new 7 month female owner feeling discouraged

[al7601]

Hello everyone! My family and I just bought a 7 month old female eclectus and have been dealing with some issues. This will be her 3rd night with us and she is a terror so far. Biting my wife and I every time we get close. Getting her out of her cage has been almost impossible and if we do get her out she wants to go right back to her cage.

How can we get her to love us if we can't handle her? Since we got her I've been reading that the females are the nippy ones and she lunges and bites every time we want to get her. Once she's on our hand or fore arm she doesn't bite.

We need some advice fast as my wife is starting to think it was a mistake.

Her diet is great filled with fresh fruit and veggies. I know its early but I've read so many horror stories of these females.We are feeling deeply concerned. We got her from a reputable source and she's been hand fed.

 

[skylala]

You could try some target clicker training in the cage if she has a favourite food? Get a target (Something like a stick/pen) and teach her to touch the target and give her treats for it. It could help you gain some trust with each other. Then you could also 'target' her out and in the cage once she learns it.

 

[maillet]

a) Find her favourite treat and hold it out of reach. If she wants she will have to step on your hand and come out.

b) Painful yes. But let her bite. Do not pull away, grin and bear it. She will stop in a real jiffy if she learns it does nothing at all.

c) Use a Glove to take her out of cage. Birds are territorial especially females. Once out of cage she should be more open to playing.

d) Remember that to her you two are the terrors. Large featherless apes staring at her, poking unknown appendages inside of HER cage. Yah she is definitely scared.

 

[MikeyTN]

a) Find her favourite treat and hold it out of reach. If she wants she will have to step on your hand and come out.

b) Painful yes. But let her bite. Do not pull away, grin and bear it. She will stop in a real jiffy if she learns it does nothing at all.

c) Use a Glove to take her out of cage. Birds are territorial especially females. Once out of cage she should be more open to playing.

d) Remember that to her you two are the terrors. Large featherless apes staring at her, poking unknown appendages inside of HER cage. Yah she is definitely scared.

I actually don't agree with letting them bite like that! Eclectus bite can be pretty nasty!!!

OP, IF you can get her out, let her sit with you to get adjusted to you. She's just scared right now. You need to let her know your not a threat. Start practicing on how to step up, talk to her while doing so. Repeat the step up process over and over. Repeat the process daily by working with her like 25min or more at a time and 4+ times per day. And have her out with you even if your not training. Have her sit on your arm, lap, etc so she can get adjusted to you!

 

[strudel]

Try not to feel discouraged or tense when you are interacting with her. Just think about cute puppies or something, do not think anything negative or anticipate biting. Animals pick up on our fears and anxiety. Sometimes we are contributing to their reactions to us by imperceptible to us signs which are perceptible by them.

 

[al7601]

thank you all for the advice. is there anything else that may be helpful? We're hoping she comes around soon. it's just that I've read so many bad stories and not many that have turned positive. I'd love to hear if some one might share their turn around story.

I know I'll be updating with how we are doing.

 

[Boysmom]

I recommend giving her time to get acclimated to you and your home. I would leave her in the cage and sit by the cage and talk to her or read to her. After several days of this then open her cage and sit by it and talk or read, do this till she feels comfortable coming out on her own. You have to gain her trust and you can't build trust by forcing her to do things that are scary to her, that's why she is biting you. If you continue to force her, you are definately going to have aggression problems IMO. She will come to you to play when she feels safe, Ekkies are quite inquisitive. Sit by her cage and do things that might interest her, IE: play with some tissue paper or a bird toy. Here is a link to the chair method I am recommending:
https://companionparrotonline.com/chair_exercise.html

 

[MikeyTN]

What I told you was my story actually. When I got my pair, it was actually the male that acted like yours. He was absolutely petrified, lounges and bites. I kept working with him like that and he started stepping up like a champ after a week and started coming around in about a month. Started trusting me in full trust in about 6 months to a year. It just takes time and patience.

 

[strudel]

We're hoping she comes around soon.

Try to put aside/forget your hopes/expectations/wants. Just focus on letting her settle and get to know you. When you go up to her cage, don't be thinking "I wish you were tame and would play with us", just think "aren't you pretty? Are you having a good time? I've brought you something delicious that you might like" just think neutral things about her well-being. It sounds like mumbo-jumbo, but if you are "being patient" while thinking "hurry up and get tame, will you?" you can be sending an impatient vibe to the bird that it'll pick up on. To be patient, you REALLY need to be patient. Just forget about what you want, it'll help take any tension out of you when you interact.

