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"I will bite you! Unless...you have millet."

Outstrech

Walking the driveway
Joined
12/31/20
Messages
244
Real Name
Erica
If you read the title, basically that's my bird's response to any hand. Hi. I'm Outstrech. I got my new bird Riko about 2 weeks ago. This is my second bird. If you've been keeping up with me...well...my old bird Sunny passed away a while ago. He had red poop, and I was planning to take him to the vet but no avian vets were open until the next morning. I never got to train Sunny like I wanted to, and I was so guilty for not being a better owner. I hope Sunny is doing okay across the rainbow bridge :(. Fly high, Sunny. I got Riko "hand tame" but I think I might've messed up somewhere because now she hates hands. She's not afraid of them, because if you have millet, she will step onto the hand (while eating the millet) even if the millet is in reach without need of stepping on. But, take the millet away and suddenly she's a biting machine. She will bite onto your hand very hard, clearly very angry. Even if she's on your hand already, if you take the millet away, she bites.

Unfortunately, my parents are also working with Riko, but I'm not sure if they're doing it the right way. They don't want to go at the bird's pace, and say "we have to sometimes be a little strict" which apparently means if the bird doesn't want to step up onto your finger, you corner it with a large stick while it is clearly showing signs of fear and hissing at you. I talked to my parents about it, but they seem very adamant in their descision, even though I've done hours upon hours of research, while they've only googled taming strategies twice.

Help! What did I do wrong?
 

Outstrech

Walking the driveway
Joined
12/31/20
Messages
244
Real Name
Erica
also, if she steps onto your hand (using millet luring) she will NOT get off. i think she's learned that stay on hand = millet, bite hand = hand go away and come back with millet to try again.
 

QB1rd

Jogging around the block
Joined
6/7/21
Messages
889
It's going to be very important that you get your parents on the same page as you with training. Tell your parents that she really needs consistency and she really needs things to happen at her pace versus theirs. Would they be open to reading material you print out instead of them having to google it themselves?
 

Outstrech

Walking the driveway
Joined
12/31/20
Messages
244
Real Name
Erica
also update: shes a good bird outside of her cage and doesnt bite. could she just be territorial?
 
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