# Holding feet?



## ejoypousson (Apr 18, 2015)

I've seen a lot of advice about holding your bird's feet while it's on your hand so that it doesn't crawl up your arm or fly at people, and so on. But is it possible to do this with birds as small as cockatiels? My cockatiel has let me put my thumb on her foot with a little pressure, but it seems impossible for me to put my thumb across both feet because they're so small. Does anyone do this with their cockatiels?


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## tasheanne (Dec 31, 2014)

I've never heard of anyone doing this with a cockatiel. I know i don't do it with mine, they'd hate it if I did that and they'd probably just be more likely to pull away and possibly hurt themselves in the process since their bones are so fragile.


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## Charlotte (Jun 4, 2014)

Hey! I've heard this advice too, but I do think it applies to larger birds. Cockatiels' feet are so small they can just whip them out from under your thumb, and if you hold on it would be so so easy to break a toe.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

My mam does that with our African grey and she said I should do it and I tried but Tiels feet are too small and some like Rocko might squiggle their feet away and hurt themselves Rocko never usually flys away from me anyway but if we're walking in a shopping centre or outside he always jumps on the ground and he keeps doing it so I let him walk on the ground for a bit but it looks like I'm actually trying to walk him like a dog and it embarrassing lol


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## ejoypousson (Apr 18, 2015)

Thanks for the replies! Yeah, mine manages to just get onto my thumb if I leave my thumb on her foot too long


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## onyx (Oct 1, 2014)

Ha, I tried it with Spooky once and he just bit me.  Bossy 'lil dude.


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## TexTiel (Mar 17, 2013)

I've seen it done with eagles and other large raptors but nothing as small as a tiel. I don't mind Sammy climbing on me so I would never try it.


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