IRN biting holes in my clothes.

Hang out, kick back, relax and chat in "The IRN Lounge". Excellent place for general conversation, idle chat and off topic threads. Anything goes!!!

Moderator: Mods

Post Reply
Tracy
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 7:24 pm

IRN biting holes in my clothes.

Post by Tracy »

I have an IRN who has recently decided she wants to chew on the collar of my shirts. She also likes to bite my clothes which puts little holes in them. I was hoping someone could give me some advice on how to get her to stop doing this. I've tried to go put her on her cage when she does it but that isn't getting the point across, obviously. In fact, I just went and put her on her cage a couple of minutes ago and she's back on my shoulder right this second, chewing on my collar. Please help me, I'd like to be able to wear decent clothes without worrying about them being destroyed.
♥♥♥
SkyBaby
Posts: 361
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2008 11:56 am
Contact:

Post by SkyBaby »

The reason why putting her in her cage isn't "getting the point across" is because her mind is in somewhere else and you're just disciplining her for whatever she's doing that second.

I think what you should do is get a few toys you can hold that are much brighter colored and cooler than you shirt. Maybe that will distract her. Some parrot behaviors can't be effectively disciplined, so the best thing to do is redirect (redirect to the toy instead of your shirt) her behavior in those situations.

Some people don't really use "discipline". They just ignore the bad stuff and only praise and reward the good stuff. They call that positive reinforcement. I use a mix of both myself. I find IRNs to be very food-motivated by the way. Skye loves bananas and will do anything for them. Find a favorite food of hers and when she ignores your shirt and goes for the toy, give her a nibble. Do it every time you take her out for a cuddle. She'll learn. Be consistent! That's very important!!

Sorry for the long reply.. hope I helped! Good luck and let me know how it all goes!
Image
kyria
Site Admin
Posts: 3050
Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Live in Australia - Have a home in Florida - Citizenship in Heaven
Contact:

Post by kyria »

You know what I say .. "Get use to it" .. Pick an old pair of clothes and wear these around the house when you have your fids playing on you .. LOL I am serious.

They will do this particularly after eating, the like the material to chew on to clean the upper part of their beak, the material gets in to the ridges and cleans out the bits stuck up there.

You can of course have other things for them to chew on but unless you have these things hanging on you, and even if you did, they are still going to bite your clothes, no matter what you do.

I have reduced my fids biting my clothes, simply by saying NO rather loudly and shaking my shoulder or knee or whatever they are perched on when they are biting, unbalancing them and making them stop. But none the less, by the time I have noticed they are biting and do the process, they have already punched a few holes into the material .. Therefore my suggestion of .. "get an old set of clothes !"

Good luck
Angie
---------
Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. {Pro 10:12}
-----------
God Bless


Image
sheyd
Posts: 1293
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2008 11:22 pm

Post by sheyd »

^^^I agree with everything Kyria said.
jobo2mi
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2006 9:28 am
Location: Kalamazoo MI
Contact:

Post by jobo2mi »

Yup! Old clothes is the best answer! :D Also, if you DO have her on you just before you are leaving the house, have someone do a 'poop check' for you ... you may get to the grocery store and someone will point out the fact that you have bird poo down the back of your shirt! LOL (guess how I know that!! : :lol: :oops: )

But old clothes or a cover up that she CAN chew on is probably the easiest thing to do to keep your clothing in one piece.
Joanne

and the fids -
Parakeets - Emma (RIP Bonnie & Clyde)
Tiels - Rosie, Howie
QP - Isis
Sun Conure - Precious
IRN - Nala
Caique - Timber
and the cat - BK
U.S Marine
Posts: 610
Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2008 11:55 pm
Location: U.S.A

Post by U.S Marine »

Why is this thread looking weird..? :?
jobo2mi
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2006 9:28 am
Location: Kalamazoo MI
Contact:

Post by jobo2mi »

sorry, my pic is too big! I'll delete it......... sorry i have to resize it
Joanne

and the fids -
Parakeets - Emma (RIP Bonnie & Clyde)
Tiels - Rosie, Howie
QP - Isis
Sun Conure - Precious
IRN - Nala
Caique - Timber
and the cat - BK
jobo2mi
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2006 9:28 am
Location: Kalamazoo MI
Contact:

Post by jobo2mi »

there....that's better........sorry
Joanne

and the fids -
Parakeets - Emma (RIP Bonnie & Clyde)
Tiels - Rosie, Howie
QP - Isis
Sun Conure - Precious
IRN - Nala
Caique - Timber
and the cat - BK
kyria
Site Admin
Posts: 3050
Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Live in Australia - Have a home in Florida - Citizenship in Heaven
Contact:

Post by kyria »

jobo2mi wrote:Yup! Old clothes is the best answer! :D Also, if you DO have her on you just before you are leaving the house, have someone do a 'poop check' for you ... you may get to the grocery store and someone will point out the fact that you have bird poo down the back of your shirt! LOL (guess how I know that!! : :lol: :oops: )

But old clothes or a cover up that she CAN chew on is probably the easiest thing to do to keep your clothing in one piece.
lmfao omg yes .. I usually get told by my hubby or children, once i have returned, to realise I have spent the whole afternoon at numerous stores with a nice white strip down my back .. :oops: hahaha! (nobody said a thing)
Angie
---------
Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. {Pro 10:12}
-----------
God Bless


Image
wishkah lady
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 2:49 pm
Location: Western Washington State

Post by wishkah lady »

I was going to ask that very question because my IRN Indiana has started to chew holes in my clothes. He is just over a year old and I know he loves to feel the different textures. That makes perfect sense. But he has gone that next step to be more destructive and this isn't a good behavior trait.

I have done the old clothes route but since he is with me all the time when I go out, I would like to wear some better clothes.

Any other solutions would be appreciated... thanks!!!
~~~ Pauline - IRN mommy to Indy -short for Indiana Jones, the adventurer!
SarahandEco
Posts: 68
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2009 4:36 pm
Location: USA

Post by SarahandEco »

I have made a toy by tying strips of old t-shirts together to make a ball. My birdie loves it and leaves my shirt alone for the most part.
Image

Image
Post Reply