Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!ginosko!samsung!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!psuvax1!rutgers!att!cbnews!noonan
From: noonan@cbnews.ATT.COM (D. J. Noonan)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Another question regarding budgies
Summary: hens don't like to be petted
Message-ID: <10827@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 31 Oct 89 18:25:35 GMT
References: <8910291210.aa15790@BONNIE.ICS.UCI.EDU> <2494@cbnewsl.ATT.COM>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 49

In article <2494@cbnewsl.ATT.COM>, nora@cbnewsl.ATT.COM (nora.y.mclaughlin) writes:
> In article <8910291210.aa15790@BONNIE.ICS.UCI.EDU>, esoo-hoo@BONNIE.ICS.UCI.EDU writes:
> > 
> > I've had my little Bud (hehe...found out Bud's actually a girl) for eight
> > years now.  I've finger-trained her and she's even trained to fly around 
> > just the kitchen area (easier to clean up and she won't get lost in the
> > rest of the house).  She's real sweet, but every time I attempt to pet her,
> > she bites me.  It wasn't this hard to get even the meanest macaw to let me
> > pet him...any suggestions?
> > 
> > 
> > --Elaine!	:)
> 
> From my experience, there are some birds that like to have their heads
> scratched and some that don't like it.  And Parakeets are those that
> don't like it.  I understand Cockatiels love it, my Blue Front Amazon
> loves it, especially when he is getting new feathers.  By the way, does
> anyone know what that is called? (getting new feathers).
> 
> Nora

Some budgies *do* like to have their heads scratched.  It depends on the
personality of the bird.  My wife and I are budgie breeders and I have
noticed over a large number of budgies that we have (and have had) that hens
have a tendancy to bite and in general do not like to be handled.  Every
time I have to catch a bird in the aviary I first determine whether
it is a hen or cock.  If it is a hen I prepare myself for the possibility
of getting bitten. Some have drawn blood!.  

Obviously your pet bird is much more tame than these birds.  But I would still
bet that your bird since she is a hen may not want to be handled in the manner
your talking about.  I don't know if the same is true for all hook-billed
birds.  These comments are based on my own experiences with our budgies
(which we have over 150 of) and from discussions with other budgie and
hookbilled breeders.

We have one budgie that is a pet and she does not liked to be petted
(although she did when she was very young) she is also very terratorial
of her cage and does not like anyone  reaching in her cage or placing
their hands near it.  She is however very friendly once she is out of
her cage and happily sit on your shoulder or finger and whistles.
(We also have to watch her around our miniature dachsund.  She like
to preen her!  However the dog doesn't take very well to preening.)

Something to keep in mind when you are choosing a budgie for a pet is
to consider a male, they seem to be a bit more friendlier.


Dennis Noonan,  Columbus OH