I've been working on hand taming the birds in the cage. Dave responded beautifully. But Shelfie is savagely biting at me. It's gotten so bad if I pick up the cage she comes to the top to bite at me. I ignore biting. And now the worst part is she's started attacking Dave if he's stepping up on me. Needless to say he's getting hand shy now too.

 

All I've been doing is having millet in hand asking them to step up. I don't chase them. I talk to them softly.

 

I used to love how gentle Shelfie was. I don't care if she bites me but biting Dave because he's interacting with me is something else. She even just flew on him and attacked him out of the blue when he was on my hand nowhere near her. Otherwise he's pretty nice to Dave.

 

Any advice?

 

Thanks

I would separate them and work on them individually.

You never know, she might be so bonded to you that she is now jealous and biting you and Dave trying to keep you to herself

I think there is a protective issue certaining going on either she doesn't want Dave by you and is keeping him away or she is chasing him away because she doesn't want you by Dave (I think I wrote that right). I would make sure that when you are working with Dave that he is out of the cage and she is in the cage. She could be going through a hormonal state right now and/or starting a molt too. Hen can be like this. Do make sure you are giving your birds at least 10-12 hours of cage cover time you can actually increase it to 12-14 for a week and see if that helps calm her protective hormonal state.

 

Keep us updated.

Yes she is molting. I do cover them for 12 hours but not in a separate room. I'll try putting them in our empty guest room to sleep more peacefully. I'm kinda guessing she's jealous of Dave and not me. Jealous of sharing Dave with me.

 

The problem is that they both go to the high perch when I put my hand in. Dave will start stepping up right away and mid step up she attacks us both. It really is vicious.

 

I'll see if more quiet sleep helps.

 

Summer

That sounds exactly like how my two budgies would act when l first started to tame them. My female also would fight with my Male budgie if he would come near me and she would viciously bite me too. I would tame them in separate rooms. I found that once my female was alone with me she was more calmer, she still did give me a couple of big bites but l also did not react to her. After 2 sessions with her, She would only nip me and eventually she stopped.

I agree with what Elly has mentioned that she could be molting. I know my female will occasionally still bite me when she is going through a molt and she will still pester my male when she is cranky like that.

Edited September 19, 200816 yr by birdluv

That sounds exactly like how my two budgies would act when l first started to tame them. My female also would fight with my Male budgie if he would come near me and she would viciously bite me too. I would tame them in separate rooms. I found that once my female was alone with me she was more calmer, she still did give me a couple of big bites but l also did not react to her. After 2 sessions with her, She would only nip me and eventually she stopped.

I agree with what Elly has mentioned that she could be molting. I know my female will occasionally still bite me when she is going through a molt and she will still pester my male when she is cranky like that.

 

That's reassuring to hear. I was wondering who the devil possessed my little bird. I haven't tried working with her alone since we got Dave. I'll try that tomorrow. She can bite pretty hard but she hasn't broken the skin yet. I just notice some pin feathers on Dave. I can't imagine two cranky birds. I hope he takes it better than she does.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Summer

Totally agree with everything that has been said!

Play with her and turn her biting into a game and encourage it, make it fun and keep doing it until you tire her out and she gets it out of her system when she realises that biting you is not going to solve her issues.

Also forgot to mention, wear a pair of gloves when doing this so she doesn't rip your fingers off!

Play with her and turn her biting into a game and encourage it, make it fun and keep doing it until you tire her out and she gets it out of her system when she realises that biting you is not going to solve her issues.

 

??????? I wouldn't be encouraging the biting. This will make her think it is a game, and then in future when she wants to play with you she WILL BITE YOU! You'd be sending the wrong signals.

Play with her and turn her biting into a game and encourage it, make it fun and keep doing it until you tire her out and she gets it out of her system when she realises that biting you is not going to solve her issues.

 

??????? I wouldn't be encouraging the biting. This will make her think it is a game, and then in future when she wants to play with you she WILL BITE YOU! You'd be sending the wrong signals.

l would not do that either. her biting you would just continue and not stop.

Nah, I train hundreds of them, the game wears them out and they grow tired of it when they realise it doesn't hurt you, but wear gloves, that is the trick, and perhaps use a wood branch for the biting game instead of your gloved fingers. It is reverse psychology. Rather than trying to stop the behaviour, feed the behaviour until they have satisfied themselves, had enough and wear themselves out. Even budgies have biting aggression limitations, and they are smart enough to understand when it is a game and playing if you tell them. I play thumbs with my over aggressive baby budgies, they perch on my forefinger and latch onto my thumbnail as I waggle my thumb from side to side. The babies love it. Wouldn't do it with a savage breeding hen though.

Same with some people, you won't stop them from doing what is natural for them (violent behaviour), so give them a safe outlet for the aggression (sport/games) with rules, and in general it reduces boredom and the destructive behaviour outside of the game. Though, not always ofcourse:)