Bought new alexandrine, need help!!

[rockytheparrot]

Hey guys, im new to the forum, i signed up because i needed help with my new alexandrine and i found this site helpful.

I bought Rocky 2 days ago, as a 6month old hand tamed Alexandrine. When i went to buy him, he hopped on my shoulder and was comfortable infront of his owner. I bought him home, put him in his cage, and since then, he refuses to come out. He came out only yesterday morning, i put my hand in the cage and he hopped on my hand and he came out willingly.

But other than that, he refuses to hop on my hand, everytime i put my hand near him, he comes to bite me. How do i re-tame him? since he was tamed when i bought him. I hand feed him inside the cage and talk to him alot, but still no good response from him

And i notice when i come near him sometimes, he kind of shakes. Can you give me tips please, thank you

 

[Parrotmamma]

He just needs time to adjust to you and his new surroundings. Even though he is tame you are still a stranger to him and is unsure of you. Don't force yourself on him , let him make the first move. talk softly to him , sit by his cage and read to him . He will come around given a little time. when he shakes that is just because he is nervous . My grey does that when someone new comes in the house.
Would love to see pics of your new guy : )

 

[Mchal]

When I saw Bert at the pet store he was a real sweety and I would put my hand in his cage and all he would do is gently gobble on my finger like I was trying to feed him.
Then when I bought him home he would lunge at me and try to bite.

He just isn't used to you, he is in a new home surrounded by new things and is probably a little scared. He just needs some time to adjust and lots of patience and understanding!
The biggest thing is not to force yourself on him, he will come around just give him time.
Bert comes out of his cage every day on his own when he is ready, and usually we play and then he snuggles up for a nap
But this took months and months of getting to know each other and getting to be comfortable with each other. Now I can look at Bert's body language and know exactly what he is trying to tell me and if he wants to be left alone, that's something I respect
Sorry for blabbing on, but all I'm saying is that it takes time to build a trusting relationship with your little birdie. I am all too familiar with the complete freak out, that comes along with being a first time bird owner! Every one on here is really supportive and informative, so don't be afraid to ask anything!
I would love to see some pictures as well!

 

[Klaery]

I agree with what others have said a few treats brought my guy around pretty quickly. Still took several days though.

 

[iloveparrot]

oh, a lot of useful infomation, i'm very happy to attend this website :x

 

[rockytheparrot]

Thanks alot guys for the tips. Im taking it easy on him, been feeding him his favourite treat and spending time with him. But yesterday and today he has been pretty vicious, he tries to attack and bite me if i put my hand near him or near the cage, so i got a water sprayer, everytime he tries to bite me i spray him with water as a punishment so he can learn, whats your views on that? And ill upload a picture soon

 

[Ginkai]

I would think its a bad idea to make him think water is a punishment. it'll make it hard to bath him...I think you just need to respect his boundaries of where he telling you not to go. With more time and trust he might let you near his cage or he could be cage territorial and you'll just have to live with that. Try to make it so you can open the cage and he chooses when to come out, so its on his terms he won't feel under threat or pressured to touch you.

 

[headfeathermistress]

He needs to get to know you. He is scared and in a new home. Try positive reinforcement not punishment. Just go slow and let your bird set the pace. A few days for him to get used to your schedule etc is a good start

 

[Mchal]

In regards to the water spraying, I understand the thinking behind it but it's really not a great idea.
I give Bert a proper shower maybe once every 2 weeks but I give him a spray bottle spritz every couple of days, it helps (especially during their molt) their feathers and skin to feel better and cleaner etc. and he LOVES it! He looks up, fluffs up his feathers and fans out his wings and tail feathers, it's beautiful to watch
So if your birdie likes it, then it's sending the wrong message that he gets fun bath time after being aggressive and then if he doesn't like it, it will make bath time a negative experience when it shouldn't be (it's actually a really nice bonding time I think )

And on another note, I have read that Alexandrine's as a species are prone to cage aggression. I don't know about all the other Alexandrine's out there, but this is true for Bert. I can't go near his cage to change water and food etc. without him having a spack attack at me.
But in saying that, he will only bluff. He has never actually bitten me while I'm trying to do something with his cage. So I try to avoid interaction with him in his cage (it is his home after all and no one likes unwelcome guests).
Whenever I am at home I leave his cage door open and he can come out when he feels ready. This means I can avoid having negative experiences with him, which I think helps the bond because he knows I'm not going to make him do anything he doesn't want to do. And he comes out every day to spend time with me and to play and have cuddles and to check out everything that's going on in the house (he's so curious)
Because you don't have that bond with your bird yet I would suggest coaxing him out with treats so you can get to know him in a neutral environment. At the bottom of the door to Bert's cage I have a calcium perch on the outside of the cage, which means when I put a treat on the end of the perch he has to come outside of his cage to get it and then try getting him to step up on to you and if he won't, try getting him to step up on to another separate wooden perch or dowel and move him around that way

Again sorry for rambling, but I have been there with Bert! And I know it feels discouraging that you brought him home and he seems like he doesn't want anything to do with you and he bites etc. But you just don't know each other yet and once you do and you have that bond, it's so, so special! It just takes time and patience and don't feel discouraged! I know I did, but you will get there, I promise!

