Do you fix a plate for your bird and eat together at the table?

[dollfish]

Hi everyone,

We have been eating together with our African Grey, Astro but but it seems to be getting out of control. We want to make him feel he is a part of the flock but it has come to the point that he lunges to everything on the table, be it a jar of nutella, tea or a boiling hot soup. We try to give him an appropriate substitute but he is after what we are eating.

We have been trying stationing, which is very challenging, does anyone do that while eating? Our kitchen is not a seperate room by the way, it is an open extension of the living room so there is not a room that we can eat in without Astro seeing us.

What do you do at food time with your parrot? Do you always share food? How do you keep things under control if you do so? If you don't, what do you do instead?

 

[Mizzely]

My bird gets his own stuff in his own bowl. I used to share with my Quaker and that backfired to him stealing food all the time.

 

[dollfish]

My bird gets his own stuff in his own bowl. I used to share with my Quaker and that backfired to him stealing food all the time.

Does he get it at the table? Same here! It has come to the point that I can't eat at home during the day. I wake up in the morning and not eat anything until I'm starving because Astro can't always be having cheese, eggs, jam or porridge and I don't want to eat steamed vegetables everyday for breakfast. I don't know what to do. I eat standing with my plate high up in the air, walking around with Astro dangling off my shoulder. It is hilarious but not nice for either of us.

 

[camelotshadow]

Tried it with my first bird a tiel a long time ago. Yes, they do steal & some food is not bird healthy or safe. Also there comes a time when you might want to have a guest & they can't join & they get upset. especially if they are near the table & no one can enjoy dinner.

Don't do that or want to start something like that as birds can't just be happy doing it on a few occasions.

Gosh they eat before me & alot of times many more times than I eat...Least 3 with the afternoon veggies n things...

Penny gets a small piece of cracker or corn chip when I have some. I can eat around them & they are fine most of the time unless I'm cooking at night & its meat or chicken as Penny likes a small morsel. Sometimes she gets excited & can't wait til its cooked & gets a bit vocal...

 

[dollfish]

"...Don't do that or want to start something like that as birds can't just be happy doing it on a few occasions."

Do you mean stationing? I try to fix Astro's food before I eat as well. He has to check what I'm eating and have exactly the same thing otherwise it turns into a dangling parrot show most of the time. I really do want to be a good flock mate to him, it makes me sad that I just can't sometimes...

 

[GoDucks]

I got my U2 when he was eight so he was already use to eating in his own cage. Honestly, I have a hard time with any animal eating at my table whether it be a dog, cat, or bird. I engage in a lot of fun activities with my bird but I also believe that there should be boundaries. My parrots have their mixture of vegetables, some fruit, almonds, and their pellets. On occasion, I also will bake bread or sweet potatoes and boil some pasta for them. They will eat those goodies on special plates, but not at the table.

 

[Mizzely]

Does he get it at the table? Same here! It has come to the point that I can't eat at home during the day. I wake up in the morning and not eat anything until I'm starving because Astro can't always be having cheese, eggs, jam or porridge and I don't want to eat steamed vegetables everyday for breakfast. I don't know what to do. I eat standing with my plate high up in the air, walking around with Astro dangling off my shoulder. It is hilarious but not nice for either of us.

No, for my bratty Quaker he gets it in his cage My Jardine's gets it in his playstand

 

[Monaco]

I make plates for Monaco, not every day, and I sit near her. I also have an open floor plan. She is not flighted yet, so can't make her want to the counter (or other places) without me. If I'm having things she can't have, I still put things she can have in her bowl or make a plate with similar things, so she's still able to eat at the same time. I also frequently set aside things for her before I add salt, sugar, or other things she can't have. She has stolen things she shouldn't have from my plate. That's when I started using a similar plate for her. Her meals are on a schedule, but mine aren't, so I use her interest to do a little training when I can.

Maybe you can use it to your advantage?

 

[Fuzzy]

My budgie, Boo always used to share my food at the table - he graduated to having his own bowl. I went though a stage with Kobe (Pionus) having his own plate at the table, but OMG.... the head flicked mess EVERYWHERE! He now eats in his cage and so do all the other birds.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

My three cockatiels eat at the table with me for all my meals. I find it’s the easiest time to let them out of their cage supervised. They don’t really steal food off my plate except scrambled eggs, however. They also usually end up sitting on me or other family members, so that’s helpful for when we have company. They also have play stands near the table that they can sit on. I give them their treats, nutriberries, on their playstands, so they at least hang out on them some of the time.

