Summerc25 Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Shaka zulu has been really ugly with me lately(past week or so) and biting much more than normal. I was searching the forums for stuff that makes them grouchy and I found that if they are horny they get grouchy. Well he does the dropped wings, panting and trying to regurgitate stuff at me quite often. Could this be why he is so angry?? It is off and on. This morning he lunged and bit my lip and made it bleed then a few minutes later he was back to normal talking and calling me but he has still been very nippy. Tried to bite me two other times but I got my hand back in time. Now the problem is he is going to think he is all boss and I am scared of him biting. I am trying to not allow myself to pull back but when I know the bite is coming I can't help it..lol What should I do when he does that dropped wing thing and all that? Leave the room for a few minutes? Please help me get my bird to be sweet to me again. I cried and cried this morning, because it hurt my lip and mostly my feelings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Summerc25 Posted January 17, 2010 Author Share Posted January 17, 2010 oh I forgot to say it is only when he is on his cage, when I can get him off the cage he is fine. I always handle him when he is on the cage though and never have a problem. I don't know if it just because he is feeling territorial or what. The problem is I can't get him off the cage easily right now because he is going for the fingers if I try to get him to step up and he usually doesn't do this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaxtersMom Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 It sounds like your Shaka zulu might be a bit hormonal. It happens and they can get quite ugly during these times. It is not uncommon for them to get territorial of their cages and even more aggressive during the hormonal changes if that's what it is. I thought they got hormonal during the summer time or hot season but I'm not sure. I would recommend using a stick or a perch to get him off his cage when you need to. If he isn't stick trained it's always a good thing for them to learn as a back up for those "bad days". If he gets real bad and biting then he just needs to be left alone untill it passes. Don't invite the danger by trying to stand your ground. If it is a hormonal stage he will most likely win every time and you can't reason with them at this time. No sense in having bloody fingers and lips. Hopefully his behavior will return to normal shortly but if it's hormonal it can last a month or so too. Or maybe he's just having a bad few days and something is upsetting him. Have you made any major changes since this behavior began? changed furniture around? Put something new by his cage? Changed hair color? Even small changes can sometimes upset our feathered friends. Keep us posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Summerc25 Posted January 18, 2010 Author Share Posted January 18, 2010 ohhh I did put a new toy in his cage but only because he seemed to love it and took to it right away maybe that is it. Thanks for the response! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 Erika gave good comments. They breed 2 times a year and winter is one of them. At 5 + years old, he could definately be hormonal and the body language you are describing certainly sounds like he is in the mating mood. Add some winter molting and the itchiness that goes with it and you have one mature grey you need to treat as such. The best advice is to just avoid the bites be watching his body language very carefully. As Erika said, if you do start to encounter a bite, of course remove your hand before a wound requiring stitches happens. He could also be a little protective of his cage zone as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 I will add a little to what Erika and Dan said, they gave you some good advice but when he is in one of these moods don't touch him on certain parts of the body, namely the wings, back, under the wings or anywhere around the tail area as those will only make him worse. Just ignore him when he displays these hormonal behaviors and allow him to calm down before interacting with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pearllyn Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 Ooh Summer you have my sympathy. It is very upsetting when you start to get bitten. Hopefully it is just a phase and you will get your sweet baby back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Summerc25 Posted January 18, 2010 Author Share Posted January 18, 2010 Thank you guys so much! I am definitely following all of your advice. I had to go out for a while this afternoon and luckily he seems happy to see me right now and is being sweet. I think he is molting a bit as well because I feel the pin feathers, so it must be a combination of the two. I gave him a very good long shower today and I hope that will help too. Thanks again, I know it is just a phase, this happened once before (several months ago) and it only lasted a few days to a week thank goodness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 Most greys will get somewhat grouchy when they are molting, those pins are uncomfortable but those frequent showers will help and soon it will be over with, glad to hear he was in a good mood today and things will improve real soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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