That is the the though. My fiancé and I have both been trying to teach him how to be a bird. Play with toys/ wash himself. He has been getting a little better with hands but he still has no trust for hands. He will step up but if you bring your hand up to him even slowly he will naw on your hand. Not hard but almost like testing it out seeing what it is. I will check out that forum.
Hi there. I think you're doing fine with him. As you said, he had no interaction for most of his short life so far... that gives you a lot to overcome. I've been there and it is really hard to be patient but that's what it takes. As someone mentioned above, ekkies tend to do the "Ekkie Freeze" when they are nervous or scared. Also, the nibbling on your hand and even testing the limits a little, is also normal. They explore things with their beak and tongue. Since you said he seems to fear hands I would recommend not pushing the issue. He will come around but it might take a while. Let him learn to trust at his pace. When Tigger came to live with us we had the same problem - it was a true fear of my hands! It took several months of doing nothing but sitting nearby with his cage door open and letting him out when he was comfortable and come to me. I even had to cover my hands with long sleeves for awhile. You can offer little bits of almond or pistachio or some favorite treat, even through the cage bars if that's all he is ok with. Associate your hands with good things! You can find plenty of ways to interact without forcing physical touch. If he likes to sit on top of his cage or a play stand, or even a table or bed, you can hand him toys. Mine love to toss them for me to pick up. LOL They also like getting stuff out of a cup or bowl, especially if it makes noise.
I wouldn't force showers/bathing. If the vacuum doesn't freak him out you might try running it and see if that prompts him to want a bath. My guys both go bowl diving when I vacuum and make a huge mess. Ha! But they typically do NOT like to go in the shower or be sprayed. However, they do enjoy sitting on the shower door or rod while we shower and get a good steam bath at least.
That would help with the molting as well, even if he's not getting wet. If he likes to chew paper or soft woods like balsa, etc, he might turn to those rather than over preening.
So hope those are some new ideas for you. Like I said, I know it's super hard to be patient but giving him time to adjust and learn to trust will be well worth your time in the long run. Let us know how it's going!!
