Bad Macaw bite please help

My friends got this macaw he takes to work with him doing construction. He can bite thru steel girders and use an arc welder...well, no, not really...
 
This is going to give me nightmares! Next time I struggle with Luci in the shower, which is every time, I will be thinking of all the possibilities! OMG!
 
I just took in a plucked Ekkie .How often are you bathing Merlin ?
 
This was an extremely interesting post -I learned a lot, however could you be specific in what you do to train not to bite, how to avoid a bite, and beak pressure training? For us "newbies" this would be a tremendous help from all of you with vast experience.
I have an 8 month old Severe Macaw named Marty. Have had him about three weeks. He is pretty good, but at times he will lunge with beak open. He has also found out that he has a tongue, and wants to use it extensively.

All of your help and advice is very much appreciated!
Sincerely,
JewelsinMo

I've seen bite pressure questions pop up a lot lately, and I try to answer them as often as I can since I remember not too terribly long ago searching for those answers myself. So for any who have already heard my answer, hope I don't sound too much like a broken record. Lol!

People have a variety of different techniques that work for them. Personally, I've had the most success using the wobble technique. Basically, good beak pressure is rewarded with continued interaction and praise. (Remember that parrots, to varying extents, tend to be "beaky". They don't just use their beaks to bite. They also use them as grasping appendages, much like we do with our hands.)
But the instant that beak pressure becomes uncomfortable/borderline painful, you tell him"no" in a firm, yet calm, voice, and you give the arm he is standing on a wobble. (Only use this for bites and uncomfortable nips. Be careful not to punish beaking.) It is very important that you only give enough of a wobble to threaten your fid's balance, rather than to make him actually fall. Causing him to fall would likely damage the trust between you and set back his training.

Another thing to remember is that you have to keep your reaction subdued. Any kind of animated reaction won't necessarily be taken as a negative by your parrot. In some cases, your parrot might find your reaction rather amusing and attempt to elicit it from you again... leading to MORE biting rather than less. "Look at what I can make my human do! Ha!"

Even done right, this technique isn't an overnight fix. But done with consistency and patience, your bird will eventually come to associate harder bite pressure with an undesirable loss of balance. Hence, a negative thing. And the word "no" will come to mean something negative for him as well. In time, the wobble would no longer be necessary. Just saying no will suffice.

And just to cover the gamut, if he does manage to latch onto you pretty hard, I'm not one of those who advocates completely ignoring what's happening and taking the pain. (Ouch!) Keep your reaction subdued, yes, but don't let him just gnaw away. First, push INTO the bite. Counter-intuitive, I know, but pulling away will often result in worse damage. Then, using the thumb and index finger of your free hand, grasp the beak on either side of the tip and firmly (but GENTLY) leverage the beak away in a slightly twisting motion. No wrenching. Consistent pressure only so you don't hurt him.

And lastly, as for your fid's newly discovered tongue and his desire to use it extensively... sorry, can't help you there. You just have to live with the fact that your bird's a little fresh :p
 
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #85
Thanks Anansi for your post. I was able to finger wrestle with him a little before this bite. He knows I'm a newbie Macaw owner and using this to his advantage. He's always been a lunger but I just look at him and say "Loves" it means be nice. He'll step up nice then sometimes lunge.

He has some pin feathers coming in on his neck and I'll put him on my lap and preen him. If he is nice I give him an Almond slice. I'm also starting to just touch his beak and give him a treat. I think he gets nervous when I try to touch his beak so we are taking it slow and steady. I get nervous when he wants to grab my finger. I've been bit at least once a week. (Breaking the skin) ever since I adopted him 4 months ago.

I don't think he's biting to be mean he just doesn't know how hard he is doing it. I can give my Sun Conure head scratches and when she's done she will gently let be know not Wesley he will draw blood. Maybe my expectations are to high but I was hoping he would do the same or at least stop drawing blood.
 
Even the experienced ones get bit too! You've seen my bloody thumb....lol
 
This was an extremely interesting post -I learned a lot, however could you be specific in what you do to train not to bite, how to avoid a bite, and beak pressure training? For us "newbies" this would be a tremendous help from all of you with vast experience.
I have an 8 month old Severe Macaw named Marty. Have had him about three weeks. He is pretty good, but at times he will lunge with beak open. He has also found out that he has a tongue, and wants to use it extensively.

All of your help and advice is very much appreciated!
Sincerely,
JewelsinMo

I've seen bite pressure questions pop up a lot lately, and I try to answer them as often as I can since I remember not too terribly long ago searching for those answers myself. So for any who have already heard my answer, hope I don't sound too much like a broken record. Lol!

People have a variety of different techniques that work for them. Personally, I've had the most success using the wobble technique. Basically, good beak pressure is rewarded with continued interaction and praise. (Remember that parrots, to varying extents, tend to be "beaky". They don't just use their beaks to bite. They also use them as grasping appendages, much like we do with our hands.)
But the instant that beak pressure becomes uncomfortable/borderline painful, you tell him"no" in a firm, yet calm, voice, and you give the arm he is standing on a wobble. (Only use this for bites and uncomfortable nips. Be careful not to punish beaking.) It is very important that you only give enough of a wobble to threaten your fid's balance, rather than to make him actually fall. Causing him to fall would likely damage the trust between you and set back his training.

Another thing to remember is that you have to keep your reaction subdued. Any kind of animated reaction won't necessarily be taken as a negative by your parrot. In some cases, your parrot might find your reaction rather amusing and attempt to elicit it from you again... leading to MORE biting rather than less. "Look at what I can make my human do! Ha!"

Even done right, this technique isn't an overnight fix. But done with consistency and patience, your bird will eventually come to associate harder bite pressure with an undesirable loss of balance. Hence, a negative thing. And the word "no" will come to mean something negative for him as well. In time, the wobble would no longer be necessary. Just saying no will suffice.

And just to cover the gamut, if he does manage to latch onto you pretty hard, I'm not one of those who advocates completely ignoring what's happening and taking the pain. (Ouch!) Keep your reaction subdued, yes, but don't let him just gnaw away. First, push INTO the bite. Counter-intuitive, I know, but pulling away will often result in worse damage. Then, using the thumb and index finger of your free hand, grasp the beak on either side of the tip and firmly (but GENTLY) leverage the beak away in a slightly twisting motion. No wrenching. Consistent pressure only so you don't hurt him.

And lastly, as for your fid's newly discovered tongue and his desire to use it extensively... sorry, can't help you there. You just have to live with the fact that your bird's a little fresh :p

Thank You, Anansi for the explanation! I believe that I understand your method and begin using it immediately.
Again, Thank You for the response!
JewelsinMo
 

Most Reactions

Back
Top