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Conference 7.286::pet_birds

Title:Captive Breeding for Conservation--and FUN!
Notice:INTROS 6.X / FOR SALE 13.X / Buying a Bird 900.*
Moderator:VIDEO::PULSIFER
Created:Mon Oct 10 1988
Last Modified:Tue Jun 03 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:942
Total number of notes:6016

668.0. "HELP! HARD BITING!" by GRANPA::KSWARTZ () Tue Mar 03 1992 13:12

    I NEED SOME ADVICE ON BITING. BOGART AN AFRICAN GREY IS 8 MONTHS
    OLD NOW. HE WAS HAND RAISED AND IS VERY TAME AND LOVEABLE. WHEN
    WE FIRST SAW HIM AT THE PET STORE IT TOOK US A COUPLE OF WEEKS
    OF RESEARCH, PETTING ETC BEFORE BUYING HIM. WELL HE WAS BITING
    HARD THEN (5 MONTHS OF AGE) AND THE PET STORE SAID HE WOULD GROW
    OUT OF IT. ANYWAY HE IS 8 MONTHS NOW AND STILL BITING HARD. HE
    GETS ALL OF OUR ATTENTION EXCEPT WORK HOURS OF COURSE. AT TIMES
    HE IS REALLY LOVEABLE (MORNING) AND DOESNT BITE HARD AT ALL BUT
    OTHER TIMES HE BITES WAY TOO HARD. MY LIPS ARE TIRED OF BEING 
    TORN! I DON'T WANT TO SCOLD HIM AND PUT HIM IN HIS CAGE BECAUSE
    HE REALLY LOVES HIS CAGE AND I DONT WANT HIM ASSOCIATING "BAD"
    WITH HIS CAGE.
    
    ANY IDEAS WOULD BE APPREICATED!
    
    KAREN & BOGART
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668.1Kiss and Tell. OUCH !ROYALT::PULSIFERUNHAMPERED BY FACTS AND INFORMATIONWed Mar 04 1992 11:208
    Hi Karen,
    
    The first thing I would do is keep my lips away from him, and give him
    something less sensitive to bite. For further ideas you should check
    outnote 43 and note 104.
    
    Doug
    
668.2my method GENT::TINAWed Mar 04 1992 13:3823
    
    karen, i totally agree with doug.  chewy, my red-lored amazon, was doing
    doing much the same thing to me and my husband.  first of all if he
    starts getting interested in your face, turn your head.  if he
    continues, one thing i found that worked great was put the little crow
    on the floor.  chewy hates that.  if he tries to do it again, 
    put him on the floor again. that should work better than putting him
    in his cage if he likes his cage.  chewy hates being in his cage if
    we're home so i alternate between floor and cage as punishment.
    
    also when chewy started biting hard, i bought a dog rope toy.  if he
    started to bite me, i threw the toy in his mouth.  i never raise my
    voice -- that gets him nuts!  
    
    this morning was a great example.  i was trying to trim a toe nail
    of chewy's -- he hates it hates it hates it.  he started growling and
    biting.  (morning is when he is out alot and really likes to be with my
    hubby and me.)  when he bit me, i put him back in his cage, and walked
    away.  ooooo he was MAD.  i let him scream a bit and when he finally
    quieted down.  i went into him and talked very calm to him and told him
    that we were going to try it again.  this time i got 4 of his nails
    done.  after each one i gave him big praise and told him what a good
    bird he was.  everything worked great.  
668.3My methodSHALOT::WAYERThu Mar 05 1992 11:0419
    I'm very new to keeping birds so I probably shouldn't give any advice
    but I can tell you what worked with my bird Spock.  
    
    Spock likes to chew if he is sitting on my lap he will start out softly
    gnawing on my finger but every once in a while he will chomp down kinda
    of hard. To solve this when Spock is in my lap I keep a chew toy handy
    when he wants to chew on a finger I give him his toy. This always
    works.
    
    I had to go out of town for a week and when I cam back Spock decided to
    bite. It just took about a half hour to stop the problem. When he bit
    my finger I would blow in his face and say NO. He understands that NO
    means stop. I would then tell him to step up and move him to my other 
    hand. Telling him to step up and making him behave puts you back in
    charge of the situation.
    
