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Linnie bird

Flyby

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Hi

I’ve had my female Linnie for 2 years. She is hand reared and so tame although she doesn’t like hands which I understand is normal for a linnies. When I go out to work etc she is allowed to fly outside her cage where she loves to burrow under her blanket and I also keep a radio on for her. The trouble I’m having now is she has become on vicious for leaving her and going out. It’s coming to the point where I feel Abused by her for having a life as she bites me at every opportunity. Please help me and advise me what to do.
 

Dona

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Hi! I'm so sorry you are having problems. My Linnie doesn't like hands but loves me. I can touch her occasionally, especially if she is far from her cage, but generally she doesn't want my hands near. Funny enough I can kiss her on the top of the head with no problem. It's just those hands... She flies to my shoulder and lap often and will stay to rest, play and preen.

Let me ask a few questions so I can offer some advise. How did you set up the environment so that she can be free while you're out? And when does she bite? Does she pursue you or just attack when you are trying to touch her? How many hours are you gone? How many hours do you spend with her? Any other birds or pets?
 

Flyby

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I have a small living room and she usually just flys to her blanket which is on a chair where she loves 5o burrow. I think her aggression is because she wants to see me more but I need to go to work and also have my own life. She is out for hours at a time but because I’m not with her the amount she likes she pursues me to attack me. I have no other pets as I live on my own and I can only just cope now with her aggressiveness.
 

Dona

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My Linnie is my only pet as well, but I am retired/married and we are home a lot. Right now my son is here for the year and my grandkids and daughter visit often, so it's hopping here almost all the time. Gigi has very little time to be alone and we are her flock. She asks to go into the sleeping room when she has had enough of our activity. :)

With that said, Linnies are very social, like budgies, and maybe she is lonely and would benefit from a cage mate. Maybe if she is happier and more stimulated, she would be nicer to you. It has been suggested over and over on this site to have Linnies in multiples. I have considered it, but I think my circumstances are different than most and I can give my single girl what she needs. Please don't take this as a criticism in any way. If you don't want another bird, I totally get it! :)

Ok I wonder about this. Gigi is cage territorial. She really doesn't like if I touch her stuff. I wonder if your girl, given that the room is her area, could it be that she is protecting what she considers to be hers? The whole room? And definitely that blanket is probably very important to her. If she had a mate, it would be where she could safely raise young so she might really protect it by lunging and biting.
 

Matto

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My 2 cents: I think that she sees you as a mate, and is probably going through hormones. In order to fix this, discourage cuddling and burrowing, have her on a play stand when out of the cage, and ideally get her a friend.
 

Lady Jane

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It is not safe to allow little birds to burrow in anything. Birds are often sat on and severely injured or killed.
 

Flyby

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Thank for your replies. I do wonder if she needs another bird. The only problem is she was hand reared and there are not many breeders in the uk that advertise hand reared. Would a Linnie bird that hasn’t been hand reared be just as good company for her. I do feel guilty leaving her on her own and because I live on my own and work part time and also socialise she has no other person in the house. I don’t really want an other really as it would be double the cost etc. Your advice would be appreciated
 

Matto

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Not only would she get along with a parent-raised linnie, but a parent-raised linnie wouldn't be sexually aggressive towards you.
 

Lady Jane

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Hope you can find a linnie friend for her. Like budgies, linnies have a strong flock instinct.
 

NorthernGannet

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I have one hand raised and recently got him a friend who was mostly parent raised. To be honest I don't notice a difference between how either of them interact with me: they are both curious and sweet, step up well and eat from my fingers, but neither will allow scritches (at this point anyway, and i haven't really worked on it specifically). There's around 12+ months age difference between them and they were friends with each other right away. Obviously the mostly parent raised bird needed some extra hand-taming, but that's expected and has been coming along just fine.

-NG
 

NorthernGannet

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ps: i didn't want another bird either, but I am so glad I decided to get my first one a friend. He is obviously much happier! Yep, twice as much food and twice as much poop, but it's really not as bad as I'd expected.
 

Lady Jane

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For such little birds linnies have huge droppings. I used to have 2 also.
 

Leih

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Leih

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For such little birds linnies have huge droppings. I used to have 2 also.
And it is harder to clean up, too. I swear it is cement. Oh and they get it everywhere! But they are sweet birds.
 

Leih

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ps: i didn't want another bird either, but I am so glad I decided to get my first one a friend. He is obviously much happier! Yep, twice as much food and twice as much poop, but it's really not as bad as I'd expected.
Isn't a great feeling when they just click! I haven't had that experience with my birds, but my 3 cats are great together and they adapted to each within days.
 
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