IndianRingNeck.com

I got a new baby- 9to10 months- Indian Ringneck about a week ago. Nearly every time you touch him he bites you and draws blood... You can't pick him up from the cage but occassionaly he will let you pat him. How will I teach him to step up without him biting my finger off? I got my other bird to step up months ago but that was probably beacause she had been handled before. But, my new bird hasn't been handled before and has a fear of hands...

Plz help.....

1) Stop doing whatever you're doing that causes the bite.
2) Set the bird up where you do your sitting still work and internet surfing.
3) Read this Forum and find instructions on what else to do to help your bird not be scared of you.

I appreciate your reply but.....
1) I have their cage in the lounge-room
2) The only reason I put my hand in the cage is to change their food/water, get my other bird out and try to get Max (the bird) to get used to my hands...

I'm sorry Kraits. I must have misinterpreted this

Nearly every time you touch him he bites you and draws blood.

or this

The only reason I put my hand in the cage is to change their food/water, get my other bird out and try to get Max (the bird) to get used to my hands...

If the bird is biting you, then there is *something* you are doing that is causing him to react that way. Figure out what it is so you can stop doing it and, if need be, use a different strategy to accomplish unavoidable tasks such as changing the water.

I suggested you place the bird near the computer because you may spend a good bit of time there. You can move the bird or move the computer or do something else in the lounge-room so you will spend a lot of time doing nothing exciting or scary so the bird can watch you and understand you are no threat, just a boring human.

Give this a try.

I made friends with my bird and she decided to step up once we were friends.
I have also written a couple threads on taming, as my ideas differ slightly to Missks. Have a look through the behaviour and taming section of the forum. It is a pretty common topic.

Thnx Guys

You know how I said that Max bites you every time you try to handle him.....
....Well I believe that he is biting because my other bird (Indie) always bites him when they go near to each other and they get into fights- mind you they are both quite young still.

I'm not sure if she (Indie) is jealous of Max or what???

http://www.parrots.org/pdfs/all_about_p ... 9_%203.pdf
This is a very good introductory article on step up.

btw if your birds are fighting a lot, it may be worthwhile to consider whether they are ready to be caged together and whether the cage is *really* big enough for two birds.