Hahn behavior issues (squawking and biting clothes)

[hahnyboy]

This has become a major issue for my girlfriend; my six year old Hahn Macaw, Mia, keeps poking holes in our clothes. Most recently I was watching a movie and Mia flew over to hang out with, crawling around, doing birdy things, but when we got up my gf noticed the bird had bit a hole in her dress.
Another instance is I was laying on my bed with my laptop and the bird crawled under the laptop in between my legs and bit a hole in my favorite shorts. Of course I notice it too late to punish her for it, but it seems to happen when we are distracted by other things. Should I just keep her in her cage unless I can give her my full attention? Which brings me to the squawking....
She will squawk constantly if she's in her cage except while sleeping at night. If she's awake, she wants to be attached to me or exploring the condo. Her cage is a good size with lots of toys. She would rather be out the cage playing with a blanket or paper shopping bag.
Are these normal issues for Macaws or should I do something differently?
Help!

 

[MikeyTN]

You just have to get used to it, I have holes in several of my shirts from them chewing on it. Watch what your wearing so they don't ruin something you don't want them to. Does she have a play stand where she can play and entertain herself? It's wonderful you let her out to play often but if your letting her out just because she's squawking your teaching her bad habits, she gets the idea if she squawks you'll let her out and let her do whatever she wants to do. She needs to have a designated area like on a play stand where she can do what she wants to do.

 

[Mattroma]

I agree with Mikey, you have to get used to it, it's going to happen. I tend to be a little more observant and stop my Mac for biting my clothes. My wife on the other hand is more complacent . The other day my wife lost a sweater, she had just bought. She also loses buttons to my Mac. I keep reminding my wife that she needs to be more alert when our Mac is off his play stand on the couch etc.

 

[hahnyboy]

What if i trim her beak down? Maybe that will help?

 

[Rizosmom]

tell your girlfriend to have birdy playing clothes lol....that's what we do here....we just hope we don't get any unexpected company while wearing our holey clothes that have been christened by the babies

 

[legal_eagle]

She can still come out freely ... just don't let her crawl around in your clothes.

 

[thekarens]

Trimming the beak of a hahns won't help. Their beak is naturally pointy. I vote for "bird" clothes. First thing when I come in from work I change into my bird clothes (unless I'm going out)

 

[Buzz2537]

Yeah, Hahnna loves to naw on my tee shirts. Like Mikey TN said, ya just have to get use to it and not wear good cloths when she is hanging out on you. I wear lots of knock around tee ahirts when she is on me. Not sure why they do it, but I had a Sun Conure years and year and years ago and she too loved to do it, yet my Boo a Cockatoo did not. I got it from all ends though. i have a small Yorkie thatlikes to do the same. Lol

 

[hahnyboy]

OK, we can get use to her eating at our clothes, bed, and pillows.
She's also started biting, for example, when its time to go in her cage and I ask her to step up, she will lunge at my hand and bite, drawing blood. My response is to tell her no, towel her, and put her away for some alone time. This has been going on for awhile but not getting much results. Should I be doing something differently?

 

[Chesphoto]

OK, we can get use to her eating at our clothes, bed, and pillows.
She's also started biting, for example, when its time to go in her cage and I ask her to step up, she will lunge at my hand and bite, drawing blood. My response is to tell her no, towel her, and put her away for some alone time. This has been going on for awhile but not getting much results. Should I be doing something differently?

Here is a suggestion. Try to think of a way to make bed time fun or something to look forward to. Maybe put her favorite nut in her food dish, let her see you do it and see if she wants to go into her cage to get it.

For Skittles, I have just been sitting with her and relaxing, scratching and playing with her. When she seems like she has had enough, I quickly put her in the cage and say goodnight. Working so far...

 

[JennHacken]

offering her softer play toys may help as well- i've found my bird likes to chew on the fleece blankets, so i've cut stips of fleece and tye them to a perch, he stands and chews for a long time. this also helps with the squawking.

placing food in foraging toys also helps with squawking. if she's busy looking for food she's not going to busy looking for attention. in the wild birds spend 80% of their time looking for food, no wonder ours get bored in a cage with an open bowl of food. these type of toys on her play stand will also help teaching her to stay there while you are around your condo. teaching "stay" is a super handy thing.

