Help me out guys!

[Ashling]

Ash has been getting more and more bitey lately. Today I even considered just getting her a mate and putting them in the aviary. That's how far she has pushed me! Nothing works with this bird. If I ignore her she thinks she has won and got what she wants. If I say no she says "OWCH!" Then laughs. This has gone beyond a joke and I'm at my wits end. I know its hormonal season and she's possibly molting but I am getting to the point where our relationship causing me more distress than happiness. The last time she bit me was 10 minutes ago and I am on the verge of tears. I know its stupid. I put up with her biting me for 5 minutes straight while I changed her newspaper and gave her freshly picked flowers. She hopped around saying "piss off" and muttering other things at me (my mum taught her that while I was at school). I didn't make a sound as she used my hand as a pin cushion. Then she climbed to the top of her cage and I put my hand near her. She bit me but I held my ground and gave her no reaction. She puffed up, pinned her eyes, reared back, bit me again and said "OW." I said quietly, "no, Ash," and she laughed and bit me again. I made her step up and I put her in the bath tub with the light off. It was that or the oven I swear! She made me bleed in two places. What on earth can I do to get her to stop? She used to never bite me out of aggression and now it gives her pure joy. I miss my sweet little girl

She has toys, company all the time, a big cage, a good diet, a bath every day, stimulation all the time... I don't know what I'm missing or where I've gone wrong.

Oh and this is the sharp, evil beak that has been puncturing my skin!

[Rahni]

That's awful, she sounds like Alfie on a bad day. I'm sorry I'm not much help because I've never actually resolved this issue myself, I've just learned to avoid it.
One thing that people don't seem to understand about lorikeets is that they bite FOR THEIR OWN ENJOYMENT. They LOVE sinking their beaks in and shredding your flesh, not because you are scaring them, or they are afraid, or they want you to stop doing something, or they are defending their territories, or any of the myriad other reasons that NORMAL parrots have for biting, they do it FOR FUN! They are evil, evil little buggers.
The only even vaguely helpful thing I can offer is this- Alfie bites (or rather shreds) regularly, Keiko only very rarely. The difference? Because Alfie was my first parrot, when he bit me or anyone else (which friggin hurts like all hell) we would react, not by choice but you couldn't help it. So he always got a huge drama reward, which he of course loves, so that has really set him up for a life-long love of biting.
When Keeks came along I didn't make the same mistake twice, though I have to admit she is much nicer in general and probably wouldn't bite me out of fun anyway, but if she ever sank her beak in, I would ignore it, I wouldn't even pull my hand away (and that took so much willpower!) so she would give up. If I did pull my hand away automatically, I would straight away put it back again, and she would try again, but this time I would be waiting for it and she's get sick of trying. So she's got it in her head that it isn't effective.
Though sometimes she sees Alfie do it and then tries it, in that case i usually push her (not very hard) rather then pull away, which is often the desired reaction. Perhaps you could try that with Ash, when she bites push your hand into her and not away, she may be biting cuz it's fun and she wants you to 'piss off', as she put it. Whatever you try, be consistent.
As i said Alfie can be a real malicious monster but he isn't most of the time, she may like biting you but I'm sure she will calm down once the hormones stop raging, regardless of what you try. Sorry for rambling :)

[Ashling]

I always thought learning to avoid it was all I'd had to do, but it's escalated to a point that to avoid it, I have to avoid her much of the time! I don't want that, and neither does she. I think mum set up her life-long love of biting. She taught her "piss off" which she says when she is being aggressive, and also taught her to say "OWCH" which she says when she is biting. She is obsessed with my mum because she always has such funny reactions when bitten.
I know how much willpower it takes to keep your hand there. My god it is difficult! I will try the pushing thing. Actually just before, I got her out of the bath tub and she came straight to me, said hello and stepped up like a good girl. She was being nice then she jumped off me and dove into Peanut's cage to steal his flowers. I got her out using a stick (she was wound up again!) after several attempts to bite me. I made her step up then I got the flower and she was muttering angrily at me. I told her to "turn around" and she complied and I gave her a lick of the flower. No biting. I told her to shake hands and gave her some flower. No biting. I think I need to distract her from her joy of biting into performing for food. Gah it's so frustrating though!
Thank you for rambling :)


I am open for any and all suggestions!!!

