Conference 7.286::pet_birds

632.0. "biting, behavioral incidents" by AIRG::TINA () Tue Nov 26 1991 13:44

     
    have you had biting, behavioral incidents with your feathered 'friend'?
    
    i have; and i haven't much liked it either.
    
    my little baby bird, CHEWY (somehow i knew when i named him that would
    be a good name for him), has taken to sins of the flesh -- BITING.
    
    my little precious has become much less precious to my hubby.  he does
    the war walk everytime my hubby comes near, and if i am holding him and
    my hubby comes near, he bites me (i know -- displaced aggression -- isn't
    he cute?).
    
    in general, he intimidates EVERYONE so no one wants to play with this
    once cute little bird but me.  needless to say and luckily i think, he
    is bonding to me (so went the regurgitating on me for the first time at
    a work party i had -- isn't he cute?) 
    
    so what is the problem?  in his infinite cuteness, he bites on
    me too.  but me, being the level-headed person i am, grabs his beak and
    puts him back in his cage to initiate the punishment for the crime he
    has commited and to hopefully prevent him from biting again.  
    
    he has been wild lately (but he is just a pup i say 7 mos old).  my
    opinion is that he is just going through beaking (teething).  i believe
    that if i stick to the punishment immediately after the heinous crime,
    he will chill out after a while. which brings me to my question.
    
    if i am correct and this is just a 'beaking' stage, then all birds go
    through it.  did yours?  what did you do during this stage?
    
    i tried something new that i thought might change these behavioral
    incidents.  the cockatiels' cages use to be right next to my pet.  i
    moved them for several reasons.  the most important was the war dance
    he did on top of their cage intimidating them to screams of horror.
    then i moved a mirror behind his cages.  it had an immediate affect. 
    he began to coooo to the new image he saw in the mirror.  
    
    he still loves for da' mama to come and pick him up even though i take
    him away from his new friend, but he HATES it when da' mama puts him
    back!  he growls and bites, recently breaking my skin (i was less
    level-headed when that happened).  
    
    anyway share your tales of wo with me.  how did you get through this
    toddler stage?

    
    did i mention that 'chewy' is a red-lored amazon?

    
    
    Hi, sounds like my Marley...remember me the other red lored
    owner?? sounds like what i went though, and still do at times..
    i put him in a towel and brought him into the bathroom and talk
    soft and relax myself for about 10 minutes-- this seems to do the
    trick....but he will still sometimes bite my ear if he's on my 
    shoulder and someone comes near us, which is suppose to be like
    a warning or danger, danger...he seems to be taking a liking to
    any male person that comes over lately..My blue and gold also
    does not like anyone to come near us either, as a matter of fact
    a friend of my was visiting me the other day and she got down
    from her cage and chased them out of HER livingroom..
    
    they sure can get bonded to you huh?
    
    good luck,
    hope some of this helps --
    
    =lisa

    
    	I thought that was normal behavior! My Congo Grey does the same
    thing and the Blue Crowned conure - - don't even look at him if he
    (she) is on my husbands shoulder! 2 out of the 5 tiels are very
    territorial and protective of either my husband or me. The other 3
    tiels are protective of their cages. My Grey got me real good on the
    ear two days ago because I was not paying attention to him but
    listening to friends. Usually he is Very Gentle!
    
    	Like I said - I thought that was normal behavior!