Evil birds that make me cry

[Peanut&Jelly]

I have two lovebirds, a female(Jelly) and male(Peanut). I've had them since april/may last year. I am very frustrated at this point and on the verge of giving them away. I feed them, clean the cage, they have good toys, get to fly out of cage once in awhile, but they are still nasty towards me. The problem is the girl keeps biting the tape that holds the food, when successful the food spills everywhere. She along with the boy chew up the newspaper on the bottom of the cage. This leads me to be very angry at her because she starts the bad behaviour while the boy follows suit. I then yell and do other negative things. I know thats bad, but she is constantly at it. I am usuallly a patient person, but being at university I have no time for bad behaviour or messes. I'm a girl and wonder if she doesn't like me due to my gender. The boy misbehaves due to the girl, but when out of the cage by himself he is friendly towards me. He flies near me and even flew on my cup of ice cream and by my leg while napping. I was wondering how would I get her to mostly stop the bad behaviour, and get them to be friendly towards me as a pair? I don't talk to them because I find it weird, but I smile. Is there another way I can communicate with them without talking? Please help! They are cute birds, but if they don't improve I have to give them away. :very_sad:

[Gill]

My female bites me all the time, and it hurts, but shes always been like that! She especially has tanrums and bites my face! This morning, she bit the part under my eye, but im used to her doing it and although it hurts i try not to give her a reaction. I find that if most days shes biting and attacking alot i put her back in her cage for 5 minutes when she bites especially hard, this is hard as she bites like a maniac when she gets held, so i usually get a t-shirt and wrap her up in it to put her in the cage.

She hates it knowing Sticky, my male is out, then after 5 mins I let her out, if she gets bitey again i pick up the t-shirt i had her in before and she sees it and knows whats coming so stops for a bit!

I heard on here that they sense the tone of your voice, my two get a strong "no biting mummy" when they bite me, they look at me and bite again sometimes but if i keep saying it to them they stop eventually which i then say "good boy / girl" in a more softer tone!

It is hard, ive come to terms with the fact I dont think theyll ever stop, but my male, like yours is very sweet when shes in the cage by herself!

[linda040899]

Hi and welcome to our community!

Sounds like you have 2 very typical lovebirds. Unfortunately, you may have to accept some of their behaviors because it's highly doubtful that you will be able to change those behaviors.

First rule of parrot ownership (lovebirds are parrots) is that parrots chew. Period. It's their nature. Give lovebirds paper and they are in absolute heaven!!! It will keep them busy for hours. Perhaps a seed skirt around the lower portion of the cage might be able to contain some of the mess they create. Would it be possible to give them a different type of food dish that doesn't require the tape?

As for the biting, hens are notorious for this. The are very protective of their cages (aren't you protective about where you live?) so the best thing to do is try to avoid the bite. Letting them out of the cage a bit more will eat up some of their stored up energy and they might settle down just a bit more at certain times of the day.

I know thoughts about flight feather clipping will vary from location to location. If yours are not clipped, you may want to consider it, if only for a short time so that you can have a chance to work with them. Those feathers will grow back within 6 months and it would then be your choice as to whether you want to do it again or not. The idea is to limit their ability to fly, not take it away, and make them dependent on you once they are out of the cage.

Lastly, parrots have very good memories so you will have to begin working with them in order to gain their trust. You want to become part of their flock. Love, kindness and patience are the ways to get to that end.

[belenny]

I would like you to understand spanish... :very_sad:
I wrote an article about this topic, but I don´t know if the translators are good enough to make it understandable. Wiki used to bite, but that was because we didn´t know how to educate her. We could correct it very well and I decided to write the article, try to read it and ask me any doubt you have.

http://agaporniscoqui.es/descargas/POR_QUE_ME_PICA_MI_AGAPORNIS.pdf

About clipping wings... You know I don´t agree, I think you can work with them without making them that... If you can´t find another solution is your decision, but I think you should try another things before ;)

Greetings!

