IndianRingNeck.com

Hello all,
Well I held my psycho Byndi for the second day. Today he was a lot more flighty. Any ideas why? He kept taking off from me and then I'd have to chase his little green/blue butt down, get him to step back up and start all over. And at one point he bit the **** out of my neck. YEEEEEE--OOOOOUUUUUCCCCCHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! I serioulsy look like I've been bitten by a vampire. It's welting and everything. When he bit me there I actually screamed. My husband was so concerned that he couldn't tear himself away from his beloved computer to make sure I wasn't dead. Just asked if I was okay. Man did that hurt! Another Byndi battle wound and scar I'm sure. After SEVERAL attempts by this little turd, uh I mean bird, to escape he finally settled down and sat on my hand. I was once again able to kiss his beak and he kissed me back. I rubbed his beak with my nose and the top of his head and when he'd lower his head his neck. He sat with his head lowered quite a bit. Anyone got any ideas why? His eyes were pinning a few times. I attempted to pet him with my left hand as he was sitting on my right. He'd slowly open his beak and try to bite. So I did a Mikaela and pushed gently on his beak and said, "Byndi no bite." He eventually stopped and even let me rub my finger up and down his beak. Without him even trying to take it off. (Jeepers this is sounding a little X rated! Tee hee! ) Tonight I held him for about 40 minutes. Not that long if you count the air and ground time. I scraped the hell out of my left elbow too cuz of course he goes right for things he can get behind or under. And I kept hitting the corner of the table his cage is sitting on. Ouch. And then I'd have to get something to scoot his little butt out to where I could get him. But he'd bite just a little and step up on to my hand. Of course he tried to go right up to my shoulder. But I stopped that. And when he'd succeed I'd put my hand back there and he'd take off again. It really was exhausting! I was working up a sweat. Seriously! But it was well worth it! I'm thinking that the whole taking off thing tonight was him challenging me. Is this a correct way to think? I could hear all of you telling me that he figures if he keeps taking off then I'm going to put his little butt back and leave him alone. So I didn't cave on this one! I just perservered. However that's spelled! Did I do good guys? I sure feel like I did. So I ended it once again on a good note. He was very calm, I told him what a good bird he was, kissed him on his beak, told him I loved him, how brave he was and let him get back to his cage. Of course he's in there on the top perch in the corner. I'm hoping he's in there pouting and maybe thinking this might not be so bad after all. Well I'm going to stop now that I've written a novel. Let me know what you guys think of our progress!

Hugs,
Jen & Byndi

Your doing great! Really, I know all those bites hurt like hades, but they are the way to a ringnecks heart. They make you EARN their love, and thats no joke. Mazzie pierced my husbands lower lip, held on and ground her beak... I had to PRY her off him.

You might want to keep him off your shoulder until you are on more stable footing with him though. You don't want him nailing you in the cheek or eye. That could be really dangerous. I know its hard, ringnecks just seem to RUN for shoulders... but its not safe. I give the birds the back of my hand, flexed open tightly (so theres no much skin to grab if they do bite) and just kind of become a barrier between them and my neck, backing them down my arm slowly.

Someday I'll show you a pic of the scar from Mazzie on my left hand... its about half an inch long, a quarter inch wide, and raised still after six years. She will NOT bite me now though, I know this because I've dealt with her in the very worst situations (when she was hurt) and she's always gentle as a lamb with her mama

Athena

Hey Athena,
Thanks for the words of encouragement. I'm feeling really good about all of this. Man did I cringe when I read what Mazzie did to your husband's lip! Ouch! I think that the entire time I'm kissing him and rubbing my nose on his beak. But it's what I want and if it happens I'll pay the price. I'm telling you, the bite on my neck hurt like.... well you know, you've been there done that. It's raised and welting and has two puncture marks. But by gosh I took it and I can show my battle wounds. That's what should be on the photo forum. Show us your battle wounds. Send in pictures of your scars. Of course we would discourage new owners or people thinking about adding a ringneck to their family from viewing these photos! Tee hee! Anyway, thanks for the encouraging words. I'm going to keep after this little bugger and make him the bird I've wanted since the day I brought him home!

Hugs,
Jen

hey jen..

i love reading your posts, i know one day with all this time and love and effort you are putting into byndi you will be telling us about all the times you cant get away from her! she is already beginning to trust you, i read a story on the flufflies web site about a man who found a wild amazon and tamed her from being in the wild and he did it all in 6 months.

i have a horror story of my own about a bite.... i have my tragus peireced which is the hard little lump near your ear hole. well one morning when i was laying in my bed bella came and flew over to my head... she sat there all nice and strated to nibble on my ear, well me being half asleep didnt think about my peircing and all of a sudden OUCH she had a hold of my peicring and was pulling on it, i literaly had to grab her beak and pry it open.... it was so painful and it woke me right up from a sleep in! hehe its all good now but if bella is on my shoulder i watch as soon as she nibbles onn my ear i take her right off, cause man it hurt like hell!

That's funny cuz I have that pierced too. And if Byndi gets anywhere near my ear I freak. So I don't let him near it if it can be avoided. Cuz it hurt bad enough getting that pierced. Altho' I found the popping sound to be worse than the pain. And thanks for the words of encouragement. We're getting there whether Byndi wants us to or not! So there. And tonight I'm going to torture the little green bird with my presence and my hands again! Until he realizes that we're doomed to be best buddies and hang out with each other. Dang it!!!! Thanks for all the support and caring!

Hugs,
Jen

Jen:

Again, until you start contolling him, rather than the other way around, no shoulder time. It only reinforces he is the boss. I know it is fun Baby but it is crutial he feels below you at all times until we get this fella under control.

I know a woman that is going through her 4th reconstructive surgery because her ringneck was in a foul mood and decided to take a HUNK out of her face. They are filling it with the fat in her arse. We dont want that.

You have a play stand right? If so, keep him out as much as possible. If you have no other animals, bird proof your room and let him sleep on his stand close to you. This will serve two purposes: he will be close to you for extended periods of time AND you wont have to russle him out of his cage in the morning. It takes away all of the territorial behavior. Could doing this be an option for you?

I highly commend you on taking your stance as HIS owner. Because that fella sure has it in his mind he owns you.

Also, spray bottle baths is another way of bonding. It shows them that they bathe when you say besides, they like it. Place him on his stand and spray him with very warm water (the temp of a baby's bottle). Spray it downwards onto him. Nothing like a warm bath to settle these wackos down. When he is all wet, he will be alot more docile.

jen5239 wrote:And tonight I'm going to torture the little green bird with my presence and my hands again! Until he realizes that we're doomed to be best buddies and hang out with each other.

Sounds like something I would think, LOL!

Every time a bird lives through an experience he is better able to cope with it a second time, with less fear.
Or so that is my belief. ^_^

You're doing a great job. And ending on a high note too, wonderful.