It happens to everyone from time to time...

[Kiwibird]

When he sees BARE fingers...

"AH-HAH! Punish me will you... I'll punish you right back..."

Incidentally, I dropped his little butt when he latched onto me this morning... left him hanging by his beak from his perch... And I showed him the bleeding wound on my thumb. He knows full well what he did... and it was absolutely intentional.

This, right now, is a battle of wills. And I'm just as stubborn as that bird is.

I think to (new or not as experienced members) who may be struggling with a defiant/difficult bird, this point should be highlighted. Parrots are creatures of higher intelligence, and they do like to see just how hard they can push their humans (kind of like a toddler sees how far he/she can push their parents). They do not "hate" you, they are testing. You must be more patient than them and not let them win.

Kiwi likes to 'test' me every do often, and I like to remind him who's the boss

 

[Birdman666]

Well, to be perfectly fair to Tusk, he's been an outside the cage bird from the day he hatched, with the exception of the brief time we lived with my sister when we first moved here five years ago...

He's never had to be locked up before (except on cleaning days), and he clearly doesn't like it... so, it's like, "Up until now I've pretty much done as I please. Why are you taking away my rights?"

BUT I can't have those two going on search and destroy missions. Up until now, which is what?! 12 years or so... that has never been an issue.

He doesn't seem to grasp the cause and effect here, and unfortunately, I haven't caught him in the act. So he probably doesn't get the "why."

I'm just singling them out... and they're treated differently now. And I'm mad at you for doing it.

 

[Christinenc2000]

I can't remember what site I read it on but, a girl had the same issue . She set up a live skype and watched them all day. They start to get into something she would yell NO you know not to do that. They were not sure where she was and would return to there play stand.

Then again knowing your birds they would laugh at the computer before turning it off and then doing what they want

 

[Taw5106]

I can't remember what site I read it on but, a girl had the same issue . She set up a live skype and watched them all day. They start to get into something she would yell NO you know not to do that. They were not sure where she was and would return to there play stand.

Then again knowing your birds they would laugh at the computer before turning it off and then doing what they want

Mental image, lady sitting at her desk, looks at screen to the side showing birds up to no good, unmutes mic and say a firm NO, birds scurry back to their spots behaving and looking around. Lady mutes mic again, lol! I could see myself doing that.

 

[Birdman666]

I can't remember what site I read it on but, a girl had the same issue . She set up a live skype and watched them all day. They start to get into something she would yell NO you know not to do that. They were not sure where she was and would return to there play stand.

Then again knowing your birds they would laugh at the computer before turning it off and then doing what they want

Mental image, lady sitting at her desk, looks at screen to the side showing birds up to no good, unmutes mic and say a firm NO, birds scurry back to their spots behaving and looking around. Lady mutes mic again, lol! I could see myself doing that.

1. I don't have time to monitor them all day.

2. I don't have a home computer anymore.

3. What matters is what happens when YOUR BOSS sees you doing that...

 

[Christinenc2000]

# 3 is why I don't lol. We are allowed internet access but doubt she would go for that . LOL But some people have job's that would allow it.

 

[Blancaej]

My CAG can be quite stubborn and has given me plenty of blood drawing bites over the past 15 years! It's amazing how much we are willing to tolerate for the love of these critters! LOL! But we do love them and the good times far out weigh the bad times.

I am confident you will get through this. Keep us posted and good luck!

And this is for Tusk - Stop being a naught boy & give your daddy a break!!

 

[Birdman666]

He outdid himself this morning. Stepped up just fine on a bare hand...

BUT REFUSED TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH A TOWELED HAND...

Ducked under the cage and ran around the bird room, being a stinker.

Since I was in a hurry this morning, I gave up, and picked him up with my bare hand, BUT I HELD HIS BEAK WHEN SETTING HIM DOWN...

Most macaws will just sit there for that one. Nope. Wiggled his beak free as I set him down, and you guessed it... NAILED ME AGAIN when I put him back...

DELIBERATE BLOOD DRAW NUMBER SEVEN...

The score is now Tusk 7, Dad 2.

I'm getting whooped right now... and he's getting more brazen.

[Oh, I know. If I never let him out of his cage ever again... he can't do that to me! Hey, there's the answer... !!!]

But yeah, this is how a lot of them end up locked up, especially hormonally challenged Amazons.

But, yeah, this is actually the biggest challenge I've ever faced with him. And I held him for more than an hour last night with ZERO bad behaviors.

So, the trigger is 100% I don't want to go back, and if you make me, I'll make you pay...

Tusk is well fed, so food bribes don't work, especially where he knows you're gonna close the door on him.

Don't have to do it over the weekend, but unfortunately, come Monday he's gonna get a new surprise, because all next week Mr. Towel isn't going to be wrapped around my arm anymore...

By the end of the week, hopefully, the score will be Dad 7 Tusk 7...

And we can call this a draw!

 

[Christinenc2000]

Have they destroyed anything else ?

 

[Birdman666]

They have become OCDed with chewing on the baseboard wood trim for some reason. And every time I turn around, they're waddling around on the floor going after it.

So, I can't trust those two not to go on search and destroy missions anymore.

 

[rope]

wow birdman...thanks for the post....interesting how these guys never grow up..our conures love to chew up the top of doors and trim...i could never leave them out of their cage alone...in fact even our new african goes into his cage when ever we leave the house..

 

[Birdman666]

Didn't bite me Saturday, or this morning.

