I have hit a bick wall ....

[TheWildRose311]

Today, I went to pet disco and at first he/ she just bit me but it wasn't enough to hurt, o I continued to pet his/her head when I was done he grabbed my finger in his mouth, Refusing to let go, And as he was biting me he tuned his head and took a chunk of skin out of my finger, I have left him/her alone since than. I nlast weekend he took right to my brother, All he did was speak to him and hold him and that was it.. He/She also seems to like my moms hair, But will not let me do anything with him/her other than getting him/her out feeding him/her treats, I hink that was one of the reasons his original owner gave him up.. He attacked a female that came to the guys houe often.. I dont believe in giving animals up, I think if you get them you have a duty to care of them untill they cross rainbow bridge, But i can't have him biting like he does.... Im seriously thinking about giving him to a near by pet shop that I know will take care of him and find him a good home after todays episode.

 

[Pinkbirdy]

I have a conure named Disco too !!! [and he bit the crap out of me]. If you want to win him over . Everyones going to have to take a step back . You be the one to interact with him . It may take a LONG TIME. But with treats and being positive [dont push him] and lots of love/ I bet you will have a different bird in 6 months. Birds are like this [they bite ,and it hurts]. I wouldn't give up on him yet. GOOD LUCK

 

[TheWildRose311]

He's not a conure, He a Senegal, He comes from West Africa ( It's my fault I need to change that) Bt my brothers gilfriend hasa baby and if she sticks her hand in that cage and Disco rips in to her like he did me today, I can imagine her grandparen are not gonna like it.. And I know for a fact my brothe would no and he might kill Disco!

 

[Freespin]

Well for starters make sure the bird is not accessible to the baby. Sometimes forcing yourself onto a bird can have the opposite of your desired affect. If your bird isnt comfortable with you touching him/her then take a step back. You can try target training which can be a great bonding tool to help earn trust. Sit and talk to your bird and let it come to you when it is comfortable. You also must realize that some birds will never enjoy petting so try not to get your hopes up too much and maybe find other ways to interact with your bird =D

 

[Kalidasa]

Is this your first bite? Parrots do bite, it happens. Sometimes they show signs of it before it happens, and sometimes they don't.
If the "killing Disco" is in fact an actual possibility, then I agree with you that you should have him re-homed. No parrot should live under that threat in a human home.
If the baby goes messing around in the birds cage, it will get bit.
And if a bite is something you can't handle, that would be another reason.

 

[Kalidasa]

Is this your first bite? Parrots do bite, it happens. Sometimes they show signs of it before it happens, and sometimes they don't.
If the "killing Disco" is in fact an actual possibility, then I agree with you that you should have him re-homed. No parrot should live under that threat in a human home.
If the baby goes messing around in the birds cage, it will get bit.
And if a bite is something you can't handle, that would be another reason.

If you continued to pet him after the first bite, then it's on you, not him. He gave you the warning to back off and you didn't heed. Sometimes they just need their space. They good moody and crabby like the rest of us.
I didn't realize I quoted myself lol! That was a mistake I meant to quote you.

 

[Kiwibird]

Not to be rude, but if he gave you a warning nip that he wasn't in the mood to be petted and you continued petting him, what did you expect for him to do? They have a limited number of ways to communicate their needs or dislikes. He tried to ask nicely before tearing out a chunk of flesh. Not every bird likes petting either, or only wants to be petted by their preferred human and everyone else can, well politely put, leave them alone

It sounds like the issue is not with disco, it's that you may not have enough experience yet to recognize his body language. If you plan to keep him, you need to learn to recognize ways he's trying to communicate with you. Parrots are highly intelligent for an animal, but at the end of the day, you basically have the brain of a 2 year old trying to communicate a need or emotion. I would start being much more observant of him, and read up on parrot body language. Also, as others have said, parrots do bite. That's one of the downsides to owning one, and it's not just your bird, it is *every single parrot ever*. I am ever observant of my amazons subtle body language, and we share a close bond (incidentally he was also not a "woman's" bird when we got him), but every so often he nails me out of the blue. I would bet not one person on this forum can honestly say they have never been bitten by their bird. They are not a feathered dog or cat, and they are NOT domestic animals- they are one or 2 generations out of the wild.

