Crazy over my Biter

[Niteldy]

I have hand raised ALL types of parrots for the 3 aviarys I work for and have many years experience BUT this is Driving me crazy! I have Never had this happen in my 68 years!

I hand raised my blue quaker- he started out life with splayed legs- I ties them together and they partially healed proper- he still walks with his legs a little apart. Anyway he is approaching one year old and I have taught him to do a couple cute tricks and about 20 words. My husband has a sunday conure who my bird has recently began playing with when they are uncaged- I have seen preening each other and being kinda lovietowards one another. They are both males and about the same age. Their cages are in separate rooms. My quaker bites everyone except me and always has, I couldnt break him from this. However the last 2 days my bird has attacked me when I tried to get him out of his cage - or interact with him at all ! Today he went so far as running across the floor towards me to attack me! Beak open and running at me he was able to get at my leg and started biting me hard enough to draw blood!
Ok now I am desperate !!! what can I do? I love this little monster but I cant live with being attacked!! Plus he hasnt spoken a wordin days ! It sounds like he is mad at me- but what for? I have not done anything to think of!
Please if this has ever happened to you or you have seen this behavior HELP ME! I cannot send him to the local aviary to live out his days without human contac and love like I give my birds! That is what my family says I should do. I wont- he was my dream bird and is now my sweetheart. He is BREAKING my heart!!!

 

[Jcas]

Any chance he could be experiencing hormones? It seems to be fairly common with birds around that age where they go from lovers to biters in the blink of an eye! The bird doesn’t hate you, he can’t control his own mind when it gets flooded with hormones. There is a lot of good advice on this forum for reducing hormonal behavior including: twelve hours of dark each night, limit sugary/ high starch foods, and don’t touch them around their back area. This behavior shouldn’t be permanent; just give your buddy a little time to calm down and be careful if he seems like he might be feeling cranky.

 

[Niteldy]

DUH! I totally forgot "Hormones" ...My little buddy has enough problems with being disabled- Now he has to endure that phase of life that makes him mean and icky!
Thanks!!!! I love this forum!!

 

[Bird&Ant lover]

Any chance he could be experiencing hormones? It seems to be fairly common with birds around that age where they go from lovers to biters in the blink of an eye! The bird doesn’t hate you, he can’t control his own mind when it gets flooded with hormones. There is a lot of good advice on this forum for reducing hormonal behavior including: twelve hours of dark each night, limit sugary/ high starch foods, and don’t touch them around their back area. This behavior shouldn’t be permanent; just give your buddy a little time to calm down and be careful if he seems like he might be feeling cranky.

I second this by a mile, sleeping early helped my budgie stop with the hormonal behavior.