Making it her choice to go back into the cage will prevent from the nipping. targeting or a treat in their food dish will really help with that.

 

[Birdman666]

THAT'S WHY I HAVE BIRD HANDLING CLOTHES...

I actually haven't ever been 100% successful in training them out of chewing holes in clothes...

 

[hahnyboy]

OK, we can learn to deal with changing into bird clothes when we are home, but, what about the biting? This morning I'm scratching her head then out of no where she bites, drawing blood. I had to towel her and put her in her cage.

 

[Chesphoto]

This morning I'm scratching her head then out of no where she bites, drawing blood.

Really think about the "out of no where" part. Did anything else happen. With birds that have bitten me, I might have rubbed a pin feather, or someone walked into the room or the bird gave me a sign that they had enough scratching but I didn't stop. Eye pinning before a bite can show something is going on with the bird and I need to be careful.

Let us know if you can think of anything else that lead up to the bite. I'm sure they can bite out no where, but most of the time there is a reason and we have to clue ourselves into the tale signs of a potential bite.

 

[hahnyboy]

Not that I noticed. Her eyes were not pinning. No one walked into the room.
Usually if i hit a pinned feather or pet her the wrong way she will give a nibble but not draw blood.
Right now she is being sweet, allowing me to pet her head. I'm sure she will strike again before long. Keep you updated.

 

[hahnyboy]

bit again. This time, she's playing on the floor with some toys. I had to leave the house to run an errand so I told her to step up and she complied. As I started walking to her cage she ran up my shoulder so I could get get her in. So I put her on top of the cage and told her to step up again. This time she lowered her beak, backed away, and as i put my arm closer she lunged for it and bit me, drawing blood.
So i yelled no at her and covered her up while I was gone. Anything else I can do?

 

[hahnyboy]

How long should she be left in her cage and covered after she bites? I've been doing 30 minutes to an hour but maybe that is not long enough.

 

[Buzz2537]

Hold old is your Hahn's and is she a definite she or you are not sure. I have to be honest, I have a little girl almost eight months and have not had an issue so I am wondering if I am just lucky or it has not hit yet. I have read others that have had biting issues. The only thing I will say is that prior to getting Hahnna I did a lot of reading and read that if you do not handle them a lot and socialize them with different people when they are young that they will become quite nippy, but I think that holds true for any parrot. I have had Hahnna since six or seven weeks and I always had my hands in her cage moving things around like it or not so,she got use to it and was not so territorial. I also play a lot hands on with her, flipping her around. Rolling her on her back and tickling her belly. For bed time, we have a little hut and i made a game into it, although she usually will tell me night when she wants to go to her cage, but at any rate when I am more ready then her I wrestle a bit with her in her hut for a few minutes the. Tell her night night, and idk it seems to settle down, like a little routine. I hope she settles down. They are great parrots. They really are. Hahnna sometime will pinch and then tell me not to bite but that is just a game but she knows when I am pissed and cuts it out. Lol.

 

[Buzz2537]

Oh I see your Hahn's is six. Duh. i should have read. Have you had her from a baby or is she a rescue. Has anything changed in your house? I know they do not do,well with change from what I have read. If you have had her since young, then it has to be something that changed even small that is effecting her.

 

[BirdyMomma]

You asked if you should be doing something differently. I'm not an expert, but yah, I think you should be doing something differently. PUNISHING and TOWELING your bird? Birds do not react positively to punishment. They are wild animals, that we have caged, and are endlessly trying to make adapt to our environment.
Have you researched POSITIVE reinforcement? (that's the OPPOSITE of punishment)
Have you tried clicker training?
Does your bird get to interact with you enough?
Do you have sweat pants that you don't care about, that you can wear when at home?
I'm sorry. I will get removed from this forum if I continue......
I WOULD ALSO STOP YELLING AT MY BIRD!!! I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO SCARE THE S#!T OUT OF THEM! THEY ARE PROBABLY TERRIFIED BY IT, AND REACT BY BITING!!! JUST A SUGGESTION!! DONT MIND THE YELLING!!