As for the baby, that boils down to responsible parenting. Don't allow a baby around the bird, or at least make sure it's supervised. If it's a toddler, the rule should be not to touch the bird, and don't let the kid run feral in the house. I've been around parrots my entire life, literally have photos of them lined up on my crib. And yes, as a toddler I was bitten, in the face, by a cockatoo who held on like a gila monster as I ran around screaming bloody murder for my parents. Mind you, I had accidentally dropped the bird playing with him being I was a child and did not quite understand how to behave around live animals vs. my stuffed toys and he reacted. I got punished too, because my parents told me not to bother the birds without them around and I disobeyed (thus I got bit and spanked that day). I well and learned my lesson, and my parents still have him (he is pushing 40 years old). I survived too, as well as surviving all the subsequent bites of life that comes with owning exotic animals from various birds and reptiles. I also still love parrots, so much so I adopted a pretty vicious and untamed one that "hated women" who is now an absolute sweetheart. Not everyone is a "bird" person, so please consider carefully if owning a bird is really the *right* pet for you. Dogs and cats are in the thousands of generations as domestic pets, so they are easy to train and like being petted and most breeds aren't known for biting. Parrots are wild and not bound by our standards of domestic living.

 

[TheWildRose311]

Re: I have hit a brick wall ....

My bro would definitly freek, If he/she bit Emily the way he bit me... ( Grabing, Not only my finger but the ripping and twisting it refusing to let go as he ripped flesh. He's good outta the cage, He will step up on my finger ( Nevermind that he does fly off alot) He will take treats from hands. But the fact that he has turned on a female but done so goood with me and than turned so aggressively on me.. It scares me. And as I stated when I let him out of the cage he flies everywhere and my having to follow him m along with his screaming as he flies I think it scares him.. I don't like having to do it, And it's not helping to bond But Senegals need an 1-2 hours a day of out of cage time and to keep him in the cage is cruel ( My bro does not live with me, So his bonding with him is pointless espically when he is not gonna get the attention he needs and could get lonley and die) I don't wan't that to happen.

 

[MikeyTN]

He's not gonna get lonely and die! You need to look at things in a different perspective as your viewing things harshly just from one bite. What you need to do is start the training process. Rome wasn't built in a day!!! Be patient and take your time to train. Either that or don't get a bird cause they all can bite!

 

[TheWildRose311]

I have had parakeets and cocktiels on and off throughout my life (Mind you adriana and her mate were not the petting type either) Im not getting rid of Disco like right now..... Im giving him another chance... But I really don't want him caged all his life either. Disco wants to be rubbed on his head but it's after you do it that he tries to nail ya, So I dunno.... He may have just been upset with me because he's had to stay in his cage for the last few days because we have had to go to the new house were moving into, And had a funeral to go to, Than got word that my nephew fell in the bathroom while sleep walking and got a concussion, The next morning he woke up and can't talk right or see or talk right.. Today we find out he has a brain injury with an infection between his skull and the skin that spreading rapidly through his body... So mabey he was upset. Mikey, What kind of training are you speaking of and how do I go about it? And can I reinforce the bonding process so that he will bond with me.. I want him to bond with everyone... When Disco was brought to me I had no idea what his breed was, That was my reasoning for joining this forum, And he was bonding with me, Till my bro came along and spoke to him After that he was allowing my bro to do things with him that he willl not with me ( My bro even made the mention that he disliked me) But I haven't done anything to him But according to the post if they don't like you can forget about changing their minds. http://www.parrotforums.com/general...parrot-should-i-get-senegal-conuer-other.html Mabey the female that was around him before me had somthing to do with it, My dad said she didn't.

 

[songlake]

If you are scared and hesitant of your bird it will know it! I cant tell from your original post but if Disco was in his cage and you were petting him there it could be the problem. He could be cage aggressive and if you reach in they will attack. Also if you hesitate (because you think you will be bitten) they will bite. Birds seem to love decisive people. My husband used to hesitate a lot when picking up skipper and skip would nail him every time. We finally convinced my husband you have to just stick your finger in there quickly and don't keep it far enough away that the bird thinks you are teasing. Now he rarely gets bitten and even if he does it's not hard.

It's my opinion that if you are now scared of handling your bird it might be better for you and Disco to find him a new home. That fear is hard to get over.

 

[TheWildRose311]

Yea, I have been thinking that to... Cause he is totally different out of his cage than when he is in... When e is out he doesn't try to bite, I do find it amusing tho, That when he is in his cage I can put my hand in he will dive bomb and perch on my hand but he never bites... It's so funny when he does it ( I have noticed he bites and jars the bars of his cage alot) When I had my first parakeet my aunt taught me when he gets out do not chase him around the house, That scares them, Instead take a different approach and walk to them calmly, talk to them and let them perch on your hand, You be their perch than take him back to his cage. It worked for pete... It wasn't long pete was the best bird I had.... He became my alarm clock and started waking me up by saying pretty girl,Non stop till it got so aggervating I had to get up LOL!! (I have had this on going thought, About clipping his wings.... Just long enough to train him. This way he has to be dependant on others to help him, Apart of me can see the logic of how this may help to teach him that people are good and no one is gonna hurt him because im not gonna let that happen, But apart of me doesn't want to do it.)

 

[MikeyTN]

Disco sounds like he's got cage aggression. That means he feels safe within and your intruding his space by putting your hand within. But with time and training that can be taken care of. I have used perches to get cage aggressive birds to come out. The training I was mentioning before is stuffs like target training. There's a ton of videos off YouTube you can watch as they all have the same basic idea. So just watch a few and learn your basics from there. Then start practicing!

 

[mismi_struck]

I never try to interact with my birds in their cage aside from conversation or getting a step up. That is the equivalent of your best friend coming over and poking and prodding at you while you're sleepy. You love the heck out of your best friend, but you're gonna snap when they get too annoying.

As a former red belly owner (smaller than the Senegal by a smidge but in the same family), he often did the "bait and switch" routine with head scratches. I began saying "head scratch" every time and would wait until he invited me for one. If he even turned his beak towards my finger, I'd back off.

A senegal is not a parakeet, and I am absolutely in favor of clipping his wings while you're bonding with him. My little broto parakeet will probably have clipped wings while we continue to live in an apartment, and things may be able to change when we move into a house. I have a dog and cat that are quick to see a bird as prey and the less fluttering around he does is better for his own safety, though I will only handle him with the others around when my boyfriend is in the room to help act as a moderator - otherwise, closed door only.

Birds get into their moods. Pedro (my red belly - the store had named him) would get persnickity, and he'd have his bad days. If he ever bit too hard, I'd simply 'drop' him (I left him enough feathers that he could glide gently to the ground, but not enough to get real lift). Birds feel extraordinarily vulnerable on the ground, and this would force him to come over to me, pick up a foot, and say "Step up", and he wouldn't bite as he didn't want to be on the ground. Obviously, common sense should come into play here - if there are dogs or other things that would harm the bird on the ground, this should only be done in a safe environment with no hard corners, etc, and with the bird in enough feather - the breast bone is delicate and can take a hard hit if they hit the floor too hard.

On Pedro's "bad" days, I had a spare dowel rod I would stick into his cage to have him step up on to. I would then make him run the "ladder" of my hands seven or eight times with no biting before he got to come out and have some fun. If he bit at all, he went back in his cage as a "time out" and I'd try again in another ten to fifteen minutes. Birds are smart - keep away what they want when they exhibit unwanted behavior and they'll learn not to do it.

Most of all, patience, a soft voice, and sure hands will work the best. Wash your hands if you've been handling yummy (to a bird) foods before handling your bird. Otherwise, you smell yummy and of course they want a taste! Consistency is amazing. Try the dowel trick if you can't get over your fear of getting him out of his cage. He used to try and climb from the inside to the outside of his cage to avoid the dowel - I draped a towel over the top of the cage/open door that would fall with him if he tried climbing it, and he eventually agreed that the dowel was the best way to go. As birds hit sexual maturity, their behavior can become a bit more aggressive and change, but is normally a seasonal thing.

