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How to do scritches?

Caryatid

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I am constantly amazed that it seems almost everyone's bird just loves scritches- that they even see this as a reward. I had budgies and a cockatiel as a kid and I don't think I knew about scritches at the time or that you could even actually pet a bird- I just let them sit on my shoulder and walk around and eat treats. My current budgie, Lu, is not tame at all and we are both much happier if I just let her do her own thing. No scritches in that future, unfortunately.

So my new peachfaced lovebird, Roger, is 3 or 4 months old and has only been home for a few days. He was hand fed so he is not afraid to sit on hands once he is out of the cage. They grabbed them at the store, though, so we are working on step up (he's doing well) and being okay with hands IN the cage. He also skitters away if you try to pet when he is sitting on your hand.

I KNOW that I should not be trying to scritch right now and will take things at his pace. However, I do want to get him comfortable with this eventually since it seems like so many birds love it so much and it might make him happy. My question is that I have no idea how to even approach it once we are at that stage. What are the steps? Sometimes he lets me touch his beak- should I rest my finger on his beak and then slowly slide onto his head? Should I start by getting him comfortable with tummy rubs and then move up? How did you get your birds to become comfortable with scritches? Thanks in advance for your help!
 

greys4u

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Don't do anything below the neck, they get hormonal :laugh: valentine loves stritches and that's one of things she does whenever, she just fluffs up and puts her head down, and waits. With her it just happened. When he feels comfortable with you and trusts you then start slowly massaging his head and sides. Letting you rub his beak is a good thing. Hope this helps :cool:
 

Birdiemarie

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You can start by simply touching his head lightly and see how he reacts. Then when he's ok with that move on to a light head rub/scratch, the goal being to eventually rub and scratch all around his head and face. If/when he likes it he will start lowering and moving his head to make sure you get just the right spot. :heart: Be careful not to rub new pin feathers the wrong way because they are very sensitive and will hurt him and may result in you're getting yelled at or even nipped. Once the pin feathers have no more blood in the shaft (have stopped growing) he may enjoy your help of gently rubbing the pin feather between two fingers so the now dry covering turns to powder between your fingers.
 

pinkdagger

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It's not really something you can train "into" them. My lovies weren't handled a lot when they were young, so they would step up and enjoy my company, but I still have two who prefer it that way. One of my lovebirds will ask for scritches and she LOVES to smear her head all around my cupped hand. Some birds don't care for scritches either way, and some will live for them. When I have my birds out of their cages, if I see them rub their heads on the cage top, I usually put my hand nearby right on the surface of the cage. If they want to rub their head on me, they will. If not, maybe next time. Maybe never.

Try not to go in with the expectation that a) all birds like scritches, and b) your bird will like scritches (or can learn to like them). Often if I touch a finger to a beak (or my bird presses her beak against my finger), I can rub her cheek and it's less intimidating than moving your finger to where it can't be seen behind them. Try for short spurts very lightly, but be ready to back off if he seems apprehensive.

Try to keep back, wing, under the wing, and belly touching as minimal as possible. This will be a big deal when Roger is a few months older, but it's good to practice now so you don't unintentionally get him all riled up and frustrated. I tend to reserve belly touches for a light tap indicating step up but even then, it's often not necessary.
 

Monica

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A bird can actually be taught to enjoy scritches, if they trust you enough. You would teach them to bow their head and allow you to touch their head, then you would teach them to accept you rubbing their head, then scritches.
 

Lavalleer

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Our gcc just started letting me do scritches last night. So far he only lets me do it when he's sitting on the computer keyboard but we have only had him a week now.
 

Bokkapooh

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Look it up on Youtube. I think a good visual aid will help you figure it out :)
 

Caryatid

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Thanks, everyone! These are all good tips, and it seems like there is no "one way," but really depends on what the bird is comfortable with (like everything :wacky:). I didn;t think of associating the activity with a word, but it makes sense because that's how he knows when to step up. So when Roger was sitting with me earlier today, I tried asking him, "Touch?" and then touching his beak and giving him his treat. He caught on, but then when I tried holding my finger a bit away from him and asking him "touch," he stepped over and gave a very light, not at all aggressive nip and then looked at me expectantly. Guess he doesn't appreciate actually working for his treats :rolleyes:.

