Ok, 8 week old Sprout, and me (first time bird owner) are having a rough little start in our lives together. I bought him a Happy Hut and he LOVES it-- maybe too much??? He will NOT come out of it (except at night to eat his food). If I want to play with him or practice step-ups I have to reach in and grently pry him away from his furry green friend. This is Sprouts 5th day at home, and he seems to have gotten worse in behavior every day!

He was having 'flying away issues,' but after talking to my breeder she suggested that I trim his wings a bit more than the 'baby cut' that he had. I did that this afternoon.

The first 2-3 days he was fine and would not bite and would step up from anywhere in his cage. The past two days he has started giving me a quick nip each time I try to get a step up. Today he was snuggling under my chin and reached up and bit my lip...hard!! I want to cry. I dont want to ruin my sweet little birdie.

Should I remove the Happy Hut from his cage for now? Am I doing something to make my Sprout start biting?
What should I do?

I'd go with your gut and remove the Happy Hut. There are more experienced bird owners on the forum who may know better, though, so hang on and I'm sure someone will reply soon!

Good luck! Sprout is a really cute name!

Jen

Since he's only been with you for five days so far he's still settling in, getting used to everything and trying to figure out what's happened to his life.

Yes, happy huts can cause a lot of unwanted agression since they can be precieved as a mate and therefore they don't want you messing with them. This is the main reason why Casey doesn't have one. A lot of birds can have them and not have any agression problems but others just aren't able to have them.

It's kind of hard to say whether he's using his happy hut as a place that feels safe since he is probably really scared and nervous in his new home or if it's a 'nest' thing (he seems kind of young for a 'mate' but maybe he looks at like a nest?)

Personally I would take out the happy hut, give him a little space and see if his attitude changes. If he turns sweet and friendly I just wouldn't use the happy hut.

Good luck, I'm sure others will have some more insight into his behaviour! *Hugs*

Mine loves his hut too. Yours is just a baby, only home for 5 days. He is scared and doesn't know whats going on. Give him lots of love and time. He'll be a great little friend. Sit by him and talk or sing to him, they love to be sung to. Don't rush him to come out. He will in his own time.

When in doubt take it out! lol That is my motto and so far it hasnt failed me!

I think everyone's right. I don't have lots of experience with Quakers but based on my experience with general animal behavior, he is just a baby and he's had a lot of upheaval in the last few days, so he's scared and insecure and he's probably treating that happy hut the way a child would treat a teddy bear -- it's his security blanket. It's warm and fuzzy and he can snuggle down and feel protected inside of it. Taking it from him will upset him even more than he is now, and that's bad in one way, but it might also make him turn to you for comfort and snuggles instead. Try to imagine being him and how confused and frightened he must be, and just go slow and give him time. He'll come around.

My bird's a grownup (as far as I can tell, I don't know exactly how old but he's not a baby at least) and he's absolutely TERRIFIED of his happy hut. Won't let me even try putting it in his cage. I only showed it to him when I brought it home, thinking I'd gotten him a lovely new present, and he absolutely rejected it and tried to attack it. They all react their own way to things.

Ok guys, I took it out initially, but Sprout seemed so upset when it cam bedtime and he didn't know where to go that I put it back in. Even when he saw me with it across the room he started head bobbing and making happy sounds. He climbed in it before I had even finished hooking it up inside.

I'm hopeing that the wing clip will cause a little attitude adjustment and I'm keeping in mind that he is a overwhelmed little BABY.

I was just terrified that I'd created a biting bird that didn't like me in the span of 5 days.

Taking it slow...

Give it about a month.Let him adjust first and get used to stepping up and attitude adjustments. When all seems great then try again.

I would agree with the other posters. Mine was home about a month before i put in the happy hut. they said they will become agressive in the huts and not of the cage. mine likes the hut to play in but doesn't sleep in it. tessie is cage agressive to only my husband and son. guess she hates men! god luck with ur new friend!

could it be that you have restricted his flying?
oatis is very very good with my partner and soooo kissy but yesterday he got his first wing trim just whilst training as we were also having flying away problems! and he now is still stepping up etc but with some refusual first! and seems upset with us! wont even play with his ball that he LOVES!!
I dont even agree with the wing clip but we really were getting no where with training as oatis thought him flying away was a game (him laughing at us told us that) and we need to get ontop of the training now whilst hes a bubba! the happy hut oatis totally ignored and skye doesnt even go near it?

When I first brought Truman home, he ignored his hut for a few days. Then he was in his hut all the time during his adjustment period. Then he got over that once he settled in, and how he just goes into his hut to sleep at night or if he's scared (like when we vaccum). If he was bad about it in his regular cage, I would probably get him a sleep cage with the hut inside and just put them in there at night. Currently he builds a "nest" in his hut every day with skewers and popsicle sticks.

LindseyC - Congratulations on being a concerned parront!
If I may? I would like to climb up on my "soapbox" for a bit and share some of my training as a certified Professional Dog Trainer. I too am also a new parront and have had to learn about QP's and parrot training....
Parrots have very different motivations than man's best friend! What all the noted trainers say is that you CAN NOT MAKE A PARROT DO WHAT IT DOES NOT WANT TO DO!!!

