biting and food proximity

[lovemyboys]

I love to just sit and watch my birdies in their cage, just observe them as they do what they do!

Today i was noticing the huge role that food plays in Fiji's existence. It's hop here, hop there, go eat a couple seeds...hop up, pull on bell, chew on wood, hop back for a couple more seeds and a drink.

Over and over he is always in close proximity to his food and involves it alot in his life.

So tonight i tried having it out with us as we played...to see if this would affect his biting desires. It did to an extent, but he was still curious about different textures and surfaces on my hand. He even bit my pinky fingernail width wise - and had the strength to bend it to the point where i felt the pain. Such a strong beak on these little ones.

anyway, anybody else have observations of food?

[IceQueen30]

Well since my birdie is a real glutton, I can't give her much food when I take her out because she won't pay attention to me! The only food I allow her to get when she's out is her veggies since it's the last thing she eats when she's in her cage :p

My bird also likes to bite my hands...but not as hard as she used to do when I just got her! I learned to gently close her beak and when she bites hard and tell her NO! It worked pretty well for me...she still bites but gently. And I let her eat seeds in my hand when she's nice with me :D I guess that means a lot to her since she spends the biggest part of her days eating!

[lovemyboys]

Thanks for the tip. I have noticed some bites on my hands are much softer now...i try to wait to react depending on the hardness of the bite...but i have also found the beak touch works for my boy too.

is your birdie overweight?

[IceQueen30]

Well...I didn't weigh her but from what I can see she doesn't look overweight at all which is a bit strange considering all the stuff she eats :p I explain that by the fact most of her food is low in fat (more pellets than seeds, lots of veggies, very rarely sunflower or safflower seeds...) and her cage is a bit too big for her (I need to buy perches because she's too small to jump from one to another easily, sometimes she can be really funny when she tries to go on her swing :D). She also goes out of her cage everyday and she doesn't get much food except for veggies when she's out so I guess it helps to burn her fat :p

[BeakerLuvsBunsen]

they really love to go for the cuticles, and any freckles or moles on my skin

[lovemyboys]

uh oh...

well i noticed the cuticle thing...but i'm covered in freckles LOL

We have had food out and he likes to eat during the play time alot.

Ice, i know i have read that they have voracious appetites...i think your girl is just being a parrotlet. maybe mine is too with all this flesh nibbling LOL

[KellyA]

I was wondering about why they like to bite so much.My little Tatsuno LOVES to bite my finger!!! I sometimes think that is his whole purpose ...in his eyes..."to bite me" ..... Is this a trait in Parrotlets? I kinda thought it was just Tatsuno all this time. When he is sitting on top of his cage, and when I come over to him and reach out for him to "Step Up" he bites the @**# outta my finger!!! I really have to contain myself from yellin sometimes...hahaaa...just kiddin... but really though, it does hurt. He is still young, and I've only had him about a month. Hopefully this is something he will grow out of..

[IceQueen30]

KellyA, Tatsuno only bites your finger hard when he's on top of his cage? If it's the case I guess that's because he's a bit territorial, but it's a very common trait of parrotlets! He probably just wanna protect his cage or he wants to go back in it! When I first got Caly she was also very 'bitey' when she was standing on her cage so now when I get her out I bring her in another room and she becomes a little sweetie :p

Anyway, if you want him to stop biting, you must let him know you AREN'T happy. There are loads of different tricks, but what is the most important is NOT to pull back and show the bird you don't want him to do it again. There are tons of different tricks scattered around the website;)

[BeakerLuvsBunsen]

I was wondering about why they like to bite so much.My little Tatsuno LOVES to bite my finger!!! I sometimes think that is his whole purpose ...in his eyes..."to bite me" ..... Is this a trait in Parrotlets? I kinda thought it was just Tatsuno all this time. When he is sitting on top of his cage, and when I come over to him and reach out for him to "Step Up" he bites the @**# outta my finger!!! I really have to contain myself from yellin sometimes...hahaaa...just kiddin... but really though, it does hurt. He is still young, and I've only had him about a month. Hopefully this is something he will grow out of..


If you come at them with a finger straight on- it looks like another
parrotlet's beak coming at them. (especially with long fingernails)
So, I try to make sure I use my finger and kinda swoop in under the belly to get them to step up. This way is less threatening to them and they are less likely to chase after my finger with an open beak!