4year old male IRN suddenly aggressive...

[ashellina]

I am new here and I have been trying to understand what is going on with my boy. I have had him for about 6 months and he has always been very sweet to me letting me do anything I want with him, stepping up and behaving like a perfect gentleman. He is not a screamer and talks very well and usually spends all day with me. He has always been nippy at my husband if he tries to get him out usually he will just reach in the cage and ask him to step up and then he gets snapped at and my husband just calmly walks away. I have always been able to get him out and he has been very close to me since day one. Two nights ago my husband was by his cage talking to me about work and Rosco just starts going bonkers and attacking and growling at his bell toy. I figured the bell had somehow made him angry. After he stopped and seemed to calm down I tried to get him to step up and come out... well Rosco growled and snapped at me. I haven't been able to get him out of his cage since. I dont know what happened. I even tried removing the bell. My heart is broken no one can get near his cage without being snapped at and this is not my bird! He is acting very protective of his cage and the only way i can get close is with a treat but he will not step up and growls and snaps hard when I ask him too. I feel like I have lost my kid. His cage is still in the computer room and where I am 90% of the time. I have not changed anything other than taking the bell. He has lots of toys he is fed very well mostly Harrison's pellets, 10% seed and fresh fruits and veggies. He is extremely healthy His wings are clipped (we have ceiling fans in every room) and he had a vet check three weeks ago and everything was great. I cant find much info on older birds acting this way.

[sanjays mummi]

Sounds like territorial agression to me, try moving his cage to a different part of the room or another room for a while. Attacking toys is something they do, Sanjay loves beating his toys up!.

[ellieelectrons]

I agree with Sanjay's Mummi. I would also add try moving everything around in the cage, change the perch positions, etc.

Your relationship with your IRN will evolve over time. Your boy is asserting his individuality. Whenever you have something like this happen, it's time to take stock and look at what you can do to make his behaviour more how you want it to be. It is my belief that if you had a good relationship before, it is easier to get it back when these things happen.

Here are a few more ideas for you that might help:
1) regarding cage aggression - don't stick your hand in the cage for him to come out, offer close to the door so that you're not encroaching on his territory. You can try coaxing with a treat. If he doesn't come, let him stay in there. I used to get the occasional bite when I'd put my hand in the cage for them to come out. I haven't had a bite since I let them come to me to come out.

2) aggressive behaviour can be minimised by increasing foraging opportunities for your bird (90% of their food should come from foraging). With my guys this made the biggest difference to aggressive behaviour.
Check out these links for more information:
http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... 01&p=69400
http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... =4&t=13466
http://www.parrotenrichment.com/ - this site has some free ebooks to download

3) have an area to interact with your bird out of the cage like a birdie gym or a t-perch. Do you have something like this? It gives you a place to centre your interactions with your bird that isn't their cage so they are less territorial.

4) if you are interested, consider doing some trick training with your bird. The birds love doing it, it serves to deepen the bond of you with your bird. I use positive reinforcement training with my guys and I try to follow the techniques of Barbara Heidenreich (see www.goodbirdinc.com). Her parrot training DVDs are good and she also has some great information for free on her blog.
Here are some links to information on the first trick I taught both my birds, the turnaround:
http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... und#p68244
http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... und#p65327


Good luck!

Ellie.

[ashellina]

Thank you so much for your responses. I moved him to an extra cage I had in another area... He instantly went back to being his same sweet self. Although he does not seem very comfortable in the new cage I am guessing the change was needed. I was very hurt (I know I shouldn't take it personal) that he suddenly decided I was not allowed to touch him. I am going to check out information on trick training. I have been very interested in trying. I just had been thinking he wouldn't make an attempt as he isn't interested in anything new I have tried to show him new things, he just wants to sit with me usually. I do have a table top play stand and he absolutely has no interest in it. I try and get him to play on it all the time. I play with it more than he does. lol. THANK YOU Both so much for your help!!!!!!!

[ashellina]

Just thought I would post an update... Rosco has gone completely off his rocker... Since the day we brought him home he has been attached at my hip and now he just hates my guts! I cant do anything with him, he attacks me when I am feeding him, if he manages to take anything from my hand he will drop it. He bites at me through the cage when I walk by. I really don't know what has happened. My husband thinks I spoiled him to much from day one and now I am paying for it, although nothing has changed. I still try everyday, the same time everyday. He now talks to my husband and has stopped talking to me. I just want my little green man back. I am so lost... Is this common at his age? He is only 4. He is in a sunroom it does get warm in here, but not hot. I stay in here all day with my computer I whistle to him and talk to him the whole day even though he doesn't want anything to do with me...

[ashellina]

Btw I did put him back in his origional cage because he would not do anything but cling to the side of the new one and scream. He talks very well and has not been a screamer since he has been here. I just couldn't stand that he was so upset. Probably the worst thing I could have done, He hasn't came out of his cage since.

[ellieelectrons]

Sorry to hear that Ashelina. I suggest you look into the foraging links I gave in the previous message. It was the thing that made all the difference with one of our birds.

Ellie.

[sanjays mummi]

Oh dear!, Sanjay has had his thuggee moments in the past, but never on that scale. Something has put Rosco off kilter. Foraging for food definitely helps. I know all species of parrot are fickle, love you to bits one minute and go right off you the next, but I can understand why you are so upset, this wee guy is uber tyrannical.