 

[TheWildRose311]

I have had to completly stop my nieces interaction with him, He has started tryin to bite her. " I told he like someone told me, When interact with him you have to approach him confidently, By your interacting with him and shrieking back when he tried to bite, You are enabling him.... He now knows and anticipates your reaction and will turn it on you." I explained that if she was going to interact with Disco she was had to be willing to accept the behaviors he put forth even up to biting, She now has nothing to do with him. Disco has been in his cage all weekend, I neearly blew a head gasket today due to my brother and is girlfriend being at my home with the baby. ( She made a statement earlier today that she didn't like birds because of their biting) When she was about to leave I noticed she had the remote in her hand and her back turned towards me as she was using it to jab at Disco, Provoking him to agression all the while saying " Look at him, Why is he like this??" I told her politely to please don't jabb at him because she was provoking him to agression... She replied " Yea, You are.... I sat here and watched you." No wonder he doesn't like females.... Animals do not hate for no reason, And every time someone treats him like that it's like three steps forward and ten steps back with him. He knows the step up command, But only does it on his terms And I don't like chasing him on his perch or in his cage to get him to step up, Someone mentioned when I have him out to lock the door, Since have family that does not knock, But rather just walks in, And I have had to even tell my nieces " Yall may live in a barn, With the chickens and the cows but around here we do not live in a barn, So how about closing the door when you come in!! I have a 600.00 parrot over there in that cage and if you let him out, I will expect your mom to replace Disco.. I don't think she'd be to happy about that ( They lost one of their light blue bellied parakeets for that reason Mom told them not to be messing in the cage and they refused to listen... The oldest went to pet the 8yr olds bird and the door was open and it saw its chance and took it. I was looking on line today and saw another method that involved learning ehat the birds favorite treat was and letting the bird out to perch and only allowing your hand to only go the distance that the bird was comfortable ( Meaning there is no screetching/ Scrreaming and flying away, And gradually working up to being able to pet and pick the bird up with your hands) Disco will fly back and forth from his perch to the couch several times, Than change his direction from the perch to the couch, To the curtins and than after awhile of this he flies to the kitchin on the cast iron stand, than after a bit to my stove ( Wich mind you I do not allow him out in times when the stove, or mom is actively using it) to the tv that is not being used in the kitchen to my bothers room ( Provided the door is open) To my laundry room ( Tht door is mandatorily shut now, While his is out) Than back to the living room to repete) The first steps listed above as by this time he is to tired and gives up and gets on my hand to be put back in his cage. It was also reccomend to not let them have acces to food before working with them, The way I understood it.. If they are hungry they will be moe inclined to work, Once they do what you want, You than put give them their food place them back in the cage and let them eat. This is a gradual process so I know it may not happpen all in one day , I also realize that I will have to do this every day.

 

[mismi_struck]

It sounds like you're in a very busy household that is constantly coming and going!!! This can be a stressful environment for a bird used to having peace and quiet. While exercise is important for a bird, I would much rather see the flying limited for a bit - maybe do a border cut so he can control himself somewhat. All that flying around can help to increase his panic level, especially with so much going on in and around the house with children that aren't listening. As far as whether to give Disco up or not, that is entirely a personal decision, however, if you are unable to get your family to treat him civilly (I personally would never let someone that has jabbed at my birds back in my house...EVER) and get them on board with a training regimen, it is something I think you should consider seriously. It takes a village to raise a parrot....or was that supposed to be a child?

 

[TheWildRose311]

