How to end the pinching Mommy game?

[kendrafitz]

Rosie has been pinching me harder than usual lately. I have quite a few bruises from her love pinches. The pinching is usually slow and deliberate and then she sometimes giggles. I go through the regular beak hold and gentle with her. She seems very amused though and goes right back to pinching. There are times she does this when I am talking to someone else and I know she is trying to divert my attention (she also sticks her tongue in my ear when trying to divert me from a conversation - ick), but she also does this when we are alone.

She has also been getting great joy out of pinching the top part of my ears. I know, it is ridiculous. No matter how many times I remove her from my ear and tell her no ear, gentle, she goes back immediately. She laughs while doing this and gets over excited, which then leads to me putting her back on her tree. (She protests very loudly and then pinches my arm since she wants to keep "playing" with my ear)

Rosie is a little over a year old. She is strongly bonded to me (to the point that several different non bird people have said she is obsessed with me). If she isn't playing the pinching game, she usually holds my fingers in her beak, which is fine with me. I know she isn't trying to hurt me and isn't being aggressive (unless I am attempting to put her back on her tree).

I was wondering if anyone has any advice for dealing with this? Could this be the start of her terrible twos and it's just a stage she needs to get through? She is my first bird and I want to make sure I do the right thing for her. .

 

[kendrafitz]

Just wanted to bump this up. Hoping someone can give some good advice?

 

[JerseyWendy]

JUST wanted I wanted to read after peeling Ripley off my arm a few moments ago. :54: He didn't break the skin, but this was a close call and will leave a good sized bruise on top of the already existing bruises.

Ripley will get carried away with mischief, NO kidding. He IS in his terrible twos, no doubt about that. What I have started doing is I stop the physical contact immediately when he doesn't listen to me telling him to be "gentle" or "easy". I either put him back on the Java tree or in the cage. His newest thing is he bickers when I "punish" him that way. He starts screaming on top of his (perfectly working) lungs, while Niko yells at him to "shut up". I feel like I'm in a circus.

His pinching has only become more severe over the past couple of weeks, so I'm also still trying to figure out how to deal with it effectively.

He can be SUCH a snuggle bunny....but when he's ornery he's REALLY ornery.

 

[kendrafitz]

Thanks Wendy. I have been doing time outs with Rosie when she won't listen. It just seems she is having way too much fun with this pinching thing. She too makes it loudly and sometimes painfully known that she is unhappy about it. Like Ripley, when she is good she is an angel. But she can be really ornery when she feels it.

It's hard because she is so sweet and I can do just about anything with her (except put a harness on). But I am guessing it is a play thing and also a pushing to see how far I can go thing?

 

[JerseyWendy]

Oh I forgot to add that Ripley does his Hyena laugh after he pinches the heck out of me. Almost as if he's mocking me.

I do think they're doing it out of playfulness, but it doesn't feel good. I swear, when he had my arm in his beak earlier, I thought for sure the skin was going to tear because he kept applying more and more pressure, and ALL the pleading in the world didnt' stop him, I had to literally pry his beak apart to get my skin out of there. :32: As soon as my arm was free he flew on top of his cage and did his Hyena imitation. That stinker!!

If I find a method to stop this, I'll let you know ASAP, I promise.

Oh and I can't do the harness either, and believe me, I've tried MANY times. I haven't given up yet, but at this point the minute he (or Niko) sees the harness, all hell breaks lose. :11:

 

[kendrafitz]

Ouch!!! They are stinkers! I always get a hold of her beak and remove her. But she hasn't held on tight enough for it to be difficult to get her off. YET. She generally just let's go as soon as I touch her beak. But that's for now, who knows what tomorrow brings?

Thanks Wendy! If you find a solution, I would be very grateful.

The harness is definitely the enemy in our house. Which is really frustrating bc I would love to take her out and about to socialize her. I am afraid if she is out and not in her carrying case I may lose her. So I keep her home. I guess I will have to just keep working on it, or find a different harness than the aviator....

 

[ZoeynHarley17]

This is similar to the issue im having with my blue and gold. Could it be that rosie is in heat and sees you as her partner? Bc this is definitely what zoey thinks!

 

[goalerjones]

Hahnzel will actually say, "Ouch" after he bites me...stinky guy.

 

[Wings]

Macaw "pinches"? An angry budgie is worse than any macaw ..lol kidding...anyway don't react to the pinches, thats what your bird wants...A reaction. Hope I helped!

 

[JerseyWendy]

This is similar to the issue im having with my blue and gold. Could it be that rosie is in heat and sees you as her partner? Bc this is definitely what zoey thinks!

LOL. Birds don't go into "heat". And Rosie is just a little over a year old, so she wouldn't have ANY hormonal issues yet.

 

[kendrafitz]

You know what, Wings? I am actually more afraid of a small beak bite than a big one!! Macaws generally seem to go slow, at least the ones that I have handled. Small beaks have caused me more damage. They seem to just go for the kill!! lol. I am probably in the minority, but I definitely am more comfortable with the bigger guys. Insane, I know!

You are right about the reaction!

 

[kendrafitz]

I love the "ouch"! That is awesome!!!

 

[kendrafitz]

I think Rosie is too young to be hormonal yet, although I am definitely her "special person".

 

[Blancaej]

You know what, Wings? I am actually more afraid of a small beak bite than a big one!! Macaws generally seem to go slow, at least the ones that I have handled. Small beaks have caused me more damage. They seem to just go for the kill!! lol. I am probably in the minority, but I definitely am more comfortable with the bigger guys. Insane, I know!

You are right about the reaction!

I agree! Quincy has a sharp and pointy beak. It pinches much more! Savannah is very beaky and has just started nipping a little harder when she doesn't want to step up for me. Not to the point of pain, yet! She is testing me, I know it! But her beak tip is a lot more blunt then Quincy. Quincy has a much sharper point! Lol!

 

[Wings]

You know what, Wings? I am actually more afraid of a small beak bite than a big one!! Macaws generally seem to go slow, at least the ones that I have handled. Small beaks have caused me more damage. They seem to just go for the kill!! lol. I am probably in the minority, but I definitely am more comfortable with the bigger guys. Insane, I know!

You are right about the reaction!

Glad I helped, I've literally had nightmares of my budgie attacking me, but i know she never will

 

[emmett518]

This web site wants to sell you DVDs, but there is some good stuff to be found that is free. It's worth a look around if nothing else.

Parrot Training Tips To Fix Your Pet Parrots Problems | Birdtricks.com

 

[kendrafitz]

Thank you very much!! I will check the website out.