Quaker help!

Parrotfilled · Nov 28, 2017

Hello everyone! I'm having a little problem with my 5 months old quaker. She started off biting really hard on nails. Now she is really biting hard on flesh. I know she have a sharp beak, we are planning to trim it. But she keeps on biting off everything. I know Quakers tend to bit and break everything but is the flesh thing normal? Is she just playing around ? How can I stop her from doing these things. I read when she does bad behaviour to put her down but she just find her way back up to you. She bit everyone in my family, hard enough to make us bleed a little.

itzjbean · Nov 28, 2017

All parrots bite for a reason and it is never the fault of the bird!!

You say she started off biting hard on nails and now it has progressed to hard biting on skin.

It seems to me that she was never taught bite-pressure training, which is very important in parrots. It's teaching parrots that biting hard is not acceptable. There are training tips online if you search for it. Basically you discourage biting with time-outs in a quiet, dark place (like a carrier in a bathroom) when biting occurs. With my Jenday Conure, when he tried to bite I would grab his beak in between my fingers in a way that he couldn't get to me and would hold him there until he settled and I would say "NO" firmly. This is similar to teaching a puppy that's teething not to bite.

How long have you had your Quaker? Sometimes in a new environment and if they are forced to step up or are handled incorrectly they will bite. If she is biting everyone in the family....obviously something is not right here. Either her body language is being ignored (put me down or I'll bite), she needs bite-pressure training or she is bored and needs more toys.

Does your Quaker have a variety of toys in her cage? Most parrots love to chew, and without toys to play with, they have to get that energy out somehow. Most parrots have very strong beaks and love to chew. Getting her a variety of toys (3-5 in her cage) could help.

Parrotfilled · Nov 28, 2017

itzjbean said:
Hello! Forgive me that I do not know how to use this forum.

I had my quaker since she was about a few weeks old, I hand fed her and everything. Everyone treats her well, no one mistreats her. On the contrary, everyone wants to spend time with her and play. I honestly think she needs new toys, but I am afraid that she will not like them.

I also do the holding of the beak and tell her no, that honestly worked for me. She does not bite my nails as much. It is just the biting on skin that is difficult. She starts off first as just nibbling and trying out different spots then when she gets the chance, she attacks. She is now kinda being a brat? We let her on our shoulders for a good while then when it is time to get off she just screams and attacks your hand, she does not bite hard but she acts like she will bite you.

She usually comes up to my lips and gives me kisses then she starts to nibble and try to bite me hard.

Thank you so much for your response! Your parrot is beautiful!

LordTriggs · Nov 29, 2017

yes that is not understanding her bite is painful

do the pressure training, keep at it, she will learn. Until you can 10000% trust her not to bite and to step up from the shoulder don't allow her there, the shoulder is a reward and not somewhere they go when they're being naughty

AmyMyBlueFront · Nov 29, 2017

Also sounds like she is testing her boundries.."OK..i can do this (nibble)...hoe about THIS?? (CHOMP!)
Sounds like she certainly needs to learn bite/pressure training..and don't forget, she is just a little girl right now and is finding out/learning new stuff every day.

Jim

MonicaMc · Nov 30, 2017

If you don't want her biting on your nails and flesh, then what do you want her to be doing instead?

Could she... be playing with toys? Foraging for food? Learning new behaviors?

TexasWade · Dec 18, 2017

Parrotfilled said:
itzjbean said:

She starts off first as just nibbling and trying out different spots then when she gets the chance, she attacks.

She usually comes up to my lips and gives me kisses then she starts to nibble and try to bite me hard.

Click to expand...

Sounds a lot like my boy Mumble. He likes to scratch me with his beak and chew my skin. He used to chew a little bit, then go hard to very hard and I would grab his head and firmly tell him NO when he got too rough or if he actually bit hard. He hates the head-hold! Took him a little while, but he definitely knows not to bite now and it has probably been over a month since the last time I had to correct him.

isybee · Apr 23, 2018

My quaker used to bite me really hard when I did something he didn't agree with. He was trying to be the boss of me! My quaker and I are very well bonded. He always has to see me through a window or be on my shoulder if in the same room. I started to "fling" him off my shoulder or "toss" him away from me when he bit. He didn't like that. I kept that up for a while and now, well much better. I think that works very well if you're really bonded.

Quakercrackerjacker · May 19, 2018

Hi thanks for posting!
I have heard many people have used the beak grab technique and it has worked very well for them! Just in case that does not work for you I have another technique in mind that worked very well for my quakers and it's a good old fashioned time out! I leave the cage door open and let my Quaker go to the top of his cage on his play area, since he does not attempt to come down ever, I feel very comfortable with this but mind you my Quaker is not as young as yours and has already gone through the brute of his training! If he acts up I immediately put him in his cage and shut the door, rendering his ability to roam around. He definitely knows this is time out because his door is open all the time except for when it's time for him to go to bed! Practice good dominance techniques with your parrot as well and never let the young birdy on your shoulders unless you want to become his property! Hope this helps! Thanks!
Fun fact: did you know some parrots literally act like they are going to step up and then bite you for their own humor? No really it's true! Some parrot species love to mess with you for their own entertainment! Looks like we aren't the only joksters after all!

MonicaMc · May 20, 2018

Fun fact: Parrots are not dominant creatures - they are a flock made up of various families

Also fun fact: Many parrots are unintentionally taught to bite and punishing or trying to "dominate" the bird can potentially make the biting worse

Quaker help!

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