Need advice: behaviour change

[Aggie]

Hi all,

Just need some advice on how to manage current behaviours. Im hoping some of you can shed some light into why its happening and best way to manage it.

Echo has just turned 1. Hes gone from a happy sweet bird always up for anything to an over happy bird that has started to bite and be selective in how he is handled.

What i have noticed is that he is super happy. Always signing, talking and playing with his toys. Selective with food as wont touch seed on some days but always up for any food in my hand. His intellect appears to have doubled in recent month. Vocabulary is amazing and he has even started to finish sentences.

He gets aggressive only towards me. Bites me whenever i touch anything in or on in his cage. Whats puzzling is that hes happy for me to clean it but nothing else. If i need to touch a toy i can only do it if i ask him what colour it is. He has same behavior with his smaller outside cage and the kitchen bench. I no longer feed him anywhere else but his cage and the bench is now again common ground. Despite only biting me im still the only one that can handle him the most. I havent been biten in last few days because the last time he did i had to pry his beak off my finger. Interestingly he managed to bite me hard enough for me to do this to get free but not hard enough to draw blood. Neither of us liked this and very wary of the other but there is a little bit more understanding both ways and i havent been biten since.

He doesnt like to be handled like he use to. Will step up to get out of cage ( puffs himself up like hes going to bite unless its first morning or i just got home). If on top of cage he will step up to get back in cage but if anywhere else will fly off around the house. If trying to get him in cage and he lands on top he can be handled back in but not relocated anywhere else. I can no longer walk him anywhere. Sometimes he will let me put him on my shoulder. He can be asked into another room by offering a walnut or almond. I can also get him in bathroom by asking him if he wants to shower but this is selective. If its dusk all of a sudden i have a velcro smouchy mummas boy again. I also cant touch my face or hair if on me. I get pecked or growled at even if its dusk and hes super relaxed.

At present if i needed to take him to vet it wouldnt be possible unless i trick him and grab him in a towel. He listens more when i say no or put my hand over stuff but then feel i pay for it later as when i need to handle him he puffs up....but no bites last few days thankfully.

What i need help with is how do i get back to handling him. Is it a temporary age thing or do i need to change something im doing to not concrete this behavior. I try not chase him around the house and offer treats and praise as a reward for positive behavior. We play games and i offer lots of different stimulation through toys foraging and change of scenery. Bribery doesnt work as he sees it a mile away.

Its been suggested to clip wings but im really against this. Id prefer to build a better relationship but not sure how to do this. Any ideas please?

 

[msplantladi]

Several things to ask yourself...how much sleep does he get? what is his diet like ? These two things play a huge part in behavior. Also at one his hormones are changing. I use avi-calm when I see my birds getting aggressive. I wouldn't allow him on my shoulder as you have no control and he has dominance over you. How long have you been Echos mommy?

 

[Aggie]

Several things to ask yourself...how much sleep does he get? what is his diet like ? These two things play a huge part in behavior. Also at one his hormones are changing. I use avi-calm when I see my birds getting aggressive. I wouldn't allow him on my shoulder as you have no control and he has dominance over you. How long have you been Echos mommy?

Thank you for your reply.

We've had him home since he was almost 4months but visited him since he 3 weeks. Sleep wise he gets about 10-12 hours a day most days. Obviously occasionally we are out late or I have to get up at 5am. Hes in bed around 9pm usually and gets up at 8/9 am. I uncover him when he starts singing in the morning. We seem to have a much happier bird this way. I have tried putting him to bed earlier in case hubby wakes him at 6am when he goes to work but this doesnt work. He gets super grumpy and just flys into the bedroom until he gets his bedtime cuddle. If i do manage to put him to bed he flaps around in the cage in the dark and is at risk of hurting himself. Have tried a night time cage in another room but he wont have a bar of that either. His routine for bed has always been to be in bathroom while we shower. He gets the last bit of vocals out then poops before he heading for my left shoulder (so hes in the middle). If you try remove him you get a few pecks. He also gets annoyed if hubby is taking too long. He then snuggles up and grinds his beak. When it stops i carry him to his cage and he happily sits himself on top perch. Not a peep or squak till he starts talking to himself around 8/9.

Diet isnt an issue. Chop morning and night supplemented with a little seed/ pellets alternate days but he doesnt always eat the later. AV put him on calcium supplement as recent bloods he was a little low. Got told to give extra protein to help absorb it. Ive had many compliments on his plumage and always asked what he eats. The vet has also told me that compared to other eckies he has so much underfluff its a challenge getting blood.

Hes never biten me while on my shoulder unless i want to take him off and he wants to stay there i get a go away peck. In recent times we have noticed that he leaves us alone when we are eating. Unfortunately uses 'go away' with me now but hes less annoyed he cant have something. When we are finished eating he gets something on his stand.

Not being able to handle him during the day is a concern. It also means he misses out on social outings. I can no longer put him in carrier or walk him into another part of house either. He just wont step up or if he does its to go back into his cage. If he thinks you're coming to pick him up he also takes off. I first thought he was scared of me or my hand but he walks all over me happily nibbling until it looks like i want to pick him up then hes gone. Hes never apprehensive about taking treats.

The bitting is hopefully over. I can see that he still wants to but doesn't follow through atm. I just try touch his things as little as possible.

So im stumped. Not sure what to do about it. I also thought it might be the harness. But once its on hes straight for left shoulder ready to head out the door. Has hated putting it on since he first molted a few months ago but if he allows me to handle him and pat him i can get it on. Of late though as i cant even get him to step up so hes not going out. He then gets upset because he knows we went out with the dog.

So no idea what to do about this.

 

[Mizzely]

Last I knew blood calcium has been shown to have little merit on calcium absorption?

And a high protein diet leads to lower calcium absorption. I'm confused by your vet lol.

Jingo started doing this around age 1 also. I still can't truly handle him 5 years later, so we worked on target training instead. He's showing you that he's independent. The more you acknowledge and respect that, the faster you two will get along again.

 

[Aggie]

Last I knew blood calcium has been shown to have little merit on calcium absorption?

And a high protein diet leads to lower calcium absorption. I'm confused by your vet lol.

Jingo started doing this around age 1 also. I still can't truly handle him 5 years later, so we worked on target training instead. He's showing you that he's independent. The more you acknowledge and respect that, the faster you two will get along again.

Have to agree with you about the calcium and protein thing but figure a supplement once a week won't hurt.

I think you are right about the independent part. I thought it myself but didnt want to really admit it.

This morning tried to pick him up and got no where. Came back 2 min later and he did his baby cry like he use to so i tried again. He sat there just staring at my hand. Had to push it on his belly and he stepped up. Walked him to the bedroom and we are all watching tv in bed. Just can't figure him out.

What is target training?

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Here is an article on target training:
Right On Target: Target Training For Pet Birds - Petcha

 

[Aggie]

Just wanted to update everyone

We seem to have made some progress. Ive been able to carry him into different rooms and even pat him. Went out in harness too. Ive tried to increase my interactions with him to show him different things he might be interested in around the house. I try several times a day to pat him starting at feet working my way up. Seems to be working.

We have a new system for his meal prep....no bird on bench and i make sure hes either on top of cage or top perch before he gets it. Hes learnt quick that he has to wait for it.

He does have anger issues though. He gets so annoyed he puffs himself up and takes his frustration out on the perch. Reminds me of a person punching something out of frustration. Just glad its not at me anymore.

I did get a mini bite when i put him away 3rd time that day as was cooking. Guess he was a little over it and let me know.

We shall see what the next few weeks brings.