Oh I don't have a bird yet. I just saw one up for rehoming that I thought I'd adopt if my parents let me. I heard it's usually over the cage thoughI meant to ask what is your bird territorial over? His cage? His favorite toy? His food/water? My little GCC got very territorial over his Hidey Hut. I finally had to take it out of the cage because guarding it turned him into a little green demon.
I know John said to try to eliminate the cage but that's not possible.The cage is a biggie.
So your saying I shouldn't keep a full food dish in there all the time then? By giving it when my bird behaves, will that help with aggressive behavior?Ralph is protective of his food dish. He really doesn't like it when I have to handle it. I can touch anything else in his cage and it doesn't bother him at all. But hands off my food dish! That's about the only time he'll ever bite, other than nipping playfully. I have to remind him that if I don't touch the dish, he doesn't eat, and that seems to convince him that he should let me take the dish out and put it back in.
Ok got itI wouldn't really recommend withholding food to try to curb aggressive behavior. Ralph has pellets available at all times, and gets fresh vegetables and other things twice a day, and a bit of safflower seed mix once daily. Food can be used as a reward for good behavior-- offering a favorite treat can be a good training reward. I've found that if I let Ralph come out and sit on top of his cage before I try to take his food dish out to provide fresh food, he will just sit and watch me and won't try to bite.
Ah that makes more sense than! I seem to have a hard time coaxing Corrin out though, even with a fresh strawberry.Quakers resource guard, and withholding food won't help that behavior
I feed fresh foods away from the cage, and while they are snacking, I switch out their water and pellets the easiest way to deal with aggressive behavior is to avoid triggering it!
9 months and I can't get Puffy out either. Patience and persistence...Ah that makes more sense than! I seem to have a hard time coaxing Corrin out though, even with a fresh strawberry.