I have had to completly stop my nieces interaction with him, He has started tryin to bite her. " I told he like someone told me, When interact with him you have to approach him confidently, By your interacting with him and shrieking back when he tried to bite, You are enabling him.... He now knows and anticipates your reaction and will turn it on you." I explained that if she was going to interact with Disco she was had to be willing to accept the behaviors he put forth even up to biting, She now has nothing to do with him. Disco has been in his cage all weekend, I neearly blew a head gasket today due to my brother and is girlfriend being at my home with the baby. ( She made a statement earlier today that she didn't like birds because of their biting) When she was about to leave I noticed she had the remote in her hand and her back turned towards me as she was using it to jab at Disco, Provoking him to agression all the while saying " Look at him, Why is he like this??" I told her politely to please don't jabb at him because she was provoking him to agression... She replied " Yea, You are.... I sat here and watched you." No wonder he doesn't like females.... Animals do not hate for no reason, And every time someone treats him like that it's like three steps forward and ten steps back with him. He knows the step up command, But only does it on his terms And I don't like chasing him on his perch or in his cage to get him to step up, Someone mentioned when I have him out to lock the door, Since have family that does not knock, But rather just walks in, And I have had to even tell my nieces " Yall may live in a barn, With the chickens and the cows but around here we do not live in a barn, So how about closing the door when you come in!! I have a 600.00 parrot over there in that cage and if you let him out, I will expect your mom to replace Disco.. I don't think she'd be to happy about that ( They lost one of their light blue bellied parakeets for that reason Mom told them not to be messing in the cage and they refused to listen... The oldest went to pet the 8yr olds bird and the door was open and it saw its chance and took it. I was looking on line today and saw another method that involved learning ehat the birds favorite treat was and letting the bird out to perch and only allowing your hand to only go the distance that the bird was comfortable ( Meaning there is no screetching/ Scrreaming and flying away, And gradually working up to being able to pet and pick the bird up with your hands) Disco will fly back and forth from his perch to the couch several times, Than change his direction from the perch to the couch, To the curtins and than after awhile of this he flies to the kitchin on the cast iron stand, than after a bit to my stove ( Wich mind you I do not allow him out in times when the stove, or mom is actively using it) to the tv that is not being ehavioused in the kitchen to my bothers room ( Provided the door is open) To my laundry room ( Tht door is mandatorily shut now, While his is out) Than back to the living room to repete) The first steps listed above as by this time he is to tired and gives up and gets on my hand to be put back in his cage. It was also reccomend to not let them have acces to food before working with them, The way I understood it.. If they are hungry they will be moe inclined to work, Once they do what you want, You than put give them their food place them back in the cage and let them eat. This is a gradual process so I know it may not happpen all in one day , I also realize that I will have to do this every day

* I will try the cage as his timeout spot..... I also agree that repetive, consistant behavior is the key. I do have one question as I mentioned he doesn't want to be moved from his perch and his running from side to sideavoiding my hand is his way of saying " No, I don't wan't to get on your hand ... I don't want to be moved... Let me be. ( but in times when he needs to go back to his cage, I really don't have a choice except to put my hand to him and continue till he does like when he is out and someone shows up at my door ( Sometimes he will step off, And I have to do it again, As I forgot to open the cage door first.... Sometimes even when I do I have to kinda get him where he is not facing the cage and walk over to the cage and once I get to the opend door of his cage he will go in) My point is I would rather not chase him, Have him flying and screeching all over my house) I want to calmly be able to pick him up and place him inside ( I can't always call people and say "Hey call me before you come " I have a terrifed furkid and he' can be a pain in my bottem to get back in his cage.") As far as my other animals. I have a seventy eight year old dog that has never offered to hurt any animal... He's rather be friends, I have had hampsters and gerbils that when they escaped he would find them and show me where their at. I got rid of Lil Mami because I had an instance where as a cat she is prey driven, I told my mom not to have her in when Disco was out, I had no idea she was in and disco was out he flew to the recliner and she tied to get him. My other two are now watched closely when their in Disco is not allowed out. (I didn't get rid of Lil Mami/Bella because of what she did.... I had to rehome her because Im having to move as I can no longer afford the $800.00 house rent and $790.00 plus the eletricity, water, and all that we just can't do it anymore, But I know she and went to a good home as my cousin the one who adopted her and one of her kittens are good to animals, So now I only have four ( One of them being my AKC registerd Hymilian) And my youngest neices cat Duckie.. My oldest neice got to keep one of the litters that Lil Mami had, So naturaly the youngest one had to follow up and she is keeping one So now all we have is Cabbit, Duckie and the two kittens, And since the rent is cheaper on the new home and we have no deposite to pay for them that makes it easier)

 

[mismi_struck]