 

[dollfish]

I make plates for Monaco, not every day, and I sit near her. I also have an open floor plan. She is not flighted yet, so can't make her want to the counter (or other places) without me. If I'm having things she can't have, I still put things she can have in her bowl or make a plate with similar things, so she's still able to eat at the same time. I also frequently set aside things for her before I add salt, sugar, or other things she can't have. She has stolen things she shouldn't have from my plate. That's when I started using a similar plate for her. Her meals are on a schedule, but mine aren't, so I use her interest to do a little training when I can.

Maybe you can use it to your advantage?

Yeah, the way I do "stationing" with him is that I tell him to go to his perch, which is near the table and feed him there every 10 seconds or so, slowly stretching the time inbetween, so that I have some control over the amount of junk he eats. Do you think this is a reasonable way of doing this? What worries me is that sometimes I feel like I'm rewarding the excitement for human food instead of calmly sitting on the perch. I don't know... I guess I'll see what the results will show in about a week amd move on from there.

 

[dollfish]

Also with stationing, how would you deal with flying back and forth? Because then that teaches them to go back and forth between you and the perch and get a treat.

 

[Yoshi&Raphi]

I don’t usually share meals with Yoshi if I’m having a snack on fruits or something I will share otherwise he gets his own snack In his cage.

 

[Monaco]

Also with stationing, how would you deal with flying back and forth? Because then that teaches them to go back and forth between you and the perch and get a treat.

You will have to make sure the whole task completed earns the reward. Going to the station gets a treat, but not going to you for it.

I'm not sure, and don't have bird training experience (much) but you may have to create scenarios that will be successful until you find one that works for you and your bird. It can get complex very quickly.

 

[dollfish]

I just dumped another plate full of breakfast in the bin because it was just impossible to eat. I either put Astro in the cage and make him upset or starve. I refuse to share unhealthy things like cheese and jam with him more than once a week. I'm soo miserable please someone tell me what to do.

It is just impossible to make him station unless I'm givung him what I'm eating for treats. He goes absolutely nuts he will keep flying into my plate and grabbing things. I literally have to dodge with the plate in one hand. I made his food first and he was very excited for it until the moment he saw me eating then he came rushing out of his cage making a dive. I don't want things to be like this, I couldn't sleep last night, I want Astro to be happy and I feel like I'm failing him so badly, someone please help.

 

[Monaco]

First take care of you. Do whatever you have to do to get yourself fed and rested. Your astro will be okay. It will take time to make a new routine and change your and his expectations around meal times. It will be hard. But you must take care of yourself. I promise it will help you keep your cool for the hard parts.

 

[Kenzie]

My Amazon came home with that nasty habit of flying to me and screaming bloody murder when I was eating and not sharing (i never do, because this behavior is started that way). She learned eventually that I dont share my food and she can eat the yummies I give her.... just not my yummies .

As much as I enjoy eating with them, and I do share healthy food made for them and eat with them cus they enjoy it. But I never share what I'm eating of my own. My blue crown can be a screaming beggar but stops after a few minutes because he gets the BIG IGNORE! I can't stand begging pets especially ones that can scream as loud as they can

 

[dollfish]

Thanks guys, it has really been good support. So from now on I will keep whatever I'm eating for myself, it seems like sharing is not going to work for us.

 

[JLcribber]

Not anymore. I was losing too much weight because I wasn't getting enough food. Parrots don't share and they're very greedy. Especially the big ones.

 

[Rain Bow]

I eat some breakfasts w/ Buddy & I w/ eat my food & he eats his. I may have a snack w/ him in the afternoon. Then @ dinner (his time) we eat together on my couch. I usually have what he's eating but for dinner sometimes we eat differently. He & I had steamed broccoli tonight, mine had Mrs. Dash & his was plain (he didn't know the difference! Nice snack. I'm going to start my dinner or was before the phone rang, now it's wine instead... Just re-reading my post & modifying a few things. Salmon but it's those processed patties w/ all the salts & butter so as much as I'd love to share w/ him, I love him more. So I wait till he's in bed. Was going to go to bed, but maybe a smidge more wine. He does get some meals w/ me that are equal & others that are not. Then there are those times like my lunch. I hid in the kitchen where he couldn't see me & I ate fritos & cheese so I didn't have to hear Cracker & screams in my right ear from an aggravated amazon. Just easier to eat while making business calls & am on hold!

Your doing ok, be easy on yourself. Relax, do what works for you to eat & sleep. The rest will work itself out. The more you are stressed the more your floof will sense it. The bigger of a deal things will become because fids know when we're stressed, it's "they're six sense" just like kids, they will feed on it, devour us & spit us out. Chill, listen to them misbehaving & ignore, then wait fpr them to be good & reward. That's the vaccination for the bad behavior. This is the toughest time of being a good parront & you've got all of us here to listen, post & get support from. WE got you!