[Ashling]

Argh!!! She bit me again! On the lip and thumb! Now I have a fat lip and am bleeding again. This is ridiculous :(

[kali]

All I can say is, lol!

Sorry, I'll leave this to someone better equiped to answer. Squibs is thar only real biter and when he does it's my fault really, I'll be drunk and trying to wake him up to play!!!

[chinniechantel]

I am sorry things are difficult right now. I am beginning to think those gorgeous little birds are devils in disguise! It seems they do not bite for a reason, but pretty randomly. Maybe you should stick with stick training for a few days and see if that helps at all? Maybe you are just poking the bear so to speak? Either way I hope you figure things out and get your nice birdie back.

[jdlilfan]

I am sorry things are difficult right now. I am beginning to think those gorgeous little birds are devils in disguise!

I agree! Cheeko & Gizzy don't give me much trouble during breeding season...it's Maverick who does. He gets extremely possessive over me and attacks everyone else. My mom and Ryan have suffered numerous Maverick attacks just for being in the same room and talking to me.

Calming Chamomile Tea for birds...

We're going to try Chamomile with him next spring and see if it helps any.

Hang in there! You're not doing anything wrong!! You're a wonderful bird-parent. They can just be such little heathens at times.

[Emmilyy]

I'd roast her.

[Ashling]

Kali you are no help! But I understand now why you don't like holding her!

Originally Posted by chinniechantel

I am sorry things are difficult right now. I am beginning to think those gorgeous little birds are devils in disguise! It seems they do not bite for a reason, but pretty randomly. Maybe you should stick with stick training for a few days and see if that helps at all? Maybe you are just poking the bear so to speak? Either way I hope you figure things out and get your nice birdie back.

Oh they are! They are sinister. But so pretty! Yes good idea I will start stick training for those times when I need to relocate her but she's doing the dance of death and telling me to piss off. I'm sure it will come in handy. Like when she was in Peanut's cage earlier I was so scared she was going to attack him and that was the first time she had stepped up onto a stick so I was very fortunate.

Originally Posted by jdlilfan

We're going to try Chamomile with him next spring and see if it helps any.

Hang in there! You're not doing anything wrong!! You're a wonderful bird-parent. They can just be such little heathens at times.

I might try that too. In fact I think we may already have some...

And thanks for the reassurance; you hear so many people having problems with their parrots and it's something the owners are obviously doing wrong and I'm just hoping that isn't me this time!

Originally Posted by Emmilyy

I'd roast her.

Oh I considered that.

Maybe things will be better when I move out and don't have other people to interfere with training and influence her behavior.

[Rahni]

Yes they are definitely devil birds. It doesn't help when you have people in your household that teach them bad manners, my brother always winds up my birds and now they think it's fun to try and attack people (well Alfie does anyway). The joys of living at home! One day only I will be there to teach them bad manners! :)
Has she just been like this today or has it been for a little while? If she is doing it excessively every now and then, maybe you are best to just avoid her, and as chinniechantel said not 'poke the bear'. Certainly a good idea to keep her away from your face. Alfie lunged for my mum's eye one day when he was younger, he got the skin below her eye though, ever since then though we know when to keep away.
But if she is like that every day for weeks well then that becomes a bit hard. I certainly agree that getting her to do a trick reaffirms that you control the situation. The guy that runs the website birdtricks.com always recommends getting your bird to do a trick before putting it back in it's cage because playtime ends your way, with the bird doing what you want, not the other way round.
I really hope that someone with great experience dealing with nasty birds chimes in, someone who has dealt with rehomes or something, because I know how it feels when they do that, it's so heartbreaking and frustrating, and it feels like nothing you try is gonna work.
Have you thought about trying a training course or getting a book/dvd and working through it with Ash? you may find doing something like that is a great distracter, and gives her something to think about. I believe the Barbara Heinreich ones are supposed to be very good.