beaky baby

[Tashalee]

I have a baby white capped pionus. He's very beaky when playing and just in general. It's not in an aggressive way. Should I be OK with this? I don't want to cause future problems by letting him get away with something he shouldn't be doing? I don't encourage the behavior but he still does it. I always make sure there's a toy at hand etc. to distract him. Should I be reprimanding him and not let him do this? Geesh...I have a five year old son and I thought being a parent was hard;) Being a parent to a parrot is just as challenging when it comes to knowing what to do and learning as you go!

[LovelySydney]

I have a conure and they are known to be little nibblers. He nibbles on my nails and my ears and my shirts - its just in their nature (so Ive read). If you think he is doing it to be playful and not to be hurtful towards you than I wouldnt discourage against it. I DO sometimes have to tell Neko "no bite" if hes being particularly annoying (which DOES happen since he enjoys chewing on my ears and it doesnt always feel great!) but for the most part I know he is just being himself.

[Tashalee]

Thanks for your input:) It definitely seems like he's just being his sweet gentle self. Yes the ears are a much more vulnerable area! Thanks again:D

[tielfan]

It's OK to let him nibble in ways that don't bother you. But if he starts beaking too hard you'll need to teach him some boundaries. You do this by calmly withdrawing your hand when the pressure gets too hard while saying something like "gentle" (use the same word every time). Then ignore him for a little while so he sees that the fun stops when he gets too rough.

[jenseits]

There's no harm in allowing him to be beaky as long as you're comfortable with the amount of pressure he's applying. Birds use their beaks to explore their environment, so it wouldn't be fair to ask him not to do it at all. Birds are quite clever, so if you set boundaries ("this level of pressure is ok, but any harder and I don't like that") he'll learn very quickly.

No need to reprimand if he's not doing anything that bothers you.

[Phenomenon]

Originally Posted by jenseits

There's no harm in allowing him to be beaky as long as you're comfortable with the amount of pressure he's applying. Birds use their beaks to explore their environment, so it wouldn't be fair to ask him not to do it at all. Birds are quite clever, so if you set boundaries ("this level of pressure is ok, but any harder and I don't like that") he'll learn very quickly.
No need to reprimand if he's not doing anything that bothers you.

That is true. My babies like to try to climb me if I don't see them on the floor and pick them up, but after a few events of them trying to climb bare skin and my subsequent drama of sobbing and crying..and removing them from said skin...they have stopped for the most part. Honestly, they will stand on the floor and step on a toe or climb the chair to get my attention.

I think they may have learned the difference because I do not react if they climb me when I have on pants? However, it worked, the smart little things have learned to climb to the bed, or a cage at eye level, or any chair that I may be sitting on till I see them.

[Chicklette]

I have a GCC, Boomer and he’s a nibbler big time, he likes to groom my face and hands. Sometimes he gets carried away and does not mean to. He USED to be a huge painful biter but I “gently” blew on him and he immediately stopped. This stopped the biting. If he starts drawing blood this is the method that has worked big time with me.