Baby lovebird attacking fingers shad

[Emmilyy]

how can I get Ollie to stop biting my fingers? He's been home for nearly a week and the behaviour started today.

He constantly wants to chew on my nails (has since day one). But today he was a bit too enthusiastic about it, and was nipping quite hard when I wouldn't let him chew on them. He will keep jumping to my fingers trying to do this.

He still wants to be around me and came out to me as soon as I opened his cage door this morning.

 

[Emmilyy]

Actually, I had my nails done yesterday and this is the first he's seen them. I had them done before but they are new colours. Could this be why?

 

[Familyof12]

Did Ollie come completely hand tame? Does he step up and down? A week isn't very long. Carmen used to bite us but only when we screwed up. We didn't touch her for a month. Once we got her to jump to our hands to eat millet, she did bite but I feel I was probably doing something wrong and she was "teaching" me "her" way. When we first got her and got her to trust us enough to eat out of our hands, she always nipped (not hard at all) us before stepping up to nibble. I believe she was testing to see if my hand was stable for her weight.

We use positive reinforcement and behavioral training. We don't do anything extreme, small steps always, and usually we let them do the deciding. We will take them a tiny bit out of their comfort zones a little at a time, reinforced with a lot of positive treats to get them acclimated to our home. With Carmen it took a few months. Tito, our lovebird took two months. He would do anything to get out of his cage, pacing, begging, even kissing us through the bars but when he got out, oh Lordy. All of them are different. Diablo who is also a parrotlet has never ever bitten me no matter how irritated he is (very uncommon) but he could change any day.

I don't believe any of my birds allowed us to come near them with our hands at one week, more like a month. It's taken us a while a little at a time. We've had Sola, our budgie for two months and she just started stepping up now. If she never did, that's okay too. Whatever is most comfortable for them.

 

[Familyof12]

new colours

Oh...just read what you said about your nails. : )

Lovebirds love love sparkly (I believe a lot of them do) and mine love my earrings, necklaces, buttons, etc. Tito will "mouth" (put his beak around it and taste with his tongue) them but never nip or bite. He never hurts us, just likes to investigate and play.

 

[Emmilyy]

He is completely hand tame, and steps up no problem! He is in no way scared of our hands, either. He will fall asleep snuggled in them or on us somewhere. He has no fears!

He is just So interested in my nails, and when he notices them will not leave them alone. If I try and stop him it's almost as if he goes into a frenzy and will go after them nipping. Once he forgets about it he is back to being sweet and cuddly!

 

[fluffypoptarts]

He is pushing the boundaries and doesn't understand yet. You'll just have to keep correcting him (tell him no, take it away, and distract him) until he gets it and grows out of this stage.