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 Post subject: Nippy...using flight for bad
PostPosted: Tue Nov 15, 2016 8:32 pm 
Conure
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Name: Baruch
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Cheerio is getting so hyper. He jumps from place to place which I don't mind, but he likes to nibble everything, even my fingers, ears, neck, anything he can get his beak on and it hurts. He does it for fun, of course. I always move him away, but it won't be one second until he flies back to the same spot and starts hurting me again. I'm tempted to clip his wings to train him to step up on my finger instead on biting it. He is 3 months, so he will grow them back very shortly anyways. I just feel like I should clip them now. Once they grow back, I will leave them. I just *feel* like I should do it to calm him down a little. What do you say?


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 Post subject: Re: Nippy...using flight for bad
PostPosted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 2:37 am 
Parrotlet
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Name: Dee
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You know I'm going to say I personally wouldn't but it is entirely your choice

If you do clip him, I think he'll still find a way to climb up you and have a nibble. The best way to get around the chewing and nibbling would probably be to have a distraction at hand. If you want him to hang out with you and he's insistent on sitting on your shoulder then you could make something for him to play with while he's on there. It may sound silly and they look even sillier but bird necklaces can be really useful for nippy birds! I would say keep him off your shoulders all together but I think he's made his mind up that he is a shoulder bird haha!

At his age too I think it would be best to keep him flighted to keep building his muscles up. As long as he's coming to you and that's what you want then I'd say it would just be looking at your options for distraction and training

Wait till he hits sexual maturity. Peach faced lovebirds seem to have it hit hard :lol:


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 Post subject: Re: Nippy...using flight for bad
PostPosted: Wed Nov 16, 2016 10:19 am 
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Name: Carolyn
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Young birds go through an "exploring the world with their beak" phase, and he's testing you to find out if you're edible or shreddable. He'll probably outgrow it eventually, but you don't have to put up with it in the meantime. This article on dealing with problem behavior might work, specifically the part about ignoring a bird that's done something you don't like and the part about making it impossible for the bird to do the thing you don't like. http://www.littlefeatheredbuddies.com/i ... blems.html

When Shodu was young I used to drape a pillowcase over my head like a hood to stop her from chewing on my neck. Distraction and ignoring weren't effective with her, but a physical barrier did the trick. Ten years later she still chews my neck once in a while, but it's not common. When it happens now I just take her off my shoulder and she doesn't come swarming back up again like she used to.



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