New biting

Meekmeister · Feb 13, 2017

Meeko my caique is notorious for deciding he doesn't like you anymore, he takes a turn for people he is usually fine with and starts attacking them and never lets them touch him again.
I've always ignored it because he's my bird and him not liking others isn't really relevant to me.
Though the past three days I have been trying to work with him but every time I take him out him lunges and bites me, he's bitten my 5 times all over my hands breaking skin each time, it's a very aggressive bite each time.
I'm not sure on what I should do now. Once he decides he doesn't like someone he completely cuts them out and continues to hate them.
Should I start learning to deal with him with out touching? Or are there things I could do?
Please help, thanks.

GaleriaGila · Feb 13, 2017

How old is he? I forget.

If it's sexual-maturity-related... here's a suggestion.
Ever since the Rickeybird hit sexual maturity at about 3-4 years of age, I've had to manage his hormones! If kept on too steady a long day, and too much light, he stayed "in the mood" (aggressive, even louder than usual, pleasuring himself on my neck ) year round. If I keep him on a natural light schedule... up with dawn, down with dusk, year around... THEN he's only a little monster rooster from July to September). He has his own room, so I can do that easily.

Regarding biting in general...
I have reduced biting to almost zero over the decades... not because I've changed the bird, but I have changed me. And a lot of that has involved giving up on a lot of my desires/expectations. After years of battle, I surrendered. I don't do stuff that gets me bitten. I don't scratch his head much, ever... tail is okay. I NEVER do stuff that makes him mad... I don't touch others when he's out; I rarely try to get him to step up onto my hand first. Hand-held perch first, then hand. In some ways, I swallow my disappointment at having such a little monster for a pet, but he is what he is. I ALWAYS wear my hair down when he's on my shoulder, so all he can bite is hair. Really, I don't involve hands much... he doesn't like them. He seems to think the real ME is my head, perched on a weird moveable tree with questionable appendages. Since he's fully flighted, the ONLY way I get him into the cage is to toss a chile pepper in and he flaps in after it.

I am sure others will have more ideas... working on 'step up', training, etc. I guess I'm sort of the surrender-er, but the Rb and I have it all worked out between us.

Good luck!

Meekmeister · Feb 13, 2017

GaleriaGila said:
How old is he? I forget.

If it's sexual-maturity-related... here's a suggestion.
Ever since the Rickeybird hit sexual maturity at about 3-4 years of age, I've had to manage his hormones! If kept on too steady a long day, and too much light, he stayed "in the mood" (aggressive, even louder than usual, pleasuring himself on my neck ) year round. If I keep him on a natural light schedule... up with dawn, down with dusk, year around... THEN he's only a little monster rooster from July to September). He has his own room, so I can do that easily.

Regarding biting in general...
I have reduced biting to almost zero over the decades... not because I've changed the bird, but I have changed me. And a lot of that has involved giving up on a lot of my desires/expectations. After years of battle, I surrendered. I don't do stuff that gets me bitten. I don't scratch his head much, ever... tail is okay. I NEVER do stuff that makes him mad... I don't touch others when he's out; I rarely try to get him to step up onto my hand first. Hand-held perch first, then hand. In some ways, I swallow my disappointment at having such a little monster for a pet, but he is what he is. I ALWAYS wear my hair down when he's on my shoulder, so all he can bite is hair. Really, I don't involve hands much... he doesn't like them. He seems to think the real ME is my head, perched on a weird moveable tree with questionable appendages. Since he's fully flighted, the ONLY way I get him into the cage is to toss a chile pepper in and he flaps in after it.

I am sure others will have more ideas... working on 'step up', training, etc. I guess I'm sort of the surrender-er, but the Rb and I have it all worked out between us.

Good luck!

Meeko has just turned 6, he hasn't been any louder, he has actually stopped screaming, not as vocal at all. He also hasn't been doing his rubbing humping thing as much, thats why I kinda threw the idea of it being sexual but it seems like it makes the most sense. I'm probably going to end up doing the same thing, just learning what not to do. I'll try to do the training and just working with him, thank you for mentioning all of that, makes me feel a lot better knowing others have to deal with that too.

New biting

Meekmeister

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GaleriaGila

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Meekmeister

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What is She doing/I figured it out because of what I read here

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