I know I posted a thread on this a long time ago...And since there are new members, would like for everyone to share if you will.....

Does your bird hold its food with its left or right foot while eating.....



I usually watch Harley and he always picks that food up with his left foot....

I'm thinking.

I believe Georgie is a lefty.

Hmmmm Max changes. She'll sometimes hold it with her left and sometimes with her right. Same with stepping up. Depending on which hand I ask her to step up on depends on which foot she lifts up first.

Carrie Anne when you mentioned stepping up, it reminded me that Harley will also step up raising his left foot first....Glad you mentioned that.....

I guess I have a left footed quaker....

His majesty is left handed. That is the preferred foot (never turn down food even if you have to use the wrong foot) and you can tell when he gets tired of holding something in it, he gets upset because he can't finish the treat.

Here is an odd one though, Horatio does not like baths but loves the shower and the spray bottle, however only on one side. He always stands in the shower so his left side gets wet, never the right, if you move, he will rotate to keep the same side facing the shower. Go figure???

thats a good question and a good observation Julie! Ill have to take notice to see if Cheeky has a preference and post it here.......

Kermit is a lefty.

Jeff

Ole is a leftie, too. For eating and for stepping up, it has to be the left. When he's taking a bath, though, he always holds his right foot up, stretches it out and then splashes. Silly fids!

Great thread!

Yogi doesn't pick ANYTHING up with his feet yet. If it's too big to eat in a bite, he tosses it to the dog lol.

He Always steps up with his left foot first though. I actually only really noticed it today, because I've been teaching him to shake hands, and of course using the right foot <grin>.

Tonight he went to shake hands when I said "step up". Then he put that foot down, and stepped up with the left first. I thought it was kinda cute, and then realized it's always the left foot first. Same thing coming out of the cage.. always the left foot. Hmm.. a south paw. I like that.. I'm one too

Frankie will hold his food with either food, but seems to step up with his left foot first.

Isabelle holds her food with her left foot, and seems to step up with her left foot first, too.

Cricket is a lefty too.

He eats with his left. Steps up with his left. Sleeps on his left while tucking the right.

What a great thread. Something I've obviously noticed but never really thought about!

great post and interesting answers...my quaker is a lefty

Milo uses both. he eats with the left and steps up with the right. he also holds his feet up for me to kiss.lol then says that good
i love that little guy

Zeke was just like Horatio's. Never really liked a bath but loved the shower and spray bottle. AND he always wanted water hitting him on the left side. If I circled around him to wet or spray his right side....guess what?... he would turn around ...silly bird!

Zeke was a lefty as well.

Zeke's Mom

Dodger pretty much uses both feet.If I am asking him to step up..he gives me whatever foot is closest to my finger.
Shelby always gives me her left foot first.
Sebastion also favors his left foot...if he gives his right foot first..I have learned its a trick.He just wants to taste my arm So I wait for the left foot

Wow----Those interesting birdies of ours.....Sounds like we have a lot of lefties....

I've often wonder if there is some theory to why birds will use one foot over the other...



I certainly have enjoyed reading about all of our right/left footed babies....

This is so neat, because just a few days ago I mentioned this subject to my husband and the told me I was crazy. LOL



Louie is a lefty too!!! He holds everything with his left foot. The first week or two that I had him, he seemed to not even know how to really "operate" his right foot. He would try grabing something and his little foot was way off from the target,lol and he would drop it, but not so with his left. He has gotten much better about his right foot, because I insisted on giving him things to hold in his right on purpose. He will take it but then put it in his mouth and switch feet to his left. LOL



Isn't it funny how many QP are lefties? wonder if left-handed/footed is a QP thing.

Willie will step up with either foot but he holds his food in his left "hand".

So far, all the fids mentioned here have been referred to as "he" or "him". I would be interested in hearing from some DNAed girls.

Well you may be on to something Buddy....Maybe most all males use their left foot...

It will be quite interesting to see if the females hold true to this....Just curious...



Now somebody count up how many so far are left footed....Who wants the job...

And if they are male or female.....

WE could start a poll to find out

Well, I can't shoot your male/left theory down, but I can say Poppy uses both feet equally. Eating, stepping up and shaking. Seems to have no preference. Same as when he stands on one foot...
Maybe he is just young enough that he is still building up muscles though.

Casey is officially the first Righty!

This could be because it was her right leg that she broke and prefers to stand on the sturdier leg, but she will sleep on her right leg and pull her left leg up, so they both seem equally strong now! She also steps up with her right leg first...

I can't add in the male/female left/right theory though because we don't now her sex... but the vet thinks she looks female...

Ekko is a lefty!

I remember, not too long ago, we had a discussion about this. And I had a theory

The majority of people are right hand dominant. Even those who are left handed use their right hand for most things (except writing).

My theory is that because most people are right handed, they ask the bird to step up onto their finger on their right hand. Which when placed in front of the bird intices the bird to naturally step up with its left foot. So if the breeder is a right handed person (or left handed but does step ups with the right hand) and they teach the bird to step up, the bird will learn to step up with the left foot.

Make sense?

Yep it sure does Carrie Anne....And a lot of times (I'm right-handed) I give Harley my left hand but he still uses his left foot...

But you do have a point....We may solve this mystery yet....

I've seen that Milo uses his right more often than his left

I think my bird is a lefty too

Hey Carrie Anne

That actually had me thinking, because although I'm a lefty, I do always seem to offer the right hand for Yogi to step up on

When we do the laddering though, he still puts the left foot up first. Tried it tonight just to confirm hahahahahaha.

I have no life since I got birds

Deb

Tiki's a lefty as well... and is Male.

Shamrock is also a lefty

I do believe that Oliver uses his left foot for everything. there have been times when i ask him to step up and he'll start with his right but stops and switches to his left.

Wow---We sure do have a lot of lefties.....

Pistachio is a lefty and is a female

Marley used to step up with her right foot and eat with her left foot.
Ziggy (parrotlet) holds his food in his left foot as well.

Interesting...

Joni

Eistien always holds his food with his left foot, but usually steps up with his right.

I Googled the subject and found This article at http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:HPSFox...cd=26&gl=us

I also found the following paragraph at http://people.bath.ac.uk/ensab/Csp/horse.html

"While investigating the behavioural ecology of parrots a few years ago, a number of papers I came across discussed "footedness" in parrots. It seems that most parrots are left-footed, always favouring this side when holding food and manipulating objects. This phenomenon is not random, but appears with the regularity of right-handedness in humans."

paulie is left clawed and romeo uses both, *smile* left handed just like his mommy.. hehe'

The links are very informative QPdad...Thanks a lot....I have a broader perspective on this now...

Hope we all learned a little more out of this thread; I know I sure did....

Just caught this thread Julie......(where have I been).

Hmmm I can't even guess what foot Maxie uses. I think it's ??? Ya know, I just don't know. But he will be put to the test and I will test him several times to see if he is a "switch hitter". I will let ya know.

Okay, good enough Mark; we'll be waiting to hear whatcha got there....

huh, im not sure what otis is.

Yay, he's a rightie like me

Mine eats with his left too.... Is everyones a lefty? Sure seems like it!! LOL

Tracey

As the article QPDad listed, most parrots are Left footed when they eat. Even though some will step up with their right foot first...if you'll watch most birds eat with their left foot.