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Ekkie Continually Biting Issue

EkkieLu

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Lucy is extremely aggressive, bites me almost daily, and attacks Sergei given the chance. Body language with Lucy is NOT reliable. For instance yesterday she was sitting on my forearm and I was feeding her blueberries (her favorite). She nibbles out the insides and drops the skin. I hand her another and we repeat the process. After 4 or 5 berries I handed her another, berry in her beak she took a piece out of my arm! Then tonight I was giving her kale i had dried into chips in the oven. She likes them so I was sitting on the floor handing her pieces. A few minutes into this she reached for another piece but bypassed the chip and bit my hand instead! I am very careful not to make quick moves or anything else that may upset her. In both instances her body language did not change one iota. She draws blood on each bite and I have tons of scars from my feet to my shoulder. How can I get her to stop this behavior? I'll never give up on her, she's family after all. But people notice my healing wounds and bandages all the time and question my sanity!
 

Begone

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Easy. Stop handling and feeding her, and No shoulder or forearm time at all.
Keep all contact in a distance for a while. They bite for a reason, and I guess that she's trying to tell you something.
You can still offer her goodies, but not from your hand so she can bite you.
How old is she? Could it be hormonal?
 

EkkieLu

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Lucy is 11 years old. She's like this all the time. When I don't hand her foods, she attacks my feet and legs. I went from tennis shoes to ankle boots to knee high boots. She came from an abuse situation. It's almost like she suddenly realizes she's enjoying herself and snaps!
 

EkkieLu

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Easy. Stop handling and feeding her, and No shoulder or forearm time at all.
Keep all contact in a distance for a while. They bite for a reason, and I guess that she's trying to tell you something.
You can still offer her goodies, but not from your hand so she can bite you.
How old is she? Could it be hormonal?
our avian vet even gave her shots for hormone issues but the biting continues.
 

EkkieLu

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She loves it when I sit on the floor and roll the wiffle ball with her. She throws it or pushes it with her beak or gives it a good shove with the side of her head. She yells "Hey-Yah" before shoving the ball each time and mimics my giggle when I laugh. Each time I slowly roll it back to her. Then she'll be pushing the ball and run right over and bite me. Makes no sense!
 

CrazyBirdChick

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Is it biting out of excitement, or overstimulation, maybe? Blu does that to me. I have also been questioned about my cuts and scars. :shy:
 

EkkieLu

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Is it biting out of excitement, or overstimulation, maybe? Blu does that to me. I have also been questioned about my cuts and scars. :shy:
That's an idea I haven't come across before. What do you do with Blu?
 

Begone

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OK, that she comes from an abused situation was sad to hear, but my advices are still the same.
Always avoid situation that will end in a bite. You should always avoid a bite, very important.
She loves it when I sit on the floor and roll the wiffle ball with her. She throws it or pushes it with her beak or gives it a good shove with the side of her head. She tells "Hey-Yah" before shoving the ball each time and mimics my giggle when I laugh. Each time I slowly roll it back to her. Then she'll be pushing the ball and run right over and bite me. Makes no sense!
This is one of the situations that you should avoid for a while.

And when she is being nicer (she is not mean, don't get me wrong) you can slowly start to interact with her again, but very short times in the beginning to avoid her to start biting you again.
If she still manage to bite you, just leave her. Don't be mad, upset or frustrated, just leave her alone. She will learn. Bite = no loving interaction time. Good behavior = a lot of loving interaction time.
Just continue to love her and be calm no matter what she is doing. It will take time, but trust me, it is worth it!

I know this behavior as I also had and have a abused parrot.
Is it biting out of excitement, or overstimulation, maybe?
And yes, part is from this, but also from understimulation from not knowing how to successful interact with a human. So to many feelings, and one is that she want to own you or the ball and therefor gets angry at you interacting with that ball.
 

CrazyBirdChick

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That's an idea I haven't come across before. What do you do with Blu?
I usually put him down away from me as calmly as I can. He pretty much flies right back to me instantly though so we haven't really solved that issue completely. :rolleyes:

I think he gets what I'm trying to get across because he usually tries not to bite when he flies back to me. But as soon as he gets overstimulated again he'll bite again so it happens alot.

He also bites when he wants what's in my hand or if I don't scritch him exactly how he wants me too so I think biting is a habit for him. I wouldn't take advice from me on how to stop it :lol:
 

Coldbreeze

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What Eloy said!! Reward good behavior. I see that she tricks you! Naughty naughty! I have come to learn that these birds are SMART but are also very sensitive. They can read your body language and tell your mood by the mere tone of your voice or sometimes just by your facial expression.

If she bites. I'd say No in a firm voice and either put her down and leave or put her in her cage and leave.

I'd stop hand feeding her. Leave her to feed herself if she going to keep biting you. Also as for the ball play have you tried catch? From a perch? I use to do this with a YNA. Toss the ball to her shed play, shake it and toss it back and is try to catch it and toss it back. Fun little game that avoids your hands being close to that big beak!
 

Leanna

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Zoey bites out of excitement, as if she thinks biting is a game. Now it's gotten to the point where she just kind of chews on me (not hard enough to hurt or leave marks). While she chews, I wiggle my fingers and she 'wrestles' them. It's odd, but it's fine for us.
On the rare occasion she gets too rough, I say, "OWW! Too Hard!" Very loudly.
Usually it's startling enough to get her attention off my hand. Then I pull my hand away, and hide my hands from her for a few seconds.

I'm not sure but could it be that Lucy thinks of the biting as part of the game?
 

TikiMyn

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Is it biting out of excitement, or overstimulation, maybe? Blu does that to me. I have also been questioned about my cuts and scars. :shy:
I was thinking this too! How long do feeding and play sessions normally last? Try cutting them in half, so if it is 10 minutes normally, make them last only 5?
 
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