My G2 has started biting.

[Castiel]

We have decided to leave the G2 in his cage from now on since whenever he is out he lands on our heads and bites our ears. He bit my father on the lip this morning and my Dad got pissed so we have decided just to leave Castiel caged all of the time. He has a huge cage and more toys than he knows what to do with but I feel bad for keeping him locked up all the time. This bird is going to severely hurt someone if given half a chance I'm afraid.

EDIT; I wrote this thread after a very unpleasant experience with my G2. I have no intention of keeping him locked up forever. I spoke out of frustration and I was wrong to do so.

We love our G2 and he is taken care of like no other. That is part of the frustration we are all feeling right now. We love him so much but sometimes he seems so ungrateful.

And please don't make any derogatory or inflammatory comments in my thread.

Yeah I get it. Everyone but me is a perfect bird owner.

 

[Birdbabe]

He just went through a lot getting lost, could be upset over that. Constant caging is mean, you love him, you don't want to be mean... I dont have a cockatoo of any kind , but will alert John,,,
@JLcribber

 

[JLcribber]

Your bird is not doing anything that any other rehomed parrot would not do. If you're just going to leave him in his cage then it's probably a good idea to find him a better home.

I am considering rehoming him to someone with a bird room and with someone who knows how to train a bird not to bite.

As long as you take the time to find a competent owner and don't just "get rid of him" then I don't have a problem with it. Please do not get another large parrot because you guys obviously aren't set up for it and not knowledgeable/skilled enough to take on the challenge.

 

[Castiel]

He just went through a lot getting lost, could be upset over that. Constant caging is mean, you love him, you don't want to be mean... I dont have a cockatoo of any kind , but will alert John,,,
@JLcribber

I don't want to be mean but I also don't want family members injured by a hostile bird. And I also don't want a bird being injured by angry humans after they have been bitten. I don't know how to stop him from biting. I don't know what to do here.

This bird is loved and spoiled rotten with affection from myself and my mother and father. There is no reason he should be angry with us but he is regardless. caging is the only way I can think of right now to avoid something tragic.

 

[JLcribber]

I don't want to be mean but I also don't want family members injured by a hostile bird. And I also don't want a bird being injured by angry humans after they have been bitten. I don't know how to stop him from biting. I don't know what to do here.

This bird is loved and spoiled rotten with affection from myself and my mother and father. There is no reason he should be angry with us but he is regardless. caging is the only way I can think of right now to avoid something tragic.

You are all in over your head. Love is not enough to look after a cockatoo. Please find him a "competent" new home. Your bird is a cockatoo and not doing anything any other newly rehomed cockatoo would do.

 

[Macawnutz]

Let's take a break here.

Everyone on this forum only wants what is best for our birds. We all just have different ways of expressing/wording it.

....some better than others.

 

[Jas]

I know a conure is completely different than a cockatoo but their bites still hurt. For some reason they land on my mum and bite her so I don't let them out when my mum is around, or I take them upstairs in my bedroom to avoid any injuries.

They also went through a phase of biting me to so I give the puzzle toys, shredding toys, different types of food and training when they are out so they are constantly busy. As well as having multiple stands and perches that they can go to which is their space only, for when they don't want to sit with me.

 

[Castiel]

I know a conure is completely different than a cockatoo but their bites still hurt. For some reason they land on my mum and bite her so I don't let them out when my mum is around, or I take them upstairs in my bedroom to avoid any injuries.

They also went through a phase of biting me to so I give the puzzle toys, shredding toys, different types of food and training when they are out so they are constantly busy. As well as having multiple stands and perches that they can go to which is their space only, for when they don't want to sit with me.

Thank you for that constructive advice.

 

[Jas]

No problem, I hope it helps

 

[Sweet Louise]

The big thing I have learned here is that birds bite and every bird is different. The key is knowing what sets them off before they bite. I don't know what sets a cockatoo off but have read enough on this board to know they are extremely intelligent, high energy, easily bored--all set ups for a bite. I am sure there will be some folks with cockatoos who have more specific advice. I am fortunate with Louise who is a CAG. She makes her preferences known--like don't just ask her to step up, she wants a little conversation and explanation first. Louise is a bit crabby with a new puppy in the house so she does get a bit more cage time, a few more treats, and extra 1:1 attention and she has been beaking but not biting. You went to great lengths to rescue Castiel and I am sure you can work through this by taking advice that will seem to work or by finding her an owner who can work through the biting. Your bird has been through a lot as have you.

 

[Castiel]

I just went and rubbed his head for a few minutes. He basically bites when you try to get him to do something he doesn't want to do like trying to stop him from biting your ear or trying to move him off your head so you can pet him. We put his favorite perch in the living room so he can spend time with us while staying out of trouble. We have figured out if we put on hats he doesn't recognize he will stay off our heads for the most part. We are trying to figure him out. Hopefully we will get there.

