Cockatoo Biting our Hands and Feet

[Krueger]

Hi everyone, I'm new here. This is my first post so if don't give enough info let me know.

My umbrella cockatoo, Krueger, lately has started biting everybody's feet and hands. It's not as bad as it could be, but I'm just wondering why he is doing it. Whenever he's out of his cage he loves being around people. He's a very social bird. Just recently, when I have him on my forearm, every once and a while he will climb over top of my hand and start feeling it with his beak, which is normal. But he would start nibbling on it and it escalated to kind of gnawing on it. I don't know why but it's starting to be difficult to have him on me at all when he does this. It's worse with the feet because he will climb down my leg when I'm sitting down and start the same as with the hand, but the biting will be even harder, as if it's a toy. Not enough to bleed or anything, but enough to worry me as if he will. I can't get him off when he's doing it either. Even if I have socks on, or shoes, he will do the same thing, except even worse. What can I do about this?

Another issue I've been having is when he's on my shoulders he wants to climb on top of my head. For a while it was fine and I just thought he was being silly, but recently he has been like grabbing my neck really hard trying to climb up on it. Is this just because he wants to be at a higher point?

Just had some questions about the stuff. If you need more info, let me know. Thanks!

 

[Jayyj]

I've no experience of this with umbrellas but galahs just love to chew digits at any opportunity. Alice does pretty much the same: starts off wanting her head stroked, then she starts nuzzling, then mouthing, then the pressure gets harder. There's a procedure called bite pressure training that you should be able to find older posts on but basically it teaches the bird how much is acceptable pressure before they're hurting you.

As far as your head and foot go, I'd just ban him from going there full stop. Just block him from going there together with a 'no' command and if he perseveres pick him up and put him down on a perch so he gets the message.

 

[Allee]

Welcome to you and Krueger!

It would be helpful to know Krueger's age and how long you've had him.

It's great that Krueger is social and friendly. It sounds like he needs boundaries and pressure training. The freedom of the floor is probably too much for Krueger at this point. U2's are easily overstimulated, they usually mean no harm, they just have trouble controlling themselves when they are having fun. I use two fingers against the side of my U2's beak when she starts to play too rough, I very gently push her beak away and say, careful. U2's really feel it when hormones kick in and it isn't uncommon for some of them to be nippier than usual. A stand or play area away from the cage comes in handy, U2's are smart, they learn pretty fast that biting is not acceptable, returning them to their play stand gives them a chance to calm down and gain control. Giving a U2 shoulder priveleges can be dangerous unless you completely trust your bird, it's a privelege that should be earned. I never allow my U2 on my head, I trust her on my shoulder when she is in the right mood. For now, I would keep Krueger on my forearm or wrist and away from faces while working on bite pressure.

 

[Siobhan]

The only U2 I know is mine, and he uses that signal to let me know he has to poop and to get him back to his cage NOW. He has never once pooped on me. It took some time to figure out that's what he meant. The more urgently he has to go, the harder he presses (but never breaks the skin). He never beaks me otherwise. It's possible your bird is trying to communicate. Is there any common thread like that going on? Something that startles your bird, or that he wants you to do, or stop doing? Just another possibility to throw out there. But you do have to make him understand how hard is too hard. If Rocky bites too hard, I say, "Ow, not so hard" or "no chomping Mama" and he stops, he really does.

 

[Iholm5]

This sounds familiar to me. If your 'too is definitely a boy this may be a hormonal thing (in case you didn't hear, male cockatoos are jerks for a few months, until around March-ish). I would agree with Siobhan that when Tiki bites at our feet it's because he needs something, like if we aren't picking him up when he wants, or if he has to potty. I'd recommend giving your bird a good, solid no when he bites. Bite pressure training is something you should research as well, since birds use their beaks like we use our hands it's hard to tell them to flat-out never put their beaks on us - Tiki loves to climb our shirts using his.

A cockatoo's beak is strong enough to crack a finger, no problem. I would avoid having your bird near/on your head until you are more sure of what he's capable of and he knows what's acceptable for beak usage. Not to scare you, but take a look and see on Google images what has happened to peoples' faces from a quick nip. Height, for a lot of birds, is a measure of hierarchy, IE "I am higher than you, therefore I am in charge", which is why many birds like shoulders. I can't imagine my U2 on my head, and I would strongly encourage you to keep him off. If he's not listening after a few requests, our bird gets brief time outs. I don't know if other people here would recommend the same but it works for us

 

[Krueger]

Thanks for all the replies!
I'll definitely look into some bite pressure training. I'm still very new to all the stuff with Krueger.