    I hope my experience help
    Regards
    Mary Ann
668.4THANKSGRANPA::KSWARTZThu Mar 05 1992 11:0510
    THANKS GUYS! I WILL TRY BOTH SUGGESTIONS. THE FLOOR SOUNDS LIKE A
    GOOD IDEA ALTHOUGH BOGART LIKES TO FLY AND WALK AROUND ON THE CARPET.
    AS FOR THE FACE PART HE CUDDLES UP OUR FACE AND PUTS THE TIP OF HIS
    BEAK ON YOUR CHEEK TO BE PETTED. AND 60% OF THE TIME DOES NOT BITE
    OR ONLY NUZLES WITH HIS BEAK. ITS THAT 40% OF THE TIME THAT HE WILL 
    BITE HARD. WE ALSO HAVE ONE OF THOSE ROPE TOYS THAT HE LOVES TO CHEW.
    I THINK I WILL GET ANOTHER FOR OUTSIDE OF THE CAGE. AS YOU MIGHT HAVE
    GUESSED HE IS SPOILED ROTTEN AND GET WHAT EVER HE WANTS! THATS
    PROBABLY PART OF THE PROBLEM TOO!
    THANKS AGAIN. ANY MORE SUGGESTIONS PLEASE WRITE!
668.5Parrots like any "child" can be disiplined!AVIAN::KIRSCHBAUMOn Wings of Fiberglas and SteelThu Mar 12 1992 13:5218
	Try "NO" in a very firm voice.  Keep a straight
	face when doing it!  Keep your eyes above his.

	I find it easier to disipline Avalon when he is
	in my lab rather than on my shoulder.

	However, he always understands when I am angry, I
	make no attempt to hide it if I am angry with him, since
	he makes no attempt to hide the fact that he is
	angry with me.

	Hard biting is being done in the afternoon for a
	reason, find the reason, and you should be able to
	solve the problem, but in the meantime, treat the
	symptom!  Be firm...

	-dick
668.6You better stand back...SALEM::NEAULTThu Aug 20 1992 15:4515
    HELP!  I've have Billy a Yellow Nape for almost 5 years now.  He has
    always been very kind and gentle.  He has never ever bitten anyone
    (Hard).  Just last week he started bitting ME.  I am the one that
    feeds, cleans and does everything with him.  Does anyone have any Idea
    whey all of a sudden he started to bite?  I'm not talking just bitting,
    I mean attacking my hand every time I reach for him.  His tail feathers
    spread apart as soon as I come next to him.  It's not like fear but
    more like "I dare you to come close to me" I'm about to change his name
    to Jeckle & Hide...
    
    
    Thanks
    
    Roger
    Nashua, NH
668.7OUCHSALEM::NEAULTFri Aug 21 1992 02:447
    I have come to the conclusion that Billyh is sexually frustrated, he
    bit me again tonight, drew blood,  Does anyone have a yellow nape
    Amazon in the Nashua area that wants to fool around....?
    
    My hand is getting sore @#$%^&*
    
    Roger
668.8patienceROYALT::PULSIFERUNHAMPERED BY FACTS AND INFORMATIONFri Aug 21 1992 12:4420
    Hi Roger,
    
    I am not a Breeder and only have one Amazon a Blue Front. From What I
    have read you should just be patient and give Billy his space for
    awhile(couple weeks ?) and he will get over it.
    
    As far as setting him up for Breeding, I have known of people setting
    parrots up for breeding and it seems that breeding sucesses with
    Amazons in New England are rare, while most other parrots are usually a
    lot more sucessful. What I have heard is Amazons require Heat/Humidity,
    Heat/Humidity,Heat/Humidity,Heat/Humidity,Heat/Humidity, and more
    Heat/Humidity. On top of that anyone wanting to breed Billy would want
    to quarantne him for 30-90 days and then he probably won't want to
    breed until next year.
    
    I hope you decide to keep Billy as a Pet, if not maybe some experts in
    this file will provide more info. Also you might want to talk to some
    breeders in N.H., maybe wingsong aviary.
    
    Doug