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| | | From: layne (Original Message) | Sent: 9/28/2008 11:32 PM |
Well, this little BE2 has been doing so good, got him to eat carrots, hold things with his feet, and many other things, but something happened this afternoon & I'm really stumped! He's been so loving & so affectionate and I've got him to get on my arm and not try to bite me and all of a sudden this afternoon, he's acting just like he did when I first brought him home! He hides his face in his food dish when I first approach his cage, and screams at me. He will get on my arm without trying to bite once he comes out of his cage, but when I put him in my lap like I do every day, he acts so affectionate and all of a sudden he reached up just out of the blue and bit my nose! And a good bite at that! ha ha What has caused him to revert like this just all of a sudden? Anybody know? If anybody has any clues, please help me to understand what brought this on. |
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Fall hormones more than likely. Avoid giving him scritches anywhere but his head area and see what he does. Sorry about the nose too! That had to have hurt! |
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Layne I see things differently with the Too's and to me since all was well and he/she was content, I see that as a form of communication... I'm sure he didn't break the skin and the smaller Too's have a tendency towards being nippy... but you would be able to tell the difference between their nippy-ness and a deliberate bite... Either way they need to be corrected with a strong reprimand whether you say No or whatever you do to control a situation. I use the word NO... (some feel adversly to using that word) I'm fine with it..... |
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| | | From: layne | Sent: 9/29/2008 1:07 AM |
That's the problem.......the only time I can give him scritches on the head is when he is on my lap - like I had him this afternoon, but I didn't even try that at the time. We were just sitting here and as always, I started out the usual way.....talking to him for a few minutes before trying to pet or give any scritches. Yep! Your right, it did hurt! ha ha |
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| | | From: layne | Sent: 9/29/2008 1:15 AM |
Could be communication but he acts like he doesn't want me to touch him at all except to get on my arm & off the cage, then look out! ha ha I did correct him by telling him "No Bite" and put him back on the cage for about 5 min. then tried it again and he still tried to bite me. And yes............it did break the skin and bled inside & out. I can't think of anything I might have done any differently to cause this. I've never had this happen with my other birds, even when hormonal until my Zon hit the age of 5 or so and is now my husband's baby! She wants me no where near the cage except when she wants her head rubbed. ha ha |
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Layne that is a deliberate bite and possibly he might even enjoy your reaction... Yes, I'd placed him immediately back in the cage and walk away. No conversation after the No Bite! I do have the attempted bites once in a while from Magnolia, not so much from hormones, but from a grudge this gal seems to remember... she gets jealous easily and to communicate that she will nip me... and I don't like nips!! Seems to me you will have to "read" that little bugger and try to prevent the bites... Hormones as someone mentioned earlier will cause either a cock or hen to bite, and to each other those are love bites!!!! |
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Layne, What was his body language just before the bite? Did he lower his head for you to scritch? Did he stand up straight, pull back the feathers from around his beak, open his beak, raise his crest, spread his wings slightly? I have had to learn to identify the tell tale signs. They are usually there though you may have but a half second to defend yourself or put him out of reach. Toos notoriously have stages of familliarity. They tend to last 4 days to a week. They will be reserved but congenial, then defensive and complaining about the changes in their life. They may accept that things are not going back the way they were and then try to see if they have a chance at controlling the new situation often aggressively. A too with alpha tendencies will periodically test the hierarchy if they sense the possibility of change. Be strong, consistent and dominant. Any one the too has to concede dominance to (like a spouse or child) must also be strong, and dominant. They are love sponges but smart enough to feel they can control their lives. Set the boundaries, don't concede control or reward negative behavior with energetic reactions. You can build a relation. Louise |
