baby biting?

[dtucker78]

I have Bradford now and I haven't gotten to many bits...mainly he was just trying to climb my hand and I would get gripped...not too hard. The breeder told me that this lovie, being a baby, would probably bite while trying to climb, but would grow out of it as he got older. She showed me how to gently hold the beak when he does. The question...do they grow out of biting to climb as they get older and more sturdy?

[Janie]

I have two brothers that were hand fed and one bit me (hard enough to draw blood) for several months. He was and is the sweetest bird but was having trouble figuring out how much beak pressure was enough but not too much. :D I always held him close to me, rubbed his beak and said "NO BITE, Big Boi!" and eventually that worked very well. He will still go after a mole or freckle sometimes but he has not broken the skin in months and I think that is maturity and his figuring out how to climb on me w/o applying too much beak pressure. His bites never appeared to be out of fear or anger, just catching his balance with that little beak. Your lovie will get better balance as he gets older and that will help, too, I think.

[BarbieH]

They still use their beaks alot when they are fully grown, David. But there is a big difference in a defensive bite, and using the beak for climbing. A lot of the time you will see a bird beak something that is unfamiliar, like new food, a cage toy, or even a person's hand. If a bird is trying to decide whether or not something is safe, that bird will touch it with its beak, no matter how old or young it is.

Good question! :)

[LauraO]

I would not even define what you describe Bradford doing as biting. All birds use their beaks for a bunch of different things. It's an intergral part of their lives. My lovies use their beaks whether they're climbing up the side of my face or up the side of their cage. They also test a perch/finger/dowel to make sure it's sturdy before stepping on. They explore all the shiney things they see with their beaks. They love to nibble fingernails not realizing it can be painful to us humans. The key is understanding when a bite is really a bite and why they bit:rolleyes: .

[dovelady4]

LauraO's right. My lovie uses his beak to climb on anything and everything. He only bites when someone holds him to tight or too long. Just think of their beaks as a substitute for hands;they're tools that they couldn't live without.