patoo

When Taylor was less than a year old, he went back to the breeder while we went on vacation. Up to that point he seemed a little confused about preening correctly, but didn't pluck. When we came back from vacation and picked up Taylor, he was completely bald down his front. The breeder said she put him in a cage. He started plucking. So, she sprayed him w/ a water bottle to make him stop plucking. Yeah, right, lady! Taylor was a nervous wreck for months after the incident. By the time he was two, he had stopped plucking. Feathers back...except his neck. At six years old, the neck plucking seems to only happen out of sight, but its still going on. The avian vet sez benadryl. Not a chance! Any body got any ideas, before he finishes off all the feathers around his neck?

Throw our little treasure off your shoulder and you will get bit for your trouble. He is either sweet, huggy/kissy and loving or a devil. Fluffed, head down and eyes pinned.

Rocky55, This website has excellent advise on how to deal with biting. However, I have one thing to add. In the past when I got bit by our grey parrot, there was broken skin and my blood all over the place. I would explode with a string of profanity, madly waving my arms at the bird, chasing him all over the house. I have learned that it was the wrong thing to do for many reasons. No reaction is better than a negative reaction to biting or any other unwanted behavior. Over time, biting has been reduced to a minimum in our household.. In the past I would frequently get a bite with broken skin on the back of my neck for just attempting to leave for work. Now, it get "Buh-Bye...be right back!" when I leave. To answer your question, they bite for a reason. Its your job to figure out why. Learning when they are getting ready to bite is also important to the sanity of the household.