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Post by beccilouise on Nov 6, 2016 5:02:56 GMT -5
Hello everyone,
With the persistent assault of hormones and her newly flighted independence, Maya is developing a bossy streak that is entirely to be expected, but is nonetheless quite frustrating. This bossiness seems mainly to manifest itself with me, as she is rarely with david unless he is holding a yoghurt or doing the washing up (an activity she enjoys for some bizarre reason). The bossiness takes the form of short, sharp shouts and nipping. She does not break the skin, but she means business. Often, this can also be to do with food. The bossiness seems to occur if there is any disturbance to the situation (like me leaving the room, or david leaving the room). For some weird reason though, it always me that gets scolded for this!
I have also just been nipped for no reason I can perceive (perhaps because I am paying attention to the screen instead of her!)
I am doing the following:
- banishing her from my shoulder/hand onto her stand if she bites
- saying 'no' sharply with a short, not-to-fierce 'earthquake' of her perch area if there is nowhere to banish her to.
- saying 'no' and turning my back on her if she is already on her play stand.
I'm wondering if her bossiness of me is because I tend to forgive her more quickly, whereas if she bites David, she is immediately banished back to her cage and ignored! I know all young birds will go through a phase where they test the authority of their flock and try to establish their place in the pecking order. She can also still be really quite affectionate to both me and David, also usually reserving her affection for me as well. The behaviour does not really upset me and she is still out a lot of the time because I expected this and know it is not vicious, but it does need to be controlled if she is going to be happy in her flock. I'd be really interested to know of similar issues people have had with their quakers through puberty, and any other techniques I can use to curb this behaviour?
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Post by beccilouise on Nov 6, 2016 5:45:33 GMT -5
I genuinely do not know why I put this thread in the diet and health section - meant to click on behaviour, anyway, an immediate update, Maya has been sweetness and light this morning...ever since I took my glasses off. I think I may have found the problem.
Despite the fact she has seen me in my glasses since she came home a year ago, apparently they are now the enemy, along with bottles with screw tops, my thermos flask, feet, roll on deodorant bottles and the tape measure. Birds are bonkers.
I would, however, still appreciate any suggestions! At the moment, I only need to use my glasses to read and look at screens, so while I'm doing those things, Maya can stay on her play stand.
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Post by biteybird on Nov 6, 2016 6:35:37 GMT -5
Where do I start?...welcome to OUR world!
Bonnie is like this to one or both of us off and on throughout the year. I haven't yet worked out a pattern. I don't think your glasses are the problem - it's not that simple when it comes to quakers.
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Post by Jan and Shah on Nov 6, 2016 16:47:31 GMT -5
Shah tried it on with me when he went through puberty - he won  I have been a slave ever since. I am not allowed to touch anything when he is out of the cage which is hard as he likes to help me with the birdy breakfasts. At night he refuses to spend time with me but likes to wander around the house. If I try to get him to step up, he flies away (yes, I have finally let his wings grow out). Even when it is time for him to go to bed, he stands at the bird room door and screams until I open it up. He walks to his cage at which time he will step up. Then he has to supervise the cockatiels being put into their cages. I wish you luck with Maya - as Biteybird says, working out a pattern is really difficult and what Maya may accept one day, she will attack the next. |
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Post by beccilouise on Nov 7, 2016 3:56:21 GMT -5
Hahaha, well it's reassuring to know I'm not alone! Maya has been sweetness and light since I removed my glasses, but perhaps she was having an independent moment and resented being asked to interact with her human when she didn't want to! I'm beginning to gauge her different moods, and there is definitely a 'b****r off and leave me alone!' mood which also comes with a nip to the ear or finger if I dare to leave the room, despite the fact that she isn't interested in playing with me! Maya likes supervising the washing up but gets cross with the sponge. She also alternates between trying to feed and trying to attack my mugs (very difficult when I'm trying to drink from them!) I'm sure you are right and it is a bigger issue than just the glasses. Perhaps it is just a case of disciplining her for biting but respecting her wish to play independently when she wants to. *sigh* no one said it was going to be a smooth ride! gotta love her though  |
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Post by biteybird on Nov 7, 2016 5:40:42 GMT -5
We are still going through all this with Bonnie, nearly 3 years after her approximate hatchday...
If I ask her to step up and she doesn't want to, I get a nip. If I hold anything made of shiny plastic or metal near her, I get a nip. I even get a nip when I scratch her (despite the fact she wants a scratch and stretches her neck up/down to request one). She's fickle all right.
Consequences: if she nips too hard, or swoops our heads I say "no" or "oh DEAR!" and put her on the floor, then ignore her for a few minutes (which she hates - as you know, quakers are attention-seekers).
If she continues with these behaviours I drop a beanie over her, scoop her up and put her in her cage for a bit of 'sin bin' time (not too long).
Results: mixed. Nothing really works for sure every time, but I think she understands that her behaviour is linked to what happens next.
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Post by julianna on Nov 7, 2016 14:37:18 GMT -5
I finally got the approval to carry things in my hands as long as it is not in the hand that has Oscar on that shoulder. So if he sits on the right side... I can carry things using my left hand and vice versa.
There are many things that he does not like.. has never liked and I don't see him changing his opinion. I wish I could see through their eyes so I would be able to identify scary things but that will never happen.