Again, find a pet store or a veterinarian that will do wing clippings - a bird on the ground is much easier to capture and pick up than one that you have to chase because he's flying around the house. Part of wing clipping is for safety - if they perch on a door and someone slams the door shut, there have been birds killed that way. The potential for the bird escaping into the outdoors, landing on the stove, flying into the clothes dryer, all sorts of things. Flight should be allowed only in a very limited area if at all possible - a long hallway with all doors closed, a single room for a bird as small as a Senegal. It should be fairly easy to get some suction cup perches to space around the room (within your reach) and allow him to fly to those perches within a single room. Think of this as part of the training - it's a privilege to get to fly around the entire house, but he has to prove he can be good, sweet, and reliable before he gets access to that privilege. I know you mentioned a problem with locking knobs or whatnot and people randomly disturbing you - a chain lock is two or four simple screws and would mean someone can't open the door too far in without being stopped. If they won't simply respect your privacy, you have to make a decision as to what is more important: training and spending time with Disco, or their need to randomly enter your room whenever they want. Whatever your decision, make it happen! Excuses are a dime a dozen, but even a bathroom "locking" knob at home depot is around $10-$15 and is super easy to install. I'm semi-handy, but had no problem changing out the bathroom and hallway knobs for my mom when I changed out her doors (long story about my Great Dane needing to be confined to her bathroom due to an injury that leaked and the resulting mauling done on the door). I think the only tool needed is a screwdriver.

Regardless of how things have been going with Disco, if you want HIM to change, YOU have to change first. YOU have to give him quiet and undivided attention and your calm energy before HE can learn to trust you and not bite the crud out of everyone. He may never be super friendly with others, but he should be able to be reasonably tolerant of people being around his cage. Now, if they stick their fingers in there, well, then that's their own fault, but it isn't going to help his training. Most guides say to keep your birds cage in a popular area of the house where the family hangs out, but if the family includes children who will antagonize him with fingers all day poking and prodding at him, perhaps consider a change of location for his cage. Keep in mind A/C vents, direct sunshine from windows, and temperature comfort before making a move/change.

EDIT: another option (assuming you can get him caged) is to cover his cage before company comes over, that way there is less temptation for probing fingers and he remains calmer while company is around as well. If I ever have to cover a cage during the day time, I tend to use a sheet that will still admit the light from the room while blurring everything out, but give this a trial run first to make sure he doesn't panic with shadows being cast on the cover. I know not everyone will call, but the moment they show up, "Oh, hey, give me a second, its Disco's nap time" and put the cover over his cage. Most kids will be amenable to "birdie is sleeping, let's not bug the birdie" and can be convinced to find other more appropriate entertainment.

 

[TheWildRose311]

I have double locks and they are being put to good use, I keep him in the living room because that is where the most taffic is and he has a window to look out of and hear the other birds outside ( Wich he seems completly fastinated with) As far as the kids they don't interact with him since I put a stop to it im here every day all day so they know that what I say is what I mean and they know if they don't mind me I'll sets some rear ends on fire. As far as the temps I read that the Sennies can take 65-75 degrees ( No more no less) I always play it safe.. If it's to cold for me than it's to cold for the rest of my fur kids, But I keep the temps at 70 degrees. (Once I move I will be in a bigger room than what I have here at my current home) Thank you for the suggestion on the suction perches I will look in to that. I do believe I saw it mentioned somewhere that it is better to take them to a diffent area to train rather than keepin them in a location their familiar with because that helps them to learn to trust you. ( Hailey is old enough to know better than to poke at him, And I spoke up about it... She quit, That won't happen again ( My mom can not stand to see someone deliberetly agitate any animal.) I told my mom and she said she better not be provoking him) So I have a feeling my mom will be having a talk with her.[/QUOTE Mismi I will definitly be taking him to a vet to have him clipped.... My mom used to clip my parakeet pete all the time, But I dunno how comfortable iam letting her do it now since she is oon blood thinners and her skin is paper thin and she can bleed to death so easily]

 

[TheWildRose311]

That is a great idea.... We actually tried that over the weekend for Emmerz ( My brothers girlfriends lil girl He made the mistake of getting Disco out while she was here and disco flew off his arm and over her head and it freaked her out and she panicked and went into a crying fit She is ok as long as he is perched, settin still and not flying arround in his cage screaching and screaming with exciment.) And he actually We covered just the front with a this sheet and left the two sides and the back open, And everything wet great he was quitet expcept for his occasional " Pretty boy whisper) and other clicks, But Emmerz wasn't affected by it.