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Post by Dave P on Feb 28, 2005 12:05:49 GMT -7
I have just got a 6 month old, had him just over a week, he is feeding out of my fingers now he has settled. I have tried to put my hand towards him without food but all he wants to do is bite. Is there a way I can overcome this problem?
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Post by Jane on Feb 28, 2005 14:20:09 GMT -7
Is he actually biting or just wanting to explore? As you have only had him a week he is probably still a bit unsure. If he bites tell him "no" firmly but don't react in any other way because this will teach him that he can get what he wants by biting.
Jane
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Post by pyrrhura molinae on Feb 28, 2005 21:54:07 GMT -7
Maybe you should discontinue feeding him directly from your hand for awhile. Instead, you could use a small spoon or whatever works. Has he actually bitten you, or is he just opening his beak as if he's going to? A common misconception is that parrots are trying to bite when really they are just opening their beaks to grab on to a hand and pull themselves up. Like Jane said, it might just be friendly exploration, though I probably would discourage it. A good book to have on hand is "The Beak Book" by Sally Blanchard. It's helpful in preventing biting problems, and good for solving pre-existing ones. Also, teaching him to step-up is important. Hopefully the breeder worked on this, but if not, you need to. What information do you have on his background?
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Post by Dave P on Mar 1, 2005 11:20:10 GMT -7
Thank you for the advise, he is trying to bite, if I let him get hold long enough he digs his beak in hard. All I know about his history is that he has been parent reared and has had no training that I know. Thanks for the book, I will be going to book shops and libraries this weekend for more info. I think I may be a bit too keen for him to take to me, a little more patience on my behalf may help.
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Post by pyrrhura molinae on Mar 1, 2005 15:14:19 GMT -7
Since you say he was parent reared, instead of being pulled for hand-feeding like most pet greys are, then it is just going to take alot of time and patience. Do things slowly, and don't be too anxious to make him do anything he's not ready to yet. Greys can live to be over 50 years old, so you have plenty of time to earn his trust. I've never been in the situation to compare,but I've heard that parent-raised greys are harder to "tame" than many other species.... Well I hope everything works out well.
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