[linda040899]

About clipping wings... You know I don´t agree, I think you can work with them without making them that... If you can´t find another solution is your decision, but I think you should try another things before http://www.lovebirdsplus.com/community/../wink.gif
You also know that I have no problems with other opinions as long as everyone is polite about it. By all means, feel free to share your thoughts on the subject!! We are all here to learn, and that includes me!! :)

[belenny]

Of course :)
I mean that there are a lot of "non-invasive" methods of education, so I prefer try it with all of them before thinking about an invasive one (clipping wings, punishment, ...).

[Pips mom]

It is true.....clipping wings is kind of a last resort for me too, BUT once I realize that nothing else is going to work, I have no problem with clipping. I agree that trying other ways to control a bird's wild ways is a good idea before clipping. I have a female tiel who when I first got her, she crashed every time she flew and ended up getting injured. I was convinced that a wing clip was very necessary, and that she'd probably end up dead without it! Other bird people would say to me......oh, you just have to work with her and this and that, but I just couldn't risk her health and safety. Eventually over time though she has improved! and on this day she has full flight! I did try with her, and things have improved, but this took a LONG time! and in the mean time a clip was in order! It's nice that you can clip and then decide not to do it again at a later time. It's not permanent, those feathers grow back fairly fast, so it's really not the end of the world if you clip and then decide it wasn't the right thing.

[Enko_chan]

First of all, welcome! There's a wealth of information from Q & A's in the behavior and taming section of this forum from folk asking questions just like yours. There's also an excellent reference library.

Though the birds aren't able to speak as well as we do, they DO learn verbal cues very well and respond to our voices more than we give them credit for. My birds all know their names and honestly, I would find it darned near impossible to train them if it weren't for verbal communication. Birds communicate with each other using both body language and sounds. They pay very close attention to your body language, and we can learn a great deal from theirs. If you are angry and frustrated, they will know it whether or not you speak... and if the only verbal communication they are receiving from you is scolding... they won't learn.

Perhaps it would not seem so weird to talk to them if you were aware of how well they will come to understand you? I'm sorry- I know you asked for other ways, and I think the responses you received from Linda and Belenny covered everything I may say.

Much of what you are upset about is their natural instinctive behavior. They can learn many basic responses that make it easier to have a relationship with them and to keep them safe and happy, and they can learn to bond with us a human part of their flocks, but we can never change a hen's territoriality or her desire to shred thing to make a nest... and I've never had a lovebird who wasn't thrilled to make things crash to the floor!

I had to get different dishes that my birds can't dump.

I recommend to step up train them- which means teaching them to step up when you either say "step up" and hand them a finger or wooden dowel or arm or palm... or use some other cue if you don't wish to speak to them.... and perhaps if they are not clipped and you feel comfortable with clipping- clip them so that their flight is slightly limited. You can cease clipping once they are better trained.

Its more difficult to bond with paired birds, or rather- the bonding dynamic is more complex because you're catering to the needs of two very intelligent, sensitive individuals instead of just one- and your bond with them must fit into their bond with one another. This can be particularly challenging if you have an aggressive hen! It will take time and effort, but its so wonderful and rewarding!

I had no pets when I was a student and working full time... it was just too much and I couldn't care for them properly, so I completely understand your frustration and lack of time. If you do choose to rehome them, be extra careful to be sure they go to a loving home. There's a community section on here that may help you find a home within the forum, should that become necessary. I do hope things work out, though for you and Peanut and Jelly.