When I do get the odd attack, Oscar is put back on top of his cage and he will stay there until I say it is okay to come down. He knows when he has done something bad... but he just cannot help himself from doing it again.
There is very little screaming while I am in the house but if he is in his condo... well... he screams for me with various intervals. If my husband comes home and talks to me (while Oscar is in the condo) he will scream his little lungs out until I go get him. Poor hubby... I even have started asking him not to talk to me... as I cannot stand the screaming... oh well. Slaves we are and slaves we will always be.
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Post by beccilouise on Nov 7, 2016 15:32:00 GMT -5
Oh dear, they are little terrors. Maya is not quite that bad yet, but she is only sixteen months old, so this could change. She seems to have forgiven my glasses, but I did get shouted at and nipped this morning for trying to eat MY OWN breakfast! Other than that, she has been very sweet today and I have had lots of kisses. The fact that she is flighted does also seem to mean she has less strops because when she gets annoyed or has an independent moment, she just flies herself off to her play stand and beats up some of her toys.
Despite her ridiculousness, she still sits on my shoulder and snuggles up to my face if I am anxious or panicking. If I am feeling low or cry, she preens my face and talks to me quietly. She really is a very sweet natured little thing. Her shouting doesn't bother me so much to be honest, but it does bother David. When in the room with us, though, she is usually quite a quiet little thing and just enjoys the shared company. Mad as they are, I still love her!
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Post by aaron on Nov 12, 2016 19:42:38 GMT -5
They are complicated little things aren't they! Cupcake is pretty well behaved in this regard. We don't get much in the way of nips, although when preparing things in the kitchen that she finds appealing, she will sometimes walk down our arms and attack our clothes rather viciously. She seems to know pretty well that if she lands a bite of any significance she will be immediately caged and ignored briefly... But you know, she has never been much of a biter, so I don't know how much of her lack of biting is due to our success in working with her, or simply her nature. We're definitely lucky, because she tends to be a pretty chill bird, all things considered. That is, of course, unless I am home alone with her, at which point everything I do is reviewed very carefully by Queen Cake, and if she does not approve, grumpy noises will first ensue, and then yelling, and then flying and yelling... but still not biting.
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Post by biteybird on Nov 12, 2016 22:25:37 GMT -5
"Queen Cake"...LOL.  |
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Post by beccilouise on Nov 14, 2016 11:58:11 GMT -5
Hahaha, I love hearing these stories. Maya continues to take out her annoyance on my glasses. I don't know if something else is causing her irritation, but it definitely manifests in anger at glasses. If I wear them, she shouts, attacks, nips and screams but the minute I take them off, her feathers fluff up, she makes kiss noises and gives me sweet eyebrow preens. I have taken simply to placing her on her stand if ever I need to wear my glasses and taking them off to approach her. Luckily they are only for reading and looking at screens. If my eyesight gets worse, I may have to consider contact lenses!
Yesterday, however, Maya accompanied me on stage to host a poetry night for the Reading Literature Festival. She wore her harness for half an hour (she gets bored of it after about this time) and then sat in her carry cage, joining in with the applause. She let new people stroke her wings and even her head without nipping or attacking at all. She is becoming so good with strangers she will even climb up their arms and sit on their shoulders. She is still friendly with David, at 16 months, though does fly after me when I leave the room. I'm aware puberty continues until about 3 years old and can often take unpredictable turns, so I shouldn't count my eggs yet! But all in all, she seems to be a pretty well socialised little bird. It does sound like she's a little stroppier and bossier than Cupcake, though considerably more laid back than Bonnie! Aren't the differences in their personalities fascinating?
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Post by biteybird on Nov 15, 2016 1:56:14 GMT -5
Yesterday, however, Maya accompanied me on stage to host a poetry night for the Reading Literature Festival. She wore her harness for half an hour (she gets bored of it after about this time) and then sat in her carry cage, joining in with the applause. She let new people stroke her wings and even her head without nipping or attacking at all. Half your luck. If I tried that with Bonnie there'd probably be missing fingers, eyes and hair and a dozen lawsuits within the space of a week...  Yes, Maya is DEFINITELY more laid back than Bonnie! |
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Post by beccilouise on Nov 24, 2016 7:09:58 GMT -5
Hahaha, but we love them anyway! I've not been very well yesterday, and despite having to cage Maya for a moment while I changed the dressing to a burn on my leg (she was NOT happy about the zinc oxide tape!) I have had a very sweet and attentive feathered nurse. I dozed on the sofa for a short while and Maya climbed into the crook of my neck and sat there, fluffed up and purring to herself. She is a cutie. In the year that I have had her, I have not had one panic attack. Although I've experienced anxiety, Maya has always been around to stop it getting worse. Wouldn't be without her!
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I have been a slave ever since. I am not allowed to touch anything when he is out of the cage which is hard as he likes to help me with the birdy breakfasts. At night he refuses to spend time with me but likes to wander around the house. If I try to get him to step up, he flies away (yes, I have finally let his wings grow out). Even when it is time for him to go to bed, he stands at the bird room door and screams until I open it up. He walks to his cage at which time he will step up. Then he has to supervise the cockatiels being put into their cages. I wish you luck with Maya - as Biteybird says, working out a pattern is really difficult and what Maya may accept one day, she will attack the next. 