I'll give a bit of background:
I'm Nick, and I'm a college student. I've actually grown up and lived with Krueger for my entire life. My parents told me they believe he's in his 20's. They had him for a few years before I was born (I was born in 1997). A relative had Krueger and a few other birds. Something happened where he had to re-home them all, so my parents inherited Krueger and a Blue Fronted Amazon named Caesar. Krueger and Caesar were best buddies for a long time, from what I was told. They were separated and Caesar was given to my grandparents to take care of, but Krueger stayed with us. My parents didn't know much about them, and I don't think they actually did much research on them. Krueger had mainly that basic "parrot mix" that you can get at a basic grocery store. We always had issues with Krueger flinging his food and wasting a lot of it. My dad would give him some peanut butter on toast a lot, and some other human foods. So basically, he turned into a stubborn little guy that decided he only wanted human food. That, and the sunflower seeds that were in the mix. Krueger also spent a lot of time in a cage, unfortunately. My parents spent some time with him, but I don't think they ever took him out of the cage that much. My dad took him out one time and had Krueger go on his arm and shoulder, and I thought it was so awesome. He would use a clicking sound (which we always use with him, just kinda what we've always done) and he would click his beak back as kind of a trust thing. This kind of trained him to be a shoulder bird. As I got older, I took Krueger out more often and gave him as much attention as I could. We were busy people, so often isn't nearly as much as it should have been. By often, it was like once every week or few days. This was a lot to me, because my parents wouldn't even take him out that much. The only issue with taking him out, was getting him back in the cage. This was so difficult, because we have a bird that isn't trained at all. We always had to use a treat to lure him into the cage.

Fast forward a few years, my parents got divorced. I am mostly with my mom. Krueger was at my dad's house and he did not take care of him the right way at all. This was my junior year in high school. I'm not sure what it was, but something got me to look up some info about Krueger. Mainly because I actually didn't really know anything about him. When I found all the stuff that you have to do to take care of a U2, I felt horrible. I convinced my dad to let me take care of him and moved him to my mom's house. Since then, it's been a huge change for him. I get him showers now, got him on a fruit pellet diet, and spend much more time with him. I get him as many toys as I can, and have been doing my best to take care of him. His feathers aren't nearly as ruffled (they were terrible before), his cage gets cleaned often, and he doesn't shake as much (I think he was cold a lot of the time at my dad's house). I'm still learning, because it's all still fairly new to me. I'm going to community college so I commute from home, which makes it easier. Although I've made things a little better cleanliness-wise, I still have a lot to fix. He's never been to the vet before. I am going to take him in as soon as I can to get a checkup on everything for the first time. He's not trained, so I still have to lure him into the cage with food. The thing that worries me is that we cannot control him in some situations either, so if he gets crazy, there's really not much I can do other than saying "it's ok." I also need to find a way to decrease the yelling. He yells all the time.
Sorry for the long story, but there was just a lot to say.

I just recently found out that they are feisty during the mating season.
And I just read recently that you shouldn't trust them on your shoulders either. I'm not really sure how to stop this. If he gets on my arm, he'll go straight up to my shoulder. I can't really stop him. My parents and I always used a stern no, but recently it hasn't been doing anything.
One thing I have noticed is that he seems to be unresponsive to anything I say to him unless I raise my voice a little, which I really don't like doing.

I guess I'm not really sure how to start when his entire life he hasn't really been taught anything, or to respond to no and such.

Thanks for reading

 

[Allee]

Nick, I think it's great that you are taking the initiative to give Krueger a happier, healthier life. A U2 is a challenge for anyone but you also have the opportunity to build a bond with Krueger that will last for many years to come.

As I'm sure you've learned through research, Toos need a lot more than basic care to remain happy. The behavioral issues you're seeing developed over a long period of time, it's unrealistic to think you will see immediate results. Getting started is a huge positive step in the right direction. A bad diet, especially over a long period or over years can have a huge effect on the bird's personality, a bird that doesn't feel good isn't going to be very cooperative. You should see positive changes from Krueger's new diet in a few weeks. If Krueger already likes people food that will work in his favor. Fresh vegetables, fruit, grains, beans, pasta, the list is long. A lot of foods that are healthy for humans also benefit parrots. Even with a busy schedule, it's easy to share a snack or a meal, it's a nice way to build a bond and make Keueger feel included.

If parrots are left alone in a cage for long periods of time, when they are let out it's not surprising they refuse to go back in. I know you can't spend all your time interacting with Krueger so instead, make sure his time with you is quality time, try to make his time out of the cage a pleasant experience, Keueger will appreciate it and respond. Read up on training methods and choose those that work for your bird and your situation. Most parrots really enjoy training sessions, it challenges them and it's a form of play, Toos love to play. There's no need to spend all your money buying monster Too toys, most Toos love anything they can destroy, phone books, soft drink boxes, clean pizza boxes (almost any pizza place will give you a stack of new boxes if you tell them what you need them for). A paper bag or a box filled with crumpled paper (make sure the ink is soy based) can keep a Too happy for hours. Our DIY section is full of toy ideas that won't cut into your tuition.

