Sassy Alert!

Chicken is just about to lose her shoulder privileges after she spent like 3 entire days in her cage for her sassy little attitude. I don't think it's hormones yet. She's just coming on 20 months old, and although I've heard they can hit puberty as early as 18 months, I just don't think that's what this is. In fact, she reminds me a lot of our 10 year old daughter, just sassy and boundary pushing.

I will say I'm glad I've worked on bite pressure training as much as I have or this whole experience would be much worse for me. She is getting very cage aggressive when it comes to come out, but it is coming in waves. For two or three days, anytime I put my hand in her cage she will lunge and growl, and it doesn't seem to matter what time of day or where she is at in her cage. Then a few days later, I can stick my hand in and she will run over and step up like nothing was ever wrong. For the most part, if I just ask if she wants to come out and she growls or backs away, I leave her because I think it should be her choice if she isn't in the mood to interact. However, after a couple days of that, I will tell her to step up and then I will make her step up, even if I have to take the bite to do it, because I don't want her to think she can control me when I tell her to step up.

She is also starting to get shoulder aggressive with me, which is something I've never had an issue with before. She has always stepped up when I've asked her to off of my shoulder, but for the last week or so, every request has come with a bite. So she is grounded from my shoulder until further notice. I think in part to the bite pressure training, she has not drawn blood on any of these occasions, but she left a nice bruise all the way around my thumb a few days ago.

The only thing that puts any doubt into my mind that this is more than just boundary pushing is that she has been getting "into position" if she's sitting on the table or the back of the couch. She crouched over as though she is going to flutter her wings, but there is no fluttering, she just sits there waiting. There is no nesting behavior at all, though.

My wife keeps saying she thinks she is hitting puberty, but I think it's more of a "pre-teen" stage and she's just getting a bit rebellious. But how do you tell the difference?

Oh, my dear friend...
I don't know.
The Rb demands shoulder privileges, and bites at my ears when he pleases. Thank goodness for thick hair. I duck and cover. All he gets is mane.
I hope others have better advice.

I know squat about Ekkies...but what you have said, I lean towards "that time" of season and/or Chicken is reaching her "young birdihood" (womanhood? )




Jim

I'm not an eclectus owner but I think removing shoulder privileges is best until you figure out what's up.

Nigel, my vulture as we call him, knows that the shoulder is only for good birdies who know to behave. Sometimes he can't help himself so off he goes. And then sulks.

Shoulder privileges have been revoked until further notice. We have also been doing basic step-up drill from pretty much any surface it is safe to set her on, just to remind her that she is supposed to step-up no matter where she is. Which she's been fine pretty much everywhere except for her cage. She's been pretty territorial over that, unless she really wants out, then she is this docile little cuddly bird.

Evil little manipulator may be more accurate. Not that I love her any less, we're just having some issues right now. Don't get me wrong, when she wants to be sweet, she is the most loving bird I could ask for. Not in a cuddly way, she isn't a too after all, but in her own way. Just lately the demon hen in her has been showing. In all honesty though, as much as it may seem I complain, I would rather have her like this than just be a completely docile bump on a log that has no personality whatsoever. I like spunk. My fingers don't like spunk so much.

Well...speaking of 'too's...my little "beady-eyed monster",the "cockatoo man" Jonesy. would NOT step up when on his roof top. I'd have to literally scoop him up,gently lifting him off,as he clung on for dear life with all his being..any other place he'd hop right on to my hand.
Birdies are an odd lot,they are!


Jim

At twenty months, there is always the testing of the pecking order and the general 'sassy behavior' that is associated with this testing the bosses position.

As you likely know, laddering is one of the process that can be used to 'help' reset the importance of Step-Up! It is not uncommon during this period to have young parrots 'test' the system.

Enjoy!!!

SailBoat said:

At twenty months, there is always the testing of the pecking order and the general 'sassy behavior' that is associated with this testing the bosses position.

As you likely know, laddering is one of the process that can be used to 'help' reset the importance of Step-Up! It is not uncommon during this period to have young parrots 'test' the system.

Enjoy!!!

Click to expand...

