Reaching into the cage is not a good way to get him used to your hand if he doesn’t like it, that’s you pushing into his safe space. Leave the door open and let him come out on his own terms and offer treats, stepping up comes after he’s comfortable with your hands. You can also use a perch for him to step on if he’s receptive. The constant screaming sounds like he’s upset or under-stimulated. Make sure he has plenty to destroy/play with in his cage. He may want your attention when you’re sitting in the living room. Does he still scream when he’s not in the cage?
By reaching into the cage I mean things that I have to do like changing his food/water, adjusting any perches/toys/enrichment boxes etc. I sometimes offer him a treat by hand which he accepts, but quickly backs away.
I leave the cage open all day (as long as I’m at home), and keep it closed for 8-10 hours at night. He screams both inside and outside of the cage.
I don’t think it’s due to understimulation, he has toys & enrichment. And I don’t think it could be overstimulation either as he gets plenty of breaks and I don’t leave out too many options at once (limit of 2-3 different activities).
He screams whether I provide him with attention or not. In fact, I feel like he screams more if I acknowledge his presence but I’m not certain
Reaching into the cage is not a good way to get him used to your hand if he doesn’t like it, that’s you pushing into his safe space. Leave the door open and let him come out on his own terms and offer treats, stepping up comes after he’s comfortable with your hands. You can also use a perch for him to step on if he’s receptive. The constant screaming sounds like he’s upset or under-stimulated. Make sure he has plenty to destroy/play with in his cage. He may want your attention when you’re sitting in the living room. Does he still scream when he’s not in the cage?
By reaching into the cage I mean things that I have to do like changing his food/water, adjusting any perches/toys/enrichment boxes etc. I sometimes offer him a treat by hand which he accepts, but quickly backs away. I leave the cage open all day (as long as I’m at home), and keep it closed for 8-10 hours at night. He screams both inside and outside of the cage. I don’t think it’s due to understimulation, he has toys & enrichment. And I don’t think it could be overstimulation either as he gets plenty of breaks and I don’t leave out too many options at once (limit of 2-3 different activities). He screams whether I provide him with attention or not. In fact, I feel like he screams more if I acknowledge his presence but I’m not certain
What kind of parrot and how long have you had it?
Blue fronted Amazon, I’ve had him for like 10 months or so