# New to Cockateils and have a major biter to tame!



## Cujo's mom (Sep 19, 2011)

Hi everyone. I am new here. I just got my first 2 cockateils 3 weeks ago. I have only had GREAT experience with Parakeets but as I have 4 cats, I decided it best to jump to a larger bird and have always been intrigued by Cockateils. 

My birds came from a previous owner and my kids got them for me for my birthday so I have never met the previous owner. 

The female is 2 and is very sweet. Not much taming to her. She will stay on me and playfully nibbles but never bites. 

Cujo is a 1 year old male and is very mean! His previous owner named him and it fits him perfectly. He will come out and sit on the open cage door screaming and trying to get at Daisy when she is out. Last night I held my finger out at the edge of the open door and he ran forward and bit me 3 times in a row. Hard enough to draw blood. 

How am I going to tame him? I'm a bit intimidated by him. I haven't even tried to trim his wings yet as I had a few blood feathers when I trimmed Daisy's and I haven't quite gotten over that yet. 

Help! Please...

Karen


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## Rango1 (Aug 10, 2011)

You will need a lot of patience. I rescued Rango from a bad situation and we've had him for a month now. good days and bad but I do see improvement. Start by just sitting and talking to him, letting him get used to his new surroundings. If you don't know how he was treated before it is hard. He may have been grabbed which will make him terrified of hands. I am by no means an expert but I do believe that letting them settle in and just taking things really slowly works. It may take months so you have to be willing to just wait. Learn about their body language and what they are saying to you. I do a lot of holding millet in my fingers for Rango and letting him come to the millet. If you try and force them they will be scared all over again. Not sure this is helping but I do know how hard it is to have a bird that doesn't love you and wants to bite. With love and patience, he should come around. Also someone else might know but if they are a pair it might be a mate defending thing too. Not sure. Good luck!


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Hello and welcome to the forum... here is a great thread on taming http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=22073


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## morla (Aug 15, 2011)

Hi! Welcome to the foums! I hope you like it here and good luck with your cockatiel!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

If the training on the training thread doesn't work, you may have to resort to gloves, but only as a last resort. I only had to do this with one of my birds and it was because no matter how nice I was and how long I sat with my hand in the cage, he'd bite me. I used leather mechanics gloves and after two weeks, he now only nibbles, probably because he thinks my hands are as tough as those gloves lol.


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