Ollie a baby Hahn's

[Kayaker]

Hello,
I am a new bee. My 8 month old Hahn's is going through his (i think) first molt.
I fear his personality is temporarily evil due to this. Has anyone heard they get nippy? Is there anything I can do to help him through this?
He has also fallen a few times and I have had to pull out a few blood feathers he broke after falling. The biting started some time before I pulled the feathers. But has increased since this, like he regressed and does not know what NO means any more.I fear he will be a biter/ chomper. Or is it too early to tell.
I am heart broken he now hates me :(

[CrazyBirdLady]

He doesn't hate you. He's just trying to get away with whatever you will let him. My Illigers can get very nippy when she's over-stimulated, so I try to let her rest between aggressive play sessions and offer her a drink of water and a bite to eat every 15-30 minutes if she's out for an extended period of time. I can also see in her face and feel the heat in her feet when she's excited and will let her back into her cage to literally "cool off a bit". Laddering is also a great idea for a nippy one...keep making him step up and up....distraction. When is your little guy nippy?

Lots and lots and did I say LOTS? of toys to tear up. Wood, bird bagels anything that can be destroyed. I've found such a change in my little girl since I've made sure she gets new wood blocks and shapes to chew on just about daily. I move the toys around in her cage often for variety.

Most (pet)macaws look ragged in their first year. Clumsy, uncoordinated and getting into everything can make your feathers look horrible, ya know! A horrific wing clip forces my little ine to floor with a bit of a thud. Once she has flight feathers grown in, she'l have better balance and will not continue to break tailfeathers because of her wing clip.

[Doug W]

We have a Hahn's. Piper is 2 years old and this breed can be nippy. They are what I call the "Jeckyl/Hyde" Bird. Do not get me wrong, Piper is a wonderful bird whom I love with ALL my heart, however she can be sweet and snuggly one minute, then turn and nip the next.

Hahn's can be skiddish/nervous, nippy and test the limits from time to time. They DEFINITELY have attitude.

If your Baby is going through a Big Molt, he/she may be uncomfortable. Give him/her lots of baths and help preen her/him. Helping them with the pins is alway such relief for the spots they can't reach.

If you have any questions, please feel free to PM myself or my husband (DougW). We love our Hahn's...she was our very first Parrot, so any questions you have, we would be glad to help :-)

[Kayaker]

Thank you SO much for taking the time.
I never thought about the stimulation and over heat pieces. I take him out every morning just about the same time every day. I hand feed him a little moistened ABBA GREEN then put him on my shoulder while I do all the daily cage cleaning and his daily food prep. He slowly ate less and less of the ABBAGREEN then let me know he wanted me to stop everything and just pay attention to him. ( I figure that is why he kept chomping my ear) That stopped for a while then started back with the molt. I stopped letting him on my shoulder so he pinched at my neck instead or would run up my arm to the shoulder before I could catch him.All the time my 6 small dogs are out , and 2 cockateils have been brought to a jungle gym upstairs and a parotlett is on my partners shoulder in the kitchen having his daily cage cleaning and food prep without incident..Maybe it is too much for him.
It is the only time of day I can let him out. Only because he has always been VERY nasty if I try to take him out to just be still and loved in the evening.
He does test me, but I love him so !

[Kayaker]

Again, thank you for all the suggestions. I am spraying Ollie down every morning now and what a difference a spray makes! I have learned how to "correctly "preen the hard to reach pin feathers. And I am moving all his toys around plus adding a new toy after removing one each day. He is SO much better. he will grab my ear , but no biting. He still is testing by climbing up to the top of my head. But I am persisting to tell him NO and move him off.
I have added a short 1 on 1 time that is quiet when I arrive home from work. He seems to like this time and lets me preen him. It is wonderful to have my attentive Ollie back. Thank you both.

[CrazyBirdLady]

I'm glad Ollie is acting more like himself again. I'd be rather grumpy too with all the pinfeathers Keep up the good work!

[Kayaker]

dEAR cRAZY bIRD LADY,
hERE IS AN UPDATE ON oLLIE. hE HAS TURNED INTO A VERY HANDSOME LITTLE BOY. hE IS ALMOST 1YR OLD (SEPTEMBER) AND HAS GROWN NICE BRIGHT RED SHOULDERS.
hE IS QUITE SMART AND WILL PERFORM TRICKS FOR A SINGLE SUNFLOWER SEED.. i AM SURPRISED HE IS NOT TALKING, BUT HE DOES LAUGH, QUACK AND MAKE ASSORTED SOUNDS. hE HAS TAUGHT ME PLENTY AND THEREFORE BITES ON RARE OCCASIONS. hE WILL BITE MY EARS NOW AS IF IT IS A GAME. i WOULD LET HIM BUT MY EARS CAN'T HANDLE IT. iNSTEAD i WEAR MY HAIR IN PIGTAILS WHEN i HOLD HIM FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.
i HAVE 1 CONCERN AT PRESENT. tHIS PAST sATURDAY MORNING i WAS LOOKING UP AT HIM. hE WAS AT HIS FOOD DISH ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF HIS CAGE. sUDDENLY i SAW CLEAR FLUID COME OUT OF HIS MOUTH. i WANT TO SAY HE VOMITED, YET IT WAS CLEAR. I ONLY SAW IT HAPPEN ONCE. NOTHING ELSE SEEMS UNUSUAL LIKE THE AMOUNT HE EATS, WT LOSS OR GAIN,FEATHERS ALL LOOK GOOD AS DOES HIS STOOL. sHOULD i BE CONCERNED ??????
kAYAKINGK

[CrazyBirdLady]

If it was just a small amount, you've not seen anymore and everything else is fine; I'd say he might have regurgitated a little and that's what you saw. If you see it again, then I'd call the vet.
I'm glad Ollie has grown up into a big boy. My little girl likes to nibble ears too, but it's too aggressive, so I allow her to do this as part of our "tickle-tickle" game, where she can nibble my ears, but I ask her to lift and hold her wing up to tickle underneath.

[Kayaker]

I certainly will call my vet if I see it again :) Thank you So much for putting my mind at ease .

[MiniMama]

Hi kayaker, i have a 2 year old Hahn's. He went through his first molt the same age as yours. He too had some nippy moments. Every day, however, I would sit and preen him for 20 minutes, which he just loved. I also let him 'take his own bath' in a shallow tupperware bowl. Another thing that happened around this time was I brought home a second bird- an Illiger's. the two bonded and Bella now preens him every day. They both sail through molts much happier now. good luck!