Hi all,
So to summarize a long story to get to where Ash, a 11 year old brown headed parrot is now....
Ash belonged to a friend of mine. My friend became obsessed with birds and within a couple of years obtained 10 of them, all varying in size. Ash was kept in a cage most of the time, in the corner of her spare room. Anytime I would go over he looked lonely and didn't have many toys. My friend was in denial of how many birds she had and what she could actually take care of. When she found out she had cancer, I got offered her timneh African Grey, Buster and Ash. Ash seemed okay to handle and didn't bite when I took him out. Another friend of mine, whose also a friend of Ash's mum had kept trying to get my friend to give Ash or sell Ash to her to give him a better life. When Ash saw my other friend, he immediately came out of his shell and started to masterbate on her and regurgitate. My friend had watched Ash before and they connected way back then... He must have remembered her! My girlfriend took him and he stayed with her for a few months.
My girlfriend then gave Ash to my mum as my friend was taking in another rescue and knew how much my mum and I loved Ash. I decided to let him to go my mum because I was alreading working 1 on 1 with Buster as he was not happy at all being handled and had trust issues.
My mom had Ash for several months until she saw a huge change in him... Ash would run down his chair and attack my mom. When Ash bites, he doesn't let go and holds on for dear life. My niece, who lives with my mum can handle Ash with no issues. My niece though, is only 12 and is not mature enough to look after a pet. So... My mom offered Ash to me.
Buster had passed away in May for Unknown reasons so I thought sure... I'd take Ash and work with him. ( side note, I could do anything with Buster by the time he passed).
I am slowly working with Ash. He has gotten me once... Usually I am good with body language but holy smokes he is a fast little biter. He bites when I move around his cage, inside or out. He will climb down the perch I hold to handle him and try to bite. I try to move him around his cage with food so I can change his dishes. I am working with him to have a central perch in his chair where he can hopefully station himself so I can get in and clean. If he is out of his cage, he will climb down on the floors and run at me. We do babe a puppy that is around the house... We do not let them mingle at all with each other and never will. Ash's out of cage time must be supervised.
I guess I have alot of questions.. I have never owned a bird before where when they bite, they bite with their life and not let go. My goffin and pionus have only bitten me once for either one as well but it was a bite and then a let go.
How can I discourage the bite? I am using proximity, I have used a leather glove so I can hold the perch, I hold treats to reinforce when he is doing good,...
For body language, I can only see his tail fan out and his body gets tense. Sometimes my mum said he is just sitting there and bam he bites. I can't really notice his eyes dilating due to the colour.
Any suggestions on how to gain trust with him?
With my niece being able to handle him, I am hopeful that with time, he will turn around for me as well.
So to summarize a long story to get to where Ash, a 11 year old brown headed parrot is now....
Ash belonged to a friend of mine. My friend became obsessed with birds and within a couple of years obtained 10 of them, all varying in size. Ash was kept in a cage most of the time, in the corner of her spare room. Anytime I would go over he looked lonely and didn't have many toys. My friend was in denial of how many birds she had and what she could actually take care of. When she found out she had cancer, I got offered her timneh African Grey, Buster and Ash. Ash seemed okay to handle and didn't bite when I took him out. Another friend of mine, whose also a friend of Ash's mum had kept trying to get my friend to give Ash or sell Ash to her to give him a better life. When Ash saw my other friend, he immediately came out of his shell and started to masterbate on her and regurgitate. My friend had watched Ash before and they connected way back then... He must have remembered her! My girlfriend took him and he stayed with her for a few months.
My girlfriend then gave Ash to my mum as my friend was taking in another rescue and knew how much my mum and I loved Ash. I decided to let him to go my mum because I was alreading working 1 on 1 with Buster as he was not happy at all being handled and had trust issues.
My mom had Ash for several months until she saw a huge change in him... Ash would run down his chair and attack my mom. When Ash bites, he doesn't let go and holds on for dear life. My niece, who lives with my mum can handle Ash with no issues. My niece though, is only 12 and is not mature enough to look after a pet. So... My mom offered Ash to me.
Buster had passed away in May for Unknown reasons so I thought sure... I'd take Ash and work with him. ( side note, I could do anything with Buster by the time he passed).
I am slowly working with Ash. He has gotten me once... Usually I am good with body language but holy smokes he is a fast little biter. He bites when I move around his cage, inside or out. He will climb down the perch I hold to handle him and try to bite. I try to move him around his cage with food so I can change his dishes. I am working with him to have a central perch in his chair where he can hopefully station himself so I can get in and clean. If he is out of his cage, he will climb down on the floors and run at me. We do babe a puppy that is around the house... We do not let them mingle at all with each other and never will. Ash's out of cage time must be supervised.
I guess I have alot of questions.. I have never owned a bird before where when they bite, they bite with their life and not let go. My goffin and pionus have only bitten me once for either one as well but it was a bite and then a let go.
How can I discourage the bite? I am using proximity, I have used a leather glove so I can hold the perch, I hold treats to reinforce when he is doing good,...
For body language, I can only see his tail fan out and his body gets tense. Sometimes my mum said he is just sitting there and bam he bites. I can't really notice his eyes dilating due to the colour.
Any suggestions on how to gain trust with him?
With my niece being able to handle him, I am hopeful that with time, he will turn around for me as well.