Boats, I decided to ladder for a bit, it's something I haven't done with her in a while. We made it three "rungs" before blood was drawn. And it wasn't hers. Why do I feel like a parent who's child just learned how to say the word "no"?

OutlawedSpirit said:

SailBoat said:

At twenty months, there is always the testing of the pecking order and the general 'sassy behavior' that is associated with this testing the bosses position.

As you likely know, laddering is one of the process that can be used to 'help' reset the importance of Step-Up! It is not uncommon during this period to have young parrots 'test' the system.

Enjoy!!!

Click to expand...

Boats, I decided to ladder for a bit, it's something I haven't done with her in a while. We made it three "rungs" before blood was drawn. And it wasn't hers. Why do I feel like a parent who's child just learned how to say the word "no"?

Click to expand...

Response: This is as close as I can find to a ROTFLOL button!

SailBoat said:

OutlawedSpirit said:

SailBoat said:

At twenty months, there is always the testing of the pecking order and the general 'sassy behavior' that is associated with this testing the bosses position.

As you likely know, laddering is one of the process that can be used to 'help' reset the importance of Step-Up! It is not uncommon during this period to have young parrots 'test' the system.

Enjoy!!!

Click to expand...

Boats, I decided to ladder for a bit, it's something I haven't done with her in a while. We made it three "rungs" before blood was drawn. And it wasn't hers. Why do I feel like a parent who's child just learned how to say the word "no"?

Click to expand...

Response: This is as close as I can find to a ROTFLOL button!

Click to expand...

Not saying it's true, but I sorta feel like I got set up there....just saying.

Sometimes she is so horrible, then she turns around and is completely adorable. She let my daughter, who she usually goes out of her way to terrorize because she knows she is afraid of her, pet her last night after she used my fingers as chew toys all day.

Then at one point after I put in back in her house for biting, she sat and just kept saying, "momma, momma, momma". Talk about a toddler in time out.

Any updates? Given her young age, I think you're right about there being less of a likelihood that this is a hormonal thing. But some of those instincts might be starting to surface in preparation for next year, you know?

With Maya, I suspended shoulder privileges and became as consistent as I could about my responses to her actions and such. When the framework for your own behavior and what you'll accept from her becomes clearly defined enough, a lot of it sticks... even through these bouts of instinctive behavior. Some of this has already borne fruit for you, since as you've said the bite pressure training has blunted what could've been a far more painful rebellion.

It's made a world of difference with Maya. Just took time.

Anansi said:

Any updates? Given her young age, I think you're right about there being less of a likelihood that this is a hormonal thing. But some of those instincts might be starting to surface in preparation for next year, you know?

With Maya, I suspended shoulder privileges and became as consistent as I could about my responses to her actions and such. When the framework for your own behavior and what you'll accept from her becomes clearly defined enough, a lot of it sticks... even through these bouts of instinctive behavior. Some of this has already borne fruit for you, since as you've said the bite pressure training has blunted what could've been a far more painful rebellion.

It's made a world of difference with Maya. Just took time.

Click to expand...

She's gotten better. I've given her back her shoulder privileges. If I ask her to step up off my shoulder, I'll occasionally still get a lunge, but that is all it is anymore. If I persist with the request, she will step up without actually biting. I figure as long as she refrains from actually putting her beak on me, I'll tolerate her bluffs and just ignore them until she gets bored with that too.

I think, like you said, it could just be a precursor to next year's hormonal surge. I've noticed with my human daughter, who is nearing the age of puberty, that she is getting what seems to be some hormonal mood swings, although she hasn't quite hit that stage yet either, so I wonder if Chicken is going through the same sort of thing. Like a pre-PMS sort of thing.

I would appreciate it if someone can tell me why I would be stupid enough to get an Ekkie hen that is going to hit puberty at about the same time as my human daughter. Like, that has to be proof that there is something broken in my head, doesn't it?

If I have resistance from Plum with stepping up off my shoulder I use distraction and "give us a kiss" usually works, then go straight to ask for that step up again and plenty of praise for doing it.

Do not envy the double hormone hit, good luck!