KevinD Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 Here is another question, I read the the occasional "The Parrot Bit Me Thing" but how do you stop a Biting parrot, bites everyone and everything. He will give you a sweet kiss on the bowed head, a light and gentle touch to anyone, but if you try and touch him, he will bite the shit out of anyone. Its not person specific. As long as he is doing the sweet kiss on the bowed head, its fine......but fingers are beef jerky, whats up with that? The bird is spoiled, gets bathes 1 time a day, gets 2 hours in direct sunlight, gets fresh vegetables and fruits, high dollar parrot food with vitamins and minerals, filtered water, toys peanuts and is only left alone 3 hours a day in the cage, and out the rest of the day. For those three hours he watches his favorite tv show spongebob square pants on a high def 4k tv He even sings, "Who lives in the pineapple under the sea" He talks likes no ones business, his cage is cleaned 3 times a day, but he just wants to bite. Any suggestions? Oh and he is a precision biter, nails me ever time in the same spot so many times I've got a scar now on my right hand above my thumb right in the web of my hand LOL I wish I was him, and he had to go to work LOL 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted February 9, 2020 Share Posted February 9, 2020 I have no idea. My first thought was that prior experiences with hands were bad. But, maybe he just doesn't want to be touched. When I brought Timber home he didn't like hands or feet. He is still a "foot attacker" if he's on the floor. I learned early on that he will step up on my forearm, but will bite my hand if offered. On the other hand, once he is on my arm and we are settled he is often receptive to face scratches with fingers. If I put my hand within strike range without offering food in other circumstances, it is an invitation for a bite. No help I know, just wish I knew what was going on in those birdie brains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted February 9, 2020 Author Share Posted February 9, 2020 Quote My first thought was that prior experiences with hands were bad You know, maybe you are right. When he was stuck in his cage with 8 other greys with a death sentence in the middle east. People would float by and say pull that one out of the cage, and some underpaid Kuwaiti would put on heavy leather gloves and reach in there until he found the requested bird. In his case it was easy, he was so sick he would fall to the bottom of the cage so weak, that's why we rescued him. But what doesn't make sense to me now is why almost 7 years later, the behavior seems to manifest itself. He never was this way before. It just been in the last 6 months. You might be on to something, I thank you for your response. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRSeedBurners Posted February 9, 2020 Share Posted February 9, 2020 Huey hates men but I've managed to call a truce with him over the last two years. As long as I play by the agreed upon script he won't lash out and rip me to pieces. But we both know me and I like to push my boundaries. Huey is the enforcer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted February 9, 2020 Share Posted February 9, 2020 I wish it was possible to find out what goes on in their brains. I'm afraid I don't have any answers for you - but they are sensitive souls. It might be that his past experiences were enough to make him super wary of hands and it's going to take a LOT to get over that. He might never like hands. I'm not sure if there's anything you can do to change that... a parrot behaviourist might be able to help? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNCAG Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Wobble correction can help. Also, pushing into their beak -- they expect you to pull away. Pushing into the bite usually makes them let go and have a re-think since it's not pleasant nor fun for the parrot. Good luck, it's so hard to un-teach negative behaviours. :( 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share Posted February 15, 2020 You know the funny thing, is they are so like us, and even though they have the ability to speak, its like most humans, a lot of times even though it appears they are listening, there not understanding and vice versa We don't hear what there trying to say either. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Sounds like most married couples... