Remember when i said i will just continue taking my new 3 month old tags bites? well.....i do not think my thumb can take another hit!! Yes i'm whining....my poor thumb is getting raw!!!

Actually my question is has anyone else had a hand fed baby act like this? I know it's only been 4 days but i have had hand fed babies before and none of them constantly if at all bit.

On a good note...about 4pm Jazz finally made some noises to let me know he was ready to eat. I keep pellets in his cage constantly but once in awhile he may eat one or two.

I just need to hear from others that may have been thru this...... i shake my head in wonder how all these posts say how playful and cuddly their babies are from day one.

Thanks a bunch!!

Since he is letting you know when he is hungry...try having him come to you for food. Feed him from your hand to make him a little more dependent on you.

Be careful that you aren't setting a pattern by allowing him to bite your thumb. I know you're trying not to react, but in some way, I think they are still able to read us and know they are getting to us no matter how hard we try to hide it.

Exactly where/when/under what circumstance is he biting you?
Is it always the same, eg when you try to take him out of the cage?

If you describe it, maybe the folks here can give you ideas to work around the bite. Susan's idea is excellent! Let him know all good things come from you and those hands he's been nailing.

I know you'll get thru this!
Stay positive!

Susan had a great idea, I would try that. I don't really have any advice other than to make sure you don't show your pain when he bites. Good luck.

Try keeping a foot toy on hand. When he goes to bite you, give him the foot toy instead.

4 days isn't very long. He still getting settled in.

I don't want to step on any toes here.......but I have heard that if you offer them a toy to chew on when they bite you that the fid could actually see it as positive reinforcement to biting. They bite you and then get something to play with. Just what I have read, and I don't think anyone would accidently want to encourage biting.

Your original post says he's biting when playing up on the cage? OK, he's only at your house a few days so he's stressed and not settled yet. Make sure the cage is against a wall preferably even in a corner for security.

I wouldnt put him up there. It's way too soon, imo. I'd play with him away from the cage and have a seperate destination. He needs to bond with his cage, the room, the people, the routine etc...so being up on a cage isn't teaching him anything. So he's making up dumb baby stuff to do and imaginary issues lol.

Birds go UP in trees for security. So he's trying to tell you he's not secure yet, IMO. Yes later they get uppity on a cage but right now I believe this is why...

I also agree with the food idea and the giving of a toy to bite. It's part of his learning curve. Normally he'd have his flock of birds to teach him, but now he needs to learn from a human.

How old is he? Is he still hand feeding? And are you weighing him?

I would also stick him on a perch while holding it say, over a bed or sofa. Teach him now how to sit on one now for when he's ready to learn to jump on one for you. (a step up) Just for a few minutes not like boot camp lol. I never do drills of any kind I believe if you just communcate with them they'll understand the "goal".

Finally, everyone is sick of hearing me say this but MOST IMPORTANT IMO, evaluate his sleep. If he's overtired he's going to be cranky, paranoid etc. I follow a strict natural daylight schedule including dawn and dusk with no artificial lighting after 3 pm. All year long just like the birds outside. They have a sensor in the brain that drives everything about their bodies. This means in the summer like now he's getting about a 14.5 hour day and in the dead of winter he'll be getting a 10.5 hour day. With a baby he may need a bit more sleep than that right now, too. If he's grinding his beak before it's dusk that means he's tired.

Sleeping in a dark quiet room, no humans, tv, computer, flashing lights, noise etc. And waking up to the natural sun. If possible. If not, fake it as best you can.

How old is he? Is he still handfeeding? Are you weighing him?

I was also going to ask you about his sleep schedule but forgot earlier (I was pondering your post as I was trying to fall asleep last night). I don't follow the strict daylight schedule that Cindy mentioned...basically it's just not practical/possible with me being a college student with an ever changing schedule. However, it is very, very important that birds get enough sleep. It's recommended that adult birds get between 10-12 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Babies need at least that- Ollie probably got 12-14 in her first year of life. On days that she doesn't get enough good quality sleep, there is a definite change in her personality/behavior- for the worse!

You do need to make sure the toy isn't seen as a reward. Don't make a big deal out of giving it to him. Just casually slip it in front of his beak. Try to have the toy ready to give to him before he actually nips. Body language is pretty easy to read.

Wow..thanks for all the advice. Let me answer some questions...

Jazz hatched april 4th 2007 so he is a little over 3 months old. He was shipped to me from louisiana last friday. He seems to be eating pretty well but of course he likes to single out some seed and apples.

I usually put him to bed around dusk which is 9pm right now in the office room in which i close the door. I do have a night light on for him (should i remove it?) I took the entire week off of work to get him settled in so i usually go in the room between 7:30 and 8:00 and bring him his breakfast, change his water. I turn on sesame street while he eats. I noticed about 10am he will start yawning so i put him back in his cage. Starting next week i return to work and will be gone from 7:30 to 5:30 weekdays.

He has never had any problem taking food from my hand. He will try to nip when i go to bring him out of the cage but at the same time he is lifting his foot up to step up. After a few seconds he tries to reach down and bite but now i move my other hand and tell him "no bite". It usually works but i am saying it quite often. He does not want me to touch him anywhere on his body but tonight i held him close to me and stoked him on his head and back. He put up with it. This was only for a couple moments.

am i moving to fast for him by trying to touch him? Someone mentioned that he will learn that good things come from the hands he's biting but since i am having him step up and trying to touch him will he start fearing my hands.

Maybe i am stressing too much. I know very soon i am purchasing another cage for the living room. I want him out where the action is in the evening which is actually pretty quite. He does not seem to be too bothered by the dogs.

Speaking of dogs i actually put the modeling method to work today and it worked....I was handing jazz cheerios and he kept throwing them so i picked them up and started handing them to abe my dog. After about three i handed one to jazz and he readily took and ate it (little twirp)

Thanks everyone!!!

Well today was a better day!!

Not too many bites today!!! Everytime jazz reached down i took hold of his beak and kissed him. He makes the cutest noise when i do this. Almost like "nuh uh".

Earlier this morning i put water in one of his bowls on top the playpen and wow did he come alive!!! It was absolutely adorable. He managed to get his head and beak wet and he was in heaven!!

When i take him to the living room he is finally letting me touch his back and neck and cheeks. Right now i think he is mainly putting up with it. Tomorrow i am heading out to get a playstand for the living room, he seems to enjoy it out there with so much to look at!!!

Keep your fingers crossed, it seems we are making progress!!!

One thing i failed to mention was when he bites at me it is never a lunging bite.