My GCconure suddenly hates me !

[MegAndEddie]

My dearest Eddie.. what have I done to deserve this? Bloodshed! Tears! I’m heartbroken!
My little Green Cheek named Eddie is approximately 11 months old so we are nearing his first birthday. I adopted him at about 5 months old so he has been part of my family for around 6 months now. Especially since working from home we have become very bonded, or as I would call it, Besties!
Anyway, I believe Eddie is going through his first offical molt. I thought he was a month or two ago, but maybe that was the beginning. He is now getting new tail and flight feathers, as well as feathers nearly everywhere else. I’m hoping this frustration is the only reason for his aggressiveness because my feathered friend has truly turned on me.
What he is doing: biting me. HARD. He used to love my fingers because he knew that was where the scritches would come from, but now he seems to lunge, bite, and hang on! I try my hardest to not react, but it hurts so much that I sometimes need to swipe him off, throw a towel on him, or try and wiggle him off and onto the floor.
He is fed Harrisons pellets, fresh fruit and veggies daily. Cage is clean. Maybe I’ve spoiled him!?
Why does he hate me?!? What have I done!?

 

[noodles123]

Welcome!

probably puberty...
Pet on the head and neck only..do not cuddle..do not provide piles of paper or nest-like toys (wicker etc)
no boxes, huts, tents, tepees, or shadowy spaces like drawers, under blankets or clothing or furniture.

10 hours sleep minimum, on a schedule. This regulates hormones, mood and immune health.


Toweling is a trust destroyer, so you probably need to do your best to avoid that in the future and re-build, but hormones are also kicking in and babies are ALWAYS sweet compared to adult birds, just like children vs teens. You really never need to...I mean, you gotta toughen up a bit or stop putting yourself in that situation, bc each time you do that, you are amplifying the rift (birds bite when all else fails) . Yes, it hurts, but what hurts more? If he's biting, you are missing major cues, and so you need to observe more carefully so that you both avoid being in that position again.

Moulting can also make them cranky, but routine shifts can cause plucking- as can hormones

When did you have him to the vet last and have they done bloodwork?

 

[MegAndEddie]

Thank you for such quick feedback. Will he hate me forever? Is more time in the cage going to he a bad thing? He hasnt been as noisy when left in the cage so I’m thinking he doesn’t even WANT as much attention as he used to.

 

[noodles123]

You still need to let him out or he can develop issues. Try to do it gradually. If you went from 10 hours a day out to 8 hours a day in, that is major and no wonder he's upset, you know?
He won't always hate you, but he will never be a baby parrot again. If human adults acted like newborns, it would be disturbing...SAME with birds. They do get really rocky for a few years (ups and downs in many cases) but they mellow out a bit if you handle it properly during puberty (when I say mellow, again, I do not mean pre-puberty mellow..)

You have to treat him in such a way that you respect his instincts etc-- really important not to sexually stimulate them (which people often do when they give snuggle huts, stroke birds, cuddle on the lap for long periods etc etc).

He's like a teenager (assuming health is okay) You are no longer accepted by default, so when you towel him and wrestle him for biting, that makes him less trusting, but the bite should have been avoided by studying body language. The less they bite the better, but when they do, reacting like that won't help. Now, he still likely prefers you to most people, but he could also be mad at you because of hormones and angst etc-- they do sometimes push away from their "parent" at this age, but they can also become sexually attracted to them and feel spurned when they are unable to....be with you in the way they want...cough

Start rebuilding trust-- you will be find, but you need to move at his pace and do things to frame yourself in a low-stress, positive and non-sexual light. Focus on keeping things stress free. Do continue to let him out (even if you feel like he doesn't want it, offer it as an option that he can take when HE wants it-- do many people want to pull birds out by hand...just let him enter and exit as he pleases when you are able.

 

[noodles123]

teaching independence gradually ( while still letting your bird out for numerous hours a day and spending quality time that doesn't just revolve around petting is really important too)..they need to learn to play with toys and to be okay alone for short periods (gradually getting longer) but yes- they still need the option to leave for many hours a day, even if they choose not to.

 

[noodles123]

Also- I'd suggest you get your bird sexed because females can have unique health problems if hormones are high and it's important to be aware of that. Anytime you see an abrupt shift in personality, a certified avian vet should check things out (wellness checks should occur yearly). I am guessing puberty based on age and what you described, but again, without verifying it is hard to be 100%. Either way, the stuff about head and neck petting only, no huts, tents, boxes etc applies to all adult parrots.