Did nail me (less hard) on Sunday.

Caught the little stinkers red handed going for the door trim, and threw a major fit, and locked them up on Saturday, so MAYBE they now understand the cause and effect...

 

[Birdman666]

Well, for the most part, up until today, he's still been biting the crap outta me...

The latest twist is that IF he sees me wearing protection on my hand, he flies away and makes me chase him around the room instead of stepping up...

UH-OH! He's learning...

So we went back to Mr. Towel... being a bit of a bully.

Today. He flew away from me with the towel around my arm. So I just showed it to him, and told him firmly to step up. He did...

I held the towel up close to his beak when setting him down in the cage... and gave him "the choice."

Same basic thing I did when we had our battles about not wanting to shower.

It's working...

FINALLY!!!

He's calmer going back and has not tried to bite with "Mr. Towel" up in his grill...

I've been trying to make up for cage time, with more handling time when they are out.

I think I'm close to winning the war...

 

[Birdman666]

Three days in a row, and he has calmly gone back to his cage without biting.

It's too soon to declare the war over, but there is definitely a "cease fire" in place now...

Everyone that owns parrots ends up butting heads with them once in awhile. That's the down side. They can be buttheads...

You just deal with it... and life eventually gets back to normal.

 

[Taw5106]

Great to hear things are improving. This weekend Venus and I butted heads. While I was cleaning cages, she decided she was going to squat in Buddy's cage taking advantage of his cage door being open while I put his toy backs. Buddy was already in his cage. She zipped in, went after Buddy, Buddy ran for the door sticking a foot out to me trying to grab anything so I put my hand out and Venus came at me, beak wide open, little devil bird! Once Buddy was cleared of the cage I had to get a towel and towel her little purple butt to get her out. She's not mean very much but when she is, look out! She got a time out in her cage for the afternoon.

 

[Birdman666]

Okay, I'm going to go ahead and declare victory on this one...

Both birds are going back to their cages on cue without biting, and they are spending less time on the floor at night when I am home. No longer objecting. No longer even attempting to latch on.

I'm guessing the "trim chewing" had a boredom component to it.

It's been a record wet spring/summer. They're used to being outside.

Deal with it. Be firm. Hold your ground. Be consistent. The bad behavior stops.

Inconsistencies only prolong the war.

One more week or so, and my hands will be all healed up... I've still got about half a dozen pinholes in them.

 

[itchyfeet]

So when I got home tonight, it became obvious why Tusk didn't bite me this morning...

First, he's smart enough to know that biting ppadded fingers wouldn't do any good...

Plan B... Hello, I know how to open cage doors. I'm not sitting in here all day, and if I'm gonna waddle around the room, I need my partner in crime...

Yeah, short of a padlock I'm not winning this battle...

I laughed at this. Hard. This is the life we chose

When he sees BARE fingers...

"AH-HAH! Punish me will you... I'll punish you right back..."

Incidentally, I dropped his little butt when he latched onto me this morning... left him hanging by his beak from his perch... And I showed him the bleeding wound on my thumb. He knows full well what he did... and it was absolutely intentional.

This, right now, is a battle of wills. And I'm just as stubborn as that bird is.

I think to (new or not as experienced members) who may be struggling with a defiant/difficult bird, this point should be highlighted. Parrots are creatures of higher intelligence, and they do like to see just how hard they can push their humans (kind of like a toddler sees how far he/she can push their parents). They do not "hate" you, they are testing. You must be more patient than them and not let them win.

Kiwi likes to 'test' me every do often, and I like to remind him who's the boss

This - yep. It doesn't happen with my bird so much, but I help my inlaws out with their too. He's gone through a week of calling me over to him sweetly only to lunge out, and through stages of being out and as sweet as pie before realising I'm leaving and trying to block both exits of their lounge, with great success. He can be quick! I then had to bird sit, which was ideal, because I had no time to develop a fear, I just had to get on with it. Did it with long sleeves, gloves and gumboots for my toes and stayed consistent. He's back to being an absolute darling, and we've had months of lovely from him

Three days in a row, and he has calmly gone back to his cage without biting.

It's too soon to declare the war over, but there is definitely a "cease fire" in place now...

Everyone that owns parrots ends up butting heads with them once in awhile. That's the down side. They can be buttheads...

You just deal with it... and life eventually gets back to normal.

Good on you for posting such reminders. It's always reassuring to read.

 

[Birdman666]

There are a number of people who get frustrated, and throw up their hands when stuff like this happens, and the bird either gets locked up all the time, or they start seriously looking to re-home them.

You modify bad behaviors where possible.

And birds that act up usually need to be handled MORE, not less.

 

[Kyoto]

On this topic, Kyo is always hesitant to go back into her cage (unless she is tired and wants to go to bed). I try to lure her with a treat and she has figured out that if she holds my finger with her little foot, she can grab the treat from my hand without me being able to move it and run right up it back out WITH HER BOUNTY.

Honestly it's kind of hilarious that she keeps outsmarting me, but it's starting to get old if you know what I mean... Eventually she will get back in, but sometimes it's a real struggle, particularly in the morning when I need to get to work. Since I feed her fresh food in the morning she isn't as enticed by treats unfortunately. I think it's honestly a game for her sometimes.

How can I go about making it a more consistent thing for her to go in when I need her to? Like I said, she isn't terrible and gives up a few attempts, but it would be sooo nice if she were to do so without a struggle.

On the positive side, this is a much less problematic thing than her biting problem was.