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| When Ducky bit me | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 19 2009, 05:32 AM (387 Views) | |
| Crazy Bird Lady | Dec 21 2009, 05:29 AM Post #11 |
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That is precisly why I own the tiny beaked birds, bad enough for a budgie or tiel bite, but those big beaks scare me for sure. Now, Im not afraid to reprimand a big bird or literally grab hold of the back of his head and bind his lover jaw if it is biting me, believe me the bird would lose. Im sure I would come away with a great injury but the bird would not get the "last bite", that would be me hahaha.' Short story, vacationing in florida pre bird owning. Saw a pair of Scarlets in a sanctuary. Dude caretaker had a bandage on his forearm from 1 month prior. These birds tame but not handleable. One bit him, BEYOND hard, took a chunk of forearm off and dude ended up with blood poisoning and a 7000 dollar doctors bill. Ya, I dont own those big beaks. I'll never forget that. Dont ever trust Ducky 100%, reason is, they and all birds WILL hack or bite their "mate", thats u TISH if they percieve danger to themselves OR u. Even if they "want to move u along" like, hey, HACK, move along, we are outta here. My friends DOCILE african grey hen was on his shoulder, she LOVES this guy, she sees him as her mate. Wifey walking int othe kitchen, and greys, "lets get out of here's bite was a doozie right on his upper lip, and I mean, It was a free PIERCING to say the least, about 1 inch wide punctures on both ends. That was her, move along, I dont want u near the wife love bite. Ya RIGHT, not for me. Thats just normal birdie language for those big parrots and you WILL sustain more of those in ur lifetime, so be wary, keep him off your shoulders and away from your eyes. No matter how much you love him, or trust him. Just dont. People have lost eyes and sustained blindness from pet birds. Even when over excited my SUPER tame budgies can nip hard. Many bird biting reasons, jealousy, percieved danger to u or itself, territory, breeding season, tired, over excited, scared, cocky, and if anyone else has any they can ad please do. I'll stick to my finches, canaries and super tame budgies.
Edited by Crazy Bird Lady, Dec 21 2009, 04:22 PM.
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| VIOLET12 | Dec 21 2009, 03:23 PM Post #12 |
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Respected elder
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CBL.....It's Tish that owns "Ducky." |
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| Crazy Bird Lady | Dec 21 2009, 04:23 PM Post #13 |
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Weird on MY comp it showed TISH, when u wrote that, I had accidentally written Vi and then edited it and when u said that, mine showed tish but I went back anyway and rewrote tish. See if it works this time lol |
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| cspags | Dec 21 2009, 06:08 PM Post #14 |
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Respected elder
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If Cappone is on my shoulder I keep my glasses on, that way my eyes are protected, I trust him and doubt he would bite me BUT just to be safe I keep the glasses on. We sometimes forget that they may bite not in anger but in fright, or sometimes through love, they want to nip you. |
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| Tishrei | Dec 21 2009, 11:24 PM Post #15 |
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Respected elder
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I know -- -- I've heard all these stories and I need to be more careful. It only takes once -- I know that. I was watching this show -- this animal show -- and they were at a bird rescue place in Boston. Anyway, the owner of the rescue had one bird that the owner gave up. It was a cockatoo who was a total love bug but one day, for whatever reason, it attacked its owner and bit the crap out of her. She became scared of her bird and kept it locked up but she finally turned it over to the rescue organization because she felt guilty. I don't know if this makes any difference but when Ducky has bitten me, I don't act scared even though I'm really, really, really mad at him. I punish him -- sometimes after a bite, I force him to step up right away so I can scold him. I do yell at him and he hates that. He never gets the idea that I am scared. Actually, I'm not because I'm too ticked off to be scared. I also know that the eyelash thing is a really bad idea. The way that started -- I was sleeping in one morning and he climbed off the headboard to wake me. He was standing on my pillow preening my eyelashes. It was like he was twirling them or something. Weird feeling. That hot birdy breath on my closed eyes was the weirdest feeling. You guys are right -- I really need to be more careful with him. He's basically a good boy and the most he normally does is nips that doesn't even break the skin but every once in a while, he will nail me good. He hates it when I get mad at him and yell and ignore him. I remember once after a bite (long time ago), I grabbed him up with both hands and scared the crap out of him (literally, he pooped on my shoe). I had him cupped in both hands, one had over each wing with his legs hanging -- and I put his face close to mine and yelled. You should have seen the look on his face, he was scared. Obviously, I did not hurt him but I sure scared him. I kept that hold on him for about 30 seconds or more just looking at him and he limp with shock and being scared. He didn't know what to do. I then put him back on his perch and he sat there quiet for the longest time. I do love that bird but with a beak like his, I have to keep the upper hand. I can't ever let him know I have any fear over his beak -- just like the last bite, I yelled (well, more like screamed at him), and ignored him. That really bothered him which is why he followed me all over the place and wouldn't let it go until we were "friends" again. I know that sounds harsh but it has worked. The bird that came to live with me almost 7 years ago is a totally different bird. I'm boss and whether he likes it or not, he's going to comply. But I do seriously love that bird something fierce.. |
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| VIOLET12 | Dec 22 2009, 12:25 AM Post #16 |
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Respected elder
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Ha ha.....pooped on your shoe. Thats funny. |
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| Crazy Bird Lady | Dec 22 2009, 01:24 AM Post #17 |
