Hey everyone! I've really enjoyed mostly lurking over the past few months and reading the various posts. I've learned quite a lot. But I really need some help and haven't found exactly what I need.
My double yellow, Tater, is just under 4 months old. I've had him since right before Thanksgiving. He is still on two feedings a day, and just in the past week he has discovered that he LOVES food. I believe he is attempting to wean himself, as he will beg for food constantly, then instantly refuse most feedings I offer him (previously he was an excellent eater).
He has become more aggressive over the past three weeks as well. I can handle the hard bites, as can my girlfriend. We were prepared for this, and while it's frustrating, he is getting better at not biting us. He is actually getting very good at learning gentle beak pressure.
My problem is that he has become VERY aggressive toward my two kids. They are 10 and 8 years old, respectful toward animals, and are never unsupervised with Tater. In fact, my ten year old loves birds and knows how to act around them. She has helped me hand-feed Tater several times. They are both slow, gentle, and calm. They know how to handle our cockatiel without any issues at all.
But now Tater has decided that he hates them. He will fly at their faces, growl, and try to bite them. He bit my ten year old hard enough to draw blood, and didn't want to stop (I had to scoop him up and cage him).
What can I do to fix this issue? It would be disappointing to only be able to have him out of the cage when my girls are not home. But I also cannot have him attacking my girls, especially when they are not doing anything wrong. Should I give him a gentle clip? He is fully flighted now.
Thank you!
My double yellow, Tater, is just under 4 months old. I've had him since right before Thanksgiving. He is still on two feedings a day, and just in the past week he has discovered that he LOVES food. I believe he is attempting to wean himself, as he will beg for food constantly, then instantly refuse most feedings I offer him (previously he was an excellent eater).
He has become more aggressive over the past three weeks as well. I can handle the hard bites, as can my girlfriend. We were prepared for this, and while it's frustrating, he is getting better at not biting us. He is actually getting very good at learning gentle beak pressure.
My problem is that he has become VERY aggressive toward my two kids. They are 10 and 8 years old, respectful toward animals, and are never unsupervised with Tater. In fact, my ten year old loves birds and knows how to act around them. She has helped me hand-feed Tater several times. They are both slow, gentle, and calm. They know how to handle our cockatiel without any issues at all.
But now Tater has decided that he hates them. He will fly at their faces, growl, and try to bite them. He bit my ten year old hard enough to draw blood, and didn't want to stop (I had to scoop him up and cage him).
What can I do to fix this issue? It would be disappointing to only be able to have him out of the cage when my girls are not home. But I also cannot have him attacking my girls, especially when they are not doing anything wrong. Should I give him a gentle clip? He is fully flighted now.
Thank you!
And he likes teasing my big macs, which is NEVER acceptable. Not to mention he's tried latching on to me on more than one occasion. :54:
