Baby Linnie Biting

[Ms.Melis]

Hello,
I have a 4 month old hand-tamed linnie that I got from a really good breeder in January. He’s the sweetest boy and loves to give affection and spend time with us. A couple of weeks ago he bit my boyfriend for the first time and since then his behaviour has progressed to full out attacking. He is now occasionally biting me. I am trying to ignore the behaviour and not react, but it doesn’t seem to be getting better. If anyone has any advice I would greatly appreciate it, I really want to stop this behaviour.

 

[TDF2]

Hello! From what I here they go through that but it will end then you will have your fav. Bird back, my linnie is approaching 4 months, I’m getting prepared for it, so far no signs. Please keep me posted.

 

[Shezbug]

I have no experience with Linnie’s but with birds biting in general you are best to learn the signs and avoid being bitten if you can.
Each successful bite is basically encouragement for the bird to do it again.
The more you can avoid bites the less the bird should attempt to do it.

I found treating randomly for good behaviour I want to see and also making it known I was unhappy (with no fuss or drama) with unwanted behaviour has worked well for me.
If I don’t like something my bird does I move him from the area and then walk away like I don’t want to be near him kind of thing. No drama, raised voice or excitement at all, just put him down somewhere else he can be (near things he can do preferably) and turn my back or ignore him. This works well for me.

@JLcribber has posted lots of good information on biting (others have too but Johns stand out to me at moment), have a look through some of the other threads and I bet you will find some really great posts that will be helpful.

Good luck, keep us updated with how you’re all going

 

[Ms.Melis]

Thanks for the advice. I have been putting off somewhere out of the room when he bites me and ignoring him. Today he has been flying down from wherever I put him, seeking me out and then when I go near him he tries to bite again. I don’t want to lock him in his cage but I don’t know what to do at this point. Why would he seek me out to bite me??
Also, I think it’s important to mention, he doesn’t want to bite me all the time,sometimes he wants to play with me and be affectionate. Should I not allow him to do that right now?

 

[fashionfobie]

I don't think the ignore game works very well at all. He is part of your flock. It betrays his trust.

The bird is trying to communicate something to you. You are crossing a line and he bites because he doesn't know how else to clearly tell you NO! It is better to allow the bird the confidence to communicate. You need to work on reading his body language to know you aren't always going to push him to the limit.

If your bird doesn't want scritches or want to interact with you allow him that. He is growing up and will need less babying. Parrots communicate a lot with their beak.

Most of the time my parrotlet will touch his beak to my finger to push it away when he doesn't want scritches. I stop the session and let him go back to his thing. Sometimes he even freaks out at my finger, this is normal parrotlet dialogue. When he wants scritches again I give him that. Even if you see parrotlets communicating with each other, the beak is always part of the dialogue.

You should definitely keep playing with him and being affectionate, just slow down and take a step back if he is having too much. Birds have a lot of work to do daily, lots of foraging, eating, preening it is normal for him to need some independent time. If he is maturing he is also having many hormones and feelings to worry about. He is trying to find his own pace. None of this means he doesn't still love you. You are his flock and probably the most important part of his life. When you have ignored him when he tried to communicate that is a very upsetting thing. In his mind, he was telling you everything he needed to and he got abandoned for it.

If he has his own play stand and foraging area it would help to give him random rewards whilst he is there. Every time I walk by my birds I tell them how they are good boys and sometimes hand them a treat. It helps them understand how rewarding the play stand can be.

If he is pursing you to bite that can easily turn into a very bad situation for everyone. DO NOT cage him! This will not help him thrive or be a healthy bird. My advice is to try and respect his body language more. He might be finding you threatening. If he is spending lots of time in the cage he may also be more cage territorial.

Try googling more videos of linnie body language. Study it. You need to master the communication and take a step back. You need to reestablish trust.

@Dona has a linnie named Gigi. Maybe she can help you with body language resources for linnies.

 

[Ms.Melis]

Thanks for the reply!

 

[Dona]

Hi Ms. Melis. My Linnie, Gigi, is 13 months old now. She is very friendly and interested in the family. She is fully flighted and loves to spend time on my shoulder and lap. But she doesn't like hands. If she is on my shoulder or arm and I try to touch her, she will lean away, if I persist she might nip. She also defends her cage and play gym vigorously. I am not able to change out toys or clean any area of her cage when she is in it. She will race to me and try to bite. When she is on her play gym she doesn't like when I use toilet paper and clean up poops. I have to move quickly and time it just right. Completely away from her cage and play gym she has a reliable step up. And actually I can get her to step up from the play gym if I put one hand behind her and the other in front. So she really has no choice, hands are both places. I've had many birds in the past who love scritches but Gigi does not. I ask her if I can touch her beak and she will often come close and stay very still when I gently touch it, but if I try to scratch her neck she leans away. Perhaps you could try interacting more with your boy without your hands? Linnies as a species are known for being hand shy. Oh, I also hear a quiet tick-tick-tick from Gigi when she is warning me. Maybe see if you hear that and know that you are doing something your boy doesn't like. Good luck!

 

[Ms.Melis]

Thanks for the replies and advice. I am going to back off a bit and give him some space.
I have one more concern. Since yesterday, when I do put in down on he play gym or somewhere he likes to be, it jumps off and follows me to attack me. What do I do in that situation? Do I just ignore the behaviour and leave him?

 

[Dona]

Hmm, tell me exactly what happens. If you put him on the play gym and sat down next to him, would he hop off the gym and land on you, then bite?

Editing to ask, where does he bite you? Hands?

 

[Ms.Melis]

No matter where I put him, he jumps off and runs at me. Sometimes even if I walk out of the room, he’ll chase me running in the floor and scream at me. This morning while I was getting ready for work this is what he did.

 

[Ms.Melis]

When he calmed down and I let him on my finger, just before he tried biting me I saw ‘not nice’ and he stopped. As soon as I try putting him down again he tries to attack.
Also, he got mad when I put him in the cage (I have to go to work now). I made sure to put him in when he wasn’t doing any biting. I don’t want him to think it’s a punishment

 

[Dona]

Oh gosh, I'm not sure what's going on. Gigi is only what I'd call "aggressive" when I'm touching her stuff. She would lean or fly away before biting in any other circumstance. As far as going in the cage, I let Gigi choose when she's ready. I open her door around noon and she stays out for 2-3 hours. If after 3 hours she is still on her play gym I put her afternoon snack of Nutri-Berries in the cage and she usually goes to the cage within a few minutes. But you don't have that opportunity since you have to get off to work.

I'm so sorry this is happening. I think I would back off, open the cage door, sit quietly right there, maybe even cover up my hands, speak sweetly.

 

[fashionfobie]

Another thing I will add on, if it is territoriality try rotating the toys or offering different perches. These little changes might make the play area more exciting and interesting..and less of a home roost to defend.

I think with small birds we need to work doubly hard to keep them in our graces. If you betray their tiny littleness it takes time for them to feel safe again.

Is your boy flighted, @Ms.Melis ? I have found all bird need wings, and especially the little ones so that they can have the confidence to do what they want. It also helps with worry about being stepped on.

 

[Dona]

If you betray their tiny littleness it takes time for them to feel safe again.

Aww that's sweet. It's so true.

 

[Dona]

I have found all bird need wings, and especially the little ones so that they can have the confidence to do what they want. It also helps with worry about being stepped on.

Gigi was clipped as a baby and has now grown in all her feathers. She flies well and often, looping around me and landing precisely. I see a difference in her. She's more confident and seems to like the control she has, to return to her cage during out time for a little bite or drink. She will be doing something, maybe preening on my shoulder, and all the sudden she will stretch her neck, like she has an idea, and off she goes. It's super cute.

 

[Ms.Melis]

My bird was clipped by the breeder and I haven’t touch them. It’s just so weird how he went from being so sweet and gentle to this little monster, lol almost overnight. I’m taking him for a vet visit Monday just to be sure everything is ok.

 

[Dona]

My bird was clipped by the breeder and I haven’t touch them. It’s just so weird how he went from being so sweet and gentle to this little monster, lol almost overnight. I’m taking him for a vet visit Monday just to be sure everything is ok.

A vet visit is a great idea. Good luck!

 

[fashionfobie]

That is a very good idea! Maybe something is bugging him physically. Poor guy

The vet will sort you out if it is something.

 

[Ms.Melis]

I really hope so...

 

[Dona]

@Ms.Melis Any luck at the vet?