the cage. Keep an eye on your bird and if it is very distracted, increase the distance, if not, decrease it. How do I know when it is OK to approach a parrot? It must not react to you, i.e. drop food, handle feathers, even doze and sleep. If you have a very timid parrot, you may even have to start with another parrot the back of the room, and only slowly approach the cage over a few weeks. If you have a less timid parrot, you can start with step 3.
3. The parrot is afraid of your hand on the cage
Only when the parrot is not afraid of you being near the cage can you start to get it used to your hands. To get the parrot used to your hand, you need to put your hand on the cage and, again, just be there. If the parrot becomes frightened and starts to wander around in the cage, go back to step 2.
4. The parrot is afraid to take the treat from your hand
Once the parrot is no longer afraid of the hand on the cage, you can put the hand with the treats in the cage. First of all, you need to select the foods you will use as treats. I suggest starting with a sprig of sunflower or sorghum, which are like sweets for many parrots. It is important that these treats are not in the food bowl and that the parrot only receives them from your hand. Because if you feed your parrot a seed mix containing sunflower, sunflower seeds will not attract the parrot. So hold the treat in your hand and put your hand in the cage. Sit comfortably, as you will probably need to stay with your arm outstretched for a long time. Do not move your hand, wait for the parrot to become interested in the treat and approach. This is likely to happen within a few days. Therefore, keep the hand with the treats in the same place each evening.
5. The parrot is afraid to climb on your hand
Only start this stage when the parrot is not afraid of your hand in the cage (i.e. all four of the above stages have been passed). Do not use your fingers to give the treat, but place it on the palm of your hand so that the parrot has to climb up your hand to reach the treat.
It is important not to rush, as it should take at least a few weeks from step 1 to step 4 and usually several months.
What to do if your parrot shows aggression
If your parrot starts to show aggression, there are a few things you can do to help diffuse the situation. First, try to identify what might be causing the aggression. If it’s something like fear or insecurity, try to make your parrot feel more comfortable and secure. If the aggression is coming from a place of dominance, you’ll need to assert yourself as the alpha figure and set clear boundaries. Finally, if the aggression is simply unprovoked or unexplainable, you may need to consult with a avian behavior specialist to get to the root of the problem. Whatever the cause of your parrot’s aggression, there are steps you can take to help alleviate it.