 

[MikeyTN]

Forgot to mention, JoJo who was 5 at the time when I got him turned out to be the sweetest bird I've ever owned. My partner can tell you this bird loves me to bits....he's the most improved bird out of all since he wasn't friendly and in poor shape. Today he's in good shape, health, and super sweet. Talks like no tomorrow, my best talker! But this took a lot of training and trust through out the years.

 

[al7601]

Just wanted to give everyone an update. Since my OP she has really come around. When she comes out of her cage on her own, which begins early in the morning, she has been so sweet. My wife and I can kiss her, pet her, and she now will walk around the house. This is all on her terms only. The only times she will bite will is either after 5-6 pm when she starts getting tired or if she is sitting still on top of her cage. We really wish she'd love us in the evening too and hope this isn't a problem.

She hasn't said a word or much of any noises so far. She will make this clicking type sound which my wife and I have no idea what that's for. Hope someone can tell us?

thanks everyone for your help

here she is

 

[thekarens]

She's gorgeous!

 

[Kimma]

It's funny reading these store is for the first time a bit late. Seeing how quickly things can go right after people ask for advice.

al7601, what was it that improved things? Did you follow the advice you got?

 

[al7601]

It's funny reading these store is for the first time a bit late. Seeing how quickly things can go right after people ask for advice.

al7601, what was it that improved things? Did you follow the advice you got?

basically time is what helped the most. the advice was great. We offered treats, spent a lot of time with her out of cage, and began to read her body language.

I wish we knew why she gets cranky so early in the day and what the clicking sound signifies.

 

[Kimma]

Perhaps make a video of her clicking and see if anyone recognises the sound.

Maybe she's trying to clicker train you

 

[shakar850]

when i first got rosie she was very territorial. any hands that got into her cage she used to bite. I used to have budgies and i couldn't hold them because i was to afraid. so my husband started taking her in and out of her cage, every night she sits with us in the living room and falls asleep. shes the best and sweetest girl ever. i think you should not stop taking her in and out of her cage. yes she will bite but eventually she will gain your trust and every time shes out of her cage give her a treat and tell her shes a good girl. she will learn that you guys are her carers and mean no harm. they are very intelligent parrots. i love my Rosie like shes my little girl now. I read BOYSMOMS reply and thats excellent exercise for ekkis. sit next to the cage and talk. eventually she will want to go out of the cage then you should stretch your hand so she climbs onto you instead of climing all the way up ontop of the cage. Also another thing ive been told is that if the cage is higher then your length the parrot willl be the more dominated one, specially if shes not tame yet. once shes tame u can get a bigger cage for her.

 

[JadeC]

Honestly, I didn't even take my baby bird out for the first week. I mean, I took him out but only for like 30 mins.. They just need time to adjust. It's like trying to kiss a stranger's child and they don't know you. It's the same with a new baby bird. They're scared, new surroundings, new people, new food, etc.. I'm glad she's being sweet now, but just remember that she's still trying to get used to her new parents. Good luck!

 

[Mike17]

Just wanted to give everyone an update. Since my OP she has really come around. When she comes out of her cage on her own, which begins early in the morning, she has been so sweet. My wife and I can kiss her, pet her, and she now will walk around the house. This is all on her terms only. The only times she will bite will is either after 5-6 pm when she starts getting tired or if she is sitting still on top of her cage. We really wish she'd love us in the evening too and hope this isn't a problem.

She hasn't said a word or much of any noises so far. She will make this clicking type sound which my wife and I have no idea what that's for. Hope someone can tell us?

thanks everyone for your help

here she is

She's looking pretty relaxed in this pic, Al. And very pretty, too Makes me want to tame our non-handraised girl, Bella. I'm at work too much, and my wife is afraid of her, plus we have a house full of little guys.

As for the clicking, our SI, Alex does that occasionally, I've never thought it signified much, just one his repertoire of noises

 

[drlisaort]

She's so beautiful! The clicking is just a content little noise they make...usually after their belly is full and they are just relaxing...

 

[lpolliard]

Is she getting enough good dark and quiet sleep? This could be the cause of her grumpiness. Birds should get at least 10 hours each night. I had to resort to putting Chico in a sleeping cage in my upstairs closet. Downstairs in his day cage, even when covered, was too distracting for Chico. He is put to bed by eight and brought out in the morning usually around seven.

Now you know that getting discouraged after 3 days was premature. For other newbies reading these posts it can take 3 weeks even 3 months worth of patience to win over a life time companion.