# Maybe just a baby thing?



## allons_ykaylee (Nov 12, 2013)

I'm wondering if Simon's nippy-ness is just a baby thing. He's only 7 months old, and he loves to chew on the skin on my fingers. It almost feels like he's teething. It isn't an aggression thing (he does get aggressive when you try to make him stop), he just chews when he can see my hands.

I post about this all the time, I'm sorry guys. I just would really like to break the habit. He does it to everyone but my mom, because she doesn't let him, but she also spends about a quarter of the time I do with him. My boyfriend and best friend both let him do it. I just want him to stop.

Also it would be nice to get him to stop freaking out on me when he's on my shoulder or something and I'm trying to get him down. Sometimes he gets crabby. Haha.


----------



## Spike182 (Dec 19, 2013)

If he's not actually biting or harming you, I don't see the issue personally. He may simply see it as pruning you, cockatiels are very social and prune each other. It's a sign of affection, you should feel honoured


----------



## RowdyTiel (Jan 24, 2013)

Hm, you might be right, but then Missy is 8 and still doing it to me. :lol: You're right, it HURTS sometimes!
I usually just move her to my knee and give a long scritches session. Sometimes she forgets about her job of preening me to death and falls asleep - sometimes she crawls back up my arm and starts in on me again. XD But other than distracting him with something else, I really don't know, sorry!


----------



## Infinity (Oct 17, 2012)

If you want to break the habit then you need to teach your bird that this behavior is going to get him unwanted consequences. Cockatiels are generally very receptive to positive reinforcement, but also they are great at associating. All parrots, including our tiels, will respond to "not being allowed" to do something. You hit the nail right on the head above, he doesnt preen your mom because she will not allow it.

What I would recommend trying when he starts the unwanted behavior is to make him step up. Put your finger right under him and scoop him up so he will stop the behavior. He will come to associate the "preening" with being forced to step up and move. This should help the problem. 

If not, nothing a good beating can't solve. Usually nice, big wooden dowels work #sarcasm  

Enjoy your new baby! He sounds like a delight.


----------



## allons_ykaylee (Nov 12, 2013)

Spike182 said:


> If he's not actually biting or harming you, I don't see the issue personally. He may simply see it as pruning you, cockatiels are very social and prune each other. It's a sign of affection, you should feel honoured


Oh it's begun to hurt! He preens me sometimes and I let him but he's started chewing so that's a problem. But sometimes he preens my hair which is precious 



RowdyTiel said:


> Hm, you might be right, but then Missy is 8 and still doing it to me. :lol: You're right, it HURTS sometimes!
> I usually just move her to my knee and give a long scritches session. Sometimes she forgets about her job of preening me to death and falls asleep - sometimes she crawls back up my arm and starts in on me again. XD But other than distracting him with something else, I really don't know, sorry!


I try distracting and moving him but usually when he's preening me he's got so much energy he comes right back. Haha. It could be hormones too now that I think about it...



Infinity said:


> If you want to break the habit then you need to teach your bird that this behavior is going to get him unwanted consequences. Cockatiels are generally very receptive to positive reinforcement, but also they are great at associating. All parrots, including our tiels, will respond to "not being allowed" to do something. You hit the nail right on the head above, he doesnt preen your mom because she will not allow it.
> 
> What I would recommend trying when he starts the unwanted behavior is to make him step up. Put your finger right under him and scoop him up so he will stop the behavior. He will come to associate the "preening" with being forced to step up and move. This should help the problem.
> 
> ...


I'll try that! He usually attacks my hands when I try to get him to step up when he's doing that but I'll still try! Thank you


----------



## RowdyTiel (Jan 24, 2013)

allons_ykaylee said:


> I'll try that! He usually attacks my hands when I try to get him to step up when he's doing that but I'll still try! Thank you


LOL! Missy doesn't like to be interrupted when she's beautifying me either. XD


----------



## allons_ykaylee (Nov 12, 2013)

rowdytiel said:


> lol! Missy doesn't like to be interrupted when she's beautifying me either. Xd


"mama stop you need to be pretty i am making you pretty why don't you appreciate it?!"


----------



## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

I don't know about other member's young males, but I definitely think it's a hormonal male thing rather than a baby thing.  Coco _never _used to nip, he was the sweetest cuddliest baby, and now that he's going through puberty and his first molt, he's become rather nippy and moody and isn't afraid to tell me no! Haha. He's still incredibly sweet and cuddly though, just not all the time.


----------



## Fredandiris (Nov 27, 2012)

My male baby is chewer too! When I put my hands palm down he likes to grab each finger with his mouth, one by one, and just circle around doing the same thing until he settles down and sleeps. It's kind of like when a dog will circle around scratching at an area before sleeping, except Chicken's doing it to my hand! It actually feels rather good since he's being so gentle. He also likes to preen my eyebrows from time to time.

However, he's going through his hormonal stages right now (the teenager stage) and he's molting for the first time. He's been reeeeal fussy and demands head scratches just about every minute or so. I feel bad for him because it's not fun to have sensitive new feathers grow out but his biting is just plain annoying. He absolutely refuses to get off my shoulder and will attack me when he doesn't get his way. I just push through it and don't back away, otherwise he'll think he has some sort of control over my reactions. I actually don't know if this is a real thing haha


----------