As QP owners, we know that these birds are long lived and that all parrots are the most intelligent of all birds.
One of the geneticaly programed characteristics in parrots is a strong "sense of self preservation"... just like we have! When I rescued Dolce at 4-5 weeks, I became amazed at how easily "startled" they are with unfamiliar people, surroundings, other pets and loud or strange noises! When Dolce is startled he will make several rapid shreaks/squawks and move around his cage as if to get away. This even happened when I wanted put in new toys..... Something new is "SCARY" to youngsters!

Cage Aggression: Remember that QP's are programmed to live in large groups that cooperate in building large nest colonies.... "QP Condos" if you will! From egg to chick to adult, this is their "safe house" and home! Once they are comfortable with the cage, like the one YOU HAVE GIVEN SPROUT, it becomes Sprout's home and safe house!!! From the QP's point of view, reaching into the cage is an invasion of his "safe place" and the biting behavior is Sprout's only defense for a little bird. The sleepy hut is not a problem but an additional safe place or teddy bear if you will! I would leave it in since Sprout has already been given it. I hope this rambling is making some sense....

Dolce became cage aggressive when I would put food in or take a food bowl out of his cage... trying to bite me! Basically saying that's mine or who said you could take that!

Some things I am having success with in my attempt to "Unlock QP Behavior" -

1. If Sprout is anxious or trying to bite, don't force the issue! Try again in a few minutes.
2. Although Dolce always has some Harrison's HP Fine pellets available and of course water; food is a great motivator for birds! If Sprout gets hungry, he will come looking for you!!!
3. To encourage Dolce to leave his cage and step-up, I will leave the big door wide open and wait for him to come to me! That's why parrots OWN US.!!! I reach into his cage only after a meal or when he is not their!
4. When Sprout is finaly hungry and comes to the open door to you, he should want to step-up!!!
5. I now feed breakfast and dinner OUTSIDE Dolce's cage for quality bonding time, followed by play.
6. I picked this up for a place for Dolce to be when outside his cage:

Gives me a chance for cage cleaning or redecorating.... $ 20.00 at PetsMart... North American Pet "School Yard Play Pen" item# 22510... made in the USA... WOW! Snaps together easily and sprays off to clean...
7. Wing clipping didn't seem to change Dolce... Since he can only fly "down hill" for about 30 feet he awaits me to rescue him with a step-up. He gets 15 minutes of flying time at dusk in our large backyard each evening.
8. My wife then enjoys wrapping Dolce up loosely in a hand towel (sleepy hut like???) and softly talking or singing to him while he purrs. He sleeps in his cage on a perch.

Last topic Biting:
Joseph, one of our forum members from AUS., passed along a technique that had worked for an owner of a nasty African Grey. It worked very well for me while I was bird sitting a 4 yr.old girl QP. The QP's owners were amazed with her NOTICEABLY less agressive behavior after 2 weeks!

When the bird shows the open beak and is reaching out to bite you..... GENTLY "CATCH" THE BEAK BETWEEN YOUR THUMB AND FOREFINGER.... and say, NO BITE!!!" The "No Bite" command serves as a "marker" for the birds behavior and your pinching the beak tells the bird what you are asking! QP's biting power is DOWN! You can easily control the beak by, once again "GENTLY PINCHING THE BEAK"!!! After a few catches and "no bite" markers, my guest QP and Dolce got the idea!

Now here is the important part! The bird will submit to your control of it's beak, so release but be prepared for a couple of more recatches of the beak and "no bite" markers. Then spend some time playing with the beak and softly saying "good bird" with a scratch on the chin and a stoke of the top beak....

OK.... Sorry for rambling! I am off my soapbox! Hope some this helps???
New QP Dad

[When I first brought Truman home, he ignored his hut for a few days. Then he was in his hut all the time during his adjustment period. Then he got over that once he settled in, and how he just goes into his hut to sleep at night or if he's scared]

That's great to hear, when I took it away briefly last night, I felt like I was ripping my baby's security blanket away; like I said I felt so bad when he was confused about where to sleep that I gave it back. Today Sprout was out and about and in a much better mood than yesterday, so I'm keeping in mind that this is all just a part of adjustment to life with us.

New Parront-I fell in love with the playstand you showed. I checked PetSmart's website and they don't show it on the internet. Was it an in-store only item? Would love to have one for my Toby. Your advise was welcomed , even for a 2 year quaker parront. Thanks

On the Petsmart website it is listed with a misspelled word as School Yark Play Pen. It is cute but it looks kinda small for a quaker. I am thinking of buying but modifying it onto a larger playstand.

Thanks so much for all of the advice and pointing out the difference between the puppy and parrot training...I think that's what is confusing me the most.

I'm definately going to try the 'no bite' beak pinch. I'm hopeful that it will help. Like I said earlier, he really was a lot happier yesterday--maybe he just had a moody day!

LindseyC - Hoped I could help... I was also confused between my knowledge of dog behavior & training, versus parrot behavior & training!

Sprout probably just "woke up on the wrong side of the nest"! errr... Sleepy Hut.
Let me know if the "beak pinch" no bite works for Sprout..... The other part is to get the bird to allow you to play with his beak while you praise him! I am sure you will.... but be gentle so Sprout enjoys it!

cash007 - Thanks for kind words! I purchased my School Yard Play Pen at my local PetsMart. Should be a normal stock item at the stores... ???

pie2 - I love your idea of expanding the "Play Pen" out onto a larger base! Please share your ideas and plans for what you have in mind.....
New QP Dad