IndianRingNeck.com

My 2 year old female just doesn't like me. I got her as a hand raised baby and she was very sweet. One day when she was about 6 months old, something just snapped. She tries to bite me whenever she can. She likes all the males in the family but not me. I am her primary caretaker too. She has had 3 shots of hormones at the vet last year to see if that would help her mood. Could the fact that we are both female have something to do with it. Is there anything I can do to make her see that I just love her and don't want to be her enemy. She is very smart, talks up a storm. But boy when she bites, I bleed. Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Barbara

Hello Barbara

Welcome to this board. Don’t worry about your Ringneck biting; there are many solutions that might help to solve this problem. Biting is one of the simplest problems to solve in parrots. Before I can begin to answer this question, I need some information from you first. When does your IRN bite you? Morning, noon, or before bed? Does she only bite near or on top of her cage? Is there biting when you go to get her? While you do her daily chores, cleaning the cage, food, water, etc.., how does the bird react towards you? How high is the cage? Above eye level? Same for play stand, what’s its height? Is the bird fine until a guy walks into a room? Be more specific.

Answer those questions and I’ll be able to better analyze the case. Also, keep in mind that biting is not natural to parrots, so with patience and persistence, this problem can be solved. I don’t think the bird can stereotype girls from boys, but rather senses something. It could be anything such as your voice or hair…birds are very smart creatures.

Best Wishes
Imran Chaudhry

Help!!!!
I have the same problem BITING, it is sooo painful. My ringneck is nearly a year old, his/her name is 'Ed'. The cage is the same height as me, he also has a jungle gym which he doesn't play on much, but i am trying to get Ed use to it.

I get him out of his cage (must to his disgust) every morning, during the day and again in the afternoon. S/he always bites me but does reluctantly get on my hand, after saying 'step up'. S/he bites me every time i go to pick him up, Every time . I am home most of the day and try to spend most of the time with him/her, but am still getting bitten. Please help, if you can, my hands are shredded, but I'm determined not to give up yet.

S/He is always also trying to escape to where I keep my budgies, as well. Once s/he even got out of his cage opened the budgies cage and got in the cage. I came home thinking s/he had escaped only to find him/her in the other cage. I thought maybe he just wanted to be out of the cage, but when he is out of the cage it is either straight to the budgies cage or his own cage.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated
Cheers

Hello Ren,

It sounds like your Ringneck might have one of two problems, improper socialization, or extreme bluffing. Improper socialization is when the Ringneck was just handfed and was not socialized properly for human companionship. Extreme bluffing is a stage that most Ringnecks go though before they reach adulthood.

Firstly, if your Ringneck was not socialized properly, you’ll have to take a few steps back and work with your Ringneck without forcing it step on you. Let the Ringneck stay on the cage while you interact with him. Remember, if he was not socialized right, his only safety and comfort is his cage. That’s all he knows. Start by just opening the door of the cage and simply letting the Ringneck explore the top. While he is there, offer him some treats and step away. Your Ringneck will start to associate you with treats. I’ll say this again and again, the best way to a Ringnecks heart is through treats. Kinda like mine;) LoL! Really, it does work though. You are trying to let your buddy know that you’re there to be a friend and not an enemy. So rather then make him step up, just try to be his friend.

The second problem could be that your Ringneck is going through the bluffing stage. My Ringneck, Archimedes was a monster a few months ago! I just kept ignoring his violent attacks toward me and rode it out with time. His biting stopped overnight! I was holding him and noticed the biting stopped. I was really excited. Now it’s so funny, I can’t even imagine him even biting me. I can hold him anyway i like or put him in any uncomfortable positions and he just growls but dears to bite me. I promise, he or she will stop biting. Just keep working with your Ringneck. Another example is of my other Ringneck Regan, named after the little girl from the Exorcist. Let me tell you, she was one bossy little thing. Everything was her way or a BITE!!! Her excessive biting was again the bluffing stage. Like Archimedes it stopped overnight. So hang in there and ride the stage out. It’s a shame these parrots are judged on a stage that only lasts a few months, when in reality they make loving pets for years to come.

Also Ren, I commend you for sticking it out. Many inexperienced Ringneck owners cannot deal with this problem and write them off as nothing more than ornaments to a cage. That type of thinking is very psychosocially damaging to such an intelligent parrot. Good job and keep up the work. Please keep me updated!

Hope this helps & Best wishes,

I.C.