# PLEASE give me advice!!!



## Hellena (Feb 11, 2013)

I just got a new tiel, an emerald, female. She was hatched 10/13/13. So she is young obviously, she was also hand fed. However, since being weaned she has been alone in another cage with 1 other bird. I bought her only 4 days ago. Here's the thing, because she has not been handled much she is scared and aggressive with people. I can only get her out of the cage by grasping her (lightly of course). She will not come out on my finger. I use a towel to do it. She will step up once out of the cage, which I have been practicing with her. Since I brought her home she has been biting and hissing a lot, to be expected I know. But the past day and a half, especially today, she is screaming when I take her out of the cage, hissing even if I just talk to her, and biting viciously. She is biting so badly that she latches on, grinds on my finger, and has drawn blood twice now. I dread trying to handle her anymore. The breeder just messaged me today desperately asking to not re home her (which I would not do anyway), and saying that if she doesn't calm down I can bring her back and get first pick of the next clutch. I'm really tempted, especially since she was expensive (being an emerald). I really want some opinions on what to do based on experience or intuition. Do I keep her and work on trying to train her with no guarantees that it will work, or should I take the breeders offer on another tiel? 
I'm surprised she is so aggressive at such a young age, especially being a hand fed baby. I'm wondering if she just has a bad disposition or just need a few weeks of training. I don't know....


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

*I'm surprised she is so aggressive at such a young age, especially being a hand fed baby.*

When I breeding this mutation that was the main problem...no matter what the hand feeder, and later the new owner did they always reverted back to wild and skittish. If the breeder will exchange for another mutation, go for it. Emeralds are not a mutation that can be a pet.


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## kaitlinpaige (Jan 13, 2014)

I would take her back and get your first pick of the new clutch. You could always ask to come visit the clutch a few times before choosing to really get to know their personality. It's great that the breeder is giving you that option. It's weird though that she's so willing to take the tiel back... like the breeder knew when selling her to you that the tiel would not be easily tamed.


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## caterpillar (Oct 14, 2013)

srtiels said:


> *I'm surprised she is so aggressive at such a young age, especially being a hand fed baby.*
> 
> When I breeding this mutation that was the main problem...no matter what the hand feeder, and later the new owner did they always reverted back to wild and skittish. If the breeder will exchange for another mutation, go for it. Emeralds are not a mutation that can be a pet.


So interesting. Is it a badly inbred mutation? My instinct would be that 4 days in a new home is too soon to even try to handle a stressed-out new pet, but this (particularly hissing when a human does so much as approach) does not sound like promising behavior for a handfed bird. Elvis is a nightmare of a bird (the scar from when he bit me and wouldn't let go over a month ago is still visible) but at the very least, he steps up unless he's really cranky and he doesn't mind if we're near his cage.


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## Hellena (Feb 11, 2013)

I had her out for awhile today and she was more relaxed. I feel like the more time she spends out of her cage the more success I will have with her. But...time will tell. I will be keeping in touch with the breeder for sure.


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## LaurulCat (Jan 4, 2014)

Never heard of an emerald tiel. Looks more like a linnie.

Anyone have more info?


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## eduardo (Jan 27, 2012)

srtiels said:


> *I'm surprised she is so aggressive at such a young age, especially being a hand fed baby.*
> 
> When I breeding this mutation that was the main problem...no matter what the hand feeder, and later the new owner did they always reverted back to wild and skittish. If the breeder will exchange for another mutation, go for it. Emeralds are not a mutation that can be a pet.


Wow, that is very interesting... I wonder why?


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