Reforming a biter?

[Girltron]

Ah, so here we go. We told my friend from whom we adopted Francis that he bit me on Saturday, and she mentioned to me that both she and her husband had scars from him. I'd seen him nip, but never break skin until he took a beakful of my finger this week and grimly ground away with his lower beak until I could wiggle my hand away. That was my fault for reaching into his cage without looking for good body language.

 

He obviously learned a long time ago that this behavior gets him what he wants. He does enjoy both me and my husband (he likes my husband better) but that's clearly no immunity against the biting.

 

So! I need a little confidence here, I think. I'm concerned that my new reluctance to put delicate body parts near him is going to reinforce the behavior, heh heh heh. I had Francis out for playtime and he kept chasing my feet-I think just to be nice-but I had such a vision of him biting my toe that I kept walking away whenever he got close enough. I think eventually I made him nervous because in attempting to help him up into his sleep cage, I offered a (gloved) hand and even though he'd given me one or two polite beaks a little earlier, he gave me a warning nip that last time. So I gave up on handling at all, and coaxed him into the sleep cage by main bribery, with almonds placed on the ladder and perch.

 

He's nervous about stepping up on a stick. I think I'm going to try to teach him that though, instead of always having to wait until HE decides to go back home.

 

My husband can handle him, but Francis is so in love with him that it becomes a mating ritual when Frank tries to pick Francis up off the floor. Francis doesn't want to step up, just hang onto his finger and squeak. On a good night he does that to me too, while on a bad night I'll get a nip.