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Tish, Im a bit concerned with what u just wrote. The yelling and screaming has to stop, that is not a good way to repremand a a bird. It just confuses them and makes them leary and non trustful of you. By no means yell anymore. This is what u are supposed to do according to the AFA. U may pick up the bird or not, and simply give him a hard stare and stare him down and in a firm but NOT yelling or screaming voice, tell him whatever word u use, such as no or stop, or no bite or whatever. U are also taking a risk with the grabbing the bird, as he may retaliate out of fear. Another method is if he is on your person when he bites, earthquake him or if he is flighted, u may lose the perch of your arm or set him down on the floor and do exactly what u did, walk away, ignore him for a time or put him in his cage for a time out. I dont profess to be an expert, but I read my guts out on behavoral methods of training and taming. U may want to look up Rosemary Low and any books she has written. She is the Guru of bird behavior. Also, u must watch and learn or take heed of any reasons why he may not want u near at that moment and let him be. They always bite for a reason, a bird reason u may not understand but they say, birds only bite as a last resort, so u are missing his other sublte cues of distain, a look, a posture, a head movement, a fluff, a pin, whatever, watch him, even observe him from a distance. Access his mood and then decide what u wanna do. I often set for hours just watching my birds interact with eachother and listen to their chirps. My hubby marvels at my uncanny ability to know what a noise means from another room. (his words, not mine) The birds have taught me tons from observation. Like I said before, I can tell when a bird is dying from the type of chirp coming out of its mouth. I can tell my posture, who is pissed and who will strike. I even know how to "chase down" an offending budgie who is bullying another. I "act " like another tougher bird and harass it till it is smited. I will chase it around the cage with my index finger crooked like a hook and peck it off a perch a few times till it relents and settles down. I have watched the birds do this. It is the, Im tougher than you, so settle and it works miracles. I hope I have not offended you, but the screaming/yelling is wayyyyyyyyyy wrong according to the experts and can even be confusing the bird eg: They LOVE noise and think you will be celebrating, and then when u ignore him, this is a direct condradiction to discipline. The ignoring is right, the yelling is not, he thinks or most birds would think you are doing the one of two yelling for happiness they do twice a day. And then when u walk away and ignore him, he must be in shock????? Again, the Rosemary Low is the way to go. Google it or if u have a local library, check it out. U will be pleased, also a book called the beak book is good. I never stop learning and reading. Its what I do. |
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| VIOLET12 | Dec 22 2009, 03:07 AM Post #18 |
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Respected elder
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CBL your the best....always helping.
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| Tishrei | Dec 22 2009, 03:18 AM Post #19 |
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Respected elder
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When Ducky first came to live with me, I read everything I could get my hands on. The bird that moved in with me was a NUT on steroids -- a screaming maniac. It was NUTS. Keep in mind, he came from an abusive background which is why he's all plucked. At his second home, they used to hit him with a stick (I'm his fourth home). The bird that lives with me now is not the same bird that came to live with me. One of the "punishments" that I read about from the experts is when he bites is to set him down on the ground because birds like to be up high, not the ground. Well, that's exactly what I did. I would do that and he would immediately head over to something to climb up. Well, after doing that a few times, guess what happened? He started to explore and has not stopped since. He walks all over the place -- from room to room. Does Ducky mistrust me? I can tell you with a resounding and emphatic -- No he does not. If you could see what I can do with this bird - and I can only do it because he trusts me. I think the bottom line is that each owner, if they love their bird (or whatever animal it is), knows the personality of their bird and what works and doesn't work. Honest, if I saw that Ducky was developing a mistrust or behavior problems because of what I do, I would have to change. There are all sorts of child rearing books that offer really good advice but in the end, each parent knows their child and what works and what doesn't work. Yelling at Ducky gets his attention, it doesn't hurt him. It's a far cry from being whacked with a stick or being locked up in the dark for hours on end with no toys (that happened in his 3rd home). Here he's never locked up when I'm home, he comes and goes as he pleases and the only time he's really punished is when he bites me. That's the only behavior that is totally unacceptable and will get a very negative response. Even after yelling at him, I can pick him up and he will step up and act normal as if nothing happened. I did not get a normal bird -- he came to me frightened, abused and a total hysterical bird that drove me up the wall. I honestly did not know how I was going to continue to live with him at that time. He has so calmed down that when I go out with friends and take him with me -- like to the Starbucks, he does not pitch a fit if I get up and go inside. He'll wait outside with them like a good boy. If I tried that a few years ago, he would have had a scream fest that would woken the dead. Ducky, as we speak has just now climbed down from the kitchen counter and climbed up to the back of my chair and is perched preening himself. I wish you could spend a day with him and watch him interact with me. He actually shocks people with how attached he is to me -- even bird people that I run across when I'm out with him, comment. Sometimes I wonder if someone didn't sneak in here one night and switch birds on me. But thanks for keeping Ducky's well being in mind. I really do appreciate that. |
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| VIOLET12 | Dec 22 2009, 05:24 AM Post #20 |
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Respected elder
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Tish...I'm not shocked. I know Ducky loves you. How could he NOT! The message here is: Always be aware! We here in "Birdie Land" have grown to care about you and "Ducky" a lot and I think I can say for all of us. "Night, night Ducky and Tish."
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-- I've heard all these stories and I need to be more careful. It only takes once -- I know that.

4:43 PM Jul 11