It sounds like you're okay with Krueger being a shoulder bird? If so, and if you trust him not to get overstimulated then you need to teach him some basic manners. He's in the habit of running up arms, a learned behavior, it will take a few sessions to change his mind. It might be wise to wear a jacket with thick sleeves and a high collar, When Keueger starts up your arm use your free arm to block him at your elbow, at first he will probably argue, stay as calm as possible and talk to him, reward him when he calms and stays in place. Try not to let the argument, escalate, it's counterproductive to argue with a Too. You have to be consistent, you can't let him climb your arm in the morning and expect him not to try it later. If he puts up a huge battle, place him on a stand away from his cage until he's calm, then try again. A table top stand, or a DIY stand is perfect for training and he will get the hang of it. Patience and persistence is key.

Best of luck to both of you, please let us know how Krueger's training works out.

 

[plumsmum2005]

Hi Nick, I commend what you are trying to achieve with Krueger. After reading your story of Krueger's life history I wondered about the fact that you say he seems to be unresponsive to anything you say to him unless your voice is raised. Do you think that could be because it's what he's used to with his previous owners ie your Dad etc. An older Male's voice would be stronger/deeper than yours probably, this opinion is based purely on age. So instead of raising your voice could you try more authority in your voice so he gets to know you mean what you are saying. Obviously reward him if he picks this up.
Good luck to you both and please let us know how Krueger's training works out.

 

[Sucre]

Just letting you know that you aren't alone! We have a 'too that we rescued a couple of months ago. He is definitely a work in progress. He was exposed to inhalable drugs and had free roam of the house he was in.

My husband is the one working with him, mostly. Sucre has decided that I am competition for my husband's attention. I have learned that it's best to never get a large male parrot during mating season - they bonded off the bat and I am considered his worst enemy. I've been bitten several times by him, and he has made it very clear that he does not want any interaction with me. However, he is VERY social and loves everyone else!

Knowing how his bites feel, I would never trust him anywhere near my face. But he is like Krueger. Once he steps up onto your arm, the shoulder is exactly where he plans to go. He will also do the same thing with me that your Krueger does - pretend to be nibbling on me, then really let me have it. I will have to check into the pressure training, as well!

He's great with my husband, but my husband trusts him completely. He's never been bitten by him, it's all love and snuggles with those two!

I have a question. How do you put them on a stand and make them stay there??? Sucre slides down anything and takes off on foot - wings are clipped for my safety.

 

[Allee]

Since you are dealing with a large hormonal Too that's only been in your home a couple of months, your first priority is to be safe. It's probably better to let your husband do the arm training. Sucre has been allowed to run up arms so he expects to get by with it, the first few times you block him may result in confrontation. You have to be consistent to change a learned behavior. If you invite Sucre to step up, you need to follow through, once he's on your arm, reward him, if he insists on climbing up your arm, walk to the stand, ask him to step away, extend your arm or lean over so he has to work to keep his balance, he'll notice the perch is more stable than a moving arm and therefore a better choice. Once you've asked him to step away, insist, if you change your mind and back down at that point, your rewarding bad behavior.

He will learn pretty quickly if he wants to be on your arm, he will be allowed to as long as he cooperates. Protect yourself at first, wear layered clothing and cover your arms, hold a towel in your free hand and if he actively tries to bite you he gets a mouthful of towel rather than flesh. I never wear bright colors or clothing that may intimidate an angry Too, just a few layers of comfortable cloth between my flesh and an angry beak. Repetition is rewarded, once you have Sucre stepping up and you can transport him to another perch a safe distance away and consistently get him to politely step down, take him for longer tours, show him the windows or new rooms, have him step from one person to another, pass him back and forth, always praise him and reward wanted behaviors. I think Toos should be given plenty of room to behave like Toos but Toos are much happier and more stable with reasonable boundaries in place. Personally, I think all out Too tantrums are pretty funny as long as no one including the Too gets hurt. Attacking humans or other pets should never be allowed.

Two months is no time when working with a damaged Too, work with the positives and downplay the negatives. Find something Sucre really likes, music, cartoons, reading aloud, positive interaction is brand new to Sucre, it will take time for him to adjust.

Best of luck to both of you. Let us know how Sucre progresses.

 

[Krueger]

Thanks for the helpful tips!
I tried the first training session for keeping off my shoulders today. I used Sunflower seeds as the treat cause Krueger loves them. I thought it went pretty well. He got up a couple times, but he gradually got a little more comfortable on my forearm. I'm so excited to finally begin the process

 

[Allee]

Great update and great progress! I'm glad Krueger is cooperating.