BITER

[DeepLikeNin]

what would possibly make Mercuri so bitey all of a sudden? probably within the last week or so, she's been biting a whole lot. i started using sweatshirts over my hands when she got really feisty, but then sometimes she'll bite me right through the shirt when she can feel exactly where my fingers are... she's just about 4 months, and i handle her every day for a good amount of time, and she's really used to other people, as well, but she just suddenly turned...bad? she doesn't bite all that hard, usually she's nipping on everything, but then occasionally there will be the really hard munch. hm. she never really bit before... i'm noticing more feathers around the cage, so maybe she's molting, but i'mnot sure if that would have something to do with it. any ideas?

[bellarains]

Hi Cerissa,

Around 4 months of age or so, they seem to go through what we call the terrible 2's with toddlers. There's allot going on. Mercuri could indeed be going through a baby molt, some hormones may be kicking in, and in general h/she could just be testing out your hands to see how safe they are.

Lovies will bite to see how stable something is, so Mercuri might be doing this. One other thing is to make sure Mercuri is getting 10-12 hours of sleep a night. If not well rested, they can tend to be irritable and nippy. They also bite sometimes when they are trying to tell you something. If Mercuri stays nippy for any length of time, it is sometimes best to give you both a break, put Mercuri back in the cage and wait awhile to try again. I have found that is you are tense, they sense that, and tend to nip more.

If Mercuri was not scared of your hands before, I would forego the shirt over your hands if possible. H/she has to learn to trust your hands, and if you suddenly take them away, s/he may be seeing the sweatshirt as an evil thing also. Each bird is different, and you have to see what works best for you and Mercuri, but you also have to teach Mercuri that biting is just not an acceptable behavior.

There are also different ways that work for different birds to teach, "NO BITE". I hold the beak between my thumb and forefinger, gently but firmly and say "NO BITE". The earthquake method works well for some. Shake your arm or hand gently to deter the bite, or sometimes a soft voice saying, "EASY" works.

Good luck on making it through this stage. It will pass :)

Lori

[BarbieH]

She's undoubtedly molting, but my first guess at why the biting is a rush of hormones. Hormones can make a normal lovebird go from zero to crazed in nothing-flat. You could try distracting her with food or a toy, but I have found that hormones go wing-in-wing with territorial behavior. If the bird gets territorial about the toys or food, it can result in more biting. (Make sure you still offer water.)

Hormone-related biting, I've found, lasts about a week to 10 days. What you want to do is make sure the biting does not become habitual.

One thing you can do, that I recommend, is to take her out for shorter periods of time during this biting time, but more frequently throughout the day. Return her to the cage before she gets a chance to bite you, and praise her when you put her back. This might mean bringing her out for all of five minutes at first, but it's worth it.

If she does bite when she is out for that short period, it doesn't mean she was bad. Her body is changing and she is dealing with it the only way she knows how. But if she gets a good bite in, do not return her to the cage right away. You don't want to teach her that she can return to the cage when she bites you; she will use it as a way to communicate to go back to her cage.

Please keep us posted on your progress. :) We'll be rooting for you!

[DeepLikeNin]

thanks everyone! i'll try it out, and be braver and use my hands...all the time *scared* yes, i'm sure she can sense my fear. i'll try keeping her out shorter lengths of time, this might actually work. and also, it's true, she attacks my hand sometimes when i'm giving her her favorite food... i was so confused... i won't give up though!

i'll give it several days and update definitely on this subject....thanks!!!!

[daingram]

Hi DeepLikeNin!
*sigh*
I did go through this with Jade, now 8 months old. I was very confused as well because I would get bitten out of the blue, I've gotten some nasty bites! But don't be discouraged. Like everyone said here, it's a combination of the stage of the "terrible twos", their hormones, their molting...
Unfortunately it's a phase you can't avoid! Be very very patient and don't insist on something that Mercury is telling that she does not like! If she bites you when you're holding her favourite food, it's probably because she doesn't want you to hold it. All in all, I figured that biting is a way of them telling you they don't like something (most likely your hands doing something that they don't like) or they want something (i.e. they are hungry). It takes a lot of patience and observation to learn how to read your little one and teaching them that biting is a NO-NO! With lovebirds it's a constant trial and error. Now, Jade does not bite anymore (well very little), I thought the biting stage would never end (when she was 4 months), but after molting she started to bite less.
Hang in there and be patient!
Good Luck,
Daniela

[DeepLikeNin]

hey! thanks so much...i'm so glad it's not unique to my situation because i know it's not something i'm doing wrong. She's a lutino and her dark orange band is coming in, so there are a bunch of those annoying prickly things everywhere, but she hates when i touch her head, so i can't get them off...i keep wishing she'll understand when i say, "let me scratch them off for you, you'll feel better!" and she doesn't have another bird with her, so she can't really get to them... *sigh* and yes, i'm learning little by little how to read her, it's a long process though...but when she bites and it's not just a nip, i know she's either hungry or thirsty... so much easier if she could talk! *cries*

-Cerissa

[Buy A Paper Doll]

Hey Cerissa,

If molting is making your lovie cranky, see if she wants to take a bath in plain warm water. If not, try to gently dab a bit of warm water on her forehead with your finger. This will help soften up the keratin, which will ease the pain and itching. And hopefully, that will ease the biting.

Good luck!