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 This bird is killing me LOL, he worked over my right hand, permanent scars, now he is starting on the left hand. I was just replacing his water bowl, and BANG the left hand got it. So I got some gloves from amazon that will withstand a Falcon bite, I wear them when cleaning and changing bowls. The second I go to clean the cage or replace his water or food bowl, you know what he says? BullShit! What is that? Bullshit he cant take a chunk out of me? LMAO. I love him to death, but i'm not loosing flesh every time I'm trying to clean the cage or change a water bowl. So we got in a fight, I said no you bullshit, biting me, and he says "I call Bull Shit" I said on what? What do you call bullshit on? He said Sponge Bob Square Pants. LOL He has no fair sense of play as it seems to be a game for him. If he only knew what the Kuwaitis would of done to him, or probably the fact he would be dead. Or it cost $7000 dollars to keep his narrow butt alive, LOL I got a plan. I'm going to use the gloves every time and see what affect that has. We will see who calls bullshit last LOL. Place your bets LOL 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 Sorry, but I'm laughing. Bullshit indeed to your gloves. Reminds me of the early days with Timber. Hubby was trying to do something in his cage and Timber was trying to mutilate him before he could. Hubby was muttering, Timber was growling, then out of the blue, though he'd hardly said anything at that point, he said "asshole" clear as a bell. We cracked up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 Well it's better then loosing a pound of flesh every time I go near the cage LOL. I dunno what has got into him. Its not chunks of my hands anymore He grabbed a hold this morning and I just looked at him and didn't flinch, he had clamp down on the left hand and wouldn't let go. I said is that all you got? I gave him the sponge bob square pants thing back. (His favorite show) I said "NOW who lives in the pineapple under the sea" I swear he said "No more crabby patties" Probably meant no more daddy patties. Has to get his pound of flesh elsewhere LOL 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 Update, as I was siting here working on the site and making a few replies, Sukei is in the other room shouting, Sukei loves daddy, no more doo doo to daddy. Doo Doo is not poop, its Filipino for injury LOL, yes I have a bi lingual grey He said, please give me sweet kiss, Maybe the argument is over, or he is baiting me in for other chomp LOL Never gets boring around here. That is for sure. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 Kevin if most of the bites occur when you are putting your hands into his cage then it could be a case of cage aggression. Some greys think of their cage as their own private sanctuary, a safe place if you will that they don't like violated, why not try doing anything in his cage only when he is perched elsewhere in the house. Otherwise I am stumped as to why he is biting you now when he wasn't doing it over 6 months ago unless something has happened and that could be anything, something you might not even think would matter but in that little grey mind it is everything. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted February 29, 2020 Author Share Posted February 29, 2020 Judy, Thank You for your thoughts and response, I have been around here a while and thought about the cage aggression deal. No it isn't location specific, or person specific. Ill tell you what though, I used to do do a lot of diving, and shark meddling with the chain mail suits, and the sharks tried to take a few chops out of you, and decided it wasnt worth the effort and moved on. So I figured, I would employ the same logic, and it seems to have mitigated the problem. He is not trying to bite near as much anymore. He got his beak into those gloves a few times, and decided it wasn't worth the effort, and I imagine some pain on his part. He begrudgingly lets me change and clean his bowl and cage with no gloves on, but he does a head fake now and then LOL. But every night he says, Sukei loves Daddy and Momma good night 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 I'm glad you seem to have found something that's working! I can't touch Alfie anywhere except on the head and back of his neck but only when he allows it. He has to put his head down before I can go anywhere near him or I will definitely get bitten. Same for anyone else. I can sometimes get the bottom of his foot if he puts it up at the side of the cage- but I have to be very aware of what he is doing because he'll take exception to that and try and bite sometimes too. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNCAG Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 I am saddened greys are biting. I get parrots being upset, confused, wanting things to go differently... but biting??? So sad for those just wanting to provide a healthy safe home for these guys. I've always heard the falcon gloves work. Maybe not. A grey bite can really hurt, injure and scar. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 Timber has been a biter since day one (rehomed). I've learned to read his body language a bit better, but he still takes me by surprise sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoow Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 For the most part, I understand Alfie's boundaries and respect them. But he does catch me sometimes when he (seemingly) lunges at me for no reason. I am thankful that Alfie doesn't seem to bite as hard as he could do. He might leave a slight bruise but rarely if ever breaks the skin. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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