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This may have nothing to do with it, Layne, but were you wearing something different than usual? Such as a colour you normally don't wear? Different glasses? Different hairdo/hair colour? My birds freak out when If I have my old glasses on that I use only to watch tv in my bedroom. They have great big lenses, and are very different from the pair that I normally wear. Basil reacts strongly when I wear reds. None of them will come to me right away if I'm wearing a winter-style coat. I've heard of members who dyed or cut their hair, and their birds didn't like it at all. Anyway, just something to think about, Layne. I'm sure sorry you got bit! Sage made me bleed a couple of weeks after we started renos. In her five years with me she had never done that before - nips, yes, but never before an actual bite. Abby |
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| | | From: layne | Sent: 9/29/2008 2:48 AM |
I just got him off the cage a few minutes ago & took him to the kitchen with me and he was just wonderful! Sat on my hand & made all these sweet little cooing sounds. And that's exactly what I did, I said "No Bite!", got up & put him back on the cage & left him alone for about 5 min., then tried it again. When he did no better that time, I put him on the cage and left him alone for awhile. Lojourner1: I think that may a big portion of the problem, I hand fed my other birds, so I've had them since they were just little things and I know their habits and can read their body language very well. This one is supposed to be between 3 - 4 yrs. old and I don't know his body language yet. The other thing is that until he gets ready to go to sleep, he normally ALWAYS has at least 1 wing up in the air, sometimes he has them both up in the air partially spread, even when he's eating. Yes, he did stand up straight, raised his crest and had his beak open and just flipped around and stretched out and grabbed me! Ohhhh so quick! AbbyBCLady1: That's exactly what happens with my Zon. I can put on different clothes and she spreads he tail out, ruffles the feathers & starts eye-pinning me! She does that even when I put on make-up. I don't weat make-up around the house - only when I have to go some place and when I do, seh certainly doesn't like it! lol And as far as the hair cut thing, she didn't know then either! It's like she knew the voice but not the person she was seeing & kept looking at me & turning her head from side to side. Very funny thing. But no, I had put on my work clothes & had been working in the yard & came in to cool off for a little while. Same clothes I wear most of the time here lately- doing a lot of yard work from "Ike" even this far North! |
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| | | From: layne | Sent: 9/30/2008 2:56 AM |
Lojourner1, can you give me some tips on his body langauage? I've been reading on the net, but can find nothing about the beak being open, and speading the wings, etc. I'm thinking that sitting in the chair like I have been with him may not be a good idea in that he has already gotten too used to that and maybe I need to take him completely out of the room when working with him. Took him outside this evening and he was so good, yet when I tried to sit down with earlier this afternoon, all he wanted to do was hiss and try biting me. Any ideas what it means when he swings his head around & around in a circle? Also thought maybe I'm trying too hard as I want him to be a very sweet loving little guy. |
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My U2 will stand up straight, pull his "smile" feathers back, slightly hunch and half open his wings, spread his tail and crest, and slightly open his beak when he is threatening. Anytime he is spooked, he may lash out at whatever is closest to him or he may fell necessity to drive you off to get you away from danger. The head thing mwould be a threatening activity to make himself look scarier if it is accompanied with the other signs. I would not force him to attend you. Sit quietly with him on a nearby perch. Talk calmly to him, sing quietly, read to him. When he feels comfortable he will approach you. Remain calm, quiet and offer him a step up. Keep an eye on the body language and keep a towell handy. You can win him over. Louise |
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| | | From: layne | Sent: 10/1/2008 4:19 AM |
The funny thing is, is that he always has his tail fanned out, his smiley feathers laid back (except when he gets ready to sleep) and his wings are always spread out and sometimes he has them up in the air. That's what confuses me. Seems like when he tries to get my attention, he clicks his beak - not grinding but clicking. Tonight, I walked by his cage, he screamed at me & at the same time, he jumped on the front of my shirt and hung on. Scared me at first, but then he started trying to pull himself up on my arm & when he got there, he was very happy, and very loving making little "cooing" sounds & rubbing his head on my arm. I've never been this confused about a birds body language but I have to admit, he's got me totally confused. Ha - Maybe that's what he wants! lol |
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