[ashellina]

I have tried the foraging, I had fun making all the little hiding places. stuffed his favorite stuff in rolled newspaper and plain white paper, toilet paper rolls... made his food bowels harder to reach. I did leave it all like that he knows its there I sat by him making it all so he could watch what I was doing. I made him get out of his cage last night. He was bitting at me and angry until we made it to the kitchen and then he behaved like an angel for five minutes. Telling me how good he was and how pretty he is. He sweet talked my husband over to him... Saying "come here, muah muah (kissing sounds)" over and over, my husband gave in and came over to him and Rosco attacked my husband. Made him bleed. He is smart enough to sweet talk my husband close. I get the feeling he knows what he is doing and that was on purpose. Some secret part of me found it hillarious, I wont lie. I didn't laugh my husband never made a sound as he got bit I just walked over and took him back to his cage. We didnt raise him from a baby. He was raised in a home with 5 very young kids. But he was not this way for the first six months he was here. Maybe he just got comfortable and his true colors are showing... I dunno.

[ellieelectrons]

Hi Ashellina

You guys definitely aren't having much fun at the moment. I'm really sorry to hear that. Your husband did really well not to react to the bite.

Can you give me some more details regarding the foraging. I wasn't clear if you're still doing it or if he interacted with the foraging items at all.

I have come to the recent belief that birds always bite for a reason. However, birdie reasoning doesn't always make sense to us. I posted recently about how my Janey all of a sudden flew from me to my husband and bit him hard on the thumb and created a wound that bled. I didn't pick up on why she did it at all but my husband figured it out. He figured out he opened a cupboard door that she has a nesting interest in. So, it's not that we did anything "wrong" - we weren't mean to her or anything like that but we did learn to only open that cupboard when she's not around. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sure your bird is biting for a reason, something is making him uncomfortable or excited and if you can figure out what that is (which isn't always easy) then you should be able to do something about the cause. If he were younger I'd be inclined to say it was teenage hormones (bluffing) but I think he's too old for that.

Keep trying new things and keep us updated.

Have you considered some trick training?

I'm wondering if anyone else has something to add here.

Ellie.

[ashellina]

I am still trying with the foraging. He is not interested in any of it. I do put some food in his bowl but I have moved it to where he has to really try to get to it. The balls of paper with his food I have hung around his cage he will not touch I have made toys with food in them also. He just smacks them around angry like with his beak. I haven't tried any new tricks with him as he just will not engage with me anymore. He has always known to step up, when he was coming out of the cage he knew to come here when asked and will go to his cage to potty. Not really tricks but he has been trained. I actually think I know what has happened to him now atleast why he has changed towards me. My husband and I were arguing the day before he started all of this. My husband can be very loud and angry. I think that he got upset over this. It hadn't occurred to me before, because we were not arguing just talking later that night my husband was in the sunroom standing next to the cage talking to me, when Rosco lost it and started attacking the bell. I really at that moment thought it had something to do with bell. I really think my husbands yelling at me really upset Rosco. I really until reading your post about the cabinet did not put two and two together.

[sanjays mummi]

I am soo relieved you have figured out what has sent Rosco off kilter. Hopefully he will soon forget and start responding to you again. Animals are such sensitive wee souls are'nt they?.

[ashellina]

I wish I knew why it has made him turn against me. I am not a yeller or screamer. I just walk away and stay silent though that day I did walk into the sunroom and stay in my chair while my husband followed and continued to fuss. really strange

[ellieelectrons]

Birds will misdirect their aggression. For example, when Janey is getting excited and wants out of her cage, she will beat up one of her toys. When they are upset they tend to be aggressive to whatever is closeby.

With the foraging, it takes a while for them to get the hang of it. You could start with just one thing and only wrap it up with one layer. When I first started I was wrapping it up too much and they couldn't figure it out.

I hope that Rosco (and your household) can settle down soon. Disagreements unfortunately are a part of life but they're not much fun whilst they're happening!

Best wishes.

Ellie.

[ellieelectrons]

Hi Ashellina

Try reading this link:
http://www3.upatsix.com/liz/articles/spring.html

Melika left the link for me and if it's hormonal with your bird, it could hep you too.

Ellie.

[ashellina]

Thank you So much for everything! Really means alot the strangers will go out of their way to help with someone else's problem. Rosco and I are just going to take it one day at a time... He is here for life, I just have to have faith things will be ok. He was talking to me this afternoon, but I do know it had more to do with the sandwich I was eating than me. lol.

[ashellina]

My husband brought home a "surprise" for me last night... A little baby ringneck!! he/she is 14 weeks old and completely adorable. While I am totally blown away and happy, I cant help but wonder what Rosco will think. Right now she is in our bedroom on the other side of the house until she gets checked out by our vet.
I know it was an apology surprise, even though he says he has been watching for one for months.This is a very big deal for my husband, he is not the type to do anything by suprise. He said the breeder didnt know if it was male or female so I guess time will tell. I am calling it a her. She has such a soft sweet look in her eyes. Oh and my husband built them each new hanging perch/gyms last night. I really don't know what bug creeped in his brain but I like it. lol!! I guess its time to go new toy shopping!!

Before we had gotten Rosco, I had wanted a baby ringneck but there were none available, close to us, at the time. When we had found Rosco, after talking about it we figured and adult bird was the best, since I have only had Caique's growing up. I decided that when we bought our house I wanted to get a bird (renting and bird owning is not the ideal situation). We bought our home, I was researching parrots and found out about ringnecks and fell in love. I think they are beautiful.