Avoid Your Parrot's Biting With These 3 Tips

Well... It's that time of year again :( The time of year when parrots start to show their signs of coming into a hormonal state, and start getting more mean. It's the time of year when more parrots are given up for adoption then ever before. So I thought I'd give you 3 quick tips for getting your parrot through this time in his life, with the least amount of heartache possible. Tip #1 Give Your Parrot 12-14 Hours Of Sleep That's right... parrot's need 12-14 hours of sleep. And they sleep when it's dark outside. So this time of year, when the days get longer and longer, there's less darkness, and thus less sleep. This is part of what triggers breeding responces in parrots, and can turn them hormonal. But making sure your parrot get's 12-14 hours of uninterupted sleep, in pitch darkness will help curb this hormonal reaction Tip #2 Target Train Target training your parrot is a way to train your parrot to touch objects as a reward for treats. And the great part about it, is that if your bird is so hormonal he won't let you touch him, you don't care... because target training is done with a stick, and you'll be out of reach for your bird to bite you. It's the perfect way to still interact with your parrot without being bitten. Tip #3 Be Aware Of Body Language Most parrot owners train their parrots to bite them, by reacting incorrectly to their parrot when it bites them. The sudden act of jerking away & screaming after being bit, teaches your bird that biting you get's you to leave him alone. And to parrots like Cockatoos, screaming can be exciting, so they may try to bite you again, just to make you scream because they enjoy the sound. I know... it sounds sick, but it's true. My advice... avoid getting bit, and become a student of reading your parrot's body language, and you'll start to notice signs that notify you to stay away from your bird.