Oh! And I found that a really good book to read was Barbara Heidenreich's The Parrot Problem Solver! It gave me good insight and understanding about parrot's and their behaviour. I would really recommend it as it also has detailed descriptions about birds body language, and how to train birds using positive reinforcement. It will help you understand your feathered friend a whole lot better!

 

[mtdoramike]

He doesn't need to be retamed, he needed to be better socialized by his previous owner. My birds will go to anyone. You will need to take a lot more time than 2 days to get this not very socialized bird used to you. All I can say id treats, treats, treats, yes, it's buying his love but if it saves your fingers some pain what the heck.

 

[kc_y0]

Punishing him with the water is not a good idea. Instead when he bites or lunges maybe say "Uh uh!" in a firm voice, I do this with my bird on the occasion that she is grumpy. They work better with positive reinforcement rather then punishment though. As others have said, birds do need showers/misting often and you want your bird to enjoy it and be happy rather then being confused and wondering if he is being punished.
Give him time to relax and get used to you, most of us have to go through the biting and lunges when we bring a bird home and they are usually acting out of fear. It took about 6 - 8 weeks for my bird to be comfortable around me, and even longer for her to really settle in and open up, but all birds are different with that time frame. Trust me its worth the wait though. Offer treats through the cage if he wont come to you, or leave his cage door open so he can decide if he would like to come freely. Being confident can go a long way too, if you are nervous or scared the bird will pick up on those feelings. Good luck and congrats on your new bird, don't worry, its normal and he will come around, just be persistent and patient!

 

[rockytheparrot]

Thanks heaps... I was actually considering selling it because its not what i expected and wanted to buy a baby bird to raise it my self, but i guess ill wait and have patience today i followed your advice, i kept the cage door open, he came out and i put a cloth on my hand and put my hand under his feet, he stepped up and i walked aroud with hi
. He was shaking and nervous but i gave him a treat for being good, then took him back to his cage. I guess hes just really territorial when it comes to his cage, ive realised that

 

[kc_y0]

He probably isn't territorial just yet, he is just really frightened. Just imagine how scary it is for a bird, they are VERY sensitive to change, he's used to being at the breeders house and having familiar faces around. It will take time to learn that you mean him no harm, and that you are his friend, keep persistent and don't give up

 

[Ginkai]

A baby would act the same way at first rockytheparrot, think of it from thier eyes they are small fragile and your this new giant animal intruding on your space. You would bite and be scared too. It can take months to even a year before a bird will completely trust you. I bought a newly weaned hand raised bird and had her 3months now and she still doesn't completely trust me.

Patience is a virtue! As the old saying goes. Especially with birds.

 

[headfeathermistress]

They are such super sensitive creatures!

 

[BradGC]

Yea, treat him with fruits, nuts, sunflower seeds (in moderation) and also speak soft and praise him all the time. Make him want to come to you, don't force yourself onto him. Parrots are very social creatures so he will eventually take to you.just try go 1 step at a time, first hand feeding, then hand feeding with your other hand almost close to the perch, getting closer each day, when he gets used to his treats and your hand being close, you can try move the treat a little distance so that he has to step up to get the treat.
If he bites, the best way to punish him is to straight away turn your back to him and walk away, and stop talking to him, only for a few minutes or so.

Also, Alex's generally don't like to be petted or stroked or scratched, but they'll still be as friendly as ever. So while you're taming him, don't at all try to stroke him, just start by letting him step up, next thing he'll be up on your shoulder before you know it.

Good luck!
And be patient!

 

[BradGC]

He'll also generally be happy with you if you give him good fresh food everyday, even veggie offcuts are great like broccoli stalks or outer cabbage leaves, cauliflower leaves or stalk, a lot of the time they'll just chew it and chuck it around and play with it, but it all still makes them happy

 

[pjoel]

Question for you, are you a male or female? And was his past owner male or female? My alexandrine had a female owner before I got him and he hated her, thats why she gave him to me. He only likes men. lol

 

[BradGC]

Our alex also prefers men. It's strange coz his hand raiser was a female (lovely elderly lady that raises 100s of birds) and my girlfriend was there as well when we picked him up... but he still prefers men