Question, Do all parrots use feet as a hand?

[carkam]

There are some hybrid Sennie/Meyer mixes at a bird store. There are 3 of them and all are very sweet! Especially one ( I love him!!) They are babies just weaned a few weeks ago, but still once in awhile will have a comfort feeding. I noticed that these birds are mostly at the front of the cage wanting someone to come and talk to them and give them scritches. I also noticed that when they eat, they do not take it up with their feet like my GCC does. There is a Sennie there that brings her food up with her foot. So is this something abnormal or is it because they are still young? Should they be using their feet to eat by now?? (Mine already did when I got him and hes my first bird. ) Or is this just something most Meyers or Senegals don't do as I know most cockatiels don't.

 

[Emmilyy]

I'm not sure about Senegals and Meyers 100% but the sennie that used to be in the pet shop here used to. It could be because they're young. Cookie rarely eats without picking it up in her foot but Toc and Sir Higgins dont use their feet at all.

 

[Holiday]

My parrotlets don't use their feet as hands. But, all my others do.

 

[Skyler]

My sun has used her foot to eat the really good stuff since she was about 6 months. But my tiels and budgies, never.

 

[expressmailtome]

Michael (blue throat macaw) does but my lovebirds never did.

Matt

 

[samccormack]

Cockatoos hold food, throw things and pick locks with their feet so yeah they do it all!

 

[April]

Skittles and Nala,both use their feet and some times just pick it up with their beaks.

 

[Bokkapooh]

Some of my cockatiels hold some of their food with their toes and eat, but most of them do not. And Squid my p'let does not.

All my bigger birds eat with their toes involved.

 

[allison]

There is a little tiel at the rescue that uses her feet. She is so cute. She will pick up entire nutriberries in her foot and eat them like a big bird. She's the only one I've met that does that and we have over 50 cockatiels.
Harper and Beau do not use their feet.
Kei does.

 

[carkam]

Io maybe they won't. I noticed that most of the parrots do tend to use their feet, and the sennie girl they have does, so i thought maybe it's because they are young or something is wrong. (being hybrids) So maybe they just won't. Do Meyers use their feet? I have seen quite a few Senegals, but not one Meyer!

 

[atvchick95]

budgies, lovebirds, tiels(some do) Rosy bourke's none use their feet to eat with
at least not in my house i had one tiel use her foot to eat one time but i think it is because she saw billy doing it lol

but My Quakers , IRN, and Conures all do also the cockatoos i fostered did as well

 

[carkam]

I am just so used to seeing my guy use his feet it just seemed odd!!

 

[platinum]

I don't think I've ever seen Rain eat without using her feet, including pellets and sad attempts at eating mash with her feet.

None of my other budgies have, but I watched little Riot pick up a toy today in his feet to get a better look.

 

[carkam]

What kind of bird is Rain? Cute!

 

[Saemma]

I've heard of Eclectus parrots who do not use their feet to pick up food when they eat.

 

[carkam]

There is a female ekkie who has been there awhile. I should watch her eat next time !

 

[platinum]

Rain is a plum headed parakeet. and thanks

 

[atvchick95]

I've heard of Eclectus parrots who do not use their feet to pick up food when they eat.

she didn't want to get her feet all dirty

I know with Billy our Quaker if the food mushes (banana, Watermelon etc) he will NOT hold it, even if the banana has part of the peel on it,you either stand there and hold it while he eats it (and he savors every tiny bite he takes unlike Gumby who scurfs it down LOL) or you put it in a bowl other wise he won't touch it

 

[carkam]

That is funny! My guy also won't hold the mushy stuff! Don't want to get the feet dirty!!

 

[Eliza]

Smaller parrot species generally don't use their feet to eat: budgies, lovies (although Abyssinians apparently do), p-lets... not sure about the smaller Aussie parrots (Bourke's, red-rump, splendid). It was kind of a shock for me to see Pickle using his feet to eat after having budgies and a lovie.