[michael]

I have two lovebirds, a female(Jelly) and male(Peanut). I've had them since april/may last year. I am very frustrated at this point and on the verge of giving them away. I feed them, clean the cage, they have good toys, get to fly out of cage once in awhile, but they are still nasty towards me. The problem is the girl keeps biting the tape that holds the food, when successful the food spills everywhere. She along with the boy chew up the newspaper on the bottom of the cage. This leads me to be very angry at her because she starts the bad behaviour while the boy follows suit. I then yell and do other negative things. I know thats bad, but she is constantly at it. I am usuallly a patient person, but being at university I have no time for bad behaviour or messes. I'm a girl and wonder if she doesn't like me due to my gender. The boy misbehaves due to the girl, but when out of the cage by himself he is friendly towards me. He flies near me and even flew on my cup of ice cream and by my leg while napping. I was wondering how would I get her to mostly stop the bad behaviour, and get them to be friendly towards me as a pair? I don't talk to them because I find it weird, but I smile. Is there another way I can communicate with them without talking? Please help! They are cute birds, but if they don't improve I have to give them away. :very_sad:

A different perspective? .....No. But....

Hello Peanut and Jelly. ... Welcome to our community!

I wonder if you initially may have taken on lovebirds without a thorough understanding of their behavior. ... With parrots especially, its not at all uncommon for those with even the best pet intentions to find issues they are left totally unprepared for. ...YOU ARE NOT ALONE HERE!

First off. There are really no bad birds. Just those that are misunderstood. Please, do your best to focus on this fact while realizing that no matter how unmanagable your birds have become, as companion/captive birds, they are still totally dependent on you. The real problems arise when an owners expectations clash with a parrots (especially a hens) natural inclination to procreate and further protect their family. As parrots, that is what they are "supposed" to do. ... What about dogs and cats? They are "domestics" in a sense, whereas a birds genetics cannot be altered. Simply put, birds are not, and will likely never be, domestic animals.

Feed them. Provide them toys. Allow them plenty of out of cage time. Then we get bit!....:omg: .... Its not our fault. And neither is it theirs. Afterall, they are only doing what comes naturally. In their eye's, survival of the flock is of the upmost importance. Whether that includes you is a different story. So what about offering food or treats as a sort of treaty? While this can help break the natural barrier between humans and birds, it usually takes certain methods and plenty of patience to accomplish any reasonable goal. Good news here. The chances of gaining a parrots trust is relatively high as long as your willing to abide by their rules. Whatever those might be.........:rolleyes:

Big food messes and destructive behavior? ... Parrots are messy, period. Try to find a way to securely fasten their bowls. Maybe get a covered dish FOR lovebirds/conures/canaries etc, thats suited for their size. And maybe a floor mat for under their cage? ... As for shredding up everything in sight? Unless your trying to curb nesty hen behavior/breeding, this is considered "healthy behavior" that helps keep parrots from destroying themselves. Afterall, in the wild they would be busy all day foraging and playing around. In captivity, they must have something to do. ... If there's breeding issues, maybe try safe wood products to chew instead of paper.

Gender specific lovebirds and yelling?.....:rofl:.....sorry, didn't mean to laugh.....:blush: .. Yeah, we've probably all have done it. ... That is, blamed our gender for them not liking us? Well yeah, part of that is true, but then somehow I don't feel in your situation that applies as you made no mention of others living in your home who are barraged by two lovebirds. Yelling? ...Great exercise for you! But please, try not to scare your lovebirds or prompt your neighbors to call the police. .... Maybe a pillow will help?

Can they become friendly as a pair? ... Why is it that talking to them feels weird? ..... Friendly pairs do exist, but, this may take alot longer than a year and 4 months. For that matter, often its not until your birds fully mature or you've spent months getting to know them that you can even begin to communicate with each other on a "comfortable" level. ... If your patient enough, you'll probably at least gain the trust of one (generally the male). If your lucky or find ways to pleasantly manipulate lovebirds through "trickery", you might end up with two lovies perched somewhere's on your body. Unfortunately, there are NO guarantee's here. ...... Talk to your lovebirds! ... They are very social creatures! ... If you can yell (which to me would be even more embarrassing) you can surely talk to them. ... You know, probably the last thing their worried about is your gender, rather, but why is this human not speaking to us? .... Do you think we should trust her/him?..............:confused: