Hooley Dooley!! What a tantrum!!!!!!

[Miss Jojo]

Over the past couple of days I have noticed a change in Bluey's behaviour. My normally inquisitive, affectionate IRN has become.... Destructo Bird!!!! While she is still happy to come to me for a quick snuggle and kiss she then goes on a rampage attacking every box in sight and throwing anything she can get her beak on to the ground. I thought I might put an empty cereal box in her cage to play with. WHAT A MISTAKE!
Now she wont let you clean her cage and is sooo possessive of the box she has torn apart.

In an attempt to calm her down and restore some order I have removed the box and believe me that took an amazing amount of effort!

I hope this is just a passing phase!

[bec]

lol i can so see that!!!!
how old is bluey?
skeet at about 8 months old went through a stage where i couldnt read a book with a red cover in front of him he would fly up and tear the thing to shreds right in my hand

[Miss Jojo]

Hi Bec

I dont really know how old Bluey is, I have had her for the past 6 months but she was rescued from the wild by a friend about 10 months ago. So I guess she would be somewhere around 16 mths or older.

She has developed a VERY strong attachment to me...I can do just about anything with her but the same cannot be said for the rest of my family. Sadly she wants no part of them no matter how much attention they give her and when I am at work my husband has to cover all but the back of the cage to get some peace! Luckily the rear of her cage is in front of a curtained window so she gets light and a bit of a veiw. As soon as I get home and she hears my voice she bangs her toys around, paces her cage and rings her bell to let me know she wants a cuddle! My family are soo jealous

Very endearing and yet frustrating at the same time!!!!!

[Miss Jojo]

I want my calm baby back!!!

I have had to hide EVERY cardboard box or Bluey just goes crazy!

We keep her popcorn in a clear jar on the bench and now if we approach it she attacks!
I, her chosen loved one, am now sporting some impressive bite marks from her airborne attacks! Something she has NEVER done before!

She is still very affectionate when she first comes out of her cage but then it is game on!

Still praying this is a passing phase!

Does anyone have any ideas?

[bec]

this is sounding more & more like bluffing but the flying attack are a bit of a worry.......
you never know where she will land on you
maybe you should think about clipping her wings just till she calms down a bit
another thing to think about is why not let her have the odd bit of cardboard to destroy? after all better for her to take the agression out on cardboard than on you hey?
i always try to keep some gumtree or bottle brush in the birds cages for them to go destucto bird on in stops them getting bored when im not home to entertain them too

[Miss Jojo]

Thanks for your suggestions Bec

I'm thinking that I may just have to clip her wings if she doesnt settle but that will be a last resort.

Last time I put a box in her cage she went crazy when we let her out for exercise...if anyone went near her cage she was onto them and would throw herself into her cage. The really bad behaviour really seems to have gotten worse since she had the box!

I was thinking that her behaviour was similiar to that described as 'bluffing' but thought she was too old for that?
She was a little more easy going today. Guess I will have to see how she goes over the next week of so!

Will also try popping some bottlebrush in her cage as well...

[bec]

well bluffing is basicaly the irn version of teenage years & like humans they can go through it at different ages some just mature slower also like toddlers they re always pushing boudries too also it
also do you know for sure bluey is a girl?
female irns are very terrtorial about their cages & their mates
i have had problems with that myself
keep persevering though she will get through this

[ringneck]

Ahhh Miss Jojo, sounds like you got a female ringneck being protective of her cage . Here are few things you can do to help minimize this behavior. I would start by removing her cereal box as any cavity is considered a nesting site. The female rignecks genetics are taking over and she is becoming more territorial. So, as hard as it might be--i would remove the box .

As Bec said, i would also do a wing clip as this will make the female much more dependent on you and your family members for interaction. When her wings are clipped, they are forced to deal with you. Believe me, my most tamest ringnecks become monsters once their wings are grown . They like to start to make decisions for themselves. Ha Ha Ha

Also, start a positive reinforcement program. Teach your bird recalling, waving, turning around, etc.. This little game will keep her more stimulated and will allow you to control her behaviors more effectively.

The final 2 important rules--never let your female come out unless you physically take her out--that means she steps up onto your finger inside the cage before she may exit.

Also, the last golden rule--if she becomes too territorial--move the cage around weekly--this can make a night and day difference. Move the toys around, perches, and bowls.

Hope this helps and as Bec said--please keep us updated!

Best Wishes ,

IMRAN-C

[Miss Jojo]

Thank you Bec and Imran-C for your advice! It sure makes good sense

I am not certain that Bluey is female but from all that I have read on this forum and many of her behaviours I would be surprised to find out otherwise.

After last weekends performance with the cereal box, I removed it and all other cereal boxes visible to her and it has certainly calmed her down somewhat.

I will definately put start to put your suggestions in place Imran...... they will definately help in getting Bluey to be more accepting of the rest of the family!

I'll let you know how we go

Jo

[ringneck]

Perfect! Can't wait to hear about Bluey's performance! Now you have to keep us updated! LoL

Wish you all the luck in the world !

IMRAN-C

[Miss Jojo]

Step 1 complete!

This morning I gave Bluey a wing clip, (I have had lots of practice clipping the wings of my cockatiels), and was surprised at how well she handled it! I anticipated lots of screaming and biting but thankfully she was pretty calm I was a little worried she would take her anger out on me for doing it but so far so good, she has happily sat on my shoulder to preen, had a cuddle and is now in her cage preening again.

Jo

[Miss Jojo]

Well it's been a week since Bluey's wing clip and she has certainly calmed down. To be honest I dont think she really doesnt know what to do with herself now that she cant cause havoc and get into mischief!!!

[ringneck]

Wow! That is really great to hear! A wing clip is such an attitude adjustment--works wonders! The DIVA has been tamed!

Best Wishes,

IMRAN-C

[Miss Jojo]

My baby has not been the same since her wing clip

The Diva has not just been tamed but seems to have been shocked into submission!!!

The wing clip did obviously stop the attacks but now she is reluctant to come out of her cage. When I open her cage she becomes very submissive and appears scared .... clucking and bending low... she is happy for me to pet her but when I try to get her to step up she cowers away, backing herself into corners or pressing herself hard against the cage side. She nips at me, as if to say leave me alone, though it is certainly not with strong aggression. When she is out of the cage she is happy to sit on my hand and does still give kisses but is quick to get away!

I am trying to follow Imran's suggestion that she not come out of her cage unless I physically take her out but if I do that she will very rarely come out of the cage.

We have also had to take everything metal out of her cage as I'm sure she was convinced the reflection was another bird and this was making her very possessive of those items. As we are in the last month of winter here in Aus I was wondering if all this recent behaviour could be hormonal and that this is the start of the breeding season?

Any further advice would be appreciated

[ringneck]

Hello Miss JoJo,

Aw, sounds like your poor little girl is having a rough time. Don't stress too much as she will soon start to adapt to the new situation. Right now i am dealing with a ringneck i hand fed for someone but they totally let him go wild. I had to clip his wings and start interacting with him again. Like your little girl, it's new and it can be frightening. Continue to hold her, offer hear treats, and just interact with her--i promise in time she'll return. This has to be done daily. Once she has a routine down she will settle in and return to your little girl.

Best Wishes,

IMRAN-C

[ringneck]

When I open her cage she becomes very submissive and appears scared .... clucking and bending low...

This is typical female behavior. All my females do this that are tame. Is she tilting her head back, pinning her eyes, wings slightly open, and clucking? If yes, this is quite normal and not submissive behavior but her way of showing her appreciation for you. When they are in this state they sometimes will not step up so easy...

Keep me updated--ok ?

Best Wishes,

IMRAN-C

[Miss Jojo]

This is typical female behavior. All my females do this that are tame. Is she tilting her head back, pinning her eyes, wings slightly open, and clucking? If yes, this is quite normal and not submissive behavior but her way of showing her appreciation for you. When they are in this state they sometimes will not step up so easy...

Yes that does describe her actions completely....although I have read people say this is a mating posture and is wrong to encourage it without a mate I have always found it to be a sign of affection. She does it EVERY time I handle her, speak to her or approach her cage so it does make stepping up difficult. My strange little petal even does it to a coffee cup or glass


Thanks Imran! You have put my mind at ease. I will just be patient and enjoy my baby.

Cheers

Jo

[ringneck]

No worries

It's wonderful to hear how passionate you are about your little girl. I know others said not to encourage this behavior, but my females are so friendly during this state that i can't help but pet them--i have never had any problems yet

I say continue to pet but if she starts to regurgitate i would stop--believe me, you don't want that gift--it's o-so gross!

Best Wishes,

IMRAN-C

[ellieelectrons]

Just wondering, is it only females that crouch down low and do the clucking? Our female does this for both me and my husband and likes us to pat her. Thankfully, she only regurgitates to our 8-month old male. Our male doesn't do this kind of behaviour? Does that mean he probably never will? Is it a female thing? I guess that would make sense if it is indeed mating posturing.???

Bec, I'm wondering... when you want to get your girl out of the cage do you offer food? Do you have her own space to play when she gets out eg. a birdie gym or somewhere with lots of birdie toys? Also, I find pine cones are a good, cheap, destrutible toy. Sometimes i leave them loose on their gym and sometimes I suspend them from the ceiling of the cage. Our male, makes short work of these although our female is less interested.

Best wishes!

[Miss Jojo]

It's been a while since I last posted so thought I would update

Clipping Bluey's wings has certainly been a posititve experience for all of us. The 'Diva" certainly was tamed!
As she is currently moulting and flight feathers are growing back in I will wait to see if there are any recurrences of her previous behaviour. If not then I wont clip again but will not hesitate if her aggression returns, I love having her free to fly around... I dont love the destruction or airborne attacks. Time will tell

Bluey remains a one woman bird despite my family's attempts to bond with her...she has learnt to tolerate them to a point but certainly doesnt interact with them like she does with me. I guess they will just have to keep trying.

[ellieelectrons]

Bluey remains a one woman bird despite my family's attempts to bond with her...she has learnt to tolerate them to a point but certainly doesnt interact with them like she does with me. I guess they will just have to keep trying.

I think the only way this might change is if you stop being the main person interacting with the bird? Our female has bonded to my husband, however, I am the main person who interacts with them. As such, I can do just as much with her as he can... in fact, I can do more because I also do the training... What the bonding means, though, is when my husband is in the room, she gets really anxious and doesn't want to have much to do with anyone other than him... she will sometimes step up for me if she thinks that will get her closer to him!

I guess it depends if a) other people in your family are willing to be the number one person to interact with her and b) whether you are prepared to interact with her less for a while.

I know when you love interacting with your bird, it is hard to step back. Personally, I don't think I could step back... I think the only thing that could persuade me to do it would be if she were behaving violently towards the others in the family.

Glad she is behaving so much better now!

Ellie.

[Miss Jojo]

Thanks Ellie.

Like you I can't imagine stepping back.....we have come to accept her choice and if my hubby and daughter really want to engage more they will just have to put more effort in. To be honest they are rather hit and miss with their attempts as they fear being bitten.

Jo