My Bailey

[*~Bailey~*]

Hi everyone

I've recently joined and have done a lot of reading but am still a little unsure.
I have a 10 month old male Grey Ringneck. I say male because he has a very faint black line which is starting to appear.
I've come to the conclusion that Bailey is going through the 'bluffing' stage. He's very up and down at the moment and is extremely aggressive at times. I can not take him out of the cage, he attacks and lunges at my hand/fingers. I have to use a perch to get him out. He never used to be like this....
He seems to be very very territorial about his cage and his belongings which has never been an problem. I've tried to wait for him to come out, but once he's out, he will still try to lunge at me.
Not long ago I could change his water and seed without the fear of him coming at me, now I have to wait till he's preoccupied. :S
I know that with the bluffing stage, you need to make them aware that your not afraid. Very hard after today He bit me and made me bleed. I held my hand there as long as I could and once he let go all I saw was blood.

I've been trying to keep him busy, which is helping a little bit. But I'm unsure as to what else I can do. He's fed pellets and an assortment of vegies/fruit each day. He also has many toys, also shredding toys that I give him to try and help get some frustration out.
Up until today he'd been screaming a lot. Today I've had him out and playing with heaps of colourful toys to try and keep him happy and stimulated. Seems to have helped a lot with that.

Sorry my post is so long, I've tried to put as much information in as possible.

Would love to hear any advice. I'm definitely willing to put the hard yards in, I just need to know what I need to do.

Many thanks
Kirsty

[Jay2011]

Not sure if you have already seen this little bit of info but i have put it here incase you have not.

Indian Ringnecks go through a special stage after being weaned that may cause them to be aggressive. This stage is natural and is a critical learning period for your Indian Ringneck. How you deal with this stage has a long lasting affect on your ringneck’s personality and will probably mold your ringneck for the rest of its life. So why do ringneck’s bluff?

Thinking about this answer for many years, I have come to the conclusion that ringnecks bluff for a variety of reasons. Firstly, the first culprit could be a surge of hormones. During this period, ringnecks may receive hormones that trigger them to start to become somewhat independent. Though no scientific evidence has proven this to be true, I believe something chemical inside the ringneck starts to change. These hormones alter their attitude so much, that most ringnecks cope through biting. Most are edgy and try to bite for any reason. I like to think of this bluffing stage as their toddler years.

Secondly, the most important reason is to learn how to survive independently. A ringneck must learn to adapt and survive on its own without the aid of its parents. I have noticed that during this bluffing stage, Indian Ringnecks are fearless. They explore items without caution and are very careless. I am convinced this stage helps them understand what is acceptable and what’s dangerous.

Much like a toddler, who grabs at anything, ringnecks use their beak in this same manner. It's their way of testing objects and learning about themselves, foods, and objects.

Thirdly, it could be a genetic trait helps them to avoid inbreeding (Indian Ringnecks are not monogamous).

Old literature points out that Indian Ringnecks went through this stage to test their limits with their owners, though this holds some truth, ringnecks, or any other parrot for that matter, I believe do not have pack mentalities like canines. I believe there is no alpha leader, instead Indian Ringnecks work together as one entity—known as a flock. With the birds I have studied and seen, no Indian Ringneck leads the flock or is more dominant then the others. They may get into quarrels, but they are quickly solved and the birds go about their business. So how should bluffing be addressed?

Start by interacting with the bird like you would normally do. This bluffing needs to be completely ignored. If the bird bites do not make a fuss about it and completely ignore it. Under no circumstances are you to yell or hit your bird during this stage -- or any other time. Do not wobble your hand, do not spray the bird, or do not flick the beak. Ringnecks do not understand this type of punishment. If they are abused in this manner they become aggressive and fearful of humans. You need to gradually let your ringneck know that biting is not tolerated and will get no reaction out of you. At the same time, you need to be open to your ringneck’s needs and be understanding towards your bird’s attitude. They need to feel confident enough to trust you and they need time to let these hormones subside.

I have seen many ringnecks become biters during this stage because they were improperly dealt with. Some owners resorted to abusive tactics in hopes their ringneck would learn that biting equals punishment. Other owners choose not to deal with the bluffing, so they confined their parrot to a cage. Yelling at your ringneck or telling him to stop also resulted in chronic biting. In the ringneck’s eyes, any type of reaction given by you is a reward. The best and effective way to deal with this is to ignore it. Your voice should only be used to greet, praise, and coddle the bird—not for discipline.

Though some bites are predictable, some are not. To minimize these bites keep a toy or something your ringneck finds fascinating. Distract him as much as possible if you believe your ringneck is extra edgy or moody for that particular sitting. If your ringneck does choose to bite and will not let go, gently blow on its beak and ignore the fact you got bit. Do this until the bluffing has passed.

Remember to hang in there. Though it might seem like your ringneck will never stop biting, stay consistent and ignore any aggressive behavior. Avoid letting your parrot be around your face and away from children during this period. Once the bluffing has stopped, you’ll know when it has passed. Most ringneck owners report the change as immediate, it is like a night and day difference. If you deal with the situation in a loving and caring manner, you’ll have a ringneck that will never use its beak in an aggressive way. At times, I can’t believe some of my ringnecks ever went through this stage. They are gentile and loving parrots, but like any parrot, they all have their ups and downs.

Keep in mind that not all ringnecks go through this stage and it’s more prone to female ringnecks. Most owners believe that because their Indian Ringneck is going through bluffing it is automatically a female—not true. Keep in mind that this stage can last several days or weeks. Some get a severe case and it may last a few months. I’ll say it again and again, ignore any bluffing and you’ll get through this stage fine.

[adreane]

I think the bluffing stage is where a lot of people give up and that results in a bird that is aggressive and unable to handle. But its not the birds fault its just a part of their instinct. Don't take it personally it will pass. This is one of the most important times to keep working with him. Handle him as often as you can. I have rehabilitated an aggressive bird before and I know some people wouldn't agree but I used a leather glove to teach it to step up. Never to chase it or grab it but just to hold in front of it and bite all it wants until it figures out that the glove is not going to give up and let him win. That bird was so tame within a week and loved to be cuddled. At about a week if he would get into his moody moments all he would do is see the glove and he knew I meant business and he would step up on just my hand right away. After a couple weeks he got to where I Never had to use it anymore. Some birds might have a bad experience with a glove so some birds it might not be the best idea because they associate it with a bad experience. I don't know about you but I can't just sit there and let a bird bite me and make me bleed without having a reaction.

[*~Bailey~*]

WOW thank you so very much for this information!!!!

I have read the article on Bluffing Just wanted to clarify that it was the bluffing and not just Bailey being aggressive for no reason.

This morning I decided to be more assertive, but in a loving way. I had a bandaid on my finger from his bite yesterday, he went straight for that and I think he kind of freaked out cause I didn't pull away. The bandaid took a lot of the pain and I hardly felt the bite at all. Just from that he seems a lot more willing but definitely out of his comfort zone.

Am going out today to have a look for a few more toys that he can destroy. Hopefully that might help a little bit too. Hubby and I were also talking last night and decided to make a play stand for him. We will put his cage somewhere else in the house and he can be on his stand during the day

Thanks again for all the information.

Many Thanks
Kirsty