I think this is a good start though, and maybe our next step once he can have me touch the beak without a treat, we will move on to lightly touching his head, and change what I am asking him to do to a different word, like "pet" or something.
 

firdy num num

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Paris originally came a head stritching lover, but Firdy didn't. I started by touching around her head and neck lightly then slowly moving onto stritches, she now loves stritches. I tried to do it with Lola but she wasn't such a bit fan of it. :confused: Good luck
 

karen256

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My GCC is my cuddliest bird, but doesn't really like scritches. She tolerates them, and loves to be snuggled.
My old budgie, Pippin, didn't like to be scritched for years. He would think I wanted him to step up and become confused. One day, he had his eyes closed and was scratching his head on his perch, so I started scritching him. He opened his eyes, and you could just see it click for him - he finally realized what I had been trying to do. And from then on, he loved scritches. I could scritch his head and neck anywhere and he'd just fluff his little face up so I could get in there. He would fly over and demand scritches by butting his little cheek into my finger until I'd start. When he was feeling well, he'd just want scritches for a minute and then he'd be off to fly around and play. When he wasn't feeling well or was stressed (like when he came home from a vet visit), he would demand scritches for 20 min or more; he clearly derived comfort from it.

On a bird as small as a budgie, I was usually very gentle. I would try to ruffle the feathers and make a scratching motion, without quite touching the skin so avoid bumping him. Sometimes he was happy with this, other times (usually when molting and itchy) he'd rub his head on my finger harder to let me know I should scritch him harder.

It is very obvious when a bird is enjoying scritches, as they will fluff their little heads up and relax their feathers. A bird that does not want to be scritched will hold their feathers in the normal position rather stiffly.
 
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Birdiemarie

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The only time the boys will agree to scritches is when I take them out separately in the bathroom for training. Well for a week now when I put my finger through the cage bars near a perch Ocean will run up and gently beak my finger in curiosity and I can see he wants a head scritch because he'll ever so slightly lower his head but won't come close enough to actually touch. I will wiggle my finger and say 'scritch-scritch' like when we are in the bathroom and he'll look yearningly but not move forward. Yesterday he was 'right there' but was still too shy to make contact. I'm really enjoying watching his trust grow. :heart:
 

Caryatid

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Aww you all have such cute stories about your birdies and their scritches! And thanks for the pictures and videos, Monica- I watched those for like 20 minutes. So cute! We'll keep working on touching different areas around his head and maybe eventually try some gentle rubs. I'll update on our progress!
 

MandaExotics

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My cockatiel came to me loving scritches, I had to work on when it is appropriate for scritches and to step up for her. My IRN is used to a hand motion (the wiggling your fingers like Marie does) for her to lower to her head, but she was also much less socialized when I first got her too. It took her a 6 months to a year I think (can't remember exactly) to realize scritches meant less itchy pinnies and were fun.
 

Stitchy

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Our little guy will allow scritches on his terms.....I will usually ask "Can I pet you?" If he is willing to let me, he will crouch down and turn his head to the side for me to scritch his neck. If he wants no part of it, he will fluff up and open his beak like he wants to bite :eek:. I know better than to try when he is giving those signals. :D
 

fluffypoptarts

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I think the scritch thing is mostly a matter of personality/preference for the bird. Some of my lovies enjoy scritches, and some just want to be close to me. Snerky (my female) has a limited window of scritch tolerance. Twink has times that he can't get enough of having his little head scratched/rubbed/petted and then other times he can't make up his mind and will enjoy it only to yell 5 seconds later for no apparent reason! (Yet he is velcro bird. Regardless of whether he is displeased at my impudence or not, he demands to be on me. He's very trusting and loves snuggling with mama, and I can roll him into my hand and kiss his tummy, etc.) Termite is quite firm on not having his head touched unless it's first thing in the morning (he is my super cuddle bird when it comes to just sleeping on me and nestling into my hand, though). Beni rarely wants any head touches, though he'll sometimes let me rub his cheeks or just lightly stroke the top of his head with a fingertip. Turnip is complicated. He seems to love having his head scratched and will rub it all over my finger at times, yet is often uncertain about having his head scratched (or maybe about my intentions, not sure)! It's hard to say what kind of birdy you'll get with regard to scritch enjoyment.

And I agree that they see it as comfort/reward. After the vet, Twinkie and Termite want to be out for a long time and insist on tucking right under my chin and being cuddled, kissed, and generally showered with attention. Twinkie does this before he even leaves the vet's office. He will "hide" against mama. Oh, the poor traumatized babies!
 

stefi

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I managed to get my bird to acept scritches from me after two weeks of him living here and now every time i put my hand in his cage he instantly lowers his head to say gime scritches and i might hop on your finger...... if i ever get borded of the scritches and dont wear out your finger first

Video of the first time he took scritches from me
 

stefi

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ok i just worked out how to show a video, im new here but video that goes with my previous post
 

AmberC

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Just remember, not all birds actually like scritches. Its not about the breed of bird its just the specific bird itself. they all have their different personality and they all like and dislike different things, just like humans.
 
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