I don't want to rehome him because I don't trust people to not be mean to him when he gets a little aggressive. We will work through this. Even his temper tantrums.

 

[DQTimnehs]

I felt like you did about my TAG Quack. I was having a lot of trouble with her in the beginning, lots of bad bites, scars. I thought of rehoming her but I didn't trust others not to respond aggressively to her if she bit them. I had to get stitches on my lip a few years ago when she grabbed on and wouldn't let go and was hanging from my lip but honestly, that wasn't even her being aggressive. It was fear as I was trying to towel her and she could see nothing else to grab onto except my lip to get away from the towel which she hates. It was completely my fault, holding her too high near my face. She is actually a very good bird but has different parameters than my other birds. Learning the triggers is key. You won't necessarily train him not to bite but you can avoid the triggers.

I don't think I would allow a too on my head (or shoulders, for that matter). When you are trying to get him to step off your head he can only see the hand coming. He can't see you looking him in the eye.

 

[Jas]

How hold is your bird? Because mine are only 7 months and it's taken me 3 months to stop biting for the most part.

I understand what you mean, peanut will bite my ears when she's in a mood (usually when she wants attention) so I keep my hair down/cover them.

Today she went in a mood and she makes a certain sound, while fluffing up her neck feathers and then latched onto my ear. I took her off told her no biting firmly, put her on top of her cage and turned my back towards her. She then flew over and gave me kisses.

It is frustrating, especially when it hurts, she also draws blood sometimes (I wouldn't want to imagine what a cockatoo could do). I've learnt she doesn't like me petting her otherwise I get bitten, I try and read her body language and noises she makes.

Sometimes I'll just sit with her and talk to her, and give her treats when she's not in the loving mood or wants to learn tricks.

 

[Castiel]

I felt like you did about my TAG Quack. I was having a lot of trouble with her in the beginning, lots of bad bites, scars. I thought of rehoming her but I didn't trust others not to respond aggressively to her if she bit them. I had to get stitches on my lip a few years ago when she grabbed on and wouldn't let go and was hanging from my lip but honestly, that wasn't even her being aggressive. It was fear as I was trying to towel her and she could see nothing else to grab onto except my lip to get away from the towel which she hates. It was completely my fault, holding her too high near my face. She is actually a very good bird but has different parameters than my other birds. Learning the triggers is key. You won't necessarily train him not to bite but you can avoid the triggers.

I don't think I would allow a too on my head (or shoulders, for that matter). When you are trying to get him to step off your head he can only see the hand coming. He can't see you looking him in the eye.

He isn't biting hard enough to leave a scar right now thank the good lord. He is probably biting about half as hard as he can on the worst bites. Hurts like hell but doesn't draw any blood for the most part. He did make my mother bleed once and she bled on his wing when she took him off her head. They are blood brothers now she says. LOL

 

[Jas]

Also a bird learns quickly that when you ask the to set up off your shoulder they go back in their cage or their not allowed back up. So the biting is more like 'no I'm fine where I am, I know what you are going to do next'.

 

[DQTimnehs]

Quack flies to my head sometimes too and it is a bit scary. When I was wearing hair clips she would attack them and try to steal it. But she never hurt me. I would never put my hand up there to retrieve her though. I walk over to her stand or cage and let her step off onto it. You can try that with Castiel but if you have a choice I would not allow him on heads or shoulders until you know you can trust him which could be never.

 

[Castiel]

You are all in over your head. Love is not enough to look after a cockatoo. Please find him a "competent" new home. Your bird is a cockatoo and not doing anything any other newly rehomed cockatoo would do.

I apologize man. You caught me at a bad time and I said things the wrong way in my OP. I will not be rehoming my baby boy. We will learn to all get along around here. I don't trust other people with my children. He is mine forever.

Sorry for what I said. I probably would have responded the same as you after re-reading my OP.

 

[Donna turner]

I have a very cuddly gcc, but she is nippy. I have learned to not try and get her off my head or shoulder with my hand , but lure her off by holding her favorite treat. Works 99.9 per cent of the time

 

[Castiel]

Quack flies to my head sometimes too and it is a bit scary. When I was wearing hair clips she would attack them and try to steal it. But she never hurt me. I would never put my hand up there to retrieve her though. I walk over to her stand or cage and let her step off onto it. You can try that with Castiel but if you have a choice I would not allow him on heads or shoulders until you know you can trust him which could be never.

Yep. We are going to have to figure it out but for now wearing hats he doesn't recognize seems to work.

 

[DQTimnehs]

Yep. We are going to have to figure it out but for now wearing hats he doesn't recognize seems to work.

I can just picture you all with your trunk full of hats constantly wearing new ones! Whatever works!