How about beaking?

[jelandusn]

Thanks a bunch for answering my question about teaching gentle. There is an update. I got over my distrust of my cool african grey and finally allowed him to put his beak on my hands and fingers again. He is amazingly gentle!! He is such a great bird!:D Now, the only problem is, he seems to have his beak on my hands all the time!! Always gentle but I've read that I shouldn't allow him to put his beak on me because this could lead to biting. Is this true? It seems to have brought our relationship closer so I'd like to allow it. How about all you experienced parrot people. Do you allow your parrots to beak? Also, do only mature adults regurgitate?

[Sandi & U2 Cody]

It may sound funny, but we've always picked up Cody by his beak right from when he was a baby, and since that time, he has never bitten. He is very gentle with people, but of course if he trys to defend himself, he might try to bite, which is very rare. Each bird is different, and you have to learn the signs of your bird.

[too&me]

I allow beaking because I believe it is one way they can communicate with us, their beaks are very sensitive to touch. They use the beak quite frequently with each other to groom, to touch , to eat & chew branches and to get around in a tree. I think biting is a separate behavior from beaking which seems to be more of a routine behavior. There is my input for you.

[birdie]

I touch all of my birds beaks, and pick them up from the floor this way. I just put my hand down and let them hang on and get a lift up. Yes at times some do bite a bit hard, but I like to make sure they are comfortable with my fingers and their beak so if they get things into their beak that shouldn't be there, I can get it out. I just say open and in goes a finger. I think this has taught them to be careful of momma hands. This is also a trust issue on both parts.

[Julie]

In our house we look at the beak as if it were thier hands. Really they are so sensitive with thier beaks, that quite often this is how they choose to feel the world. Since my grey does not like to have scritches, I often will pet her beak, and she will rub it on my hands as a gesture of love. We also play a tag game of "gonna get you" and she will place her beak on a hand/finger/whatever and say "ohhhh I got you" but it is not a bite. This is a growth off the concept of gentle and you two will become more comfortable with it as your relationship grows.

Our girl did not start to try and regurgitate for Pappa till she was about 3 y/o. I have a friend with a CAG and she started this at 1 y/o. I am not a breeder so you would have to look to one of them for more information on this. When it happens at our house, Pappa says thank you, and puts her up while he cleans up. It is a great show of trust and love for them to do this for you, so try not to get totally grossed out. We tend to put her up for a couple minutes after this so she can calm down and not do it again.....

[bonnie]

We do not use the beak regularly to communicate or play, but there are times we do use it. I take Chicken 'flying', which is me holding him on my hand, holding his foot and either jogging or spinning so he has to flap his wings. He will beak me when it is time to stop or if he loses his balance. He also beaks me to warn me to stop doing something he doesn't like. It's usually the warning I look for so I don't get bit. Like I said, I don't get beaked often, but like others have said, it's a way of communicating.
I will also beak him when he is not cooperating with something I need from him. This is similar to the 'I've got your nose!' game, but it's just a tiny pinch then it's over. He treats this with respect and usually stops the behavior I want stopped.

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

Same here Bonnie. I get the beak warning accompanied by hissing or snorting. It's usually when I'm trying to remove him from an undesireable situation like chewing the woodwork. Of course, I can't back down and leave him there because he's threatened me, I would lose any control I have. I am still insistent that he step up and when he doesn't, I slide my fingers under his feet and take him away. Somehow, he never carries out his threat and bites. So far.